Boarding ships?

[lemming3k]

Does the AI get an advantage with boarding ships and is there actually any point to doing it? I use large vessels with huge numbers of men to take smaller ones after several volleys of grapeshot, and it's always hugely costly(if it even works) - for example losing 60% troops from a 5th rate or galleon taking a sloop. Considering the alternatives and cost of repairs it seems kinda pointless.

However I've had the AI board my ships with ease using smaller vessels, lost a galleon to a sloop (120+ men vs around 50 I think) and the sloop lost only a handful of men, I also lost a sloop to a dhow(WTF)!

[Aeohjie]

I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, so I can't comment on AI vs Player attacking. However, the attacker will always be at a disadvantage when boarding a ship, and as a melee at sea was bloody anyway, it's understandable that there will be high casualties. If you are going to board a ship, switch your cannons to grape shot, and only board either ships which have taken heavy losses, are wavering, or are flat out routing. You can take a routing ship just by pulling up beside them. The crew will surrender then without a fight.

[Lord Dakier]

Well it's actually quite well thought out as if you are playing as a minor faction and you need bigger ships then you can board the bigger ones providing you take them out.

But then CA never did allow the playing of minor factions so they just got lucky

[BlueHawke]

I'm not sure if they fixed this in the last patch but the last time I actually tried to board a ship I had a 2nd Rate boarding a brig...

And in the attack when all my men jumped across... they all landed in the water and died! which made my ship surrender and me very upset! You just watched as the number of men on the ship plummeted. HORRIFYING !



Long story short:- Dont board! What I have found to be much more effective if you want to capture ships is to use chain shot. This immobilizes them, which allows you to carry on the battle against the rest of the fleet... then when all is said and done you come up on the ship (or ships because I have done this to an entire fleet before) from the bow or stern. and fire one or two grape at them and they surrender! This not only preserves your men for a future fight... but gives you a ship in mint condition so you can either sell it for more OR have it ready to fight again straight away (masts magically reappear without repairs)

[lemming3k]

I'm not sure if they fixed this in the last patch but the last time I actually tried to board a ship I had a 2nd Rate boarding a brig...

And in the attack when all my men jumped across... they all landed in the water and died! which made my ship surrender and me very upset! You just watched as the number of men on the ship plummeted. HORRIFYING !



Long story short:- Dont board! What I have found to be much more effective if you want to capture ships is to use chain shot. This immobilizes them, which allows you to carry on the battle against the rest of the fleet... then when all is said and done you come up on the ship (or ships because I have done this to an entire fleet before) from the bow or stern. and fire one or two grape at them and they surrender! This not only preserves your men for a future fight... but gives you a ship in mint condition so you can either sell it for more OR have it ready to fight again straight away (masts magically reappear without repairs)

I'm thinking that might be a better idea. I gave up taking any using the boarding method as it seemed so costly and risky, not that that in itself is a bad or unrealistic thing, but the AI seems to do it with ease using the tiniest vessels while my men panic at the mere sight of a dhow!