Naval Battles

[Incendio]

I am almost new to Rome 2 Total War but I am lost with naval battles. How naval battles work in this game? Everything goes so fast I barely have time to react. There are also lots of formations but I don't have any idea when to use each one.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[LuckyPistol]

It depends entirely on what faction you are IMO, and secondly WHEN you are. For example, early game naval battles are all about the ramming game. Get some practice in custom battles on getting your ships to out maneuver and ram the hulls of the opponent. It's the most efficient and safest way to end a naval battle: your general ship will be your main rammer while you can sacrifice your tier 1 units to pin down the enemy. Of course, this strategy is more about numbers and speed of your ships.

Greeks, Romans, and Easterners have great navies where you can essentially recruit about 6-10 ballista ships and decimate enemy vessels and settlements. After the early game you get access to these units and either continue your ramming strategy or recruit high end units to board enemy ships while your ranged units harass from behind/the flanks.

Barbarians......eh, I'd do your best to avoid naval battles at all and just use barbarian navies as either deterrents or transportation for your armies. Barbarian vessels are slow, weak, and not much in variety. Your only option is ramming or the slow grind of boarding.

[twgamer20197]

Whenever possible, avoid using land armies in a naval battle because your units won't have the ramming option during battle ( Ramming enemy ships could be vital to win a naval battle ). And because they don't have the speed increase option either.

[Alwyn]

This advice is good. I'd like to suggest another option for barbarians. The TWC Wiki says, on its useful Cultural Groups page, that:

Barbarian Cultural Group factions are the only factions who are able to gain special naval units from captured ports of other Cultural Groups, and only if those ports are not converted to your culture.

As I understand it, barbarians can recruit different naval units from captured, unconverted ports of different cultural groups. At some point, I'd like to play a barbarian faction and capture an upgraded port from each of the other cultural groups, to see what sort of navy I can build.

[LuckyPistol]

This advice is good. I'd like to suggest another option for barbarians. The TWC Wiki says, on its useful Cultural Groups page, that:



As I understand it, barbarians can recruit different naval units from captured, unconverted ports of different cultural groups. At some point, I'd like to play a barbarian faction and capture an upgraded port from each of the other cultural groups, to see what sort of navy I can build.

I've done it, it's not worth it unless you've captured a level 4 port. But its really fun from a roleplay perspective!

[twgamer20197]

Did you ever try a naval battle by using a land army? I tried and it really sucks against a navy ( I don't understand why some of my transport ships were sunk without even engaging in melee combat. You stand just a little or no chance.

[LuckyPistol]

Well yes, otherwise having naval units would be pointless.

[twgamer20197]

This is something I learned the hard way:
Never send any land army to the sea ( if traveling on the sea is the only way to get to a specific place. For example from Sicily to Carthage ) without being escorted by a big enough navy if there is a risk of being intercepted by an enemy fleet

[LuckyPistol]

Yes, your transport vessels are easy prey for actual naval combat units. Slower, weaker, and arguably more valuable to the war effort (depending on location), so you really feel the loss when an enemy fleet swoops in and sinks your invasion force.

[twgamer20197]

I don't know if you like this naval battle tactic:
Using some ships to attack the enemy ships ( atacking them on boarding mode ) that are in the front line. Then using the rest of the ships on ramming mode to get around those ships that are pinned by your melee ships and ram them from the side or the rear

[LuckyPistol]

That's the go-to strategy for early fleets and barbarian factions

[twgamer20197]

What strategy do you use if you are a Barbarian faction? As you know, barbarian factions war ships don't have the ramming mode. Only the boarding mode. How would you play a battle against a navy that has ships with ramming mode? How would you manuever your ships so that they board the enemy ships before they ram your ships?

[LuckyPistol]

Jupiter Inferna, I forgot they took away the ramming ability for Barbarian fleets!

I wouldn't engage any Mediterranean or Eastern fleet unless you were able to recruit the special ships from conquered ports that you didn't convert yet. I'm no Sextus Pompey, but I am pretty efficient in my fleet maneuvering in trying to box in the enemy. The first thing you should always try is to outnumber the enemy fleet (I've rarely seen an AI full stack navy). The AI is super aggressive, but they like to board, so I'll always have a few sacrificial units to draw them while I surround them. Normally, after that point I'd ram them to death but with non-ram barbarian ships.....I guess focus on ranged units and try to burn or shoot them to death.

[twgamer20197]

So you try to box them so that they don't get any chance for ramming your ships. That's clever.