Port Combat Interface
From Pirates and Traders
You have decided to assault a port. This will result in a battle between your crew and the enemy guard force. At it's core, this is a series of competitive rolls where each side gets a number of dice to roll dependent on the combat effectiveness of their force.
Combat Preparations
Initially, you will be presented with the combat preparation view which will give you as the player the chance to chose what you will do during the battle. The text summarizes your position and what you plan to do.
Your forces constitute the crew of your ship. If you have a specific artifact, you may be able to call out for native allies to support you in your attack (to get this artifact, you must have helped the natives during one of several possible quests). Each allied troop is equivalent in strength to a garrison troop.
The forces opposing consist of the garrison (100 times the garrison number) plus the militia called out from the port (100 times the wealth rating of the port). The garrison is the equal of your standard pirate crew, while the militia is only half again as strong as a regular pirate in combat.
Purpose
The purpose option will allow you to select the purpose of your attack will be. Your options are:
- Plunder: You're here for the gold and goods.
- Destruction: Your aim is to destroy the fortifications surrounding the port. This means that initially you will only be fighting the garrison (though the militia will gradually arrive). If you are successful, you will damage the fortifications of the port, although you will get very little plunder.
- Conquest: Your aim is to capture the region for your patron. This is difficult to do without a crushing superiority over the local garrison. To conquer a port on behalf of a nation, you need to have a letter of marque for that nation - and they must currently be at war with the port you are attacking.
Tactic
Having chosen your purpose, you then get to choose what method you will employ to carry out your mission. Your options are:
- Charge: This is the default approach, devoid of finesse or fancy tricks. Point your men at the enemy and the rest will sort out itself.
- Surprise Attack: A surprise attack matches your ability to control your men - determined by your Leadership - against the Leadership of the enemy garrison commander. A successful surprise attack means that you will initially only fight the enemy garrison (without the militia), and in the best case, part of the enemy garrison may still be sleeping.
- Flank Attack: A flank attack sends one third of your force out on a flank match. In each combat round after the first, there is a chance - based on how Tactically sound your execution of the attack is (modified Cunning) - that the flanking force will arrive. When (if) it arrives, their attack will cause serious issues for the opposing force - essentially meaning that your force fights with 150% strength for the rest of the battle.
Retreat
If you are uncertain about your choice, or you simply do not like the odds, then you should consider to retreat before starting the battle. Retreating at this point in the proceedings has no negative effects.
Battle Rounds
Every battle is fought in a series of combat rounds. In each combat round, the combat strengths of both sides is calculated. In addition to the relative strengths of the two sides, the Tactic skill of the two commanders and the tactical situation (tactics chosen as well as fortifications, etc.) all modify the final combat level of the two sides.
Each side scores a number of "hits" on the other side, which results in casaulties. The side that loses a round of combat (i.e., suffers more hits) is forced to take a morale test. The morale tests is a check of the Commander's Leadership, modified by how badly the combat round was lost. If the morale check fails, the morale of that side is reduced. When the morale of either side reaches routing point, that side will rout and lose the battle.
If you are facing only part of the enemy force (e.g., with a successful surprise attack or you are trying to destroy the fortifications), you will note that the opposing forces will gradually grow as more enemy troops are funneled into the battle.
During this stage of the battle, you only have two options: to retreat from the battle or to continue fighting.
Battle Conclusion
Once one of the two sides have broken, the results of the battle are resolved. If you lost, your crew will retreat to their ships, and you will set sail - somewhat the worse for wear.
If you won, the results will depend on what your purpose was.
If your goal was to plunder, you will plunder a large amount of gold and get access to the port, where you can plunder the merchant (i.e., pick up goods for free).
If your goal was conquest, you will also be placed inside the port though you will not have access to plunder the port freely. However, your standing with the empire for whom you carried out the conquest will rise considerably.
If your goal was destruction, you will damage the forts and pull back. You can then consider the possibility of returning at a later date to finish the job.