River Forts

[bommerrang]

How can you build a river fort that will shoot at passing ships? There are many forts that start the game but I'm talking about player built forts. Is that possible?

[Gray Fox]

Yes, you can use Regional Decision cards to build citadels and stockades. You can build actual forts with supply units and artillery.

[bommerrang]

Yes, you can use Regional Decision cards to build citadels and stockades. You can build actual forts with supply units and artillery.

Okay. Good. But how do you do it with supply units and artillery? Do you put them in a stack together and give some sort of command?

[Captain_Orso]

Yes, you can use Regional Decision cards to build citadels and stockades. You can build actual forts with supply units and artillery.

You mean redoubts, not citadels.

Okay. Good. But how do you do it with supply units and artillery? Do you put them in a stack together and give some sort of command?

If you want to bombard passing ships the land region from which you are bombarding must be adjacent to at least two river regions (let's call them A and B). A and B MUST be adjacent to each other. Only then when enemy shipping moves from A to B or from B to A can you bombard those units.

You do not actually have to build a fortification to bombard passing ships, you just need artillery at entrenchment level 3 or higher. An engineering unit or leader with engineering ability will increase the speed of entrenching.

Of course, if the passing units are Ironclads it would probably be better to have your artillery in a fortification or redoubt, unless it is late war and you can get a very high entrenchment level.

To build a fortification or redoubt you must do it in a town/city location. A stockade can be built in any location.

If you want to build a fortification along a river for bombarding I would strongly suggest building it in a town with a harbor.

To build a fortification you need 4 batteries of artillery--the cheaper the better, because these batteries are only used to measure the cost and time and man-power involved in building the fortification. Once built, the batteries will be returned to your build pool along with the CC's used to build the batteries, but not the money and WSU. So you can use 4x 6lb-ers to build a fortification or 4x 20lb-ers. Only the costs will be different.

You also need 1 or more supply units with a total of 4 elements, which must be in the same stack as the artillery. The supply units and their CC's will also be returned to your build pools once the fortification is completed. Unfortunately you cannot use a flatboats nor riverine or oceanic transport units to do this (much cheaper), even if you load the artillery on these; at least the last time I tried it it wouldn't work. So you need to build a land supply unit with 4 elements or 2 with 2 elements each.

Once you have all these together in the location where you want to build the fortification, put them alone in a single stack, select the stack and click on the build fortification special orders button. Then all you have to do is wait for the fortification to be completed, about 2 - 3 turns IIRC.

Redoubts and Stockades are build only with RGD's. Check the proper RGD card for the requirements.

Edit: Almost forget the most important part.

You still have to build artillery to put inside your fortifications to bombard. Of course, coastal artillery are the best at bombarding, but Columbiads and Rodman batteries don't do bad either, plus they fight land units if attached or besieged, are mobile if you have to move them and are cheaper to boot.

[bommerrang]

You mean redoubts, not citadels.



If you want to bombard passing ships the land region from which you are bombarding must be adjacent to at least two river regions (let's call them A and B). A and B MUST be adjacent to each other. Only then when enemy shipping moves from A to B or from B to A can you bombard those units.

You do not actually have to build a fortification to bombard passing ships, you just need artillery at entrenchment level 3 or higher. An engineering unit or leader with engineering ability will increase the speed of entrenching.

Of course, if the passing units are Ironclads it would probably be better to have your artillery in a fortification or redoubt, unless it is late war and you can get a very high entrenchment level.

To build a fortification or redoubt you must do it in a town/city location. A stockade can be built in any location.

If you want to build a fortification along a river for bombarding I would strongly suggest building it in a town with a harbor.

To build a fortification you need 4 batteries of artillery--the cheaper the better, because these batteries are only used to measure the cost and time and man-power involved in building the fortification. Once built, the batteries will be returned to your build pool along with the CC's used to build the batteries, but not the money and WSU. So you can use 4x 6lb-ers to build a fortification or 4x 20lb-ers. Only the costs will be different.

You also need 1 or more supply units with a total of 4 elements, which must be in the same stack as the artillery. The supply units and their CC's will also be returned to your build pools once the fortification is completed. Unfortunately you cannot use a flatboats nor riverine or oceanic transport units to do this (much cheaper), even if you load the artillery on these; at least the last time I tried it it wouldn't work. So you need to build a land supply unit with 4 elements or 2 with 2 elements each.

Once you have all these together in the location where you want to build the fortification, put them alone in a single stack, select the stack and click on the build fortification special orders button. Then all you have to do is wait for the fortification to be completed, about 2 - 3 turns IIRC.

Redoubts and Stockades are build only with RGD's. Check the proper RGD card for the requirements.

Edit: Almost forget the most important part.

You still have to build artillery to put inside your fortifications to bombard. Of course, coastal artillery are the best at bombarding, but Columbiads and Rodman batteries don't do bad either, plus they fight land units if attached or besieged, are mobile if you have to move them and are cheaper to boot.

Thank you captain for the very detailed explanation! This past week you have taught me several things I was not aware of and is of great help. This game is probably one of the best CW strategic simulations I have played even with the sometimes weird battle results. AI sucks but I suppose only for testing and training anyway.
My PBEM opponent had now better watch out going up and down rivers.

[DrPostman]

Thank you captain for the very detailed explanation! This past week you have taught me several things I was not aware of and is of great help. This game is probably one of the best CW strategic simulations I have played even with the sometimes weird battle results. AI sucks but I suppose only for testing and training anyway.
My PBEM opponent had now better watch out going up and down rivers.

Don't disparage Athena. Many of us have come to love and respect her, especially
at levels of Lieutenant and above. She can and will surprise you.