blockading ports

[daidojisan]

What factors decide how many ships are required to blockade a port? historically some ports were much better defended than others, so will defending forts, entrenched artillery positions and coastal artillery have any impact on the process of blockading?

[Pocus]

Enemy forts augment the number of naval units you need to blockade an harbor (only if they have gun). High level entrenchments too (emplaced guns only).
If you control some forts, this reduce the number needed.

Once you blockade all exit points, the port is blockaded.

The actual numbers needed for each sea region is 4, +2 if there is an enemy fort/emplaced guns, -2 if there is a friendly fort/emplaced guns



Here I have a fleet with one frigate, so I need 6-1 = 5 more ships to blockade Mobile Bay. I had to run the 2 forts in order to approach the harbor by the way, as shown by the messages.

[daidojisan]

Will an enemy fort + emplaced guns result in a +2 +2 + +4 bonus?

Also,

6 naval units, does this mean 6 single ships? or are we talking about 6 blockading squadrons? 6 ships being able to blockade an entire harbour does feel a bit odd.

[Pocus]

you never get more than a +2 bonus or a -2 malus.

6 units of ship, simplification here.

[daidojisan]

Will naval units be sufficiently expensive for the north to prevent him from too quickly building loads of ships (6 per port) and blockade all your ports right from the start?

Also will ports have a maximum building capacity as to how many ships can be laid down and build at the same time?

[Pocus]

6 units counter is not a small sum, you can take that for granted. And many ports have several exit points.

You build units by area (the actual port is not choosen by you but by the engine), so you just can't pile up all you ship constructions in the same place.