How do I capture cities?

andy · Powder Monkey Posts: 10 **439 Gold** -

Hi,
I've read that you can capture cities for your nation. However, when I win the battle against a city I only plunder some gold (not even food, goods etc?). How do I install a governor of my own nation?

Jack Daniels · Powder Monkey Posts: 14 **114 Gold** -

iirc, you can only capture cities and install governors when the city has a fort. o.o
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argh

dot hog · Swabbie Posts: 70 **6 Gold** -

I thought that in order to put your own guy in power, your crew has to outnumber the soldiers by quite a bit so that you have a duel with the captain of the guard. I've never been able to put my guy in power after simply winning a land battle--it's only happened when I've won a duel.

Anybody know the definite rule on this?

And I'd like to reiterate the difficulty in the game is not a problem. Think sacking cities as an adventurer is too easy? Try it in rogue. I can't even imagine what swashbuckler's like right now--my head's still spinning from getting trounced in rogue.

little_cyclone · Swabbie Posts: 75 **341 Gold** -

I've been able to install new governors on several occasions without having to duel someone in a land battle.. As a matter of fact, I've never had to duel someone in a land battle.. Sad

I think what you need to do is just patrol around the targeted city for a few months, severely disrupt its shipping, and ripen the city up for an attack. After a couple of months, attack the city with sufficient forces and you should be able to install a new governor.

Just my 2 gold pieces.
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"If they enemy wrongs thee, buy each of his children a drum"

dot hog · Swabbie Posts: 70 **6 Gold** -

I'll give it a try Cyclone. You're probably right on target--if I sack a city through land battling, then turn around immediately and sack it again, I almost always get the option to duel the captain of the guard and can then install my gubner. Maybe if I held off on that first battle a few months longer I'd find things happen differently. Thanks.

Ieolus · Swabbie Posts: 68 **889 Gold** -

I think you get the dueling option if the number of soldiers is very small, around 60 or so.

I've installed atleast 5 governors on Rogue lvl alone, last night before I went to sleep I had just installed a French governor in Havana.

What I do is I talk to the local pirates and tell them to sack the town with a lot of soldiers, which softens it up and usually evens the odds for me to come in and take it.

Usually I won't install a new governor until I have about 100 more pirates than soldiers in the town, but one time there were even forces but I overwhelmingly beat the soldiers w/o losing a pirate (never got fired on or attacked) and I got the option to install a new governor.
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ARGH!

PiratesFan · Rigger Posts: 1689 **23491 Gold** -

Maybe I figured out how to use the different units and terrain to my advantage but I do not get trounced on land battles in Swashbuckler level... but then again I have been practicing and perfecting this art.

To install a govenor or at least have the option: Here is what I have noticed.

1)When your twice to 3 times the size in troops versus city.
2)When you have the same amount of troops and you wipe out the whole force before going in. (Sometimes this takes a repeat to get it to turn your way)
3)In the book it says "If your attack is enormously succesful, the local people may revolt against their current inept ruler. pg 61

Some things to note.. I noticed poor settlements are easier to change nationality than prosperous towns... So make sure you have a large force against them. Also everything is much harder to accomplish in swashbuckler but with patience and practice can become overcome... arrrggghhh!!!!

Happy Hunting

Seven · Swabbie Posts: 61 **151 Gold** -

is it possible to attack settlements? it seems even if that particular nation is mad at me i don't get an option to attack a wealthy settlement, only cities or strongholds

PiratesFan · Rigger Posts: 1689 **23491 Gold** -

Settlements, Jesuit Missions, Pirate Havens, and Indian villages are not attackable but can be used to enrigh your nations cities or help you attack or weaken an imposing nation...
Noted on pg. 49 "These smaller places change locations from game to game"

City Types for those too lazy to read --- pg. 46

Capital, Pirt, Town, Colony, trading post, Stronghold, Village, Outpost are the only ones you can attack

andy · Powder Monkey Posts: 10 **439 Gold** -

Hi,
thanks for the responses. OK, I guess there's is no definite rule to installing new governors Sad

I was asked to install a new governor after winning a land battle (and yea, my forces outnumbered the defense guards). Next, I conquered a larger town (they outnumbered me) and I only plundered it like usually.

First, I thought you would need the right rank to do it...I was just called a baron before I was given the option to capture the town. But, well, I guess that's not it.

Wolfwood · Boatswain Posts: 2527 **33917 Gold** -

Well, the rule is not definitive, but I think it is basically as PiratesFan said above - superiority and success of the attack.

HawaiiFive-O · Powder Monkey Posts: 7 **104 Gold** -

KobraKiller · Powder Monkey Posts: 24 **553 Gold** -

As a final blowout for my journeyman game I went pillaging the underdefended and rich south american coast. The 3rd was 250 of my pirates (Everybody wanted to be my friend because I had 200k gold between avenging my family and finding a lost city) vs 160 or so defenders. Steam rolled them and though you can't top that and decided I would retire after that.

Given the choice of which governor to install I thought "Hey, those dutch sure can party!" and put in a dutch governor before retiring a rich old pirate Very Happy

Ieolus · Swabbie Posts: 68 **889 Gold** -

What do Trinidad, Panama, Gran Granada, Vera Cruz, and St. Augustine have in common? In my game, they are all that is left of the Spanish in the Caribbean!

I didn't notice that I had taken over most of the map until I was in Santa Marta (Dutch) and they asked me to send an ultimatum to the Spanish, but I had to go all the way to Trinidad. After that, I looked at the map to see what the heck was going on LOL. Oh well, guess it is time to work on my Spanish naval ranks. Smile

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ARGH!

DeaDLocK · Powder Monkey Posts: 7 **109 Gold** -

Sometimes you have to attack the city 2 or 3 times before you can get the chance to appoint a new Guv...

I have been playing nonstop and have taken 17 cities so far for my English King... I have taken one hidden pirate hideout and 280 ships.
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