Unit Strength Increae

[Torgau]

Can someone please give me detailed instructions on how to increase the combat value of battleships? I'm tired of seeing destroyers or frigates sinking them.

[Ari]

In a battleship vs destroyer fight, the battleship is always favored. But a destroyer with 3 strength promotions (something I frequently see the AI's have)has an almost even chance of sinking one. Worse, if said destroyer is on a coastal square, it would actually be *favored* when defending in a battle due to the coast defense bonus. So to preserve your battleships, you'll want to do several things:

Pick your battles. Near cities, it's almost always better to end your turn on the coast. Often you can sucker the AI into attacking you then, putting your ship at the advantage.

I tend to follow the AI's lead and sink my promotions into strength, since even 44 vs 40 seems to be ~66% chance of winning, if I remember correctly.

If you're being bombed, travel with a destroyer for anti-air. Better still, travel with a carrier full of fighters.

If the enemy ships are on your coastline, bombs away. Reducing any unit to 50% makes it fodder for a battleship.

If you can, try not to go 1 on 1 with an enemy ship. If they win, then they can escape and heal. 2 on 1, you can at least trade ships with him if you lose the first battle.

[Nacht]

- Go to [civfolder]\Assets\XML\Units\

- Open 'CIV4UnitInfos.xml' in wordpad

- In this file find the line reading "< Class >UNITCLASS_BATTLESHIP< /Class >"

- find the line "< iCombat >40< /iCombat >" below the last line (some 50 lines down)

- change the 40 in whatever value you think is more apropiate

- save file and start the game.

or better, try ari's advice

[Older than Dirt]

Destroyers should really be called Cruisers. What destroyer ever had success against a battleship. Even cruisers had little hope. Destoyers had 5"guns and were unarmored. That's why they were called "tin cans". Two destroyers always seem able to take out a battleship. I guess they sneak up a night and fire all their torpedoes all of which hit.

[mike2h]

i just love it when a frigate sinks a battleship or destroyer.
in 'real life' a battleship would neve be sent out without screening elements. this is a good practice.
ari pretty much covers what you should & should not do.
fyi. i always send a battleship out with at least one escort. once i get past a couple of battleships & carriers
ill add 1-3 subs into the mix to. a batron made up of 3-4 battleships & 2 carriers with a 2-3 subs & 5-6 destroyers for screening is a really nasty group to deal with. especially since we dont have cruise missiles anymore & cant bombard from shore(still do not understand that one )

[Torgau]

Thanks to all who answered . . .

good stuff.