What is the best way to use Columbus?

[Khan Singh]

Playing Spain in the Grand Campaign game, how do you think Columbus should be employed? I tend to send him to the Azores and then across to the New World. But this gets him killed more than half the time.

My brother also has the game and thinks you should send him to the Canary Islands first, then across to Brazil. This doesn't seem any better to me. I've also thought about leaving the New World alone and just sending him down the coast of Africa. Anybody have any opinions or experience on which is better?

[SnowFire]

Well, firstly, I think Spain is too good to play myself in the GC. But I'd say you mine as well be historical and have him explore the Caribbean and try and get the coast of Mexico and Columbia as well (if he's still going, have him go south and explore Brazil, Argentina, etc.). As Spain you get a free Casus Belli against all the Indians, Aztecs, etc. so you mine as well use it and get a free power base, and the Carribean Islands are extremely profitable as well.

[yin26]

SF:

Either I'm going crazy, or the phrase is "might as well." Of course, I used to say "For all intensive purposes" for about 15 years until somebody finally pointed it out to me...so don't trust me.

On a EU note, the game should arrived this week. Damn. Overseas deliveries seem to take years...

[axi]

Colombus: off to the Canaries and then all to the west and a little bit south and he will get to the Winward Islands, just above the South American continent. It is highly probable that he will uncover one of these islands (I got Tobago and soon after Martinique and Antigua). As soon as he does, send him back. He will be safely across, even with one boat. Measure the time he does the return trip. Send a colonist and then send Columbus again, to arrive a little bit before the colony is established, in order to reassure the colony's success. If the natives are hostile, Columbus must carry troops with him to clear them out. When the port is created, get him inside and then outside again to do some exploring. One can clear out alot of islands with no more than 2000 men.

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"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[Imran Siddiqui]

Listen to axi . Attrition sucks, and perhaps, if you want to do more looking about with Columbo build a bunch of ships and attach it to him. If he has 10 ships then you'll be able to stay out there MUCH longer.

[Par4]

Or you could just add ships to his fleet...

It only takes about 4 months to build 20 ships at andulsia and columbus doesn't die ASAP like Cabot... I've explored all of the atlantic down to about tierra del fuego before columbus died, just keep adding fleets and he never ever disappears.

I think this might be a bug but sometimes if you disband a fleet you get the leader, explore whatever, to stay with 0 ships and they never die if you don't add ships to the fleet.

[Khan Singh]

Yes, that's the way to do it. I figured that out after a while. More ships means you won't die, which is, um, pretty important.

Kind of stupid tactic, but also kind of realistic I guess. With more ships Columbus could always change horses to another ship if one sunk. It also means more supplies. But ultimately it depends on the fact that you KNOW that there is a New World, something that Columbus didn't.

[Par4]

Didn't columbus have to basically beg all over europe to get a nation to finance his expedition too? I don't really remember well.

[SnowFire]

yin: So it is. I've know about that error before, but it is still "mine as well" in my mind and that's how I pronounce it. Plus, it doesn't sound as silly to me as "for all intensive purposes." But yes, good point, perhaps one day I shall learn (I also used to baffle people talking about the rahf, meaning the R-A-F).

By the way, what axi said as well, but I always kind of assumed that as normal- try and always get back to port just as your attrition starts hitting 10, meaning that as soon as your attrition stops being 0 it's time to head back home. And setting up a port in the New World is of course completely vital if you want to explore for any reasonable length of time (I don't know how you're expected to explore India, Indonesia, etc. without a bunch of African colonies or waiting until you have much better technology).

[Par4]

The best way to find india is to trade portugual maps, african colonies tend to die a lot, from native attacks or - growth, and they fail a lot even when theres no natives.

[Allemand]

A colony's success or failure is determined the moment you plop down the settler, so sending help just before it's finished will not change anything.

I always send Columbus out with 3 ships, find something in the Caribbean, then back to Solomons where I have more ships and troops waiting. 2nd trip, take 5 ships loaded with troops to drop off at the province he found on the first trip, have the troops clean out the natives, then send a settler.

Meanwhile, Columbus can look around some more, then back to Solomons for more ships and troops. On the 3rd trip, he should be able to drop troops off in Mexico. Bring a good leader if you have one (doesn't have to be a Conquistador, although they are even better).

Columbus should last for about three or four trips, but Spain will soon have more explorers.

[Allemand]

Par4, at least one African colony will be needed as a rest stop for ships going to India. I always kill the natives, then send a settler. By the time the colony dies (if it does), I should be well established in the Orient. St Helena is also available if you can find it, but the supply is only 5 there, so you need to schedule the troop convoys.

India and China are well worth the effort it takes to reach them. If Portugal won't trade maps, I take them with a quick raid on their capitol, suffering -3 stablility (ouch!) but I think it's worthwhile.

Also nice to capture a shipyard early in the game. The two available ones are Ragusa (Venice) and Andulusia (Spain). I've found Andulusia is relatively easy to take, but the ensuing riots are a nuisance. Still, it adds one settler per year.