Third Rates

[Conn]

Hello all,

 

I recently purchased the Commodore edition and have been thoroughly enjoying the game. I've been playing the British campaign and have had quite ease with most missions until I get the one mission that requires me to fight the Third Rate. With a fleet of 4+ 40 gun frigates I find it near impossible to even damage the third rate let alone damage its crew enough to capture it (Which I'd love to do). Because the amount of heavy guns the ship has on one side is enough to completely annihilate a single frigate with one volley.

 

Any tips?

[doublebuck]

Other than naming the specific battle so I would know what the objective is in that battle determines what I need to do?  There are a few sea battles in each campaign that we are out gunned and out classed and it all depends upon the objective for what we have to do.  As for 3rd rates and again depending on the objective I will hit it with a few ships and I might sacrifice one of them in order for my other ships to get to each end of the 3rd rate so they can hit it without the 3rd rate shooting at them and just rinse and repeat the attack. You can always try to take one out with an explosives ship but if you want to capture it then you will have to surround it and use concentrate fire and hopefully you will be able to capture it. The ship that I say I  sacrifice is usually has a ship that has repair kit on it which helps to make repairs while it is taking some of those broadsides but as you mentioned they are deadly and my ships could give up which is a chance I take. Now, it if the mission is just to get a transport ship and then the wolf pack of heavy's come after you then that is a different breed of battle.

I am sure a few here could give you better tips than what I could sorry.

[pandakraut]

20 hours ago, Conn said:

Hello all,

 

I recently purchased the Commodore edition and have been thoroughly enjoying the game. I've been playing the British campaign and have had quite ease with most missions until I get the one mission that requires me to fight the Third Rate. With a fleet of 4+ 40 gun frigates I find it near impossible to even damage the third rate let alone damage its crew enough to capture it (Which I'd love to do). Because the amount of heavy guns the ship has on one side is enough to completely annihilate a single frigate with one volley.

 

Any tips?

If you're referring to the mission fireworks, you are provided with two fire ships that are intended to be used to destroy the 3rd rate.

Capturing it is possible, and does unlock a bonus mission, but doing so usually requires breaking the scenario in some way. Most common one involves bringing transports full of large land units. You can then board the 3rd rate and dump more men onto your ship with rowboats.

[CAPT E.]

In some missions, the objective of your fighting ships is just to harass and distract the enemy while high-value units (example: troop and supply ships) get to safety.

So you will have to decide whether you really want to capture a 3rd-rate enemy ship---and suffer potentially severe damage to your fleet---or just "tease" the enemy with your admittedly weaker fighting ships and lead the enemy away from the high-value units.

Choose your battles; not every battle has to be a fight to the death.

[lunario]

On 2/19/2020 at 2:10 AM, pandakraut said:

If you're referring to the mission fireworks, you are provided with two fire ships that are intended to be used to destroy the 3rd rate.

Capturing it is possible, and does unlock a bonus mission, but doing so usually requires breaking the scenario in some way. Most common one involves bringing transports full of large land units. You can then board the 3rd rate and dump more men onto your ship with rowboats.

IMO fireworks is easier than the first 3rd rate ship encounter on the US campaign.

Because in fireworks there's shallow water and you get a AI ship to absorb damage.

You can lure the enemy ship into shallow waters and just free shoot till it surrender.

 

[JochenHeiden]

On 4/30/2020 at 1:48 AM, lunario said:

You can lure the enemy ship into shallow waters and just free shoot till it surrender.

 

That's precisely how I captured it.  I was able to somehow get the enemy 3rd rate to beach with the bow pointing into the wind and I just parked a ship off the bow and pummeled it with grape shot until it surrendered.