Espionage
Knowledge wins wars before the first volley is fired. Spy ships slip past harbour patrols, count stockpiles, sketch fortifications, and tally garrisons — returning with the intelligence that separates a decisive strike from a costly blunder.
Combat
FleetThe Art of Reconnaissance
A spy mission dispatches one or more Spy Ships to a rival settlement. The ships sail under cover, attempt to gather intelligence, and return with whatever they observed — or nothing at all, if detected. More ships and deeper Espionage research improve the odds, while the target's 
Watch Tower and 
Kennels work against the mission.
Reconnaissance may be conducted against any foreign settlement. The only shore barred to a Governor's own spies is one already under that same Governor's authority. Alliances and friendships offer no shelter from secret scrutiny — only political consequences.
Success Chance
The probability of a successful mission is always between 5% and 95% — no mission is guaranteed, and no target is impenetrable. Base chance starts at 50%, improved by additional spy ships and Espionage research, but reduced by the target's Watch Tower (3% penalty per level) and Kennels (1% penalty per level).
Morale adds another layer. Low happiness at the launching settlement weakens spy execution (about 10% at the first penalty tier), while low happiness at the target weakens local counter-intel (about 10% at that tier).
Quick Chance Table (Espionage 0, Kennels 0)
| Spies \ WT | WT 0 | WT 3 | WT 5 | WT 8 | WT 10 | WT 15 | WT 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50% | 41% | 35% | 26% | 20% | 5% | 5% |
| 2 | 58% | 49% | 43% | 34% | 28% | 13% | 5% |
| 3 | 66% | 57% | 51% | 42% | 36% | 21% | 6% |
| 4 | 74% | 65% | 59% | 50% | 44% | 29% | 14% |
| 5 | 82% | 73% | 67% | 58% | 52% | 37% | 22% |
| 6 | 85% | 76% | 70% | 61% | 55% | 40% | 25% |
Intelligence Depth
Not all spy reports are equal. The depth of intelligence gathered depends on the number of ships sent and the level of Espionage research — more capable missions reveal more about the target.
| Intel Level | Reveals | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resources | Any successful mission |
| 2 | Resources + Buildings | Espionage research 3+ or 3+ spy ships |
| 3 | Resources + Buildings + Units | Espionage research 6+ or 5+ spy ships |
Common Missteps
Most failed spy networks break for predictable reasons. Correcting these early saves ships and prevents costly blind assaults.
- Sending a lone spy into a fortified harbour — High Watch Tower levels punish small probes. Send additional spy ships or wait for better timing.
- Attacking on stale intelligence — Garrison counts and stores change quickly. Run fresh reconnaissance before committing a war fleet.
- Ignoring settlement morale — Low happiness weakens espionage at launch. Stabilise morale before high-value missions.
Kennels & Guard Hounds
The Kennels serves a dual purpose. Its scent-ward patrols sniff out incoming spy ships — each level reduces enemy spy success chance by 1%, stacking with the Watch Tower penalty. Together, a fortified settlement becomes very difficult to scout.
The Kennels also raises 
Guard Hounds — disciplined war dogs trained to hold the homestead. They cannot board ships or leave the island, but their defense value is formidable — ideal for bolstering a garrison cheaply. Each Kennels level supports up to 30 hounds.
Early Warning — Watch Tower
While spies gather intelligence abroad, the Watch Tower provides early warning at home. Higher levels reveal progressively more detail about incoming threats, giving time to muster a defense or evacuate resources.
| Watch Tower Level | Incoming Intelligence |
|---|---|
| 0 | No warning — fleets arrive unannounced |
| 1–5 | Arrival time detected |
| 6–10 | + origin settlement identified |
| 11–15 | + approximate fleet strength |
| 16+ | + exact unit composition revealed |
