Fleet
A Governor without ships is a Governor without reach. The fleet is the lifeline of any domain — it carries trade goods between settlements, ferries troops to distant shores, scouts enemy harbours, and stakes claims on uncharted islands.
Combat
Colonisation
MarketplaceShips in Harbour
The Fleet ledger opens to the harbour roster — every vessel currently docked and idle. Ships at sea on active missions do not appear in this count; they return to the roster once their voyage concludes. The harbour is divided into three classes of vessel, each serving a distinct purpose in the Governor's operations.
Merchant Vessels
Merchant ships are the workhorses of the fleet. They carry resources between settlements — resupplying distant colonies, provisioning allies, and moving surplus to where it is needed most. Resources are loaded immediately upon departure, deducted from the source's stores, and delivered when the convoy makes port.
Each merchant can carry a fixed tonnage. Larger shipments require more vessels; if the cargo exceeds the fleet's total capacity, the harbour master will refuse to load.
| Vessel | Cargo | Speed | Troop Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
 Small Merchant Ship | 80 | 1 | 0 |
 Large Merchant Ship | 200 | 0.7 | 0 |
War Fleet
Warships are the teeth of a Governor's navy. They carry troops into battle, escort merchant convoys through hostile waters, and form the backbone of any assault or defense. Ground troops — swordsmen, archers, cavalry, catapults — cannot cross open sea on their own; they board warships as passengers, limited by each vessel's troop capacity.
| Vessel | Attack | Defense | Speed | Troops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Small Warship | 10 | 10 | 1.2 | 5 |
| Large Warship | 30 | 30 | 0.8 | 10 |
| Colonisation Ship | 0 | 5 | 0.5 | 0 |
Spy Ships
Spy ships slip past harbour patrols under cover, gathering intelligence on enemy stockpiles, fortifications, and garrisons. They carry no cargo and fight no battles — their value lies in the knowledge they bring home. For a full account of reconnaissance operations, consult the Espionage chapter.
| Vessel | Speed | Defense |
|---|---|---|
 Spy Ship | 2 | 2 |
Missions
The Missions ledger tracks every vessel currently at sea — resource convoys sailing outbound, spy ships on reconnaissance, attack fleets bearing down on a target, and return voyages bringing crews home. Incoming deliveries from allies or other settlements also appear here.
Fleets are dispatched from the world map. Select a settlement — whether a rival's, an ally's, or one of the Governor's own holdings — to open the action menu and send ships on their way.
Resource Shipments
Resource shipments carry gold, stone, and lumber aboard merchant ships. The goods are deducted from the source settlement the moment the convoy sails — they are committed to the voyage. Upon arrival, the cargo is unloaded into the destination's stores.
If the destination's storehouse cannot hold the full shipment, the excess is lost at sea — the merchants have nowhere to offload it. Governors should ensure sufficient storage before requesting a large delivery. The delivery ledger records exactly how much was stored and how much was lost to overflow.
Merchants return to their home port automatically after delivery. The round trip takes twice the outbound voyage time.
Support Missions
Support missions ferry troops to a friendly settlement, where they disembark and take up garrison duty. Infantry and siege units require warships with sufficient troop capacity for passage — the harbour master will refuse to load soldiers without berths.
Once garrisoned, these forces fight alongside the local defender if the settlement comes under attack, benefiting from the defender's research bonuses and wall fortifications. They remain stationed abroad until recalled by their Governor.
Successive support missions to the same settlement add to the existing garrison. Multiple Governors can station forces at the same island, each contingent tracked separately.
Garrison Recall
A Governor may recall garrisoned forces at any time. Recalled troops return to their home settlement immediately — the recall order carries no voyage delay. Only the units belonging to the issuing Governor are withdrawn; allied garrisons at the same settlement remain in place.
Common Missteps
Most naval losses come from preventable logistics errors rather than enemy action.
- Overloading destination stores — Overflow is discarded on arrival. Check storehouse room before sending full holds.
- Sending troops without enough berths — Infantry and siege units require warship capacity. If berths are short, the order is delayed or refused.
- Ignoring return-time bottlenecks — Ships in transit cannot serve elsewhere. Stagger long routes so the harbour is never left empty.
Sending Resources
The Send ledger is the Governor's dispatch desk for outbound resource convoys. Eligible destinations include the Governor's own settlements, alliance members, and personal contacts marked as friends. Each cargo requires enough merchant ships to carry the load — the ledger shows how many are needed and how many sit idle in port.
A voyage estimate appears before the order is confirmed, showing travel time and arrival window based on the distance between settlements and the merchant fleet's speed.
Voyage Speed
Every voyage across the archipelago is governed by distance and the speed of the vessels involved. For resource shipments, the merchant ship's speed rating determines the pace. For support missions and attack fleets, the convoy sails only as fast as its slowest vessel — a fleet carrying catapults will crawl compared to one loaded with cavalry alone.
Population and the Fleet
A settlement's population tally includes troops garrisoned locally and units in training, but forces stationed abroad at allied settlements are not counted against the home population. This distinction matters when approaching the population cap — sending troops to garrison an ally frees room for further recruitment at home.
For trade logistics handled through the marketplace, consult the Marketplace chapter.
