Conquest

Conquest is not just winning one battle. You need enough strength to win, surviving Flagbearers to create influence, and enough follow-up pressure to keep the attempt from fading. A normal raid tries to bring loot home; conquest tries to take the port itself.

Before the push

Spy first. A conquest fleet is expensive, and Flagbearers are only useful if the attack can realistically win. Prepare combat strength before relying on specialist ships.

You usually want the target softened before the final push. That can mean clearing defenders, damaging Port Defenses with Fire Ships, watching support timing, and making sure your own port can survive while the conquest fleet is away.

Flagbearers

Flagbearers create conquest pressure after a successful attack if they survive. Do not send them as casual cargo or combat ships; their value is tied to the conquest goal.

On a successful conquest, a Flagbearer is consumed and the reward is the port, not loot carried home. That changes how you should think about the fleet: capacity matters less on the final hit than winning, removing defenders, and keeping at least one Flagbearer alive.

Influence

Influence is conquest pressure on a specific port. It is not loot, damage, or a permanent claim. It is a progress track that says someone is close to taking the port if they can keep winning and keep Flagbearers alive.

Influence is created by a successful attack with a surviving Flagbearer. If the attack loses, or the Flagbearer is destroyed, the conquest attempt does not build the same pressure. This is why conquest fleets need normal combat strength first and Flagbearers second.

Influence belongs to whoever is applying the pressure. A solo player can build their own pressure on a port. If the attacker is part of an active Armada, the pressure can belong to the Armada instead, which lets members coordinate around the same target.

Influence fades over time. A single successful hit can matter, but it does not let you walk away forever and finish later. Conquest is strongest when follow-up fleets are ready before the first Flagbearer lands.

Sustained pressure

After the first influence hit, the question becomes timing. Fire Ships may matter if Port Defenses need to be weakened before repeated pushes can work, but every delay gives the defender more time to rebuild, reinforce, or wait out the pressure.

The port view shows the relevant influence so you can judge whether the next hit is urgent or whether pressure has faded too far. If you are in an Armada, members can use that same view to coordinate who spies, who clears defenders, who sends Flagbearers, and who covers the captured port afterward.

Reaching full influence is not enough by itself. The final attack still needs to win, remove remaining defenders, and have a surviving Flagbearer. If defenders remain or the Flagbearer is lost, the attempt may add pressure without taking the port.

When a port is captured, old conquest pressure around that port is cleared. The fight changes from building influence to holding the new port, rebuilding, and preventing an immediate counterattack.

Holding the port

Expect the port to need defense immediately. Plan recovery ships, resource support, and Armada coverage before the final push, not after.

Capturing a port disrupts whatever the old owner was doing there. Active orders and trade plans tied to the port can be cancelled, ships connected to those plans may need to return, and the port’s future direction becomes your responsibility. Treat the first minutes after conquest as a defense and recovery phase.

In the late game, the captured port may also affect territory control. Before a conquest push, check whether the target belongs to a territory your Armada is trying to claim or defend. A modest-looking port can matter if it changes who leads that area of the map.

Armada conquest

Armadas are built for conquest because members can divide the work. One member spies, another sends Fire Ships, another sends Flagbearers, and others prepare defense or resources for the captured port. Forum threads are useful for this because conquest plans often need multiple waves and timing windows.

Be clear about ownership expectations before the final hit. A coordinated push can involve many members, but the captured port changes hands through the final successful conquest. Good Armadas avoid confusion by deciding who is supposed to finish, who is supporting, and who will help hold afterward.