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{{Unit_(Civ6)
 
{{Unit_(Civ6)
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|game = Civilization VI
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|image = Privateer (Civ6).png
 
|type = Naval Raider
 
|type = Naval Raider
 
|era = Renaissance
 
|era = Renaissance
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Attributes:
 
Attributes:
* Invisible to all units, unless they are in adjacent [[Tile (Civ6)|tile]].
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* Invisible to all units, unless they are in an adjacent [[Tile (Civ6)|tile]].
 
* Can perform Coastal Raids.
 
* Can perform Coastal Raids.
   

Revision as of 19:28, 27 November 2016

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The Privateer is a Renaissance Era naval raider unit in Civilization VI.

Attributes:

  • Invisible to all units, unless they are in an adjacent tile.
  • Can perform Coastal Raids.

Strategy

The Privateer is a true representation of the sea pirates of real history - quick, shadowy ships which appear to terrorize peaceful merchants and coastal colonies, then disappear. Its Coastal Raid ability can become a true nightmare for the enemy, with the Privateer appearing out of nothing, pillaging improvements and districts, then disappearing into the nearby sea.

The Privateer's fighting capabilities are also great. But while much stronger than the Caravel (due to being a ranged unit), it is outclassed by the Frigate in both ranged and melee combat. So, when faced with Frigates, try to use hit-and-run attacks to put them off-course.

Historical Context

“Plausible deniability.” That principle of avoiding responsibility operated as well in the Age of Sail as it does today. The only difference – and it was a cutlass-edge thin one – between a pirate and a privateer was having a piece of paper, a letter of marque in hand granted by a sovereign. Privateers were privately-owned ships (anything from simple sloops to brigs and caravels) commissioned by a government to “gain reparations for the crown for specific offenses [by other nations] during time of peace” … or prey upon enemy shipping in time of war. After the crown took its share of the spoils from the privateer’s raids, the rest – the larger half – went to the owner and crew. Since just about everyone in Europe had a grievance against the Spanish during the colonial era, the 17th and 18th centuries were the heyday of privateering, especially by those English sea dogs coddled by Elizabeth I and by the French Protestant corsairs (who attacked just about everybody).