Attack "Hidden" Pirate Base

[tinjaw]

I am a bit confused. My advisors are suggestion that I attack the "Hidden Pirate Base". How can I attack a base if it is hidden?

My guess is that the name of the Pirate Base is "Hidden", just like "Joe's Pirate Base", the name of the base in the game's database is "Hidden Pirate Base".

http://www.screencast.com/t/OKC2vpOaB50

Additionally, if I go to the planet where this base is supposed to be, I don't see it. I am expecting to see a starbase of some other such entity. Unless of course it is hidden, but then how can I attack it if I can't see it.

As a new player to DW, this is a bit confusing to me.

[Aeson]

Hidden Pirate Bases are planetary facilities. Select the planet and look for the line that says 'Facilities' - there should be a tan icon in there. Hover over that and the tool-tip should say 'Hidden Pirate Base.' Alternatively, open the colonies list, select the planet that is supposed to have the Hidden Pirate Base, and switch over to the Facilities tab in that menu. You should see a much larger version of the tan icon which should be subtitled 'Hidden Pirate Base.' Select it and you should have the option to attack it. Be warned: attacking Hidden Pirate Bases uses your planetary garrison, not your space navy.

If your garrison is less than 5 infantry divisions (or equivalent) strong, I would strongly consider reinforcing before assaulting a Hidden Pirate Base; personally, I prefer to have 10 infantry divisions or their equivalent for such attacks, just to be on the safe side. This can also vary significantly depending on which species your garrison troops came from, and how experienced they are - the default strength of the best of the troop species (say, Mortalen or Boskara) is roughly double that of the weakest troop species (say, Atuuks).

[tinjaw]

ORIGINAL: Aeson

Hidden Pirate Bases are planetary facilities.

Thanks Aeson for that information. It makes sense now.

Follow up question: In the Galactopedia it says "Before a Pirate Base facility can be built at a colony the pirate faction must first reach 50% control of the colony." Where do I look to see what groups are vying for control of a colony and at what percentage their control is?

[Bingeling]

I don't think you can see control apart from maybe your own if you play as a pirate.

[tinjaw]

ORIGINAL: Bingeling

I don't think you can see control apart from maybe your own if you play as a pirate.

I am not playing as a pirate in this game. I am the Ackdarians and the colony is "mine", but based on the fact that the pirates were able to build the Hidden Pirate Base, I now know that the pirates "control" more than 50% of that colony. I am now curious to see just how much control the pirates have at that colony. As well, I now know I need to keep an eye on "control" level at my other colonies, but I don't know where to look to see if I have a growing insurrection somewhere else.

[Ralzakark]

As a pirate you can see the percentage control of a colony by pirates, inckuding yourself. As an empire you can't see the percentages, you can only see if pirates are starting to build bases on colonies.

[tinjaw]

ORIGINAL: Aeson

If your garrison is less than 5 infantry divisions (or equivalent) strong,

I just want to confirm that you mean 5 divisions. As the units I can build are battalions, that means I would need something like 45 battalions to make 5 divisions (3 x BN = BDE / 3 x BDE = DIV).

[tinjaw]

If pirates can build a base when they have 50% control, there must be some way to "fight" them before they gain 50%. So how do I find out that there is a growing pirate control problem so that I can stop it before it gets to 50%? And I now know how to attack a pirate base, but how do I fight pirate control before they have a base?

[Theluin]

Pirates only gain control when they they successfully raid a planet or if they have military ships in it's immediate vicinity (and I think the speed at which they gain control is dependant on the firepower of the ships present) and their control falls over time if they do neither, so you can fight them this way. [:)]

Edit: typo

[Aeson]

I just want to confirm that you mean 5 divisions. As the units I can build are battalions, that means I would need something like 45 battalions to make 5 divisions (3 x BN = BDE / 3 x BDE = DIV).

If the game refers to each infantry unit as a battalion, then I mean battalions.

If pirates can build a base when they have 50% control, there must be some way to "fight" them before they gain 50%. So how do I find out that there is a growing pirate control problem so that I can stop it before it gets to 50%? And I now know how to attack a pirate base, but how do I fight pirate control before they have a base?

Pirates gain control at a colony by maintaining a military presence over the colony or by successfully raiding a colony. If the only pirate activity in the system is an occasional raid, then the pirates are unlikely to be able to gain enough control at a colony to build a base. Unless you're facing a fairly strong pirate faction, a couple of size 250-300 frigates is sufficient naval presence to drive off the occasional raiding pirate ship and a decent garrison, such as 5 infantry units, is sufficient to defeat the majority of pirate raiding parties even if you don't have enough naval presence to drive off the raiding vessels. A Hidden Pirate Base will prevent the owning faction's control level from dipping below 50% for as long as the base remains intact (base destruction usually means you attacked it and defeated its defenders, but if I recall correctly there is a chance that pirate raiders will destroy the base if they aren't of the faction that owns the base).

I will also add that it becomes much, much more difficult for pirates to maintain control over a colony as its population grows. If the planetary population is over 2 or 3 billion and the planet does not currently have a hidden pirate base on it or being constructed on it, you most likely will not need to worry about pirates gaining sufficient control over it unless it's constantly suffering very large raids or there's a big pirate fleet orbiting it and not leaving (which is about the only way to be suffering constant large raids at a colony, anyways).

If you detect a hidden pirate base before it's been completed, then you should attack it as soon as possible as I believe that the pirate bases don't resist attacks as well before they finish construction.

[ldog]

ORIGINAL: Aeson
If you detect a hidden pirate base before it's been completed, then you should attack it as soon as possible as I believe that the pirate bases don't resist attacks as well before they finish construction.

They still seem to have the same amount of troops. My experience has been don't bother attacking without a decent (5 or so) force. I've seen them popup on new colonies at very low build % and thought I better jump on them, and so have attacked with 1 btn and gotten pwned.