Pirates

Pirates are a minor faction in Empire: Total War.

General Information

The Pirates are a unique faction: they are always at war with all factions, and cannot be negotiated with at all. In addition, their unit rosters are completely unique.

Unusually for a minor faction, Pirates are playable in multiplayer, though only for naval battles.

Regions

At the start of the Grand Campaign, they have in their possession two regions: Trinidad & Tobago, and the Leeward Isles. They are emergent from more regions than any other faction in the game, as any of the islands in the Caribbean are spawning points for them.

Unit Roster

The Pirates have only two land units: melee-oriented Buccaneers limited to six regiments, and unique Pirate Armed Citizenry , which number at 120, compared to the European Firelock Armed Citizenry who have only 60. In addition to being more numerous, the pirate mob have better stats in everything, including ammunition and accuracy. This can sometimes create a nuisance for players who have not invested heavily in the Americas, as the spawned militia can outnumber and destroy small armies.

• Buccaneers
• Pirate Armed Citizenry
• General's Bodyguard (Western)
• Race-Built Galleon

History

Pirates have plagued seas since classical antiquity. The pirates depicted in Empire: Total War, however, were historically most influential from 1650 to 1714, commonly referred to as the "Golden Age of Piracy", plaguing Spanish, French, British, and Dutch ships alike. As national navies became better organized and armed, pirates found attacking merchant ships more and more difficult.

In the modern day, piracy persists in parts of Africa and South-East Asia.

Trivia

• The flag used by the Pirates is the flag used by the famous pirate Calico Jack.

• There was no one "nation" of pirates. Every pirate crew used their own flag. Skulls were a common motif.
• They speak in a British accent when you select them. Also, their Government and Generals all have British names.
• Blackbeard is a general and captain in both naval and combat modes.