Combat

A tile can only be occupied by units of a single Player. If a unit of another Player attempts to enter that tile, combat ensues. The combat mechanism of FreeCol is very simple: Each unit has an attack strength and a defence strength. Attack bonuses and defence bonuses granted by terrain, fortifications or Founding Fathers are added to the base values of the units. If the attack value of the attacker is greater than the defence value of the defender, the attacker wins. Otherwise the defender wins. If a tile is occupied by more than one unit, the attacker will fight against the defender with the strongest defence.

Most units that win a battle may be promoted, and all units that lose a battle will always be captured, demoted, damaged or destroyed. A Petty Criminal may be promoted to an Indentured Servant, and an Indentured Servant may be promoted to a Free Colonist. A Free Colonist may be promoted to a Veteran Soldier, which in turn may be promoted to a Colonial Regular, but only after the Declaration of Independence.

A Dragoon that loses a battle will be demoted to a Soldier, and a Soldier that loses a battle will be demoted to an unarmed colonist. An unarmed colonist that loses a battle is either captured, if the attacker is a European Player, or slaughtered, if the attacker is a Native Player. Wagon Trains and Treasure Trains may also be captured by a European Player and destroyed by a Native Player. Native units that lose a battle are always slaughtered.

Naval units and Artillery can not be promoted. A beaten artillery unit becomes a Damaged Artillery, which can not be repaired and will be destroyed if it loses another battle. Ships are either sunk or damaged when they lose a battle. In either case all units and cargo aboard the ship are lost, and the ship automatically returns to the nearest repair location. This may be one of your colonies with a Drydock or the Home Port.

The Frigate, the Man of War and the Privateer have the ability to capture the goods aboard an enemy ship they have bested in battle. Naturally, they can not take more cargo than their holds will allow.

Naval units can also attack colonies on coastal tiles, although their chance of success is not very high. And colonies with a Fort or Fortress will automatically fire at enemy ships on adjacent ocean tiles.