Port battles

Port battles are the big, scheduled nation-against-nation fights that decide who owns a port. This guide covers how a port ends up under attack, how you earn a place in the battle, and what happens afterwards.

From unrest to contention

Only contestable ports can change hands. Capitals and starter ports are never at risk. Tick Contestable only on the world map to see which ports are in play.

Unrest is a measure of how much trouble an enemy nation has stirred up around a port.
When unrest climbs high enough, the port goes into contention. That means a port battle is now booked.
The nation that owns the port is the defender. The nation that pushed it into contention is the attacker.

While you help push or defend a port, you earn contention points for that port. These matter a lot, as you will see below.

When the battle happens

The battle is not fought straight away. It is scheduled for roughly two days after the port goes into contention, in one of the allowed battle hours, so both sides have time to prepare.

The port’s conquest status shows the start time and which battle map has been picked. Maps are chosen at random from a pool, with day and night versions.
About 30 minutes before the start, a warning goes out.
In the last several minutes before the start, invitations are sent.

Who gets to join

Places are limited, so they are handed out by a weighted lottery on each side, not first come, first served.

To be in the draw you must:

be online when invitations go out,
belong to the attacking or defending nation,
not already be in another port battle, and
have contention points for that specific port.

That last point catches people out. You can also hold general contention points, but general points alone will not get you in. They only improve your odds once you already have points for the port itself. Every 10 points (port plus general) is one lottery ticket, with a minimum of one.

If you are drawn, a timed invitation pops up. Accept and you are taken straight to the battle; decline, or let it run out, and your place is offered to someone else. If you miss out or decline, your points for that port are moved into your general pool, which helps you in future lotteries.

Inside the battle

You arrive in your side’s ready room. The doors open when the battle starts.
Leave the ready room promptly. Anyone still sitting there about 5 minutes after the start is removed from the battle.
Attackers fight through the port’s defences: forts and shore guns first, then tougher defending squadrons, and finally the garrison commander. Defenders have to stop them.
If one side has nobody turn up, or everyone on a side leaves, that side forfeits.
Walking out early, or being removed, costs you your contention points for that port.
Ships cannot be captured in a port battle.

What winning does

If the defender wins, the port goes back to being safely owned and the attack is over.

If the attacker wins:

When neither side is Pirate, the port changes hands. The old governor is removed and the port settles down under its new owner.
When either side is Pirate, the port is raided rather than conquered outright.
Either way the port takes a beating: its defences, infrastructure and treasury are all damaged.

Owning ports matters to crafters too: crafting pays tax into the port’s treasury, and the governor sets the tax rate and funds infrastructure that makes production there cheaper.

Everyone credited with taking part is rewarded with doubloons, Marks of Victory and Marks of Trade, with the winning side earning more. To be credited you have to actually get into the fight and stay in it, not just accept the invitation.

Quick tips

Earn contention points at the port you want to fight for. General points are only a bonus.
Be logged in well before the start time. Offline players are never invited.
Answer the invitation quickly and get out of the ready room as soon as the doors open.
Do not leave early: you lose your points for that port and may hand the enemy a forfeit.
Read PvP basics first if you have never fought other players.