Combined Attack

"A single captain can circle a bastion — but seven captains can grind it down, wave after wave."

— Entry from the logbook of a combined-attack commander

TL;DR: When a target is too mighty for a single attack, allied captains rally into a Combined Attack. They sail separately, arrive together — and strike as one: wave by wave against player islands at war, in a single joint blow at the deadline against corsair fortresses.

Combined Attacks strike Corsair Fortresses in the Old Seas — and, since the war update, player islands as well, but only while a declared war stands between the alliances involved.

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What is a Combined Attack? #

Sometimes one ship is not enough. When the sea is too rough and the enemy too mighty for a single captain, the ships of allied alliance members rally into a Combined Attack. Each captain sets sail from their own island and follows their own route -- but all plan to reach the same target at the shared arrival time.

When a Combined Attack is worth it #

Combined Attacks are not an everyday action. They are meant for targets a captain cannot defeat alone — and for war, when an alliance acts as one:

• Corsair Fortresses in the Old Seas, whose bastion walls are too high for a single fleet.
• Player islands at war: a Combined Attack can target an enemy alliance’s islands while an official declaration of war applies and each participant is allowed to attack the target individually.

A war declared before the war update does not count: only a new declaration of war opens this path.

Without a declared war, Corsair Fortresses remain the only eligible targets: against other players you then sail the normal single attack as before. When the war ends, that path closes again — the Combined Attack stays the tool for the truly hard nuts to crack in the Old Seas, and for the times when two alliances stand openly against each other.

How you sail in a Combined Attack #

The Combined Captain opens the action. They pick the target, write a short call-to-arms to the alliance, and set the arrival time — either automatically computed (Auto-sync) or manually.

Where to start: In your alliance overview you will find a Combined Attacks button — it takes you to the Combined Attacks overview. From there you start a new Combined Attack with the + New Combined Attack button. Alliance captains who wish to join see the open Combined Attack in the same list and press Join.

Other allied captains see the open Combined Attack on the “Combined Attacks” page. You can join while it is open and places remain. Once it is sealed or a cancel vote starts, joining is no longer possible. Each captain chooses their own fleet. When you create or join a Combined Attack, ships and troops depart immediately and can no longer defend at home. The join form shows each island’s latest departure if you send every ship on the island; with faster ships you can join later. If your fleet cannot reach the planned arrival time, you cannot join.

Even at war, each participant must be allowed to attack the target individually; the points barrier applies to each one. The number of open Combined Attacks, further Combined Attacks against the same player and how far ahead you can plan are limited. The Combined Attack page shows what is currently possible.

When creating or joining a Combined Attack against a player or a player-held fortress would end your beginner protection, the game warns you beforehand. Only when you confirm does it end for good. It does not end on arrival or when the battle is resolved later.

Wave resolution at the target #

How the fight at the target plays out depends on the target. Against a corsair fortress there are no waves: the fleets gather there and the decision falls once, together, at the deadline — with the pooled strength of all participants, and the order of arrival doesn't matter (chapter "Old Seas & Corsair Fortresses"). Against a player island at war the Combined Attack fights wave by wave — the rest of this section is about that case.

When the Combined Attack reaches the player island, it fights wave by wave. The first wave meets the full defense. The second wave meets what remains. And so on, until the enemy falls — or the Combined Attack is defeated.

Each captain experiences a separate battle with their own wave.

How the waves unfold #

Each participant sends their own fleet. The fleets are planned for the same arrival time, but fight one after another at player islands. You cannot choose your wave by joining earlier or using faster ships.

Each wave fights on its own, and it fights the state the earlier waves left behind. Whatever defense the first wave breaks, the second no longer has to weather. That is where the strength of a Combined Attack lies: it is not one great fleet that wins, but the sum of the blows.

A lost wave does not end the Combined Attack. If one fleet goes down, the following waves strike all the same — the overall outcome is measured by the result of all waves together.

Auto-sync aligns the planned arrival of every participant. Joining is refused if your fleet can no longer reach the shared arrival time.

Every participant receives their own battle report for their own wave; the Combined Attack page gathers the results of the individual waves.

A wave never turns away: even against an overwhelmingly superior naval defense, the waves of a Combined Attack get no orderly retreat -- every wave fights it out.

Recalling your own fleet #

You can recall your own already-departed Combined-Attack fleet via the normal fleet overview (or the Fleet Cockpit) -- just like any other fleet, so only within the recall range of your watchtower (a fraction of your line of sight). It then starts sailing home immediately, and your place in the Combined Attack frees up at once. Another alliance member can step in only while the Combined Attack is still open and their fleet can arrive in time. This is no longer possible after sealing or starting a cancel vote. If your fleet is already farther from home, only canceling the entire Combined Attack remains, as long as it is under way (see below).

This only affects your own fleet. Canceling the entire Combined Attack for everyone is a different matter — there are two ways to do it (see below).

Cancel — Commodore or majority #

Individual fleets can be recalled within their recall range, freeing their place. There are two ways to cancel the entire Combined Attack:

• The Commodore decides: the captain who created the Combined Attack can cancel it alone -- with no vote.
• The majority decides: any participant can start a cancel vote. If a majority of the remaining participants votes in favor, the Combined Attack is canceled. The vote stands until a majority gathers, the Commodore cancels, the Combined Attack dissolves or — against a player island — the arrival time is reached. You can change your vote at any time.

The same applies to both ways: when a Combined Attack is canceled, fleets still traveling are immediately back on their island of origin. Waves that have already fought take their loot home; fleets waiting at the fortress or waves in combat return through battle resolution.

You can cancel while the Combined Attack is under way. If it targets a player island and the planned arrival time has been reached, it is too late: the game refuses the cancellation, whether it comes from the Commodore or from the majority, and the fleets fight. Nothing changes for Corsair Fortresses.

This keeps the Combined Attack a reliable tool while letting it be wound down without frustration when the situation changes.

Loot distribution #

At player islands, only participants whose fleets arrived and were not completely destroyed share the loot. Recalled fleets and fleets that did not arrive receive no share. Distribution depends on combat power at the time of joining. At Corsair Fortresses, loot is also divided by combat-power contribution.

Frequently asked questions #

• What if my fleet arrives late? What matters is whether your fleet is at the fortress before the Combined Attack resolves. Whoever is on site in time takes full part and receives their share of the loot — even if their own journey takes longer than planned. Whoever only arrives after the Combined Attack has already taken the fortress sails home unharmed, but empty-handed: fleets that arrive too late receive no share of the loot.
• Can I leave a Combined Attack? Your fleet departs as soon as you create or join one. You can recall it through the fleet overview while it is within your watchtower’s recall range. Your place becomes free; someone can step in only if the Combined Attack is still open and they can arrive in time. If your fleet is already farther away, only canceling the whole Combined Attack remains, as long as it is under way.
• What about recalling my fleet? Recall your own fleet through the fleet overview as usual while it is within recall range -- it sails home and its place becomes free immediately. While it is under way, the Commodore alone or a majority of participants can cancel the whole Combined Attack; fleets still traveling are then immediately back home.
• Can the Combined Captain cancel the action alone? Yes. As the Commodore (creator) you cancel the Combined Attack with no vote, while other participants need a majority in the cancel vote. Against a player island, both ways work only while the Combined Attack is under way: once the arrival time is reached, it is too late. Nothing changes for fortresses.
• Can I become the target of a Combined Attack myself? Yes — but only if your alliances have officially declared war on each other. Without a declaration of war your island stays out of reach for Combined Attacks; against you there is then only the normal single attack. Important: a war declared before the war update does not count — only a fresh declaration of war opens that path. And you are not left in the dark: an approaching war Combined Attack announces itself, so you can bring your fleet to safety and call for reinforcements.