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Raiding Prizes Tips - Tips by players

Raiding Prizes Tips - Tips by players

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Alyona KolomiitsevaCommunity Manager
Feb 21, 2017, 14:5602/21/17
09/17/15
8278

Raiding Prizes Tips - Tips by players

Tips by Matr:


Carvel attack prizes are defended by regular troop types: subs, guns, grend, curi, skirm, bonnies. The force level of these troops varies depending on what you send to attack the prize. Send a small force first to determine what the majority of the defenders are- if mostly subs then attack only with pirates - Since the defensive ability of the troops varies by the attacker, the amount of force it takes for a level 33 prize went from 65,000 with an all pirate attack vs 120,000 with an all jugg attack. Big difference in what it takes to win.
Simple Prize Method:
Prize force estimator: cube the prize level and multiple that by 8 - send that amount of forces- for example level 17 attack:
17x17x17x8=39304 send 39304 attack force - use one of each offensive troops type you have and then just boost bombs, bucs and mauds to get to the 39000, you should only lose bombs, bucs & mauds but you should win with minimal loses. Yes - don't be a chicken send dreads too
You don’t have to take a prize in 1 shot, use multiple raids, start with raids of forces ye can manufacture, like 50 bonnies, 25 skimmers , 5 dark corsairs– the lamp on the prize icon shows how much of the force is remaining in 1/3 segments. On higher level prizes these are suicide troops, you loss all your troops. The defense prize reveal how much is left to kill & you can gage your next attack, sometimes I send suicides 10 or more times before the main raid with me heavy ships & dreads. There also is no time limit on the For Riches and Glory - you can take days or weeks to complete a prize and still get the bonus experience points.
PS: Don't put too much faith in the lamp or the words that says Finish'em off they be sending in the cooks - On higher level prizes the cooks can have 50,000 or more in force to defeat.
Level 20 prizes have about 18,000 to kill - 1/3 is 6,000
Level 30 prizes: 69,000 - 1/3 is 23,000 to kill
Level 40 Prizes: 150,000 - 1/3 is 50,000
Level 50 prizes: 285,000 - 1/3 is 95,000 left when the lamp goes to 1/3
There are a number of battle calculators you can find through a web search. All of them are estimates and none that I have seen take into account the discovery bonus, prestige bonus, relic bonus etc. However they are an excellent tool to experiment with various attack and defend strategies and to learn what to send against a prize. One I like to use is at:

http://pirates.vsego.org/calc.php
Also keep in mind that the forces at the prizes have a variability factor build into them so even if you know exactly what troops are there the variable factor makes it impossible to know exactly - from doing many prizes and observing the results the low level prizes 1 thru 10 are very consistent and vary no more than 3 or 4% . Prizes in the mid 20s vary 6 or 7% and prizes in the mid 30's I've seen vary by 12% - I have even seen overlap where say a level 25 prize had more force to defeat than a previous level 26.
Prize payouts: you can win troops by doing prizes and really good troops. The amount you win appears to be connected to the amount you lose. If you do all your prizes from level 1 to 14 without any loses you will win very few troops - if you do these same prizes and send all your troops against each prize you will win a lot of troops. I don't suggest either of these. I'm cheap and hate to lose troops so I tend to do prizes and lose as little as possible. However as the prize level goes up you must lose troops to take the prize so eventually you win troops. For the low level prizes 1 thru 6 I suggest using the immortal method explained elsewhere but modify it - only sand about half of the troops as immortals and the rest send all your bucs & mauds or bonnies and skimmers. What you will find is that you lose only a small percentage of the large mass of troops because your force number is well above the amount to take the prize and you will win many more troops. I did this with my new haven on Gold Coast and estimate that I found about double of what I lost and the troop types I won were better than what I lost - IE: lost bonnies and won grenadiers.
The other thing you win is potion barrels - you always get a potion barrel for completing a prize. Sometimes you win pearls too.
Revised on 1 Feb15
See what that defense prize force level is before sending your heavy armour. Send 1 bonnie at a defend prize. Once you get the raid report it shows you what troops are left.
This technique works on Black Corsair attack prizes by sending mauds too up to a particular level and then it is no more. So use it while you can.
Suicide troop scout

Secret of the 1 bonnie kill - Exactly captain Crowbar - A level 42 prize is about 167,000 force vs your 1 bonnie of 31.6 thus Loss %= 31.6/(31+167,000)=0.01855%
0.0001855 X 2542 Infernos= 0.471 Oops! not going to lose one if the prize is this large so it must be smaller. How much smaller? The loss of your 1 bonnie gives us a hint at the size of the prize - we just have to run the calculation in reverse. We know that 1 bonnie killed 1 inferno so >
2542 inferno x LOSS% > 0.50 solve for LOSS% = .0001966
LOSS%= R/(R+P) substitute known values .0001966=31.6/(31,6+P) calculate P <=>
And the only reason you had a chance of killing one was that the number of troops was so out of balance. The loss percent is applied to each troop type to calculate the losses for that troop type. My bonnie on the other hand was up against a more balance offense and a larger offense of the level 49 Prize. Thus it didn't kill anything. (Loss% = 30/(30+265,000)= 0.000113 x This is similar concept as sending 5000 mauds at a presidio and having them only kill the a few troops of the captains that have a large quantity of any one troop type.

We do know how the engine works - it calculates the outcome of battles. We don't know exactly how it works though. I am sure it is far more complex than the simple calculators we have used for estimates - the main advantage the game battle calculator has over our estimators is they have all the troops, bonuses, and other data associated with the changes at ones haven already in the database. Everytime I want to make an estimate I have to manually enter the data - thus my calculators are very simple.
From observations of some other battles I am of the opinion that the Loss% is not a single loss percent for all your troops but instead there is a loss % calculated for each class and then this class loss percent is applied to that class of troops. This is how the various different defense powers for each troop type could be utilized in the game battle engine. The calculators we discussed early on use AVERAGE force for each troop and then we applied it across the board. This is a simplification to make it easier for us to estimate. It is a black box and all black box algorithms can be broken by varying the inputs and observing the outputs - there is even software designed to do just this thing. I feel we know quite a bit about it and can make pretty good estimates of the outcome of most battles. Thank goodness it isn't totally random, I don't think i would have played more than about 30 minutes if it was.
Likewise if it was really easy to figure out the exact number and type of troop to send to a prize to take it there wouldn't be much fun in it either. I think Kabam has done a great job of continuing to add complexity to the battle calculation with bonuses, relics and potions to always keep us guessing and as a results i am still addicted after more than a year.
The cube of the level times 8 is the estimate of the number of troops required to send for no losses using the 2 by 2 methods - to estimate the troops strength use:
Estimated Troops strength: level cubed x 2.25
For your level 46 estimated forces: 46*46*46*2.25=219,000
Here are a few examples of the estimate versus actual forces


In the last column positive numbers are when the estimate was too high and negative numbers when it is too low. The estimate error ranged from -8% to +23%
Below is graphic evidence of how the cubic function fits the actual data for the first 27 prize levels:


TIPS by KDH:

This is exactly what I have found it to be.
(target power) divided by (your power) equals (Loss Multiplier)
(Loss Multiplier) times each troop grouping making your army will give a very close approximation of losses.
Using this you can control and select which units you want to lose. This is also why I send both types on my prize hunting. If it won't be dying or is not that hard to replace and has both and offensive and defensive value why not send it in the party?

The sending of a single bonnie at a defensive mission will tell you that mission's power level if you add up the total offensive power of each unit in the Spanish army. Do this for enough prizes in one level and you will get the range of points that spread across that level so you will know what strength to send at that prize level. BOTH MISSION TYPES have the same strength in each prize level. 500k offense will have the same (Loss Multiplier) as 500k defense against the appropriate mission type within the same mission range. By sending troops calculating the total as being the weakest known value of the mission level above the one you are hunting you should have no problems controlling lost units...PROVIDED THE INFO GIVEN TO YOU BY THE GAME IS ACCURATE...

PRIZE STRENGTH DATA FOR MISSIONS LEVEL 1-20

(build your own if you disagree with mine this is very close to the mark)
Level 20----16,200-18690
Level 19----14,400-15960
Level 18----11,580-13,410
Level 17----10,230-11070
Level 16----7860-9,360
Level 15----6450-7620
Level 14----5370-6,000
Level 13----4230-5,000
Level 12----3180-3,750
Level 11----2490-3090
Level 10----1890-2360
Level 9----1350-1830
Level 8----910-1380
Level 7----660-900
Level 6----450-540
Level 5----280-420
Level 4----180-270
Level 3----160
Level 2----90-120
Level 1----90-100

BONUS TIP: If you look at the "prize ranking" score anytime you send troops at a lighthouse mission and multiply this by 10 it is a very close approximation of the power level you killed in enemy units on that individual prize. By tracking this number you will know how much you have taken off of those large prizes and will know when to send the "heavy guns" for light losses after the fodder has done it's job. (this picture the Prize ranking is 2064) multiply that by 10 and then look at the actual value calculated for the prize below. Notice anything?
http://prntscr.com/6a9gen
The "black box" part is what explains losing the extra frigs, cannons, and bucs...the larger the number of units in the group the more this variable can influence them
The other question I now have:
Is there a way to predict how much power must be sacrificed before payout on each prize level?

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14k
Comments
20
Comments
Jun 11, 2017, 17:1906/11/17
04/03/17
1
This is wrong calculations so far.This game did not work with such calculations.One day I am sending 50000 offence and defense troops to lvl 1 and lost one bonie from 100  how is it possible if my fleet is so powerful and from different troops ?  another day I am getting a lot of prizes even from lvl 1 I am getting 5 bonies from first raid and did not lost any troop  as in previous day . 
Jun 12, 2017, 20:1506/12/17
Jun 12, 2017, 20:26(edited)
11/04/15
349

virtualinfo.sg said:


This is wrong calculations so far.This game did not work with such calculations.One day I am sending 50000 offence and defense troops to lvl 1 and lost one bonie from 100  how is it possible if my fleet is so powerful and from different troops ?  another day I am getting a lot of prizes even from lvl 1 I am getting 5 bonies from first raid and did not lost any troop  as in previous day . 

Try this

http://pirates.playtamin.com/infestations.html


and click the prize strength (blue numbers)


You need to understand that prize payouts are based on the units you sacrifice and the level of prize, so sending crazy armies at level one prizes will not help you

If you need to kill a level one prize without losses then send one juggernaut or one submarine

Jul 7, 2017, 10:1107/07/17
Jul 7, 2017, 10:17(edited)
08/02/16
1
The prizes change every so often. lvl x lvl x lvl x 8 worked well then they changed Things several times. Now they even skip a payout just for fun. This is a game and is supposed to be fun. Why do you have to use science formulars to play? Then a moderator says just buy units back! You can lose all in minutes but need months or more to build, not fun.Many have quit, now some of my last old friends are fed up. I ask plarium fix the game and prizes  before you have only a few players left. When a player loses millions without a payout something is wrong. Getting a few ships is not a payout.
Jul 24, 2017, 16:5007/24/17
09/09/16
10

Lets Keep it Simple, by Valentinian of The Pirate Horde

I apprecaiate all the numbers and statistics provided here in the forums, and I've run all the calculations and methods backwards and forwards. My advice is to keep it simple, don't worry about the numbers so much, and here's why:

Re:Simple Prize Method: IMO estimates, guesstimates, tables, etc. are no substitute for actual numbers. I just send one Dark Corsair to find out the kind and numbers of units the Prize has, and then send in just enough units to exceed the prize strength. For example, if a prize has 1000 in strength, I send in 1050 of opposing strength.

Re: Prize calculator. It may seem possible to take advantage of gaps in Prize unit coverage, but that would take several iterations of a prize calculator to figure out what the savings may be. It's still not a practical solution because the prize calculator itself is just a guesstimate. So, keep it simple; Just send in a balanced force and let the chips fall where they may.

Re: Prize Payouts: I'm sorry to report that all lighthouse payouts and jackpots are randomized. There's a variable for everything and random numbers thrown in for good measure. It's impossible to predict, and I don't use that word lightly. With all the variables surrounding this system it's no wonder I prefer the "guaranteed payout" of the Adventure prize.

Re: Taking a prize in waves: Attacking in waves will cost more units than defeating it in a single stroke. However, to get from one Adventure prize to the next one must take on increasingly higher Lighthouse prizes. So, once prizes reach certain levels the only method to deal with them is in waves. So, send in a wave. Take a day to re-train those units. The next day send in the same wave again. Re-train, rinse, and repeat. As the saying goes, even an ant can move a rubber tree plant. :-)

Alyona KolomiitsevaCommunity Manager
Jul 25, 2017, 11:2907/25/17
09/17/15
8278
Valentinian said:

Lets Keep it Simple, by Valentinian of The Pirate Horde

I apprecaiate all the numbers and statistics provided here in the forums, and I've run all the calculations and methods backwards and forwards. My advice is to keep it simple, don't worry about the numbers so much, and here's why:

Re:Simple Prize Method: IMO estimates, guesstimates, tables, etc. are no substitute for actual numbers. I just send one Dark Corsair to find out the kind and numbers of units the Prize has, and then send in just enough units to exceed the prize strength. For example, if a prize has 1000 in strength, I send in 1050 of opposing strength.

Re: Prize calculator. It may seem possible to take advantage of gaps in Prize unit coverage, but that would take several iterations of a prize calculator to figure out what the savings may be. It's still not a practical solution because the prize calculator itself is just a guesstimate. So, keep it simple; Just send in a balanced force and let the chips fall where they may.

Re: Prize Payouts: I'm sorry to report that all lighthouse payouts and jackpots are randomized. There's a variable for everything and random numbers thrown in for good measure. It's impossible to predict, and I don't use that word lightly. With all the variables surrounding this system it's no wonder I prefer the "guaranteed payout" of the Adventure prize.

Re: Taking a prize in waves: Attacking in waves will cost more units than defeating it in a single stroke. However, to get from one Adventure prize to the next one must take on increasingly higher Lighthouse prizes. So, once prizes reach certain levels the only method to deal with them is in waves. So, send in a wave. Take a day to re-train those units. The next day send in the same wave again. Re-train, rinse, and repeat. As the saying goes, even an ant can move a rubber tree plant. :-)

Thank you for sharing your tips with others! :) Maybe you could even create your own guide? How to keep things simple :)
Aug 21, 2017, 22:1208/21/17
03/02/15
15
The secret to the elusive prize machine is...  Top Secret  :0  good luck.  It is rather simple really
Nov 3, 2017, 17:5211/03/17
10/25/16
2

Hi everyone,


I have read in a guide that certain Mission types for prizes Defense Offense have a higher % chance of the prize / bank - payout .

Has anyone else heard of this?
Nov 4, 2017, 14:0911/04/17
25

To summarize; the dynamics of the prize missions are secret. But players should still believe that they will be rewarded after cleaning prizes. There are also banking accounts of all players who couldn't get rewards and lost their entire army in prize missions. But they are not able to see their banking accounts because of a secret reason either.

Nov 8, 2017, 07:1311/08/17
09/14/17
26
Prizing is simple. PM ME 4 S3CR3TS
Nov 9, 2017, 15:0011/09/17
02/29/16
2647
komeon101 said:

Hi everyone,


I have read in a guide that certain Mission types for prizes Defense Offense have a higher % chance of the prize / bank - payout .

Has anyone else heard of this?
I didn't hear, Captain. Looks like a myth. But you can check this and tell to everyone then :)
Nov 11, 2017, 03:2711/11/17
09/20/16
6
The famous lighthouse !!! the secret ?? there is nt secret... I m lvl 178 in the lighthouse. Now, to win a good prize, i need to destroy 100 millions to win 30. So if there is a secret, it to not hit the prizes up to the level 120 maximum !!! of course, it s a good challenge to kill them one after one and to try to hit the lvl max but the best example i can give is : my best prize was 25000 subs against a lvl 118 !!! recently, my bank was boosted and ready to pay ( i know it because when you hit a lvl 1 without losing 1 unit and that you win extra units, it s like using the invicible armada and it was the case ). I have destroyed a green prize lvl 175 to win ONLY 13000 subs and 3800 juggs. Info : to destroy this green prize lvl 175, you need about 12 millions def units !!! and to boost the bank, i needed to destroy more than 40 millions def and 30 millions of units... Since, i won only pathetics payouts : 120 sols against a black corsair lvl 118, for example... Here is my opinion : you can t win against the lighthouse because you play against plarium and plarium plays to take your money, nothing else... Now, i hit my prizes very slowly only with the units i can build ( marauders, etc... ) and if one day, i win more than 50000 juggs, it won t be enough to take back all the units i have lost !!! just saying. 
Nov 14, 2017, 09:4011/14/17
02/29/16
2647

Mercenary33 said:


The famous lighthouse !!! the secret ?? there is nt secret... I m lvl 178 in the lighthouse. Now, to win a good prize, i need to destroy 100 millions to win 30. So if there is a secret, it to not hit the prizes up to the level 120 maximum !!! of course, it s a good challenge to kill them one after one and to try to hit the lvl max but the best example i can give is : my best prize was 25000 subs against a lvl 118 !!! recently, my bank was boosted and ready to pay ( i know it because when you hit a lvl 1 without losing 1 unit and that you win extra units, it s like using the invicible armada and it was the case ). I have destroyed a green prize lvl 175 to win ONLY 13000 subs and 3800 juggs. Info : to destroy this green prize lvl 175, you need about 12 millions def units !!! and to boost the bank, i needed to destroy more than 40 millions def and 30 millions of units... Since, i won only pathetics payouts : 120 sols against a black corsair lvl 118, for example... Here is my opinion : you can t win against the lighthouse because you play against plarium and plarium plays to take your money, nothing else... Now, i hit my prizes very slowly only with the units i can build ( marauders, etc... ) and if one day, i win more than 50000 juggs, it won t be enough to take back all the units i have lost !!! just saying. 

Hello!

Prizes are not just about sending all the Units you have to battles. Remember that the main purpose of Prizes is a conversation of Units. To get profit from the Prizes, send the weak units to the battles to exchange them for stronger troops. By completing Prizes you get some regular rewards and some huge ones. Keep in mind that you get regular rewards almost every successful completion of the Prize. And you need to consider these regular rewards when you build your strategy.

Jan 24, 2018, 20:4301/24/18
02/29/16
2647
johnson83 said:

Thanks for the info.

I'm learning this game.

I have a lot of Star Vegas technical guides. 

If I'm stuck, I'll ask.

Thank you very much 


Jan 28, 2018, 09:5101/28/18
Jun 3, 2020, 08:23(edited)
05/16/15
65

the formula i found in 2015 that worked for me was  Level cubed times 8 divided by 2.5 gives you approx power of and needed to kill a prize. send that power and you could win with only 1 marauder or bonnie left. At the time max sketch level was 20 

now it might take more once in a while.I have come up as much as 10% short in last 6 months but not often

the bank is based on resources not power so the formula has drawbacks

As opposed to what some others tried to tell me.. I have seen screen shots.

the best jackpot report I have seen so far for defense, happens to be from a Russian player.
 
http://skrinshoter.ru/p/250118/zbhCWv Image since removed
level 190 gave a little over 77,700 subs. The bank that created those subs was at least 582,750,000 resources

resources for 77700 subs is equal to Approx 24,054 JUGGS or 30,670 SOLS  so there you have some basic info everyone should know 

Submarines are 1500 lumber + 2300 rum + 3700 gold each, equals 7,500 resources times 77,700 subs - it will take about 582,750,000 resources to refill the bank back to the same before payout. the bank may have been Approx 15% more or less than what it paid out, mind you the program algorithm is unfathomable except maybe to those whom coded it. I thought the jackpot should have been at least twice as much, so it was a little disappointing 

I see a lot of people say one thing or another but see screenshot for this being a truth.. and there are ways to increase the bank above and beyond.. but that is a story for another day.. ;-D


at SERGEY KRYVOROTCHENKO, i tried to reply to your message last year but, i seemed to be blocked..
 I thought maybe that was you on vacation.. But i still can not reply to you..

Hope you had some Happy Holidays

Feb 1, 2018, 22:1602/01/18
02/29/16
2647
Cigneous said:

the formula i found in 2015 that worked for me was  Level cubed times 8 divided by 2.5 gives you approx power of and needed to kill a prize. send that power and you could win with only 1 marauder or bonnie left. At the time max sketch level was 20 

now it might take more once in a while.I have come up as much as 10% short in last 6 months but not often

the bank is based on resources not power so the formula has drawbacks

As opposed to what some others tried to tell me.. I have seen screen shots.

the best jackpot report I have seen so far for defense, happens to be from a Russian player. http://skrinshoter.ru/p/250118/zbhCWv
level 190 gave a little over 77,700 subs. The bank that created those subs was at least 582,750,000 resources

resources for 77700 subs is equal to Approx 24,054 JUGGS or 30,670 SOLS  so there you have some basic info everyone should know 

Submarines are 1500 lumber + 2300 rum + 3700 gold each, equals 7,500 resources times 77,700 subs - it will take about 582,750,000 resources to refill the bank back to the same before payout. the bank may have been Approx 15% more or less than what it paid out, mind you the program algorithm is unfathomable except maybe to those whom coded it. I thought the jackpot should have been at least twice as much, so it was a little disappointing 

I see a lot of people say one thing or another but see screenshot for this being a truth.. and there are ways to increase the bank above and beyond.. but that is a story for another day.. ;-D


at SERGEY KRYVOROTCHENKO, i tried to reply to your message last year but, i seemed to be blocked..
 I thought maybe that was you on vacation.. But i still can not reply to you..

Hope you had some Happy Holidays

Hello, Captain! Unfortunately, my PM is locked, so if you have some issue that you don't want to share on the forum, then please contact Support and our specialists will answer all your questions. 
May 9, 2018, 20:4005/09/18
May 9, 2018, 20:54(edited)
07/30/16
1

There is no trick

Its going this way. You always lose units at infest 3% at least. So dont send Armada/Fleet send thrash unit. Units showed at prizes for example 100 gunboats at 18lvl show you how much resources you need to spend in gunboats. If we know that you need 100 gunboats but units are calculated 3% less to take 100 gunboats you need to destroy 103 gunboats. So use trash units. For example: I have 3090 skirmishers and I cannot upgrade my port becouse of rum consumption. So I will change them for some reward I see that 1 gunboat is 30 skirmishers in this math so I see that I can do lvl 18 becouse i have 103gunboats in reward after tax 100 so. I take One 18 and hit it hard and leave less units possible (without finishing it) then i will hit another prizes (without finishes it) with my skirmishers. After this proces I will send submarine to finish this 18 without loses. oh I have 100 gunboats. Its cost me only 300 rum not 3060. Remember to keep your warehauses and cellars full it's reward in resources with noone likes. Good trick when we have rum problems. Prepare rum in Smugglers den send your units take rum from SD right before hit



About taking free units. Thats all experienced players secret.


You should notice that you can get more troops for example make rush on infest and somehow take big reward at 13 (in first climb). You need to give back 103% of all rewards then try to take biggest reward. Its called loan.

Jun 17, 2018, 19:3906/17/18
Jun 17, 2018, 19:49(edited)
09/14/17
26

Cigneous said:


the formula i found in 2015 that worked for me was  Level cubed times 8 divided by 2.5 gives you approx power of and needed to kill a prize. send that power and you could win with only 1 marauder or bonnie left. At the time max sketch level was 20 

now it might take more once in a while.I have come up as much as 10% short in last 6 months but not often

the bank is based on resources not power so the formula has drawbacks

As opposed to what some others tried to tell me.. I have seen screen shots.

the best jackpot report I have seen so far for defense, happens to be from a Russian player. http://skrinshoter.ru/p/250118/zbhCWv
level 190 gave a little over 77,700 subs. The bank that created those subs was at least 582,750,000 resources

resources for 77700 subs is equal to Approx 24,054 JUGGS or 30,670 SOLS  so there you have some basic info everyone should know 

Submarines are 1500 lumber + 2300 rum + 3700 gold each, equals 7,500 resources times 77,700 subs - it will take about 582,750,000 resources to refill the bank back to the same before payout. the bank may have been Approx 15% more or less than what it paid out, mind you the program algorithm is unfathomable except maybe to those whom coded it. I thought the jackpot should have been at least twice as much, so it was a little disappointing 

I see a lot of people say one thing or another but see screenshot for this being a truth.. and there are ways to increase the bank above and beyond.. but that is a story for another day.. ;-D


at SERGEY KRYVOROTCHENKO, i tried to reply to your message last year but, i seemed to be blocked..
 I thought maybe that was you on vacation.. But i still can not reply to you..

Hope you had some Happy Holidays

The dissinformation from community managers runs rampant and is abundantly apparent on PToF Forums. Much of what Cigneous preach is true. However, If you want a fine tooth comb with the understanding of the details I would help you further. Just keep in mind the Community Managers have historically post to confuse & disinform the common player in so far as to remain unchallanged while maintain total control in game.