Raid on the Caribbean
Raid on the Caribbean is a Definitive Edition historical battle set in 1586, following Francis Drake’s British expedition during the Anglo-Spanish conflict. The player must destroy five Spanish colonies, with naval and pirate objectives offering optional support.
Setting & objective
Defeat the defenders and destroy five colonies. Optional tasks recruit English pirates, disable a coastal gun and capture the moored Spanish Treasure Ship; each can improve the position or provide resources, but the five colony targets determine completion.
How to approach it
Scout the coastline and choose a sequence that keeps the army supplied between colonies. Capture useful support objectives when their approaches are safe, then focus the force on the remaining settlements instead of spreading it across every optional target.
Plunder five Spanish colonies by land and sea
Raid on the Caribbean is a Historical Battle in Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, set in 1586 during Sir Francis Drake’s expedition against Spanish colonies. The British begin in the Commerce Age with 700 each of Food, Wood and Coin, a population limit of 200, four Caravels and a Galleon carrying Drake, six Longbowmen and ten Pikemen. The primary objective is to destroy five Spanish colonies by defeating their defending soldiers. Optional objectives include finding English Pirates, disabling a Spanish coastal Fixed Gun and capturing a moored Treasure Ship. The Spanish colonies are defended by Crossbowmen, Pikemen, Rodeleros, Musketeers, Lancers, Conquistadors and Missionaries, while Caravels and Galleons patrol the water. Plundering a colony provides resources and experience, which fuels Home City shipments during the mission. Use the starting fleet to scout the island chain and avoid a direct fight against multiple patrols. The Galleon carries the land force; keep it behind the Caravels until a safe landing is chosen. Clear each colony in sequence and protect the landing force from naval fire. The English Pirates can become allies when approached. They operate two bases with Musketeers, Pirates, Comancheros, a Mortar and Privateers, and scattered groups are hidden around the islands. Their bases can turn over troops, ships and buildings, including a Dock at each base and a Barracks in the southern one. Finding these allies provides production and reinforcements, helping the player sustain a campaign across the islands. The pirates’ buildings also give safe staging points for repairs and new ships. The scenario’s custom Home City deck contains resource exchanges, Caravels, Galleons, Longbowman upgrades through Yeomen, Grenadiers, Frigates, Privateers and naval improvements. Use resource exchange cards only when the current Coin stockpile is sufficient for the chosen need. Yeomen increases Longbowman range and line of sight by four and improves their Heavy Infantry bonus, which supports a land force that protects the shoreline. Naval cards can help when the Spanish patrols make transport unsafe. The map is based on the Caribbean and has six treasures. Fishing and island mining provide resources, but Settlers and Fishing Boats are exposed to attacks by land and sea. Keep workers close to an allied Dock or defended colony. Destroying the coastal Fixed Gun makes later ship movement safer; capturing the Treasure Ship adds another prize, but neither optional task replaces the five-colony objective. The strongest route combines naval scouting, pirate recruitment and focused colony assaults. Do not unload every unit at the first island; preserve a reserve for the next landing and keep Drake with the force. The Spanish settlements supply the resources needed to continue, so destroying their defenders is both the victory condition and the economic engine of the scenario. This is the Definitive Edition Historical Battle, separate from other games’ Drake scenario.
Choose a safe route between islands
The player has four Caravels at the start, so use them to reveal Spanish patrol routes before moving the Galleon with its soldiers. A Galleon is a valuable transport and should not lead against several enemy ships. Approach a colony from the side with a protected beach, defeat its defenders with the Longbowmen and Pikemen, then load the survivors before the fleet moves again. A land force that is left on an island can be cut off by Spanish ships, while an unescorted Galleon can be sunk before it reaches the next landing. Pirate bases are strategic objectives even when they are optional. Approaching an English pirate group transfers units and buildings, which can provide Docks for repair, a Barracks for infantry and ships for the next naval fight. Clear enough of the surrounding Spanish presence to make the route safe, then use the allied base as a staging point. The scenario rewards plunder through experience and resources, making the colonies important to both mission progress and reinforcements.
Secure optional rewards only when the route is safe
Pirates join when their groups are approached, so use a protected landing to recruit them before contesting a Spanish colony. Their Privateers and Mortar complement the British fleet and infantry, but the Spanish may still patrol nearby. Disable the coastal Fixed Gun before moving ships along that shore, then capture the moored Treasure Ship once the defending units are cleared. These rewards improve access and naval safety without changing the five-colony victory requirement.
Keep the transport and fleet intact
A Galleon carrying troops is the key link between objectives. Retreat it to a pirate Dock for support if its health falls, and keep Caravels between it and Spanish patrol ships. Losing the transport can delay every remaining colony assault.
Drake’s expedition and the five-colony objective
The Historical Battle follows Francis Drake’s 1585–1586 Caribbean expedition during the Anglo-Spanish War. Its main objective is to destroy five Spanish colonies by defeating the soldiers defending them. The optional English pirates, coastal gun and moored Spanish Treasure Ship create additional naval and map-control goals. Disable the coastal gun before moving ships close to its firing area, and capture the Treasure Ship only when the route can be held. Keep a land force ready to clear each colony’s defenders; a fleet alone cannot satisfy the objective. The expedition visits multiple positions, so leave enough naval strength to protect transport and avoid committing all ships to one coastal engagement.