Erezuma's Anti-Capgrabbing Guide

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    • Erezuma's Anti-Capgrabbing Guide

      Since the release of CoW 2.0, there has been a major increase in the strategy of capgrabbing. For those of us who don't know, capgrabbing is the act of attacking another nation for the sole purpose of taking their capital, for morale purposes or otherwise. The reason this is being more of an issue lately is because of the +10% morale factor that is issued whenever you conquer an enemy capital. This is enough to prevent any recently conquered provinces (at 25% morale) from revolting at day-change. I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but everyone should be on alert, because you never know when it might happen to you. The person who does it could be you next-door neighbor, or someone from halfway around the world.

      Because of this, I am making this simple guide including some helpful measures to reduce the chance of being at risk of capgrabbing. These tips are listed below:

      1. Keep your capital inland. This means that your capital should not be close to a border with another nation, or even the coastline for that matter. This may not be possible from day 1, but once you start expanding this is definitely something that you should consider. I usually try to have at least 3 provinces between my capital city and a border. This means that any potential capgrabbers will have to go through at least 3 provinces to get to my capital province. Depending on what terrain the provinces are, it could take several hours for the enemy to get through those provinces.
      2. No coastline capitals! This may seen obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many players I've seen keep their capital on the coastline, or even worse, MOVE their capital TO the coastline! This makes it way easier for someone to just sneak in and take your capital out. If you start with a coastline capital, you should move it inland as soon as possible. This might be hard for some nations, especially island nations (like Japan, Cuba, etc) but once they start getting their feet wet in the mainland they should move their capital there.
      3. Don't leave it undefended! I have seen dozens of players that, once they have conquered a large area, they leave their capital (or even their entire homeland for that matter) undefended, moving most all of their troops to the frontlines! Let's say that someone attacks you while you are asleep with the intention of capgrabbing - they can take it out with no pushback! When you wake up, it might want to make you rage-quit. I suggest keeping at least 3 defense-specialized units (infantry, armored car, etc) in your capital, and at least 1 defense-specialized unit in each of your core cities. PRO TIP: Keep an interceptor (preferrably the one you start out with) patrolling over your capital to defend it from air assaults.
      4. Build fortresses. This will only help if you are doing Step 3, but it's important nonetheless. These will give additional defense to your defending units and make it even harder for someone to take out your capital while you are AFK. They're not too expensive to build, and having them at level 3 can prevent the enemy from seeing the garrison, as well as giving your troops a 50% defense bonus (combined with the 15% homeland defense bonus)
      There are other things that can help you, such as moving your capital toward an allied nation, but these 4 are the main things you should consider to prevent capgrabbing. Feel free to leave comments/questions below. Hope this guide helps!
    • Being a capgrabber myself, I'll say that capgrabbing from live players is harder than taking them from AI's. You don't attack a 100-point player just to get their capital (you may want to make a plan to conquer them anyway and their capital takes a special place in planning - but that's another matter!), if there are still 10-point nations with five infantry total force around to take. With those, it is also much easier to make sure the cap takes place just before day change, which is the best moment for it in fact I stand before the gates of their capital for like 10h or so, and only take it at the last instant for optimal result.

      So basically, capgrabbing isn't a VERY big risk while there are still minor nations around which are an easier target than you. Of course they may come to kill you - but they'll try anyway no matter where your capital is. The tips above will just help you keep your capital when you're going to be at war anyway.
      When the fake daddies are curtailed, we have failed. When their roller coaster tolerance is obliterated, their education funds are taken by Kazakhstani phishers, and their candy bars distributed between the Botswana youth gangs, we have succeeded.
      - BIG DADDY.
    • K.Rokossovski wrote:

      Being a capgrabber myself, I'll say that capgrabbing from live players is harder than taking them from AI's. You don't attack a 100-point player just to get their capital (you may want to make a plan to conquer them anyway and their capital takes a special place in planning - but that's another matter!), if there are still 10-point nations with five infantry total force around to take. With those, it is also much easier to make sure the cap takes place just before day change, which is the best moment for it in fact I stand before the gates of their capital for like 10h or so, and only take it at the last instant for optimal result.

      So basically, capgrabbing isn't a VERY big risk while there are still minor nations around which are an easier target than you. Of course they may come to kill you - but they'll try anyway no matter where your capital is. The tips above will just help you keep your capital when you're going to be at war anyway.
      As I have noticed most human capgrabbing happens later in games due to the fact that most ai countrys are gone by then
    • Great points. Don't recal seeing this brought up anywhere as a defense strategy.
      Nice...

      You touch on this a bit with the fighter over the capitol, but it deserves a mention. I've done this a couple times now and caught even veteran players off guard.

      As with all plans, they work better if target is sleeping.

      Using fighters as scouts (and searching map for non-city and non-resource territories that have buildings on them) located and confirmed Airstrip corridor leading into core territory.

      Send first Paratrooper unit to capture province with Lvl 2 or higher airfield. When captured, after damage to buildings is resolved I needed functioning airfields. While the first Paratroopers reassemble, the following units land at airfield and refuel, then one proceeds to next airfield and others follow close behind.

      Target wakes up with you having leapfrogged through his territory taking out cities, upgraded res producing provinces and wreaking all manner of trouble to their core economy. Even if you don't manage to keep it. That damage will take time to rebuild and recover.

      This is devastating if target has left core undefeated counting on distance to front lines as protection.
      General Maximus Decimus Meridius - "Are you not entertained?"
    • K.Rokossovski wrote:

      Being a capgrabber myself, I'll say that capgrabbing from live players is harder than taking them from AI's. You don't attack a 100-point player just to get their capital (you may want to make a plan to conquer them anyway and their capital takes a special place in planning - but that's another matter!), if there are still 10-point nations with five infantry total force around to take. With those, it is also much easier to make sure the cap takes place just before day change, which is the best moment for it in fact I stand before the gates of their capital for like 10h or so, and only take it at the last instant for optimal result.

      So basically, capgrabbing isn't a VERY big risk while there are still minor nations around which are an easier target than you. Of course they may come to kill you - but they'll try anyway no matter where your capital is. The tips above will just help you keep your capital when you're going to be at war anyway.
      I dont think this is capital grabbing as such, you conquer as much as possible during day, you kill everything of in the capital, including production facilities and then keep it for desert just prior day change. Also taking capitals form neighbouring countries if you see a competitor closing in is valid, because this causes issue for him when conquering new land, he/she has no means to stabilize morale other than putting a garrison in there. Or accept that provinces can be lost.
    • Erezuma wrote:

      Since the release of CoW 2.0, there has been a major increase in the strategy of capgrabbing. For those of us who don't know, capgrabbing is the act of attacking another nation for the sole purpose of taking their capital, for morale purposes or otherwise. The reason this is being more of an issue lately is because of the +10% morale factor that is issued whenever you conquer an enemy capital. This is enough to prevent any recently conquered provinces (at 25% morale) from revolting at day-change. I'm not saying this is a bad idea, but everyone should be on alert, because you never know when it might happen to you. The person who does it could be you next-door neighbor, or someone from halfway around the world.
      This is written as if this is a new mechanic introduced in CoW2.0. But the capital-conquering bonuses and penalties were in place since the beginning of the game in 2015. Maybe average players just got more aware of it recently.

      In general I always like players writing guides, so still thumbs up :)
    • sometimes a best place for a capital is on the coast line, because that is more central than any other place, so you put stuff in front of it substack on aggressive command to avoid direct capture. just an idea, same for what to put in the city, stuff that is not vissible directly, as comintern high lvl militia and maybe even some AT may do well to give a supprise and not to expensive either, and you put your classical AI single lvl1 AA gun in it too ;)

      Added, also put a single lvl1 AA gun in every city and after trying to cap your capital they will think twice before attacking any other city with only the single AA gun in it , this is how association works. Smart people use scouts though.

      The post was edited 1 time, last by Gen. Smit ().