Empire: Total War - Game Mechanics - Naval Battles - Importance of wind - game guide, walkthrough, secrets, game tips & strategies

In naval battles wind is very important. You can always look at its direction in the upper section of the map (wind direction is also shown on the mini map).

The length of pointer symbolize the strength of the wind.

The game is about XVIII century wars. Most of the ships in that period were using sails (and wind of course) to move. The importance of wind was very high. Steamships are the only exception, but in most cases wind was significant.

Your units are moving with the maximum speed when they are sailing with the wind. To get the strongest effect you can order to set all the available sails.

When you have headwind then the best option is to sail without any sails. Ships can move with headwind but they are extremely slow. With the wind blowing from the side you can get average speed.

The is only one conclusion: try always to sail with the wind in the battle. Ships with headwind are slow and they are easy target. Remember that one the most important attribute of the good commander is to minimize the risk.