What is the point of the raider option for ships?

[Tanaka]

Why would you not want this always on?

[hellraiser1973]

because sometimes you want to move a ship from A to B and if she is ending her turn on a convoy route, you don't want to give away her position?

[crispy131313]

Raiding also lowers supply

[Tanaka]

Thanks guys those both make sense. That brings up another question. Is your location always given away if raiding on a convoy route by sub or ship?

[Xenocide]

Your location is roughly given away. The opponent sees a chit representing the raiding sub or surface ship but it is not at the exact location of the raider. They have to sweep the area to find it.

[Mithrilotter]

I have had very good luck with a U-Boat or Sub on raid with a surface ship (preferably Battleship or Battlecruiser) in front of it and not set to raid. The surface ship is therefore hidden. An AI destroyer will slam into the surface ship and get surprise ambushed. On my turn, I get another shot with my surface ship. If needed, I add the U-Boat or the Sub to finish the job. I have sunk an lot of AI destroyers that way.

[Tanaka]

ORIGINAL: Mithrilotter

I have had very good luck with a U-Boat or Sub on raid with a surface ship (preferably Battleship or Battlecruiser) in front of it and not set to raid. The surface ship is therefore hidden. An AI destroyer will slam into the surface ship and get surprise ambushed. On my turn, I get another shot with my surface ship. If needed, I add the U-Boat or the Sub to finish the job. I have sunk an lot of AI destroyers that way.

Brilliant! Or have you discovered a system cheat? Haha

[Mithrilotter]

There is a counter for that destroyer ambush strategy that Bill pulled on me. One just adds some capital ships and a carrier to the destroyer group. The carrier can spot further than surface ships. The "ambushing" capital ship lying in wait can be spotted by the carrier at range and counter ambushed by the carrier and its escorting capital ships. But the AI has never done that to me yet.