Wiki

effect · destroy_ships

Definition

  • Supported scope:COUNTRY
  • Supported target:none

Description

Destroys ships of specified country and amount
Example: 
ENG={ 
	destroy_ships = {
		type=light_cruiser
		count=all #or number
	}
}

Hands-On Notes

Hands-on notes are AI-generated and checked against the vanilla command vocabulary — treat them as a starting point, not authoritative reference. The definition above is the game's own documentation.

Hands-On Usage

destroy_ships is commonly used in events or decisions to simulate naval battle losses, blockade breakthroughs, or fleet destruction caused by story events—such as a nation being forced to scuttle its fleet to prevent it from falling into enemy hands (similar to the French Toulon event). It can also be used in balance mods to reduce AI naval strength when specific conditions are met.

# Execute after France triggers the Toulon scuttling event
VIC = {
    destroy_ships = {
        type = destroyer
        count = all
    }
    destroy_ships = {
        type = heavy_cruiser
        count = 3
    }
}

Synergy

  • [has_capitulated](/wiki/trigger/has_capitulated): Commonly used as a precondition check to execute ship destruction only when the target nation has capitulated, making the logic more sound.
  • [delete_units](/wiki/effect/delete_units): Simultaneously removes land units; when combined with destroy_ships, it simulates a complete military collapse or the full effect of disarmament following an armistice.
  • [add_political_power](/wiki/effect/add_political_power): Awards political power after fleet scuttling or destruction events as compensation or penalty, enriching the narrative feedback of events.
  • [country_event](/wiki/effect/country_event): Triggers subsequent events after destroying the fleet, creating an event chain that advances the storyline.

Common Pitfalls

  1. count values exceeding actual ship quantities won't error but require attention: When using specific numbers, if the fleet lacks enough ships of that type, the game will destroy what is available without reporting an error. However, logically you should first use means like [any_navy_leader](/wiki/trigger/any_navy_leader) to confirm the target nation actually possesses that ship type, avoiding silent failure of effects that confuses players.
  2. type must use the equipment type's key, not ship variant names: Beginners often mistakenly fill in specific variant names (such as custom ship names) instead of base types (such as light_cruiser, submarine), causing the script to have no effect and produce no error. This is extremely difficult to troubleshoot.