What is your favourite tactic ???

Kristian95 · Boatswain Posts: 3149 **4687 Gold** -

Some people love to pound the hell out of other ships, some want to board at once... some love grape shot, some love chain etc....
What is your favourite tactic during ship battles ??

In case you vote for the "depending on what ship I use" it would be cool if you explain in a post Smile

I myself usually do a couple of shots (all sorts) and then board.... but sometimes I board straight away too Razz

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Sonicsfan · Cutthroat Posts: 363 **1729 Gold** -

I use grapeshot untill i have more crew then my enemy,than i board them.

DrBeast · Cutthroat Posts: 493 **5316 Gold** -

It would be quite ridiculous to rely on firepower when you're sailing on a war canoe, right? Not that you can't bring down a SoTL if you're patient enough (I've done it a couple of times, it's fun no doubt, but damn does it take time!), but the war canoe's virtues are speed and agility. So my mostly used tactic is slipping through the cannonballs for a fast board and relying on my good fencing skills to quickly dispose of the enemy captain. OK, I might fire off a round of grapes or two to dwindle the enemy crew if it's big enough, but that's it. The core of my naval battles is boarding. If I wanted a shooting contest I'd get a SoTL and blast the enemy's sails off in no time, but that ain't my style.
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Sonicsfan · Cutthroat Posts: 363 **1729 Gold** -

if you enemy has much more men than you and you go board them,you will loose much crew quickly

DrBeast · Cutthroat Posts: 493 **5316 Gold** -

Trazom · Powder Monkey Posts: 35 **78 Gold** -

Definetly chain shots Very Happy

If the poor bastard have a lot of cannons I usually start of with some regular rounds. But chain shot is in my experience the quickest way to get them scurvy pirates to surrender (unless you sink them offcourse - but I usually try to avoid that Wink

)
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roddrip · Powder Monkey Posts: 35 **1203 Gold** -

If I have a fast ship (Royal Sloop is my favorite small fast ship). I tend to just board as fast as possible. If i have a bigger but slower ship (I prefer the Brig of War in this category) I get in range of chain shot and slow it down, then even the odds by cutting the crew down with grape shot, then board and duel the captain.

TheDon · Rigger Posts: 1292 **16718 Gold** -

My favorite tactic is almost always to board as quickly as possible. I've taken 45 men against a frigate with over 200 men and soundly defeated the captain while losing less than 10 of my crew. If for some reason the wind (and the AI) are against me so badly that I cannot get close enough to board, I'll start using cannon to reduce their damage on me. Also, if I'm coming against several ships (like three privateers when you're escorting a new governor), I might sink the first one or two and then capture the third.

thedon

rupertlittlebear · Helmsman Posts: 4545 **10381 Gold** -

Striker · Gunner Posts: 727 **680 Gold** -

Who needs cannon when you have a War Canoe! I just love to dodge those impotent cannon shots, board, and flip the captian overboard. Very Happy

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Westley_Roberts · Iron Guts Posts: 960 **10339 Gold** -

Depending on the game style I happen to be using, and the ship I'm in, and the ship I'm up against.

Ball - for general terrorizing.
Chain - For slowing them down and more terrorizing
Grape - to lower their numbers, and quite possibly raising mine by picking up swimmers.

Not firing - if I feel like not damamging my prize, or when it's 'EVIL' and I know i have to board

So, that's why I said depends...lol
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fossaman · Gunner Posts: 726 **3515 Gold** -

If I'm using a Pinnace or Mail Runner, I'll try to pick off a few of their cannons and then close. If I'm in a Royal Sloop, I demast. It only take two or three volleys to demast most things, although frigates and war galleon-types take a bit more work.
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Bloody Chuck · Powder Monkey Posts: 25 **305 Gold** -

I like using a medium ship that is good for sailing into the wind, such as a brig. I had used the quick boarding strategy before, but once I got into rouge and swash level, I needed too large a crew for that strategy. You see, sword fighting just gets too difficult when your crew of fifty is up against one of a hundred and ninety. And I hate having large crews because it leaves less gold for me when it comes time to divy up the loot.
So my favorite strategy has become firing on them once and then letting them chase me into the wind. When my guns reload, I do a half turn an empty a load of chain shot on them, then turn back into the wind. Once I've taken out their sails, I just circle around them and give them a couple healthy doses of grape shot before boarding. With their numbers reduced to thirty men or less, the captain is easy prey. Of course, in lower difficulty levels, they just strike their colors. Argh! Twisted Evil

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Kristian95 · Boatswain Posts: 3149 **4687 Gold** -

Airsaw · Rigger Posts: 1840 **3281 Gold** -

I've burdened the board before (buh-buh-buh, alliteration rules!) with my favorite ship, BRIG OF WAR, and the necessary tactics involved. It's easy to sink, but carries 32 guns, and 200+ crew. With it's maneuverability and low target profile, I can approach, fire, dodge, approach, fire, dodge.

Merchant ships generally surrender as I board, so do coastal barqs. If they don't, they have so few cannon, I go ahead and disarm them with roundshot before I approach. That's convincing enough.

Sloops either want to run, or try to use their speed to board me. For sloops, I use chainshot to clip their speed - catch them if they run, or slow them up if I'm outmanned and they intend to board. If I'm outmanned, I want to stay off while I dose with grapeshot, until the numbers are even enough, then board and dazzle with swordplay.

The military ships I pound with cannon as I get into chainshot range, reducing cannon as a goal. Next, I try to get in front for the pivot, chainshot, run, pivot, chainshot, run until I get an edge with speed, a four-to-five knot advantage works well. Then I can easily apply the grapeshot to even the odds. This done, I head straight for them, prow to prow, to board and to sword!

I guess this qualifies as an even mix. I love that Brig of War! (Fully upgraded, of course...ahem.)