Sea of Thieves has been a roller coaster ride of emotions for the player base and developer Rare alike. Employees love it, ex-employees hate it. X-Box users complain about PC users, PC ‘snobs’ (myself included) refuse to play with X- Box ‘scrubs’. The game’s too repetitive, there’s no end game content for pirate legends, there’s only one raid currently available. Galleons make it impossible for sloops to duo or solo missions, etc. The list of complaints is diverse, some are even well founded, but that hasn’t stopped me from playing 150+hours, the last 75 heavily practicing my pirate accent. I’m a far cry from Legend status, but at 47-47-45 I can say without hesitation that my love, and occasional hatred, for the game is strong. If you’re reading this, I assume you’re also an active pirate and will be treating you as such for the remainder of the article.

First things first. My gamertag is MrDarkzide69, this is my avatar, and I’m a PVPirate. When I recruit

randoms on the Sea of Thieves channel in Discord, my message is as follows...

LFC: Bloodlust required, some call it “PVP enthused”. Forthopping and griefing. Pirate Legend ships get tracked down. All other ships sunk on sight. Game #

I already know I’m not a good person. I’m certainly not a casual player who hops in to check out the waves or cloud creation mechanics. While others may enjoy voyaging the map, gathering chests and skulls, I’m far more pugnacious and reckless. A salty sea dog who’d willingly abandon a four skull OOS mission or drop an unearthed captains’ chest in pursuit of an upwind sloop. I prefer a cutlass stained red with the blood of my enemies, not dry from the dust of skeletons. A close friend told me I have the sadism necessary to enjoy this game to its fullest. I have a hard time accepting compliments normally, but this one I took proudly. Who needs loot and cosmetic rewards? My coin purse is full of the frustrated screams of fallen victims, and I consider myself wealthier for it.

Now to the crux of the matter. I’ve sunk and been sunk plenty, but up until a few days ago I was confident the ratio favored victory over defeat. My regular crew mates and I make it a point not to turn in loot, instead decorating the ship with our hauls, inviting/provoking enemy ships to contest us. However, after a few humbling sessions costing me just over $65K in ill-acquired swag, I find myself below sea level staring up at the pedestal I once resided, screaming as a pair of sharks take simultaneous bites while a blood-soaked sign reading “We’ve never been sunk!” floats by my dissipating green mist.

If confidence is key, overconfidence is a short drop and sudden stop. Sea of Thieves is easy to play, but the swath of mechanics is hard to master. Not only that, if your crew loses focus, neglects their roles, or refuses to communicate, you’ll sink more than you plunder. A sinking crew is a tilted crew, and it’s hard to mentally come back after defeat when your hard-fought rewards and dreams were just scattered across the server. Restocking supplies after a freshly sunk ship is rage inducing in itself, so your best bet (obviously) is to avoid sinking at all. You’ll extend the amount of time you can happily sail, always at the expense of other players. For the remainder of this article I’ll be discussing battle tactics for galleon crews. You might learn something here and make use of it in your adventures, but I make no promises. At any rate, let’s set sail.

Know The Roles

The galleon on paper is far more powerful than the sloop. Room for two additional pirates. Two additional sails for a higher max speed, six additional cannons for profoundly more effective cannon barrages. It may take longer to maneuver the sails and change direction on a galleon, but those limitations are predominantly based on the pirates piloting them. A coordinated group can easily catch one who isn’t, no matter how upwind the latter may be. A galleon who has one man steering, one crew member catching wind, and two AFK jackasses in the crows nest doesn’t stand a chance. Battles can be lost before they even start if one or two crew members aren’t committed. Whether you are the hunted or hunting, you and your mates better have your collective shit together. There are currently four established roles in the Sea of Thieves META, an all pirates worth their salt should be familiar with each of them.

ATTACK TEAM: Close Quarter Harassment

Border #1 The Ace: Anchor + Repair Prevention

Stopping an enemy’s movement is the first step towards victory, whether your end goal is escape or total victory. Your Ace should be the first one attempting this in any encounter. It takes a skilled player to sneak aboard an enemy vessel mid-fight, successfully drop an anchor, and stay alive long enough for their crew mates to take advantage. This ‘creator of chaos’ needs to be fast and precise. First priority is dropping the anchor and preventing enemy pirates from catching it. After the anchors’ been successfully dropped the Ace has options. Either get to the crows nest and rob the enemy of explosive barrels, or go below deck and prevent repairs. Naturally, the Ace should be killing enemy pirates on sight an eating as many enemy bananas as allowed. Panic and dread pirates, panic and dread.

Border #2 The Powder Monkey: Barrel + Anchor Raising Prevention

Once an enemy ship is immobilized, it’s time to unleash the hounds. A galleon should have multiple barrels stored away for PVP encounters, specifically for the Ace’s partner in crime. Once the enemy anchor is down, your crews Powder Monkey needs to be “Johnny on the spot” with the boom-boom. Swimming unseen with a bright red barrel is no easy task, but if the Ace has done his job and the DEFENSE TEAM is unleashing steady cannon fire, there shouldn’t be a problem. The Powder Monkey should try to release their barrel DEEP in the water. At least deep enough that they can climb aboard the enemy’s ship before impact. From there, the P.M. has two options. If the ACE is alive preventing repairs, do a quick scan to ensure no enemies are raising the anchor, as well as kill any enemy pirates still blindly firing cannons. As soon as they hear the explosion though, they should be rushing to eat bananas and prevent repairs alongside the ACE, assuming they’re still alive.

DEFENSE TEAM: Protecting The House

The Helmsman: Steering, Cannons, Ladder Defense and 2nd Level Bails

Admittedly, this is the most important role for any crew as it requires the most battlefield awareness. An experienced Helmsman needs to steer the ship, pepper enemies with cannon fire in free moments, prepare to assist in bails when the situation calls for it, all while keeping an eye on crew members and enemies alike. They are the shot caller and point guard for the team. Vigilant of incoming barrels, attempting boarders or rams, when crew members die or are unsuccessful in their respective missions, even additional vessels attempting to capitalizing on the situation. They are the first to call out when the ship’s been damaged and NEVER leave their post. Each encounter is an evolving game of chess and if your Helmsman isn’t constantly updating your crew with the status of the battle and filling necessary voids, they deserve to drown in the brig.

The Bilge Rat: Sails, Cannons + Repairs

If the Powder Monkey is the Ace’s partner in crime, the Bilge Rat is the Helmsman’s. They prep sails for battle and provide a sustained rate of fire on enemy ships to create distractions for the ATTACK TEAM, until the Helmsman calls out for repairs. Then they need to scurry below deck and hope the grog wears off in time. Typically, the Bilge Rat is the ONLY one repairing the ship, calling for 2nd level bails as needed. Once the holes are patched and the lower deck is secure, the Bilge Rat can resume small arms fire, cannons, and sail management in accordance with needs called out by the Helmsman. This is not the most glamourous role on the seas, but without a committed Bilge Rat you won’t survive a solo sloop, let alone compete against multiple galleons for a Skull Fort.

Let’s Talk About Rams

Ahhhh, rams. Possibly the most pursued battle strategy on the seas. There’s a lot to be said for a successful ram. It provides immediate hull damage to your enemy (and often your own ship). It brings your vessel into prime position for the ACE to perform his tasks. It feels awesome when you’re the Helmsman and you hear the impact of pixilated wood crunching and splintering. Sometimes however, crews can get caught up in the moment and lose track of their roles. With the exception of the Powder Monkey, the other roles don’t have a ‘Plan B’ strategy for rams. The ACE still boards, The Helmsman still directs the battle, the Bilge Rat still repairs. The Powder Monkey however needs to take defensive position when your crew decides to go for a ram. They need to show discipline and some temporary restraint.

The whole point of the P.M. is to cause further panic with a massive burst of hull damage via an explosive barrel, but when you’re purposely getting within cutlass

reach of the enemy that priority changes. With the exception of a barrel placed on the tip of the sprig, ready to be shot before hull-to-hull impact, the P.M.’s job is NOT to blow a barrel. Instead, they need to prevent enemy boarders. With help from the Helmsman’ call outs, they need to prevent short sighted enemies abandoning their ship from dropping anchor or preventing the Bilge Rat from sustaining.

I can’t stress this enough. When you ram you bring your own ship into prime position for enemy boarders, especially if the ram was not a surprise attack. More often than not, a ram puts multiple holes into your own ship as well. If an enemy drops your anchor, the Bilge Rat will have a much harder time sustaining the incoming damage. If takes five second to patch one hole below, but only 12 seconds to unload 10 cannon balls. Even if you’re bad at math that should resonate. Additionally, if an enemy gets below deck and kills your Bilge Rat it’s just a matter of time before your potential victory turns into a humiliating defeat. The Helmsman should make sure all crew members are aware when it’s time for a ram, giving ample time for appropriate reactions.

Establish/Rotate Your Roles Before Each Encounter

Most randoms I’ve played with online, and recently all of my regular crew, want to self- launch with a cutlass gripped between their teeth, valiantly boarding enemy ships. No one minds blasting away with cannons, since plugging an enemy ship with holes as it menacingly approaches is supremely satisfying. A few of them want to man the helm either in battle or between destinations, but interestingly never both. No one wants to bail and repair. Let me reiterate, no one wants to get type casted as the Bilge Rat. Sustaining damage is an important part of surviving enemy encounters. It doesn’t matter how many cannonballs or powder kegs you’ve stocked if no one’s using planks but even so. I’ve yet to come across a player passionate about staying below deck. Sustaining is so integral however, someone has to suck it up and be prepared to repair. Since no one wants to be trapped repairing while epic battles rage, you should be rotating roles mid fight.

Did you just miss your chance to board? Catch the mermaid and take a turn firing cannons. Have you been bailing for 10 minutes? Tag out, grab a powder keg and take a shot boarding. Did the Ferryman just let you off with a warning? Manage some sails and check in with your Helmsman, because you’re the new Bilge Rat until someone else returns from the Ferry of the Damned. Allowing each crew member to contribute in various roles keeps everyone invested. With the exception of The Helmsman, who should remain constant per each encounter, the rest of the crew needs to flexible. A crew willing to compromise with one another for the good of the ship will always have the upper hand, no matter the odds.

I’m not a professional gamer yet, but I’m enthusiastic and excited about the new road map ahead of Sea of Thieves. As of right now, this is the best system I’ve come up with for increasing success in PVP. The META will change with additional ships, gameplay mechanics, and possible five-man crews, but until then I recommend finding some dedicated players and practicing with the outlined role system. Good luck hunting, may we meet on the seas.