When I voice my disappointment in the maintenance patch, I know I’m not alone. I’ve been grinding my teeth in anticipation of the Hungering Deep like a bargain shopper before Black Friday, but at least we have private parties. Jokes aside, the developers have been more than forth coming about upcoming content, I just don’t want to wait anymore. If rumors are to be believed, a new event’s just over the horizon. Another raidish, multi-ship battle where I can situate my crew as the servers’ resident “mini boss”. Preventing galleons and sloops from completing Skull Forts is one of the better ways I’ve spent my time on the seas so naturally, I want more. Being such a blood thirsty buccaneer, I’m positively ecstatic about additional avenues for potential plundering. My grog cup remains empty, waiting for new tears to render it full.

In the meantime, we can’t let ourselves get hung up. Most of the player base, myself included, aren’t legends yet. There’s plenty still to learn, do, and talk about. What many enthusiastic pirates might be forgetting is that this game’s only been out for a few weeks. There haven’t been many past titles dropping game changing mechanics less than two months since release, so let’s all take a deep breath and polish our blunderbuss’s before we start raging at Rare. They’ve been kind enough to provide us with a playing field that not only encourages the brutal murder of innocent merchants and their livestock, but also rewards us with loot and proximity chat rage for the effort. A game like this hasn’t existed, and I’ve been gaming since the Genesis. Let’s be grateful, and instead of complaining get better at using the tools provided. After all, without knowing the basic mechanics, how do you expect to utilize new ones?

For that reason, we’ll talk weapons and techniques as they are in the most recent patch.

A PVP guide for any game isn’t complete without a breakdown of the tools needed to slaughter. I did a grave disservice to the community by not elaborating on reload animations, sword techniques, or weapon combinations. I’m here to rectify that now. Some of you may find the information useful in your adventures, but I make no promises. Let’s set sail.

OPEN THE TOOL BOX

As opposed to most shooters, RPGs, or spectacle fighters where the weapon list/skill set are elaborately expansive to encourage a diverse multitude of play styles, Sea of Thieves is different. In its current state, there are only four weapons to mix and match to your preference. Although rumors continue to circulate about the data mined “Boarding Axe”, as of now there are just three firearms and one melee weapon to become proficient with. In all honesty, I find this refreshing. In titles like DarkSouls the large array of skills and weapons can be daunting. The sheer number of builds overwhelming. You couldn’t have utilized all possible combinations by the time you reached endgame on your first playthrough. Sea of Thieves doesn’t suffer from these particular pitfalls and I think it’s better off. First of all, it has no real ‘endgame’. The game ends when you can’t enjoy it anymore, which is relative to individual pirates and what sort of experience they’re searching for. Additionally, having all four weapons to choose aright t the get-go means players from different tiers of dedication can experience the pros and cons for themselves. You don’t need to beat that egregiously difficult late game boss to unlock ‘that one’ sword needed for late game PVP. It’s all on the table right from the start, so it’s up to the players to determine the best way to cook with the ingredients at hand. Still, some pirates are amateur chefs at best. A drop of knowledge is worth more than a sea of force so here’s the hard number breakdown, with a special shout out to gamer Danfellow who tested with me. Thanks a bunch for killing me man!

The Cutlass

The most versatile of any weapon currently available on the seas.

Light Swing Damage (one click): 20/100 each. Full Combo does 60/100. Can be blocked indefinitely. Third attack of combo knocks back opponent.

Three Swing Combo Animation (three clicks): 1.75 seconds if all hits register.

Light Swing Animation: 1 second between swings if attack misses.

Sword Lunge Damage (hold attack button): 50/100, cannot be blocked.

Sword Lunge Animation: 2.10 seconds

Cooldown After Sword Lunge: For 2.45 seconds no actions can be taken.

Block Hop: While holding guard, jump in a direction to quickly dodge.

Block Hop Animation: 1.2 seconds between jumps.

The Pistol

Damage: 58/100 From anywhere within a galleons distance. There’s fall off damage at further range so be cautions, this is a close/mid-range weapon. Be within close proximity to blow barrels on first shot.

Reload Animation: 2.93 seconds between shots.

Light Sword Swings Required After Successful Hit: 3

The Eye OF Reach

Damage: 80/100. No Fall off. Full damage at any range. This weapon is limited by the longest reload time of all firearms and a stickier ADS, making it sometimes cumbersome in CQC.

Reload Animation: 4.75 seconds between shots.

Light Sword Swings Required After Successful Hit: 1

The Blunderbuss

Damage: 0-100 The most range dependent of all firearms. One shot one kill at point blank range. Ideal for Bilge Rats and Boarders planning to fight below deck. Preoccupied pirates usually take the full brunt of this weapon.

Reload Animation: 2.93 seconds, similar to the Pistol.

Light Sword Swings Required After Successful Hit: 0-5. It really depends,

The Right Tools For The Jobs, And Their Favorite Weapons

My regular crewmates are some of the best swashbucklers around. We’ve been playing since the beta and have honed our skills through experience, ignoring girlfriends and family members alike. My crew mates each have their established role when it comes to PVP, and I found their opinions on weapon combinations enlightening, perhaps you will as well. While we have occasional fourths that play with us, these two salty dogs are always my constant and it’s a pleasure to introduce the other full-time members of the Salt Merchants!

Meet our Ace, TomDankzz. His avatar’s a big boy, but don’t let the girth fool you, he moves when he’s motivated. There’s no one I’d rather send to board an enemy and create chaos. His patience and precision yield a high success rate and his consistency is more than clutch. He’s completely reliable. Most of our fights end before enemies realize they’ve been punk’d, and on more than one occasion I’ve seen him single handedly scuttle pursuing Legends, blind from blood in their eyes. When I inquired about his role and his preferred tools to carry out the task, he said firearms can rotate based on need, but make sure to have a cutlass handy always. Here’s what he had to say.

“The cutlass techniques provide me with the utility needed to be flexible. As an Ace, I board the enemy and cause as much disruption as I can. Having proficiency with the sword makes that easier. The Sword Lunge allows me to leap off our ship and catch an enemy’s ladder, as well as break through an enemy’s guard. Using the Block Hop allows me to evade enemy snipers and maneuver out of Blunderbuss range. It never needs reloading so it’s ideal for taking out groups of panicked pirates. If you feel like your combo isn’t going to connect with an enemy, you can always slash the floor or a beam and continue the attack animation. Just beware. You can block light attacks an infinite amount of times, but you can’t stop a Lunge by blocking. Learning the sword techniques and the rock/paper/scissors of a cutlass fight is essential as an Ace.”

-TomDankzz

https://www.twitch.tv/tomdankzzthepirate

Now I’ll introduce our Helmsman, Mr Clevil. He wasn’t available for a picture at the time of this writing, but he had a lot to say nonetheless! Mr Clevil has the perfect amount of OCD and ADD necessary to successfully shot call. He keeps an incredibly sharp eye on all corners of the horizon while calm and correctly directing us during PVP encounters. In the same sense TomDankzz is a reliable Ace, we trust Mr Clevil and follow his callouts as soon as we hear the commands. This is what he had to say when I asked about his preferred weapons as our crews’ hypervigilant commander.

“As a helmsman I normally go with the sword/eye load out. Before getting into the weapons let me say this; Being a helmsman does not mean staying on the wheel at all times, but rather being off the wheel observing the seas. In combat whether setting up a broadside or ramming, I often lock a course in for a few seconds, move about and possibly take a shot, which brings me to the Eye of Reach. It gives me the distance required to make shots without having to leave the Quarterdeck. I can snipe enemy cannons or shoot gun powder barrels in an enemy’s crow nest. Also, should any boarders come it has enough kick to knock them off ladders or bring them low enough to finish with a quick sword swing. Even at point blank range, no scopes do massive damage or kill easily.

Now the sword, aside from its mobility is, in my opinion, a better secondary then the pistol or blunder. You can kill barrel carrying boarders without fearing they’ll explode on the ladder. Bunny hopping enemies using masts and stairs for cover hinders easy kills, but the sword still shines with its wide slash and stun lock. Even bunny hopping is slowed or stopped with a few hits, and on that mighty third strike you can send enemies off your boat or in perfect range for a quick scope. Possibly the biggest reason for the sword is not having to reload. Even with an empty eye I can rush to where you need to be Darkzide, whether that be cannons, repairs, or bailing.”

-Mr Clevil

The Double Tap: MrDarkzide’s High Risk/High Reward Strategy

A quick thing I wanted to share before logging off here. As our crews resident Powder Monkey, I admittedly think I have the most fun. I don’t carry the weight of commanding nor the pressure of being the first line of attack. I also don’t typically get trapped as the Bilge Rat (I ‘fall’ off), so while I’m waiting for my opportunity to strike I find myself mostly above deck taking drop shots. Strange to some, but my personal preference, I never carry a cutlass or even a blunderbuss anymore. Instead I opt for the Pistol/Eye of Reach combination.



Maybe this is only possibly because I’m on PC? Maybe I have superior reflexes compared to the rest of the pirates I’m fighting? At a grey haired 29 I highly doubt the latter is possible but who knows? For me, I feel like it’s the fastest option to respond to an enemy, putting them down at range before they can cause any real destruction. Carrying two weapons capable of medium and long range attacks means I never need to get close. I can prevent enemies catching their own anchor from the deck of my own ship, and boarders with barrels need to be extra sneaky or risk an early explosion. I can quickly fire off two consecutive shots and unless a pirate has his potassium macro’d, he dies. This has led to dozens of pirates accusing me of hacking, it’s half the reason I stick with it. The other half is because I find it an incredibly effective compliment to my teammates arsenals and playstyles. We’ll see how things change with upcoming patches, but as of now I like the role of long range support and crew demolitions expert.

I appreciate anyone who read this entire article. I realize that these interviews are just the opinions of a small collection of PVP focused pirates. I realize that you will come to experiment and find your own favorites and styles of play. I hope you’ve found at least some of the previous information, or nonsensical rants, helpful. Catch me on twitch if you want to view the carnage or are suspicious about any deaths you’ve received at my hand. Good luck hunting pirates, and as always may we meet on the seas.

-MrDarkzide69

https://www.twitch.tv/mrdarkzide