Gunning

Tips

Shots

type of shot range when to load round shot 700m by default heated shot 500m* when in range chain shot 700m only when ordered bar shot 400m only when ordered grape shot 100m when parked suitably grapple shot 50m only when ordered

Most of the battle will be fought at a distance, using the cannons to their full potentiual is therefor an important skill to hone. You'll want to reload fast, shoot accurately and keep yourself alive.1.Cannonballs do not hit players directly, damage is based on how close you are to where one hits your ship. Standing in the middle keeps you outside the area of effect a lot of the time, greatly increasing your survivability. If you want to assure no damage, stand opposite to the ship's endangered side. If engaged in fire exchange, you should back off while the cannon is being pushed into position. You may also want to step back when you see/hear cannonballs coming your way—projectiles won't arrive immediately, giving you plenty of time to react; the duration is linear with the distance.2.Reloading your cannon takes at least eight seconds, be patient and ensure a hit, you don't want to waste valuable ammo and time. If you're shooting a small or distant target, make sure your sight is firmly on the enemy hull before you let fly. Unless under 100m, never ignite while either cannon or ship is full on turning. Always wait for the ship to stabilize. If your captain starts to turn, leave your shot in—shooting now will surely miss. Nudging your sight to stay on target is optional.3.You can aim 100m higher and still hit, the same does not apply for aiming lower. Always aim above rather than below. If the ship's rocking a lot, fire the moment you're horizontal—the reticle should be aligned with the middle of your screen.4.These conditions hamper your vision significantly, but luckily for us, every ship has four lanterns lit: one on the stern, midship, bow and nose. This last light is deceptive. Shooting the nose equals missing your target, so you don't want to aim there. It can oft be distinguished from the stern lantern thanks to its greater distance from the other lights, though this may be unclear due to the enemy's alignment. For that reason, it's best to target the middle two lights if visible.5.If the enemy ship is below 300m, and your broadside is aligned correctly, it is not necessary to aim your cannon—feel free to light it right away. This is particularily useful for emptying multiple cannons while the rest of the crew is busy repairing. If you're operating just one, it could be better to aim anyway; at this range you can target specific sections of a ship.6.Cannons share ammunition boxes, another person will probably be utilizing yours as well. A crew mate standing in the way is annoying and slows things down, thus give each other some room. Your character has quite a bit of reach—make use of it. This way two players can comfortably take their ammo simultaneously.7.The closer you are to the edge, the higher the likelihood of dying. Ramming the cannon from behind, rather then from the side, makes a desirable difference, plus you can easily step back after pushing the cannon. It's a simple habit to keep yourself to.8.Staying alive is important, especially in TDM. But healing yourself takes quite a bit of time that could've been spent on, let's say, manning the cannons. Your ship should take priority seeing that it keeps the whole team alive, including your future self. On top of that, it's common to instantly die to one sudden hit, so healing is oftentimes pointless. It's still useful, though, so have (or share) a drink whenever you can take a breath. When bleeding, I do advise to take a single sip to avoid eventual death. A heartbeat will indicate the gradual loss of health9.It may be a waste of ammo, but rather this than a wasted gun. Round shot is no exception: though versatile, it is not always the optimal choice. Listen to your captain and refill the relevant cannons if needed. You want to maximize the effectiveness of your attack after all.10.It's good to have the brazier full at all times, so put in another ball after pushing your cannon. Normally you just click it, but if there's more heated shot ready you'll probably pick it out instead. To circumvent that you'll have to aim for the bottom part of one of sides, this will guarantee to add instead of take. Crouching could be helpful.11.Regardless of how damaged a sail is, it will always take the same amount of time to repair—target as many as you can rather than focussing one. To hit a sail below 300m, shoot straight at it. You'll have to take gravity into account from farther away, though hitting individual sails gets rather difficult at this point, so don't bother too much.12.Anti-personnel swivels are meant to assist in close quarters—and great they are at that. Use outside this purpose is generally discouraged because it's difficult to hit far away players you can't see while also moving. Unlike normal cannons, swivels need to hit directly, which makes hurting anyone unlikely. Nevertheless, I consider them worthwhile under 300m, especially when the enemy ship is perpendicular to yours. An experienced player can kill the captain with a well aimed shot. Do not see this as an excuse for neglecting other duties though, it's no more than additional. Do not risk your life for it either. Outside of boarding, the side swivel should only be used by a nearby gunner who just pushed his cannon. It will reload on its own and can be used again next time the cannon is being pushed into position.13.Any crew will benefit from a powder monkey, the little gunboat being an exception. It's usually a side job for those who've got some time on their hands, only the galleon and cruiser require a dedicated runner. Stay near the supply boxes if you decide to help. In between your other tasks you can pick up a crate and look for any "empty" symbols. If it's safe, run along the sides and check how full the crates in use are, this way you'll know where to put your attention. Switching to other tools while holding a crate won't waste it, it'll be saved in an invisible inventory so you won't reduce the leftover amount next time you pick one up; this applies to ammunition as well, though not heated shot.*kills can be achieved up till 700m