Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
maneuverability, Third Rates less so, Second Rates even less so and First Rates C well, don’t expect to move much in them. Just blast. The ‘Mordaunt’ Fourth Rate is a good introduction to the SOL world, but those looking for a floating fortress should look no further than the ‘Invincible’ First Rate C the king of the sea.
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
ships. This isn’t something that can simply be chosen for you either way C it is a personal decision that depends on how any particular captain plays the game. Those looking for the speed advantage may wish to stick with the tried and tested lower rank ships, which can still compete with even rank 50 warships, as long as sound tactics are employed (never get on their broadside!). Captains opting for a tanking style will be happy with the higher rank choices on offer, especially those in the Naval Officer profession, who see the most powerful ships in the game C though they’re more or less useless when it comes to maneuvering. As said C it depends on how a captain fights their battles.
ship that can adapt to most captain’s strategies, and while it doesn’t particularly excel in any one area, it makes up for it by being a jack-of-all.
At rank 50 the best of the best become
available for captains. The ‘Deliverance’ Heavy Frigate keeps an air of pace even considering its size, though the offset between this ship and the ‘Hercules’ Frigate makes the latter more desirable than the former C it isn’t as fast, but overall it performs better. Career specific ships take on even more extremes in their stats at rank 50, with Freetrader ships becoming huge transport boxes with little else going for them C the ‘San Mateo’ Trader’s Galleon is a good example, with decent speed, little maneuverability, but huge cargo space. Privateers gain access to ships such as the ‘Hercules’ Mastercraft Frigate, as well as some crossover ships shared with Pirates, such as the standard ‘Hercules’ Heavy Frigate C both of which are very useful in OS combat. Pirate specific ships come in the shape of the ‘Cursed Blade’ Refit Frigate C a huge warship, perfect for raiding the Caribbean Sea. Navy Officers are the one profession that have some incredible step- ups when they get to rank 50, with many SOLs becoming available C Fourth Rates are powerful but retain some semblance of
Nevertheless, some example ships that
come with a recommendation in the ranks of 41 to 50 are as follows: the ‘Myrmidon’ Heavy Frigate at rank 41 possesses a fair bit of pace for its size, and can more than hold its own in many battles (the Mastercraft Myrmidon is available at rank 46, for reference). At rank 43 those looking to keep an edge of pace in their battles may want to look to the ‘Triton’ Interceptor C good for running down enemy ships and able to deal out something of a beating to those that cross it. The ‘Conquistador’ Frigate at rank 45 is a
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
teens up to the high 30s in some regions C it can take a while for a battle worth fighting to show itself. This, unfortunately, is something of an unavoidable aspect of the grind. Stick with it though, and soon you are sure to find a veritable hotpot of worthwhile NPC activity, feeding your XP needs C stick around contested ports or travel at least five miles off the coast of enemy ports for the best chances of hitting enemies worth a battle.
Again when it comes to missions, these are
purely down to personal preference C they still do not give much in the way of XP, but financial and other rewards may make them worth the effort, along with giving weary captains a break from the Open Sea.
RANK 41 C 50
As the ranks progress, it soon becomes
apparent that the fastest technique for leveling up doesn’t actually change C it is something of a grind, but any captain that wants to reach the top rank available in the shortest amount of time has to keep to the same technique they have been embracing since the beginning. This, of course, can become boring C there’s not denying this C but it is wholly necessary to get to rank 50 as soon as possible.
Missions are, of course, still available at
the higher ranks, though as before they aren’t really worthwhile for captains wishing to rank up quickly C the amount of XP offered doesn’t compare to that in PvE combat. Nevertheless, the doubloon compensation for taking on missions does become tempting, especially at higher levels, and a quick top up of the coffers can be achieved by taking on a higher-ranked mission. These missions can be found in ports such as Leogane and Irish Point for the French, Ruddy Cove and Guanica for Pirates, San Juan and Havana for the Spanish and Port Royal and Basseterre for the British.
Unsurprisingly, this means the technique
for ranking from 41 to 50 remains the same as previously C hunting the OS regions for pirate or merchant convoys and taking them out in groups. As with before, the only thing that really changes is the difficulty of the battles and the rank of the NPCs you are fighting. As before, it tends to be something of a lottery where particular ranks of NPCs spawn, with ranks ranging from the low
Ship choice by the higher ranks is a point
of contention for many players C ships become Huge and far less maneuverable, and some captains tend to want to stick with the weaker, though far quicker, lower rank
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
RANK 31 C 40
As for ships, it isn’t really necessary to
upgrade during this ranking period, as transports available in the teen ranks are more than capable of holding their own against higher-ranked NPCs. It isn’t until a bit later on that an upgrade becomes a necessity, but even so some ships you may want to look at include the ‘Lexington’ Mastercraft Brig, for that extra bit of punch, the ‘Cerberus’ Frigate and the ‘Cerberus’ Heavy Frigate, both of which are available within a few ranks of each other.
As the ranks increase, things don’t get that
much harder than you would maybe expect C it just gets that bit slower to finally achieve the next rank. The past techniques of grouping and hunting down Pirates or trader convoys still apply C hunt, attack, board, win C and it is carried out in the same fashion it has been done from the very beginning.
To mix things up a little, and to provide
that bit more XP, captains can take their hunting groups towards enemy ports and help to raise unrest C as well as increasing the number of NPC spawns in the region it can also provide a heck of a lot more XP than through other methods, and it helps out your home nation! Be wary of the PvP circle, however, and try not to get ambushed in it C winning in PvP produces less XP than PvE, and losing isn’t something any captain would really want to do.
It isn’t ideal to pursue missions when
going for fast ranking, as they do not offer enough XP to be truly worthwhile C they do, however, offer monetary rewards that will come in useful for ship upgrades, as well as some rewards that cannot be obtained elsewhere. As such, traveling back to dry land and getting involved in some of you nation’s missions is something that you should probably do every now and then C as well as the useful rewards, you will find it helps break the monotony of constant ranking.
One ship that should definitely be looked
at is the ‘Raa’ Frigate, which can be obtained at rank 32 C it has a great combination of speed and power, making it ideal for any captain involved in the hunt. Rank 40 players can also pick up the ‘Raa’ Mastercraft Frigate, which is the upgrade of the already- great ‘Raa’ and well worth looking into.
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
If you happen to join a group of
mandatory C even if you have participated in it before and not been too enamored, it is a real necessity for higher ranks to be achieved faster.
particularly skilled players, you can see the XP rack up into ridiculous amounts in a very short space of time. One example is of around five or six similarly ranked players taking on a convoy of around eight opponents, ranked between 30 and 35 C if your group is good enough to take them down you can be on the receiving end of around 2000 XP for around 15 minutes of work. It is certainly well worth the effort finding a group.
Maintain the already-established method
of upgrading speed and power on your ship, and in a group of players traverse the Open Sea looking for groups of enemy NPCs to attack C two to four is an ideal number, as the amount of XP for more enemies is comparatively lower, and ranks 30-40 shouldn’t be difficult to handle in the slightest, as long as there is any modicum of skill in your group. Initiate the attack, batter the opponents from all sides using techniques already covered C zig zag motions, take out the crew and use skills wisely – then finish the battle by boarding the enemy, again: this method produces far more XP than by simply sinking the enemy.
You don’t even have to be a member of a
guild or have your group pre-arranged, as there are regular calls for group activity in the chat window C pay attention, get involved and see those ranks just fly by.
RANK 21 C 30
Captains reaching above rank 20 should
be very much used to the method employed for quick ranking, and when it comes to later ranks they should take into account the step up in difficulty C it isn’t as easy to take down one or two enemy ships as it was before. It is for this reason that from around rank 20 onwards, group ranking should be
One of the better regions for ranking at
21-30 tends to be around Turptitude, though other regions also offer consistent NPC spawnings. Basically, if your group is to travel around 60 miles from a port you are likely to bump into gangs of Pirates/traders and the like.
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
GROUP RANKING
This boarding method sees you earning
more XP per ship than if you were to simply sink them, as well as more loot to go along with it and the chance to claim the ship for a commendation/pennant and the like. It does involve grinding, but the process is much easier, faster and more fun than on a lot of other MMORPGs.
Solo play is all well and good, and it is easy
and fast enough for anyone to rank up pretty fast through committed, grinding play, but you will get more fun from the experience by joining a group and going out looking for naval combat.
Basically, using this simple method, it
Instead of sticking to enemies around your
shouldn’t take more than a couple of days extended play to reach Rank 20 C 25 or higher, and from there things are pretty smooth C higher rank missions are available from home ports, enemy encounters prove tougher but offer more XP and there are numerous skills unlocked for you to put to good use.
particular rank, a group of C for example C rank 15 players can easily take on a few 25s and, with the right combination of tactics and luck, take their opponents down. There have even been tales spun of how low ranking players took out rank 30, 40 and even 50 frigates by applying the tactics of working together, constant movement and using the wind to their advantage.
Later upgrades become even more
effective, even more desirable, even rarer and more expensive when they can be found. But they tend to be more than worth it in the long run. Upgrades that should be looked into from rank 20 include ‘Polished Hull’, to increase speed further, ‘Teak Armor 1′ to make it that bit harder to be sunk, and ‘Heavy Cannon Modification 1′ (rank 21) to give an extra punch when attacking the enemy.
This method gives a great deal back to
players in regards to XP, and following it is sure to help your ranking up quest go that bit faster. You don’t even have to employ the boarding tactic, as the amount of XP for sinking a higher ranked opponent is reward enough C you can still try to take them over if you want to, of course!
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
‘Barbed Grapples’ and ‘Mooring Rope’ at
Enter the Open Sea and get yourself into
rank 10 should be looked into as soon as possible, as both aid in the boarding process and can help the ranking process go even faster C by rank 15 you should be looking at picking up ‘Grapples and Ladders’ to improve grappling and boarding skills even more. The rank 12 upgrade of ‘Improved Rudder Tackle 2′ will help with the turn rate of your ship, and the rank 15 addition of ‘Studding Sails, Heavy’ will help your top speed as well.
combat C initiate or wait for it to come to you, it doesn’t much matter. Spend the battle using your Chain and Langridge shots to destroy the enemy’s mobility and crew, as well as the skills you have earned whenever appropriate. Once the crew is down to a manageable amount, we’re talking single figures here, line yourself up for boarding action and get on the enemy’s ship.
Once you have boarded the hostile vessel
and entered avatar combat, head straight for the enemy captain C take him out right off the bat and the battle is over, no need to deal with any of the stragglers. Stun and increased attack skills are what you need to get through this easier C defense isn’t a priority, as you are aiming to get the battle through with as fast as possible. If you have followed the Dirty Fighting discipline and have access to the grenade and pistol attacks, you can end most boarding battles in a matter of seconds C throw your grenade at the captain, shoot them then move in for the (very easy) kill. The bonus of taking down as many of the enemy crew as you will have before boarding it means they don’t have legions of reinforcements to call on.
RANKS 16+
Once you have finished the available
missions in the three starter ports it’s time to stop bothering as much with missions. Instead you have to get out there and grind for those levels C it may seem laborious, but it offers faster XP than the missions at this point.
On finishing the number of missions you
have, you will now be in possession of a number of useful captain skills for both naval and avatar combat C if you ave attributed them properly to aid in boarding and offing the enemy captain quickly then you can expect these grinding sessions to be an exercise in simplicity, in the most part.
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
While progressing through the missions
These towns contain another batch of
you will pick up a few upgrades for your ship, or you can simply manufacture or purchase them. Don’t be afraid to equip them as you receive them, as they can provide some real boosts to combat through the game and can help a struggling captain turn things around.
missions that can get you up to around the Rank 12-15 mark, depending on how committed you have been. As with the last move to a new port, the missions available in the third towns are harder still, and don’t be surprised if you lose one or two, be it through losing concentration for a minute, or simply not being quick enough.
There aren’t a great deal of ship upgrades
until Rank 10, but some worth looking out for before then include ‘Reinforced Stern’ and ‘Reinforced Bow’ , both of which are available at rank 1 and improve your durability. The ‘Low Drag Rudder’ and ‘Streamlined Structure’ upgrades at rank 7 will increase turning rate and speed, respectively, and are of great usefulness to any captain regularly attempting to board the enemy.
This is why it is a good reason to keep your
starter ship for as long as possible during your grinding sessions C it is pretty pointless to get a hold of a brand new vessel only to see it sunk halfway through a relatively unnecessary mission. You cannot lose your starter ship, and it remains useful far longer than you would imagine. Those that don’t want to hang on to it though should look to upgrade to a ‘Bermuda’ Sloop from around rank 10 C they can be picked up at 8, but as stated they aren’t absolutely necessary.
RANKS 11 C 15
Once you reach Rank 10 in your starter
Upgrades from rank 10 become far more
towns, it’s time to move on to another location C the third town on your list should be either Georgetown, Villa Hermosa, St. Augustine or Harbor Island, depending again on your nationality.
numerous and much more desirable, though they also become that bit harder to get. Again, they can be manufactured or sometimes won through missions, but mostly they will have to be bought, and they won’t always come cheap.
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
After completing the tutorial mission you
the tutorial, leaves you in possession of some free anti-personnel and anti-ship shots, perfect for the boarding technique, covered in a later section.
will arrive at the starter town C Vera Cruz, Charlesfort, Marsh Harbour or Jenny Bay, depending on your nationality. Simply explore and talk to all the NPCs offering missions C the ones with green exclamation points above their heads. Take as many mission as are available before heading out. Each nationality and career receives different missions, though they are all pretty similar across the board C ‘rescue this woman from *insert generic enemy here*’ will amount to sinking enemy ships, no matter which way you look at it.
The starter towns for all nationalities will
easily get you up to Rank 10 at the very least with their missions alone. By taking on all of the missions in the starting port, completing them all, then going for your rewards on all of the missions at once you drastically reduce the amount of time spent with nothing to do, and the leveling experience is streamlined.
Once you have blitzed all of the available
missions in your starter town, you should move on to the second town C this will be either Rosignol, Barilla, Fort Caroline or Morgan’s Bluff, depending on your nationality.
Once you’ve accepted all the missions you
can, play through them all. At the beginning of the game, most missions are either extended tutorials or just incredibly easy, so either way they won’t provide much of a challenge. As long as you remember to follow the advice of the game (it signposts a great deal of information in these early missions), aim for the back end of enemy ships, target enemy captains only during avatar combat and take things carefully the missions are very easy to get through.
Adopt the same tactic as before and take as
many missions as possible, complete them then return for your rewards en masse. It should be noted that the missions at this point will have taken a step up in difficulty, so bear that in mind and be cautious. Employ stun attacks in avatar combat, and use any skills that will allow you to slow or disable your enemy in ship combat C anything that helps you board them faster.
The early missions are also useful in giving
you some nice tips and freebies to get you up and running. For example, the Boarding mission, available straight after completing
Unofficial Pirates of the Burning Sea Guide
RANKING GUIDE
guide that will have to be overlooked by the Pirate Captain C basically, ranks one through fifteen (roughly) are attained in much the same way as any other nationality.
I
t can seem a bit daunting at first, entering the world of PotBS, but with a bit of advice it is easy
As for skill points, these should be spread
enough to reach around Rank 20 C nearly halfway to the cap of 50 and more than powerful enough to take on most comers.
through talents that help with the boarding process in regards to ship combat: boosts to speed – for help with blocking, more powerful dismantling of the enemy – to slow them down, perks that damage the enemy crew C for help with boarding combat, and the like.
Thanks to the effectiveness of tactics and
skill over sheer force of a higher Rank, lower leveled players can still compete with most others in the game. This guide will help you reach at least Rank 20 quicker and easier, trimming the fat and getting you where you need to be, faster.
Avatar combat skill points should be
spread between boosts to strength and moves that stun, in the most part. This makes it far easier to stun and stab the enemy captain, getting the boarding battle over with much faster.
First and foremost it should be noted that it
is very easy to achieve Rank 12 in the three starting ports, and Rank 15 or so if you push harder, so most of this guide relates to those regions for whatever nationality you are, whatever career you have taken on.
RANKS 1 – 10
Getting through the first ten ranks or so is
Pirates experience things differently to the
basic, straight forward and applies to all careers in PotBS, taking just a few hours of dedicated play.
‘normal’ nationalities, so this guide does not relate to them in such a straight forward fashion. The initial pointers do still apply, however, it’s just the later aspects of the