It’s all about tactical cooperation in Blackwake, which currently offers three modes — 1v1, 2v2, and Fleet, which is basically a 3v3. No matter what mode you choose to play, teamwork is of the highest priority on these seven seas.
This guide will help you focus on the most important aspects of your ship so that your team doesn’t do things they shouldn’t — and get all of you killed. Just a few small mistakes in any match-up against a more or less experienced team will end up in a loss. So swash and unbuckle your cutlass, young pirate. It’s time to get to work!
How to Maintain Your Ship in Blackwake
There are two types of ships in Blackwake — Hoy and Galleon. Hoy is a smaller ship that can host up to seven players, while a Galleon is a larger schooner with 20 cannons positioned on all sides, including front and back.
But no matter which type of ship you’re using, here’s what you need to do:
Repair Damage
Every player will have his own responsibilities on the ship. But when it comes to repairing damage, that’s what everybody should be concerned with the most.
The game will signal about the damage on the top of the screen and you need to look out for red areas on your ship. If you have your hammer equipped, select it from your inventory and fix the holes as quickly as possible.
Pump Out the Water
In the case your ship was heavily damaged, and you don’t have enough people to fix anything, concentrate on pumping out the water that entered the ship through the holes. If you don’t manage to hold the water out — the ship will sink.
Hoys have only one pump near the main sail, while Galleons have two pumps below deck.
Put Out the Fire
Your ship can be easily set on fire with a few precise cannon shots, so water is not your only enemy. When you see your ship start burning, take a random bucket on the main deck (there are plenty around) and put out the fire.
Repair the Bow After Ramming Other Ships
You can ram your ship into the enemy’s boat and vice versa. In any case, there is a great danger of immobilizing your own vessel when doing so. So, if your ship got rammed, then be prepared to repair the ship’s bow — it’ll take some time.
If you don’t repair the ship’s damage after ramming, it will become an easy target for your enemy’s cannons because it won’t be able to move.
Grappling Can Be Very Effective
Your ship’s cannons can shoot three kinds of ammo — cannon balls, grape shot, and grapples.
Grapples can be used only via the captain’s command, but they can serve you well. If you manage to grapple another ship, then you need to hurry up and move your people to the other ship as fast as possible. This will grant you a quick victory regardless of the ship’s damage.
You need to be fast because enemy team can unhook their ship from your grapple, and if there are still men on both vessels — the opportunity to win will be missed.
Keep Your Sails Intact
Sails are probably the easiest target on your entire ship, since they’re huge and get easily damaged by anti-sail swivels. If you see the message on your screen warning you about damaged sails, drop everything that you are doing and get them repaired immediately. If you fail to repair the sails, you will lose.
You should prioritize these tasks above anything else. If you lose the ship, you will lose everything. On top of that, a ship’s captain should be a good strategist and know what to do in various situations besides the ones mentioned here.
How to Play as the Captain in Blackwake
When your ship’s crew votes for the captain, that player will be standing at the ship’s wheel and navigate the ship, give orders, and provide the team with strategies on defense and attack.
Here’s what you need to take care of while wearing the captain’s hat:
- Start with smaller ships and learn the rules of the trade from there. When you feel more confident in the role of captain, you can switch to the Galleon.
- If you’re attacking another ship, try to first destroy its sails — it will be easier for your crew to do the rest, such as grapple or simply sink it with more cannon balls.
- If you see a friendly ship in trouble, distract the aggressor by ramming his ship. The crew of the friendly ship will be grateful.
- If your ship is being boarded, don’t be a hero and fight to the death. Instead, try to hide below deck. Your main job here is to stay alive. If you’re hurt, drink a healing beverage.
- Maintain constant contact with your crew either through text or voice chat. It’ll help you make and deliver the right decisions.
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Blackwake is all about cooperation, so keep in mind that you need to take the interests of others into account. It is better to work out the proper strategy beforehand — instead of going all in without any serious plan on your hands. So, if you’re not careful, in most cases, the other team will simply sink your ship.
Do you have any tips or strategies for surviving on the seven seas? If so, let us know in the comments below!
