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Basic Tactics 101

AuthorMessage
Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Whenever a player logs in on the message boards to complain how their "best" companions are "always" dying and that this interrupts their game play sessions; I have to ask myself, "why is this happening?"
Well, from my personal observations during team-ups, I think I have found out why companions "die" so often:
It's the fault of the player.
Let's take the average player with a set favorite team. First Mate and two best comps.
For Musketeers this is usually Chantal, Louis & Bonnie Anne. The AI will usually place the first mate in front. This is the most dangerous position for a vulnerable companion, especially one without much armor or dodge.
The player will have Chantal use her skyspirit buff right off, followed by Louis' bombs. Bonnie Anne's scattershot used in reserve.
The result is in the first round the enemy Bucks or Swashies will attack Chantal; and she won't survive that combo of vicious charge and relentless attacks or she'll be taken down by a single assassin's strike.
Never have I seen a player move Chantal out of danger ( except for me ).
The way to prevent a musket team from succumbing to a melee attack is by having at least one melee companion at the front position with hold the line.
The situation for Witchdoctors is the same; I have often seen them leave Old Scratch in the front line where he becomes the victim of charges and strikes.
The same can be said for a full melee team - by having at least one musket companion with overwatch, you can stop a lot of heart aches from companions needing bed rest.
By taking some preventive action, your companions will be able to survive longer and be available for your next battle.

Admiral
Jul 07, 2013
1124
I love hold the line and overwatch.....

Virtuous Dante Ramsey

Dread Pirate
May 27, 2009
2131
This is why I'm hoping for an Advanced Tutorial to be developed. Many players who have only played one class of pirate, with that "A-team" most of the way, simply aren't exposed to other companions and their abilities.

All classes get really good companions early on, and those players see no reason to change out a winning crew. Unfortunately, they are then completely stumped when that winning crew stops winning.They blame the game and the "lesser companions" instead of their own tactical tunnel vision.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Those are wonderful basic tactics, Esperanza. Ones that will surely help many frustrated players keep their crew from getting "too sleepy".

I agree that often times the fault lies within the player, but more importantly the fault often is more the players' age & lack of experience. So many that play P101 are very young. Many kids in my son's school play & most of them haven't even reached the suggested playing age for P101. Many younger/less experienced players are allowed to post on the forums & it can be a bit understanding why they would complain a bit when the difficulty amps up a bit & when they start to lose companions. Quite frankly, many younger and/or inexperienced players don't know the finer points of P101 combat-- sometimes due to being younger & sometimes because they don't focus. Yet they still have made it all the way to & through Valencia...probably via a rather bumpy road.

I think your basic tactics are great for those kinds of players, but experienced players can pretty much find success using any companions within the crew. Sure some are more desired & fit a certain scenario much, much better. But a player who knows their crew, really knows the Epics, what bonus affects of higher ranks of Epics do, know what the enemy can do & know how to mesh their Epics with (& counter) those Epics, will find success regardless of crew used.

I played the entirety of Valencia 2 with an all Buccaneer crew & only lost 5 companions up to the Kane battle...and I had never stepped foot into Test Realm. A couple of those lost were due to just flat out boneheaded moves on my part. Gear always matters a bit, but more importantly knowing what your crew & the enemy are capable of, are extremely crucial to success.

To me one of the most basic tactics that is overlooked or not implemented is simply "knowing what/who does what".

~ Knowing which enemies can halt you with HtL.
~ Knowing to train Vengeance 3 to stop enemy chains.

(continued...)

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
(...continual)

~Knowing that often it is more desirable for a Forted melee unit to "accept" the enemy's charge, stun them & kick off their own string of Epics, while the enemy is stunned-- versus using a musket that may need extra protection, not gain Crit benefits from your crew's Strength buffs, not be able to use half their Epics against that melee unit, thus only getting 3-4 shots in, instead of the 8-10 that the melee unit may have.

So it truly can depend on the situation. You can have great success with an all same-class crew, you just have to take the time to know "what does what".

So to me one of the most basic tactics players should be using is simply taking the time to know what their crew can do, what the enemy can do & what the Epics truly do.

~ Make sure to mouse over each enemy before you make any moves.
~ Make sure to initiate attacks/defense with a companion possessing the proper set of Epics, to get the most ~ out of Epics and chains-- versus just taking the, "attack for the sake of attacking approach."
~ Know the AI's preferred combat tendencies and who they almost always will target in that first round. Use that knowledge to perhaps leave that companion put and strategically place others to kick off their own chain of Epics.

I think combining your great basic tactics with simply reading & learning a bit more can make things so much easier for players that may be struggling a bit. Each battle & group of enemies is (or should) dictate which crew you select-- whether it's swapping in a "opposite"-class companion or sticking with an all same-class crew. A good player who knows P101 combat can have great success both ways. The specific encounter will determine which way would be more beneficial to go-- speaking in regards to PvE, which seems to be what the original post was about.

Just read those Epic/talent cards, know what rank 3 affects do, study them a little bit in battle & you'll get the most out of your crew...and avoid nagging nappers.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
If you are using the "In Order" set up for companions, then you can switch the positions of your companions. As I said in my opening post keeping a vulnerable companion off the front line is important.
So why not put Chantal in the third position and have that melee companion ( I recommend Ratbeard for this ) in the first mate position?
Looking at this set up for a musketeer, you will have in order: Ratbeard, Louis and Chantal.
First round you can place bombs, RB can then use his shield, Louis places his bombs & Chantal can use her Skyspirit.
The buck enemy charges but can't get beyond RB's Hold the Line; then they face a multiple Over Watch from you, Louis and Chantal.
Note: RB can be trained not only in Hold the Line but Repel Boarders, First Strike & Cheap Shot. Not to mention other goodies like Bladestorm and Relentless - truly, he's a monster companion for damage if played right ( and everyone gets him! )
Tomorrow I'll discuss a "In Order" set up for Buccaneers.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Willowydream on Aug 12, 2016 wrote:
This is why I'm hoping for an Advanced Tutorial to be developed. Many players who have only played one class of pirate, with that "A-team" most of the way, simply aren't exposed to other companions and their abilities.

All classes get really good companions early on, and those players see no reason to change out a winning crew. Unfortunately, they are then completely stumped when that winning crew stops winning.They blame the game and the "lesser companions" instead of their own tactical tunnel vision.
That's why I firmly believe that actually knowing the Epics and their affects are just as, if not more, important than knowing the actual companions. Of course you have to know what powers/Epics/talents a specific companion has and/or has access to...but to me it is much more valuable to know just what those powers/Epics/talents actually do in battle. And how they translate against various types of enemies-- which Epics will trigger and when, how to create/sustain longer chains against multiple opponents, how to use one unit's Epics to stop an enemies or start their own, how to do the most damage while taking the least amount. It all comes down to doing a little reading and making observations in combat. Then if you get those "lesser companions" you still know how to get the most out of them and their Epics/talents/powers.

Many players just see one companion getting a Super Strike card, a flashy power and a couple Epics more than a lower tiered companion. Yet if they better understood what the Epics, and higher ranked Epics' affects were, they can make those "lesser companions" hold their own a little better. Sometimes it's a matter of "I see more, so therefore the 'less' won't do!" Yet they may not really even know what most of the more/less even do to begin with.

But to be fair, again we are possibly talking about a whole, whole lot of really young pirates out there. And some older, less experienced ones, as well. It's surprising when you see players that are near-max or maxed still not understand how some of, what we consider basics, works. But much less surprising when you take into consideration that they may rather young and inexperienced-- despite making it through the game with a good combo of help/luck/determination. Giving them a good course in the basics and educating them in the more advanced aspects of combat/strategy would be a great thing.

So I really do like your idea of introducing more Advanced Tutorials to the game and the players.

Gunner's Mate
Dec 26, 2013
214
Anecorbie and Willowy... you've both nailed it! The biggest problem is that so many players refuse to accept (or maybe even realize) the fact that it's not a problem with the game... it's how the game is being played.
"Gee, I've been successful up until now so this must be the place where the game is broken... fix it or I quit!"
Too quick to blame and too stubborn to adapt.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
This is REALLY great stuff guys. SO much can be learned and often if players just stop and think for a second or take longer to think it out while you are sitting there stunned after getting your piratical hat handed to you by a new nefaritcal (Yea I made that up) bad guy.

To paraphrase a well known game developer: "If the game is kicking your tush, become a better player."

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Buccaneers are the toughest & strongest of companions in the game. Peter Quint is indisputably one of the best.
Yet even he has a problem - no shield. Which means he will often be charged and debuffed before he can use his awesome attacks.
As I said before, you can change companion's positions if you're using "In Order" and still have your favorite show up for battle.
Who else could a Buck use besides their "best" and still have a chance at winning the battle with no loses of companions?
Well, why not have a musketeer on the team? With Over Watch & Burst Fire? Bonnie Anne or Zeena would be perfect for this.
So a set up for Bucks using "In Order" would have Ratbeard ( or Barnabus, according to player preference ) Peter Quint and Bonnie Anne ( or Zeena ).
The player can then use Leviathan, Quint's Whale's Might, and RB or Barnabus can shield. Zeena could use her fire trap or if the enemy is close enough Bonnie Anne's Scattershot.
When the enemy charges, they will be stopped by Hold the Line, and attacked by ( if using RB ) Repel Boarders/First Strike and an Over Watch. Best of all, Quint will not be the focus of those charges or Assassin's Strikes/first strike/riposte strings.

Ensign
Jul 26, 2013
28
My only problem with having a Melee companion in front for a musketeer team is that the only class I can boost is swash and they have low health so they wouldn't survive damaging blows. If I use a Buc or Privy I cant get good critical off them or bonus damage. I always stick with a musketeer team because of this.

Does anyone have anymore advice for fighting bucs? I always have issues timing out their shields because even if I'm at the back of the board they can still get to me by using highland charge. I can't get away from a hidden viscous charge. It gets a little infuriating that 1. I cant run 2. I cant rush them (I'm not melee) and 3. they can get away super fast by attack a box using a charge. Sometimes it feels like a hopeless case, I guess that's part of why there are so many champion buccaneers.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
GoldenNorth on Aug 13, 2016 wrote:
My only problem with having a Melee companion in front for a musketeer team is that the only class I can boost is swash and they have low health so they wouldn't survive damaging blows. If I use a Buc or Privy I cant get good critical off them or bonus damage. I always stick with a musketeer team because of this.

Does anyone have anymore advice for fighting bucs? I always have issues timing out their shields because even if I'm at the back of the board they can still get to me by using highland charge. I can't get away from a hidden viscous charge. It gets a little infuriating that 1. I cant run 2. I cant rush them (I'm not melee) and 3. they can get away super fast by attack a box using a charge. Sometimes it feels like a hopeless case, I guess that's part of why there are so many champion buccaneers.
If you're a musketeer engaging in PVP, then I suggest using your barricade to block charges and place bombs with traps at the area where the player must step on them to get near you. Your hurricane round attack ( and similar ) doesn't need a target as they're an AoE, so hidden won't stop them.
It's true that skyspirit is equally effective for muskets and swashies, but just having a melee companion with Hold the Line will block that hole in your defenses.
Why not post your question in the Spar Chamber section? I'm sure you'll get more expert advice from the readers there. Good Luck!

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Witchdoctors using an "In Order" set up will usually have Old Scratch, Mormo & Kan Po; these are all very excellent companions. By changing the positions of your "In Order" set up, you can place Old Scratch in the least dangerous position - third.
But with a companion with HtL, you can prevent a companion from being charged. Now, I'll bet you think I'm going to suggest Ratbeard for this, nope! Gracie Conrad has Hold the Line, as a privateer she can benefit from Old Scratch's Mojo Flow and she has a summons which has - Hold the Line, too! She also has a nice critical attack.
I'll leave it up to the Witchdoctor to chose the 2nd place companion - whether to go spooky and use Mormo or go melee and use Kan Po, either would be an excellent choice.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Now I come to my favorite class - swashbucklers! We get so many wonderful companions, mostly of the melee classes, that I don't understand why players feel the need to do an "In Order" comp set up. Also at level 55 we get the most important power that both buffs our companions and protects from charging. No prizes for guessing - it's Black Fog!
So if you're a swashy who has an "In Order" set up, I guess you're using El Toro, Fan Flanders and maybe Sarah Steele, Subodai or Bonnie Anne ( or now Contessa Argento ) , these seem to be the "go to" companions. ( I'm not including bundle or pack companions in this post, because there are too many variables to account for. )
As such these companions are a great choice, but we all know just how squishy most of them are. So the same advice applies, move that most vulnerable companion to the back to protect them.
"But why should I do that, Esperanza?"
Because Black Fog doesn't always show up! When this happens, you and your crew are exposed to charges & sniper shots ( ugh, don't get me started on burst fire chains from those clockwork musketeers! )
So in the worst case scenario, ( you could chose to hide yourself, but that just leaves your crew even more of a target ) use your Shadowdance, buff with Toro and Fan, have Sarah or Contessa hide or move Bonnie to the back. ( Somehow the AI loves to put Bonnie in the front line, I'm always having to move her. )
I will say this, for "Epic Battles" I always chose Ratbeard; he's my "go to", especially for that HtL3 and FS3.

Lieutenant
Oct 26, 2013
112
ValkoorTheVictorio... on Aug 12, 2016 wrote:
Those are wonderful basic tactics, Esperanza. Ones that will surely help many frustrated players keep their crew from getting "too sleepy".

I agree that often times the fault lies within the player, but more importantly the fault often is more the players' age & lack of experience. So many that play P101 are very young. Many kids in my son's school play & most of them haven't even reached the suggested playing age for P101. Many younger/less experienced players are allowed to post on the forums & it can be a bit understanding why they would complain a bit when the difficulty amps up a bit & when they start to lose companions. Quite frankly, many younger and/or inexperienced players don't know the finer points of P101 combat-- sometimes due to being younger & sometimes because they don't focus. Yet they still have made it all the way to & through Valencia...probably via a rather bumpy road.

I think your basic tactics are great for those kinds of players, but experienced players can pretty much find success using any companions within the crew. Sure some are more desired & fit a certain scenario much, much better. But a player who knows their crew, really knows the Epics, what bonus affects of higher ranks of Epics do, know what the enemy can do & know how to mesh their Epics with (& counter) those Epics, will find success regardless of crew used.

I played the entirety of Valencia 2 with an all Buccaneer crew & only lost 5 companions up to the Kane battle...and I had never stepped foot into Test Realm. A couple of those lost were due to just flat out boneheaded moves on my part. Gear always matters a bit, but more importantly knowing what your crew & the enemy are capable of, are extremely crucial to success.

To me one of the most basic tactics that is overlooked or not implemented is simply "knowing what/who does what".

~ Knowing which enemies can halt you with HtL.
~ Knowing to train Vengeance 3 to stop enemy chains.

(continued...)
a little kid wont be able to get max without help from parents or friends and probably wont do pvp if your below the age limit then you cant communicate well with your team and act like a weirdo that begs for help too much. little kids should be playing games that are more simple. if you dont know how to use strategy dont play an rpg.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
nefarious alex on Aug 16, 2016 wrote:
a little kid wont be able to get max without help from parents or friends and probably wont do pvp if your below the age limit then you cant communicate well with your team and act like a weirdo that begs for help too much. little kids should be playing games that are more simple. if you dont know how to use strategy dont play an rpg.
Learning by doing is a way to gain confidence, this is a lesson needed by young players; and the fact that they can do this at home in a private, safe area without people telling them "No, you can't do that" or "You're doing it wrong" is good.
So what if they only have Menu Chat? I've seen many Menu Chat players at max level, somehow they're playing and beating the game.

Gunner's Mate
Dec 26, 2013
214
nefarious alex on Aug 16, 2016 wrote:
a little kid wont be able to get max without help from parents or friends and probably wont do pvp if your below the age limit then you cant communicate well with your team and act like a weirdo that begs for help too much. little kids should be playing games that are more simple. if you dont know how to use strategy dont play an rpg.
The problem with that logic is it's a Catch-22...
You can't do it if you don't learn it, but you can't learn it if you don't do it. You gotta start somewhere. This is a great lesson both in-game and IRL. And, like Anecorbie says, being able to try new stuff in the privacy of your own home allows you to fail without witnesses lol. And Pirate101 being structured the way it is, even when you lose you don't really lose anything except the time you've invested. But learning anything takes time too so even if you lose a fight it's still a win in the long run if you've learned something from the defeat.
You can run through strategies in your head all day... and when you do, they probably work most of the time. But when you actually try them in a battle situation against real enemies, using strategy of their own, the best laid plans... etc. etc....

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
nefarious alex on Aug 16, 2016 wrote:
a little kid wont be able to get max without help from parents or friends and probably wont do pvp if your below the age limit then you cant communicate well with your team and act like a weirdo that begs for help too much. little kids should be playing games that are more simple. if you dont know how to use strategy dont play an rpg.
This is a thread for basic P101 combat strategies-- there is surely combat in P101 without engaging in PvP. And yes many younger players will need help from parents and/or friends in order to reach max level or progress through the more difficult instances found throughout the game. But many may not.

Many hardly don't need any help at all...and guess what? It's an MMORPG-- meaning with a friend's list, with many other older players playing, with Team Up options, with helpful players in every realm, with strategies/walkthroughs/tips/tactics to be found all over the internet. PvE combat in Pirate101 is truly not that difficult, yet it does has more challenging instances. And many kids have long figured out the basics and have adapted enough to understand the slightly more complex. Or if they run into trouble, they grab some gaming buddies and work through it. Or they ask for help and many kind players help them out. Or they keep trying and eventually get lucky or prevail because they learn from their mistakes. Or they check out some videos or strategies posted on other sites. Believe me, they find a way...with or without Menu Chat.

Kids these days are pretty dang smart...I know, I have a few of them. They pick up on things faster than my generation did, especially in the electronic, computer, technology, and gaming departments. When it comes to that, it's their world and us older folks are just living it. It's a good mix though -- you get younger players that have basically grown up in MMO's and strategy RPG's, cavorting about with older generations and gamers that have that "never give up" and "oh you can bet I'll figure this out" mentality. So those younger generations will learn to improvise, adapt and 'dust themselves off and try again'...and the older generations may just learn some cool new tricks (that often come natural to those younger players).

That's the beauty of games like Pirate101.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 16, 2012
10631
Now I'll give some parting advice, but should anyone like to expand on my "basics", please do.
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" isn't always the way to go. You have many short quests requiring you to fight mobs; why constantly use your favorites for every single battle?
Using either "First Mate" or "Random" benefits you by giving experience in many types of scenarios with companions. Plus, it reduces the risk factor of losing your best team in one unlucky battle.
Save the "In Order" set up for those important dungeons/boss battles.
"A heal in time saves 9 ( hrs. ) " If you see that a companion has suffered damage; heal or shield them at once, don't wait and hope that they can "tough it out" for a round. I have also observed that a heal can trigger critical attacks.
And to repeat my former advice, if the AI has put a vulnerable companion in the front line - move them to a safe place! Or if you're using an "In Order" set up place the most vulnerable in third position.
Using a companion with HtL will stop those nasty charges.

Admiral
Oct 27, 2009
1439
I like your strategies for defending against the first round take down. I have another aspect of strategy to mention. Rarely do I see good heals and boosts used on crews, unless it is part of a heal all or boost to the pirate's school. There are many fights where I will heal crew belonging to myself or my team mates. Why? Because the longer they stay in the fight, the more damage the enemy takes. Saving my team mate's Egg Shen so he can go all epic is worth doing.
My buck and my privateer friend clean up. Sometimes I boost her team's will; it's not always about boosting my Buck self. We both like first mate set ups, with other crew random. If most of the crew are will based, then I'm boosting will. We move around to take advantage of her wonderful privy, "stand by me" boosts. Yes, some of the crew get boosts that are not their main type, but it helps them defensively. The enemy doesn't get as many easy epics on them, for example Bonnie Anne gets a strength boost on her and is not one shot by a Buck with an epic, hurt maybe, but there's time to deal with it. We've been in dungeons where my friend and I have shown that we boost, announce what we are going to cast, so other pirates can position themselves to partake, and in fight after fight, they run forward, right out of getting their crew boosted. Then their crew get worn down and in trouble.