Just got the game - what ships should I keep?

[Seanirl]

I tend to just sink them now but I'm not sure...

Should I keep 'em all? Is there any point in upgrading anything but my flagship?

Big, slow, ships slow my fleet down right? soo... hmm...

Ok, you start with a Sloop but what should be your next pirate vessel? Is the Ship Of The Line the best for pirating?

 

[rupertlittlebea]

If it costs money, you must think about.
Free upgrades (comes with rank) do it then sell.

Best ship for pirating is open to debate.
Factions exist for every ship class, including the Fluyt.

I prefer the Canoe. Very fast and agile.

 

[el_kalkylus]

I take a quest from the governor and kill his mailrunner. Mailrunner is better than canoe I think; more crew and cargo. Even pinnace is better than canoe according to the manual.

 

[Global Nexus]

Coastal Barques are the best pirating vessels ever! Er, no...personally, I love all variations of the Brig. They're not horrendously slow and they hold a fair number of cannon and cargo. I love it multipurpose utility. But Pinnaces and Sloops are also very useful. I once had a Large Frigate and loved wreaking absolute havoc on the Spanish fleet, too.

However, I've never really used any of the trade vessels. I don't think they're very useful, but then I could be wrong...

 

[Darth_Pugwash]

Well matey, ye can't beat a Brig'o War for pirating action, imho. A perfect balance of speed and firepower.

A fully tricked out Royal Sloop is nigh unstoppable too, and their easier to find than Brigs of War.

But nothing can compete with the 40-gun awesomeness of the Ship of the Line. Arrr!

 

[OrpheusPrime]

I tend to sack a lot of towns and freelance so I want to keep my fleet to a minimum while keeping crew numbers high. I beat a top pirate (one near the florida keys on journeyman, 1660) and took his Frigate of War. I really like it, 40 guns and up to 375 crew is enough to take on any ship and sack any town iv come up against.

Another tactic iv used is having a battle-worthy flag ship and the rest merchant vessels for hauling lots of sugar/goods/ect. Of course you get slowed down but, when you make it back to wealthy ports you can dump your cargo and the extra boats for even more cash.

 

[rupertlittlebea]

7 million by War Canoe.
Who needs cannons?

 

[OrpheusPrime]

I find the canoe un-practical because of the low number of crew availible.. You start trying to take on 250-300 man ships with a 60-man canoe and it comes down to: can i win this duel in 30 seconds before my entire crew is wiped out. In my case the answer is usually, no.

 

[rupertlittlebea]

No problem. Even 30 vs 200 as Swashbuckler level.

 

[Chose]

I tend to sack a lot of towns and freelance so I want to keep my fleet to a minimum while keeping crew numbers high. I beat a top pirate (one near the florida keys on journeyman, 1660) and took his Frigate of War. I really like it, 40 guns and up to 375 crew is enough to take on any ship and sack any town iv come up against.

Another tactic iv used is having a battle-worthy flag ship and the rest merchant vessels for hauling lots of sugar/goods/ect. Of course you get slowed down but, when you make it back to wealthy ports you can dump your cargo and the extra boats for even more cash.

no boat called the frigate of war i think u ment larg frigate i love sacking towns too

 

[Chose]

why is no one saying a ship of the line. it is the best boat

 

[rupertlittlebea]

Have you ever tried a war canoe?

 

[Dreadnought]

why is no one saying a ship of the line. it is the best boat

On paper it may be the best, but small fast ships are better so you just dodge and engage the enemy.

 

[shortguy]

I'm with rupert here. Once you get a war canoe, you'll realize that all the other boats are just for kicks.

 

[rupertlittlebea]

Especially when you get copper and cotton.

Makes a full fledged Jet Ski.

 

[shortguy]

I'm usually pretty careful with it until I get iron. You can avoid almost all hits, but sometimes it just doesn't go your way and the extra hull integrity becomes a factor.

 

[Telvanni]

I love the Firgate, it's higly agile and can pack a good punch with 32 cannons and 300 pirates! Arrghh!!! It's easy to dogde with it at some range, and if you get hit, then the ship is mostly too strong to be damaged the least!