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Pirates Helping Pirates, (PHP)

AuthorMessage
Lieutenant
Feb 20, 2010
184
I have a tip for swashbucklers! If you have a swash companion that has walk in shadows and repel boarders, i would suggest moving them away from where their repel boarders will kick in when they are hidden. This has happened to me many times with Sarah, and it can be sooooo annoying! So just keep that in mind. It can win the battle sometimes.

-Silver Fiona

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
SlightlyMadWizard on Dec 23, 2013 wrote:
Sounds like Satyrs are a buffed up version of the Tengu Sorcerers in MooShu. With the Tengu Sorcerers, make sure that your forces are not diagonal to each other. That way, the Tengu Sorcerer can only damage 1 of your forces at a time if their spell doesn't fizzle.
You got that right. They are the training gurus to get you ready for the big time satyrs. The satyrs are tougher but I still love it when you hit a Tengu and they look like some one gave them a shove on a Sit n Spin. lol

Lieutenant
May 24, 2009
160
Strategies When Fighting Certain Schools

Buccaneer

Most of the time, it is easiest to wait for the enemy to come to you and strike when they are close. In the time that the enemies are coming towards your companions at the beginning of the battle, it is really good to buff as much as possible. Buccaneers are very powerful, but lack accuracy. When fighting buccaneers, simply use a power that reduces their accuracy. Ranged companions help a lot, too. They have a lot of health and armor. Use agility and will to attack them, and strength to defend.

Musketeer

Avoid their traps AT ALL COSTS. Musketeers usually have low health, so just wait for them to come close and then strike when they are in range. Their Overwatch is very annoying. They have low health and armor. Use strength and will to attack them, agility to defend.

Witch Doctor

When dealing with these it is crucial for your companions to be spread out so they avoid the Witch Doctor's AoE's. Witch Doctors are very powerful and need to be taken out of battle ASAP. They have very low health and armor. Use strength and agility to attack them, and will to defend.

Privateer

This class has a variety of performance-enhancing powers. When a Privateer stacks his powers on top of one another, his companions become extremely powerful. The privateer is weak attack wise, but has very heavy armor and health to make up for it. Take out the Privateer very quickly. His companions will just keep getting stronger with him still fighting. (BTW, they can heal) Use agility to attack them and strength and will to defend.

Swashbuckler

This powerhouse class is very dangerous and sneaky. Their hiding powers can easily be negated by using an AoE. Swashbucklers can also poison their enemies, but they have very low health and armor. To strength and will to attack them, and agility to defend.

Hope this helps you!

Have a Piratey Holiday! Lvl 65

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Frozenmuskets on Dec 23, 2013 wrote:
I have a tip for swashbucklers! If you have a swash companion that has walk in shadows and repel boarders, i would suggest moving them away from where their repel boarders will kick in when they are hidden. This has happened to me many times with Sarah, and it can be sooooo annoying! So just keep that in mind. It can win the battle sometimes.

-Silver Fiona
Welcome to the thread Frozenmuskets!

That is an excellent tip and one that probably isn't so obvious to many players out there. My current pirate is a buccaneer without repel boarders- I do have walk in shadows but no epic talents that kick in on there own and/or triggered by enemy movements. I can only imagine how frustrating that would be for a swashbuckler with hidden and repel boarders powers. Trying to employ a great strategy- you become hidden and are just minding your own business buffing or healing your pirate or just getting ready for a sneak attack and just like that, you have lost your hidden. Yeah, that could definitely be annoying.

Again, great tip and advice.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
DrParrot on Dec 24, 2013 wrote:
Strategies When Fighting Certain Schools

Buccaneer

Most of the time, it is easiest to wait for the enemy to come to you and strike when they are close. In the time that the enemies are coming towards your companions at the beginning of the battle, it is really good to buff as much as possible. Buccaneers are very powerful, but lack accuracy. When fighting buccaneers, simply use a power that reduces their accuracy. Ranged companions help a lot, too. They have a lot of health and armor. Use agility and will to attack them, and strength to defend.

Musketeer

Avoid their traps AT ALL COSTS. Musketeers usually have low health, so just wait for them to come close and then strike when they are in range. Their Overwatch is very annoying. They have low health and armor. Use strength and will to attack them, agility to defend.

Witch Doctor

When dealing with these it is crucial for your companions to be spread out so they avoid the Witch Doctor's AoE's. Witch Doctors are very powerful and need to be taken out of battle ASAP. They have very low health and armor. Use strength and agility to attack them, and will to defend.

Privateer

This class has a variety of performance-enhancing powers. When a Privateer stacks his powers on top of one another, his companions become extremely powerful. The privateer is weak attack wise, but has very heavy armor and health to make up for it. Take out the Privateer very quickly. His companions will just keep getting stronger with him still fighting. (BTW, they can heal) Use agility to attack them and strength and will to defend.

Swashbuckler

This powerhouse class is very dangerous and sneaky. Their hiding powers can easily be negated by using an AoE. Swashbucklers can also poison their enemies, but they have very low health and armor. To strength and will to attack them, and agility to defend.

Hope this helps you!

Have a Piratey Holiday! Lvl 65
Thanks for the great tip DrParrot...and very well done.

Those are all excellent tips and strategies for doing combat against the various classes. I am sure that this will help out a lot of people, especially those learning the nuances and strategy side of battle. These are also great tips for those who enjoy PvP and I am sure after reading, many players will immediately see the benefits of your advice.

Thanks for the advice and keep the tips and strategies coming.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
krokotopia pirate on Dec 23, 2013 wrote:
If you need help to solo the hydra look at the post called can someone help me with the hydra boss?i provided tips for it.
Hey krokotopia pirate

I decided to provide a link to your post with tips on how to defeat the Hydra boss. I was going to copy and paste the post but I didn't want to take any liberties with your handiwork. If it is ok with you I will copy and paste it on this thread, I just wanted to get your OK before I did it.

So if any pirates need some tips on the Hydra boss battle here is a link to some strategies, courtesy of krokotopia pirate.

https://www.pirate101.com/forum/aquila/can-any-of-you-help-with-the-hydra-boss-8ad6a41c4304fe67014307ffcdf3507b

Thanks for the tips krokotopia pirate

Lieutenant
Sep 17, 2011
160
*Looks around and throws out spell cards* Ah, I've been playing Wizard101 too much lately, and I apologize for missing out on this thread! Most of the stuff I would say has already been said, though I do have at least one tip.

Timing is key when it comes to healing. Don't use your heals too early, and don't use them too late, especially with heals and the such! A heal used too early will be wasted, and a heal used too late will also be wasted. How you find out the right time to heal is through trial and error.

Completely off the topic of healing and timing though, is another example of buff stacking if anyone is still confused after Valkoor's tip on buff stacking.

Say I have 50 Agility, and I use Wind Spirit (50% buff to Agility I believe) and Juju (25% to Strength, Will, or Agility). I would end up with 94 Agility (rounding up). Here's the math if you will:
50*1.50=75
75*1.25=93.75 and rounding up, 94.

My Agility has been increased by 44. When you stack buffs, the end result is AMAZING. Also, on a side note, increasing Strength, Agility, or Will, will increase the chance of Burst Fire, Relentless, or Mojo Echo, depending on the weapon you are using or the class of your companion. Buffing you or your companions will be crucial to how many times each of these Epics trigger.

~Quick Pearl

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
Frozenmuskets on Dec 23, 2013 wrote:
I have a tip for swashbucklers! If you have a swash companion that has walk in shadows and repel boarders, i would suggest moving them away from where their repel boarders will kick in when they are hidden. This has happened to me many times with Sarah, and it can be sooooo annoying! So just keep that in mind. It can win the battle sometimes.

-Silver Fiona
I can agree here. I have just about given up on using hiding because it is constantly blown when an enemy approaches her and she defends herself. I do believe that some retraining is in order as I never thought of this trap before. Repel boarders is wonderful for a musketeer but for someone that can hide, dang its annoying.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
Speaking of things that can mess up a hiding pirate or companion. Do watch out for those things like steam vents and deck fires. I have set up my swashbuckler for a beautifully hidden dance of steel only to have my x2 bonus blown by a vent or something that I did not realize I would pass on the way to that tempting cluster of enemies.

Also......Watch out for enemies with hold the line. I have more than once buffed myself to hit multiple baddies only to be stopped and immobilized by some annoying buccaneer and there I am, dancing away with my potentially multiple enemies reduced to a flashy dance on one bad guy. It is a bit embarrassing and all because I forgot to check my path for someone with hold the line.

Asking for a tip here............How can I tell when my swashbuckler will flip over obstacles and bypass them and when she is going to charge through them and trip epics?

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
ValkoorTheVictorio... on Dec 20, 2013 wrote:
BATTLE TIP- Know your enemy

Sometimes it can be easy to get caught up in the heat of battle and go in with blades swinging and guns blazing, attacking anything that looks at you with a devilish grin. Early in the game and as your pirate begins to accumulate more powers and epic talents, it can be just as easy to lose track of what talents your pirate and companions have at their disposal. This can lead to just a rapid-fire, point and click type of attack without paying much attention to what epic talents your fiendish enemies possess. The danger in this, is that without knowing you can trigger multiple epic talents from an enemy- that may not have been the case if attacking with another companion.

So before the battle begins take a deep breath, scan the battle field and mouse over your enemies to become familiar with what talents they can unleash on your crew. Believe me they in no way are going to take it easy on you. Don't be too eager to just start clicking and have your pirate attack an enemy when a better option may lie in attacking with a companion.

Example

Your buccaneer pirate (who is getting low on health) and Bonnie Anne are both within striking range of same enemy. Your pirate has vicious charge waiting in the wings and you are eager to do some damage. Meanwhile the enemy you are attacking is a musketeer with shooty weapon. In haste, you did not notice the enemy has the epic talents- overwatch, burst fire x2 and double tap. You send your buccaneer in and trigger the overwatch, which in turn triggers the first burst fire and devastatingly enough he/she is done for the battle. By finishing your pirate off the enemy's double tap is triggered so he targets Bonnie Anne and possibly the second burst fire. That's a lot of damage received in one turn. The better alternative would be to use your pirate to heal, buff, or hide (if possible) and have Bonnie attack- possibly triggering her own burst fire(s) and double tap. No damage received but plenty dealt.

Just brilliant stuff, All of you. This is a thread that should be sticky'd so all can see these fabulous tips. Well done.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
OK, a couple more things come to mind.......
If you are fighting witchdoctors or any baddie with flanking or it's equivalent; Un equip your pets. Put your little darlings in their kennels or they will blunder you right into a trap. You get yourself spread out just enough to stay safe and your pet will sense an enemy getting low on health and dart right in to do clean up and unintentionally link you to another companion and BAM an area hit does serious damage to all of you, repeatedly if you are fighting more than one witchdoctor as they seem to sense this weakness and just go for you as you stand exposed by a well meaning pet. The same goes for flanking. You try to position yourself so that you can't get trapped and become a baddie sandwich and you carefully plan your escape route and woosh, your pet swoops in and blocks your move and you are now trapped and your enemy is cracking open the mayo.

If you have a companion with Riposte for an epic then max out their Dodge training. The higher their dodge the easier they are to miss and this increases the chances of riposte kicking in. I always max out Damage, then Dodge, then what ever their class boost is, be it strength or agility.

If your companion seems to miss a lot even with training for accuracy ( sometimes you have no option to do this) then if you can, by all means give them a second chance epic.

If crowns are hard to come by then equip your ship with stuff from the vendor or better yet, the bazaar then do some farming on bosses who have ships like yours. They will drop ship gear that are exact clones of the crown gear. So you can be as well buffed as a crown equipped ship, you just have to be a bit patient and work a bit for it. After all it is indeed frustrating to have just paid good money for a ship gear and in the next battle you win the exact same part, it just has a different name. Trust me, crowns are not the only way to be the baddest ship in the skyway.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
Another time to give your much loved pets a healthy rest is when you can see that the upcoming battle field is going to be a bit crowded. If there are areas where the walkways are only one or two squares wide then a well meaning pet can cause a bottleneck that leaves your heavy hitters that have short range just sitting there helpless to do anything while the bad guys, if they are musketeers or witchdoctors or privateers with long range hits they just pummel the stuffin's out of them and they have to stand there and take it because they simply can't reach the bad guys to attack.
There are several sewer fights with those pesky foxes in Marleybone where this can happen a lot. Those shooters just mow you down and you can't get to them to attack. The same trap can happen in the church in Port Regal, those rafters are tight areas to fight in and you will do much better stacking your rooster with long range hitters because bottlenecks will keep your melee guys from reaching the bad guys and they have to keep passing and just become frustrated targets.
Yes, I know that unless it's the final boss fight you have no choice what companions you get but you can chose your first mate and you can take all your short range fighters and move them to the furthest pages back, just before where you keep those companions that only have one or two epics. This will greatly increase your chances of getting the right kind of fighter for a tight squeeze fight. It is not a guarantee as chance will factor in and we all know how often those pesky one percenters manage to slip in a fight, but at least you will not be totally left with the wrong kinds of fighters for this type of battle.
So Stack your companion deck and put up your "No Pets Allowed" sign and those fights will go much easier for you.

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
Quick Pearl on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
*Looks around and throws out spell cards* Ah, I've been playing Wizard101 too much lately, and I apologize for missing out on this thread! Most of the stuff I would say has already been said, though I do have at least one tip.

Timing is key when it comes to healing. Don't use your heals too early, and don't use them too late, especially with heals and the such! A heal used too early will be wasted, and a heal used too late will also be wasted. How you find out the right time to heal is through trial and error.

Completely off the topic of healing and timing though, is another example of buff stacking if anyone is still confused after Valkoor's tip on buff stacking.

Say I have 50 Agility, and I use Wind Spirit (50% buff to Agility I believe) and Juju (25% to Strength, Will, or Agility). I would end up with 94 Agility (rounding up). Here's the math if you will:
50*1.50=75
75*1.25=93.75 and rounding up, 94.

My Agility has been increased by 44. When you stack buffs, the end result is AMAZING. Also, on a side note, increasing Strength, Agility, or Will, will increase the chance of Burst Fire, Relentless, or Mojo Echo, depending on the weapon you are using or the class of your companion. Buffing you or your companions will be crucial to how many times each of these Epics trigger.

~Quick Pearl
I am not sure the buff stacking works that way. If you use two 50% damage blocks you will not have 100% coverage. You will have 75. The first 50% has you 50% covered (so far so good, lol). Then next 50% coverage will be on the 50, not the total. 50% is also known as half. So you are covered 50% or half way, then another 50 % or half of your now coverage is only 25%. 50 + 25 = 75. I do hope I have said this in a way that makes sense.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Quick Pearl on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
*Looks around and throws out spell cards* Ah, I've been playing Wizard101 too much lately, and I apologize for missing out on this thread! Most of the stuff I would say has already been said, though I do have at least one tip.

Timing is key when it comes to healing. Don't use your heals too early, and don't use them too late, especially with heals and the such! A heal used too early will be wasted, and a heal used too late will also be wasted. How you find out the right time to heal is through trial and error.

Completely off the topic of healing and timing though, is another example of buff stacking if anyone is still confused after Valkoor's tip on buff stacking.

Say I have 50 Agility, and I use Wind Spirit (50% buff to Agility I believe) and Juju (25% to Strength, Will, or Agility). I would end up with 94 Agility (rounding up). Here's the math if you will:
50*1.50=75
75*1.25=93.75 and rounding up, 94.

My Agility has been increased by 44. When you stack buffs, the end result is AMAZING. Also, on a side note, increasing Strength, Agility, or Will, will increase the chance of Burst Fire, Relentless, or Mojo Echo, depending on the weapon you are using or the class of your companion. Buffing you or your companions will be crucial to how many times each of these Epics trigger.

~Quick Pearl
Hello Quick Pearl, and thank you for stopping in to give some great tips.

You are so right about timing being the key to proper healing. This holds true with Bonnie Anne's healing too. I think I read and have tested it in battle, that the amount of healing she does is based on the amount of health her target has left. If she heals when target is in the red, the greater the number of health the target recovers- up to 25% of total health of target. More than likely you would want to wait until healing is necessary anyways, but as Quick Pearl said if you wait too long (expecting a bigger health return) you may wait 1 turn too many.

I am not sure if this (healing amount depending on remaining health of the target) applies to the other healers like Nurse Quinn, Nadya, Bison Shaman, and any others with healing. I'm not sure but I think most of the other healers just have the Rouse power and I believe that is just a random percentage (influenced by spooky attribute which is boosted by will) If anyone knows whether this holds true for the other healers, I would appreciate any help in regards to this.

Thanks for the added tip on buff stacking too. The more players realize the greater potential by doing this, the more they will see the rewards from of it. Adding the tip about how stacking stat boosting buffs can trigger more epic talents (and more critical strikes) was excellent as well.

I and we appreciate your additions and great advice and strategies.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
Speaking of things that can mess up a hiding pirate or companion. Do watch out for those things like steam vents and deck fires. I have set up my swashbuckler for a beautifully hidden dance of steel only to have my x2 bonus blown by a vent or something that I did not realize I would pass on the way to that tempting cluster of enemies.

Also......Watch out for enemies with hold the line. I have more than once buffed myself to hit multiple baddies only to be stopped and immobilized by some annoying buccaneer and there I am, dancing away with my potentially multiple enemies reduced to a flashy dance on one bad guy. It is a bit embarrassing and all because I forgot to check my path for someone with hold the line.

Asking for a tip here............How can I tell when my swashbuckler will flip over obstacles and bypass them and when she is going to charge through them and trip epics?
Thanks Chrissy for your wise advise and input.

I was hoping to get some good tips from you and you didn't disappoint. The tip about the vents, fires and other damaging obstacles is a good one. Sometimes it is easy to overlook them from just focusing on the enemy and like you said your hidden gets blown and your bonus damage is gone.

I also wanted to add to your comment/tip to check path to prevent being immobilized by Hold the Line and having it interfere with Dance of Steel power. This is excellent advice for assassin's mist and assassin's gloom powers as well. I have many times set a course to poison 5+ enemies to only be abruptly halted by an enemy with hold the line. My poison is then reduced to only striking 1 enemy and so much damage is wasted . This is definitely another reason why knowing your enemy is very important.

As for the tip about flipping over obstacles- that is a good question. I have not ever noticed if there is a tell-tale sign that gives away whether you will flip over/bypass the obstacles. Of course I have not played much as a swashbuckler but I have been in battle with them many times- just never paid much attention to when they did or didn't flip. Maybe someone else knows more about this.

Thanks for the great tips- they are greatly appreciated.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
Just brilliant stuff, All of you. This is a thread that should be sticky'd so all can see these fabulous tips. Well done.
Thank you, Chrissy, on behalf of everyone who has contributed. There are definitely a lot of players out there with so many great tips and strategies, and good advice. And not to mention plenty of fellow pirates who can benefit from their sharing of knowledge.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
OK, a couple more things come to mind.......
If you are fighting witchdoctors or any baddie with flanking or it's equivalent; Un equip your pets. Put your little darlings in their kennels or they will blunder you right into a trap. You get yourself spread out just enough to stay safe and your pet will sense an enemy getting low on health and dart right in to do clean up and unintentionally link you to another companion and BAM an area hit does serious damage to all of you, repeatedly if you are fighting more than one witchdoctor as they seem to sense this weakness and just go for you as you stand exposed by a well meaning pet. The same goes for flanking. You try to position yourself so that you can't get trapped and become a baddie sandwich and you carefully plan your escape route and woosh, your pet swoops in and blocks your move and you are now trapped and your enemy is cracking open the mayo.

If you have a companion with Riposte for an epic then max out their Dodge training. The higher their dodge the easier they are to miss and this increases the chances of riposte kicking in. I always max out Damage, then Dodge, then what ever their class boost is, be it strength or agility.

If your companion seems to miss a lot even with training for accuracy ( sometimes you have no option to do this) then if you can, by all means give them a second chance epic.

If crowns are hard to come by then equip your ship with stuff from the vendor or better yet, the bazaar then do some farming on bosses who have ships like yours. They will drop ship gear that are exact clones of the crown gear. So you can be as well buffed as a crown equipped ship, you just have to be a bit patient and work a bit for it. After all it is indeed frustrating to have just paid good money for a ship gear and in the next battle you win the exact same part, it just has a different name. Trust me, crowns are not the only way to be the baddest ship in the skyway.
More great tips Chrissy

I love pets but like you said many times they can be detrimental to your crews health. Many times I try to plan ahead 2-3 turns and my faithful pet manages to get in the way. Those examples you gave are good reasons why, even if you love the pets, sometimes it is beneficial to unequip them- at least for that particular battle. Pets have so many benefits in combat besides just looking adorable, but sometimes they do create problems.

I too agree with you on maxing dodge for companions with Riposte(s). It's the best way to go for sure.

Thanks for the info on the ship equipment. I did not realize that you could get the same equipment from a ship drop as the top of the line crown shop ship parts. I guess because in my experience I have not seen hardly any ships with the same gear as on my Crown bought Eagle Epic Hero Galleon and even in Aquila, after hours and days and even weeks of farming the highest level ships (and helping others farm for Naut. XP) I haven't received any of the same ship parts. I guess I haven't been patient or lucky enough yet to get those drops. It is definitely nice to know so that I do not waste any more crowns on the parts with my other pirates.

Thanks again for the advice and tips.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
Another time to give your much loved pets a healthy rest is when you can see that the upcoming battle field is going to be a bit crowded. If there are areas where the walkways are only one or two squares wide then a well meaning pet can cause a bottleneck that leaves your heavy hitters that have short range just sitting there helpless to do anything while the bad guys, if they are musketeers or witchdoctors or privateers with long range hits they just pummel the stuffin's out of them and they have to stand there and take it because they simply can't reach the bad guys to attack.
There are several sewer fights with those pesky foxes in Marleybone where this can happen a lot. Those shooters just mow you down and you can't get to them to attack. The same trap can happen in the church in Port Regal, those rafters are tight areas to fight in and you will do much better stacking your rooster with long range hitters because bottlenecks will keep your melee guys from reaching the bad guys and they have to keep passing and just become frustrated targets.
Yes, I know that unless it's the final boss fight you have no choice what companions you get but you can chose your first mate and you can take all your short range fighters and move them to the furthest pages back, just before where you keep those companions that only have one or two epics. This will greatly increase your chances of getting the right kind of fighter for a tight squeeze fight. It is not a guarantee as chance will factor in and we all know how often those pesky one percenters manage to slip in a fight, but at least you will not be totally left with the wrong kinds of fighters for this type of battle.
So Stack your companion deck and put up your "No Pets Allowed" sign and those fights will go much easier for you.
Excellent tips once again

I remember all too well the sewers and the church where my pet would get in the way or a couple of companions had to sit and watch the battle because they couldn't traverse the crowded, narrow battle board.
Having ranged companions in those situations absolutely makes it easier. Great example of how adjusting your companion list to fit the situation comes in handy. It is easy to put your newest or favorite companion as your first mate and then just sort of sit on the order. Juggling and rearranging your companion order is a great way to help increase the odds of getting a good roll of the dice when it comes to who shows up in battle.

Very well done and thank you

(I apologize for posting after every post, I am just trying to give posters thanks but also keep the thread fresh so there is a greater chance that more fellow pirates looking for tips can come across the great advice and strategies. Don't want it to get lost in the wash. Maybe like you said, it could get sticky'd to remain on message board home page, but I have no idea how that works, who is responsible, or if it is even possible)

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
BATTLE TIP- Passing on Powers

This tip is about dismissing or passing on available powers once in battle. This may be something every pirate out there is already aware of, but if you are like me and just started playing the tutorial without paying much attention- you may have missed it. I'm not sure if it is in the tutorial (or tutorial tips as you progress) but I know it is in the Player's Guide. If you just blazed ahead in the game like me, without reading the guide, you may have easily overlooked it. For many this is just a friendly reminder.

When your pirate begins to rack up lots of powers and starts to fill multiple pages, you may not always get the powers you want showing up in battle. This can be irritating if some of your amazing powers you place at the top of your list don't show up and your weaker ones do. Once the battle begins you can however, somewhat influence which ones show up in the next turn.

When first entering battle your 7 powers available will appear at the bottom of the screen. Many times you will notice that several of your less desirable powers show up and you are missing some of your favorite ones. You can right click on any available power(s) you wish to disregard for that particular battle and their spot will 'open up' for a new power to take it's place in the next turn. You can do this for as many powers and turns as you wish.

Keep in mind that once you dismiss a power (by right clicking and hitting done) it will not be made available for remainder of battle. Also it does not guarantee that the power you are looking for will show up, it will just open a spot for a new power to show up for next turn. After right clicking you can still use the other powers available and attack normally.

This can be extremely useful if you are in desperate need of health for the next turn and no healing powers are available in current turn. Just be careful when dismissing any powers because you will not be able to use them for the rest of the battle.

Lieutenant
May 24, 2009
160
ValkoorTheVictorio... on Dec 24, 2013 wrote:
Thanks for the great tip DrParrot...and very well done.

Those are all excellent tips and strategies for doing combat against the various classes. I am sure that this will help out a lot of people, especially those learning the nuances and strategy side of battle. These are also great tips for those who enjoy PvP and I am sure after reading, many players will immediately see the benefits of your advice.

Thanks for the advice and keep the tips and strategies coming.
Thanks! It means a lot.

Lieutenant
May 24, 2009
160
Quick Pearl on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
*Looks around and throws out spell cards* Ah, I've been playing Wizard101 too much lately, and I apologize for missing out on this thread! Most of the stuff I would say has already been said, though I do have at least one tip.

Timing is key when it comes to healing. Don't use your heals too early, and don't use them too late, especially with heals and the such! A heal used too early will be wasted, and a heal used too late will also be wasted. How you find out the right time to heal is through trial and error.

Completely off the topic of healing and timing though, is another example of buff stacking if anyone is still confused after Valkoor's tip on buff stacking.

Say I have 50 Agility, and I use Wind Spirit (50% buff to Agility I believe) and Juju (25% to Strength, Will, or Agility). I would end up with 94 Agility (rounding up). Here's the math if you will:
50*1.50=75
75*1.25=93.75 and rounding up, 94.

My Agility has been increased by 44. When you stack buffs, the end result is AMAZING. Also, on a side note, increasing Strength, Agility, or Will, will increase the chance of Burst Fire, Relentless, or Mojo Echo, depending on the weapon you are using or the class of your companion. Buffing you or your companions will be crucial to how many times each of these Epics trigger.

~Quick Pearl
Wow! Thanks! That last part I really didn't know. Its so frustrating when you are counting on an epic like that, and it doesn't come out.

Have a Piratey Holiday!Lvl 65

Commodore
Sep 20, 2009
989
Chrissy Th'Blesser on Dec 25, 2013 wrote:
Speaking of things that can mess up a hiding pirate or companion. Do watch out for those things like steam vents and deck fires. I have set up my swashbuckler for a beautifully hidden dance of steel only to have my x2 bonus blown by a vent or something that I did not realize I would pass on the way to that tempting cluster of enemies.

Also......Watch out for enemies with hold the line. I have more than once buffed myself to hit multiple baddies only to be stopped and immobilized by some annoying buccaneer and there I am, dancing away with my potentially multiple enemies reduced to a flashy dance on one bad guy. It is a bit embarrassing and all because I forgot to check my path for someone with hold the line.

Asking for a tip here............How can I tell when my swashbuckler will flip over obstacles and bypass them and when she is going to charge through them and trip epics?
Generally, when playing as a swashie, if the arrow indicating your path across the battle board is drawn over an obstacle, the swashie will jump, if however, the path simply moves past an obstacle, the swashie will not jump.
As for the being stopped by an enemy with the hold the line talent, they can be easily bypassed simply by using one of the hiding powers. Since you can pass a few rounds hidden, you can always use the first few round to buff, then move past the hold the line enemies while still invisible.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
DrParrot on Dec 26, 2013 wrote:
Thanks! It means a lot.
You are more than welcome

And keep the great tips coming- your input is very valuable, as is everyone elses. Even if you think a tip is obvious, there could be 1 or 2 players out there who don't know about it and it could help them out. Helping just 1 fellow pirate is worth it in my eyes.

Dread Pirate
Jun 17, 2013
2743
CdeWinter on Dec 27, 2013 wrote:
Generally, when playing as a swashie, if the arrow indicating your path across the battle board is drawn over an obstacle, the swashie will jump, if however, the path simply moves past an obstacle, the swashie will not jump.
As for the being stopped by an enemy with the hold the line talent, they can be easily bypassed simply by using one of the hiding powers. Since you can pass a few rounds hidden, you can always use the first few round to buff, then move past the hold the line enemies while still invisible.
Hello CdeWinter and thanks for joining the thread

Thank you for the info and tips on swashbuckler battle movement. We look forward to hearing any tips, advice and strategies you have to share. So feel free to chime in with any wisdom you have. It will be graciously received

Pirate Overlord
Mar 10, 2009
6204
CdeWinter on Dec 27, 2013 wrote:
Generally, when playing as a swashie, if the arrow indicating your path across the battle board is drawn over an obstacle, the swashie will jump, if however, the path simply moves past an obstacle, the swashie will not jump.
As for the being stopped by an enemy with the hold the line talent, they can be easily bypassed simply by using one of the hiding powers. Since you can pass a few rounds hidden, you can always use the first few round to buff, then move past the hold the line enemies while still invisible.
Good points, both of them. Thank you So much. I will look more carefully to see what you mean by the arrow being "Drawn over" vs "the path simply moves past" I am not sure what to look for but I will definitely be paying attention.
I can't believe I didn't think about hiding getting me past hold the line. (Duh,lol) I will be more patient and take the time to hide first.
I do know that further on in the game I believe it is 'Hold the line x2 or x3' can see through a hiding swashie so when they have higher levels I will, once again, need to be more careful of my path.
Thanks for your wonderful tips that have already made my young swashy smarter. She is still in Cool Ranch and hasn't had a chance to try the higher powers yet but I am SO looking forward to them. I am just jazzed that she finally has learned that awesome dance of steal and is gracefully spinning and flipping her heart out.