Pirate101 Monthly Newsletter

April was an awesome month for Pirate101! We introduced the Slowpoke Sloth mount, teased you with surprises about new content and just a couple of days ago made our big announcement about the Test Realm being open for business so players can help us test out the new content of Book 13 and 14, aka the worlds of Marleybone and Aquila. May is looking to be a monumental month for Pirate101! You know how we like surprises!

Here’s the fourth video in our new Rogue’s Gallery video series with a closer look at Catbeard the Pirate!

“Welcome to the Pirate101 Rogue's Gallery! Subject: Catbeard. Catbeard’s various exploits have made him something of a legend in Skull Island and Marleybone, but they haven’t made him rich. He’s always on the lookout for the next big scheme. A formidable Swashbuckler who specializes in hit and run tactics, Catbeard has a soft spot for luxury, pickled herring, and the latest vicious rumors across the Spiral’s skyways. You’ll meet many Pirates like these when you play for free at Pirate101.com”

We hope everyone enjoyed our April Phule’s Day offering this year when we introduced the Slow Poke Sloth – It truly is an amazing mount “with never before seen speed.” . . . Negative speed that is!

There’s a ton of great features coming to Pirate101 really soon, and all the good news to read is on the Test Realm Update Notes page... as an overview, you’ll soon be seeing two new skyways full of adventure for high level pirates in Marleybone and Aquila, but we didn’t stop there. We’re adding a Bazaar, Second Chance Chests, Transportalers, New Crown Shop items, and tons more! Great things are on the horizon, pirates. Arrrrr, ye ready?

Boochbeard: “C'mon Gandry, do you want to live forever!?” Gandry: “Well I'd prefer to live longer than this!” -Dashing Roberto Sharp

Who will caption the next Puppet Pirates? Stay tuned to our Facebook page to enter your caption on the next Puppet Pirates.

All of our wonderful fan sites provide quality information every day. Here’s a few highlights from last month . . . just in case you missed them:

• Our inventive fans on Pirate101 Central noted that if you’re ever just a few crowns short and don’t want to go buy a game card, you could alternatively log into Grub Guardian and purchase as little as 300 crowns for .99 cents!
• Also over on Pirate101 Central, Arcane combined all the Pirate101 Skyway maps into one! It gives a great overview of the Skull Island Skyways. Check it out!
• Our podcasters are some of the best around! Week after week Pieces of Eight and Talkin’ the Plank provide us with insightful commentary and humor. Of special note, you should fast forward to the 34 minute and 15 second mark of Talkin’ the Plank 26 so you can hear Luke show off his Opera Voice! It’s great to have such talent around us.
• Players from the Pirate101 Message Boards have been having some fun creating lore for the Cuisine from around The Spiral -- Unless you’re Boochbeard and Gandry, we’d suggest passing on the Batacuda Steaks.
• Ditto, our Fabricated American and Pirate101 player held a contest around the Springtime Pets. These entries were hilarious!

Recently I was in Cool Ranch and noticed a lot of struggling pirates defeating the dreaded Striped Bumbaloons. Oh sure, they may look cute, but any seasoned Pirate101 player will know about this particular quest, the fire in their eyes, and exactly how strong that particular Buffaloon hybrid can be! Having completed this quest three times now, I too remember the glory days when the Striped Bumbaloon was a much harder quest than it is now, and you’ll often hear the cliché remark “I remember when this was 10 times harder!,” but it still is a quest that raises the difficulty a bit, so I thought I’d share some hints from Ol’ One-Eyed Jack.

1. 1- Know thy Bumbaloon! The Bumbaloon and his Buffaloon friends are pretty heavy hitters at level 25 and 23 respectively. Both are Buccaneer types and come complete with Turn the Tide, Vengeance Strike, and Blade Storm; however, the striped Bumbaloon comes with a little extra surprise, Vengeance Strike 2 and Flanking 2. This should immediately throw up a few Red Flags . . but even if you’re a little lower level than the Buffaloons (tsk tsk, you haven’t been doing your side quests have you), you can still survive with a bit of strategy.

2. 2- Avoid direct melee attacks (or “Dealing with Vengeance Strike”). Most Buccaneer and Swashbuckler companions at this level can definitely hold their own, but with heavy hitting Buffaloons and Bumbaloons, you’ll want to be careful with your Swashbuckler, Privateer, and Buccaneer companions and players. Without a lot of dodge, armor, and health, you may find some of your companions (or yourself) taking a quick trip to the life fountain.
3. 3- Position yourself on your Ship (or “Dealing with Flanking”). That Striped Bumbaloon can really pack a punch, and especially if you let him position himself opposite of another Buffaloon buddy of his with you in the middle. “OUCH! Pirate sandwich on Buffaloon bread!” Here’s a tip--Crowding down in the corner of your ship with your burliest of companions or players up front and your ranged attackers tucked away in back, really helps take flanking out of the equation. I’d definitely recommend taking the first turn to position your group on your boat to help avoid flanking attacks. Old Scratch is pretty awesome, but he definitely doesn’t need to be caught between a Bumbaloon and a hard place.
4. 4- Keep your front men alive (or “Dealing with Blade Storm”). When your whole group is tucked away in the corner of your ship, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep those front guys alive. If they’re melee units, it may be best to simply let them absorb or dodge damage and not attack a few rounds (see that section about avoiding direct melee attacks above). Bonnie Anne’s heal and some gear with healing cards can really come in handy this fight as well.
5. 5- Summon ‘em up (or “Dealing with being outnumbered"). As we discussed last month, Pets are really great at distracting enemies. I wouldn’t worry about keeping your pets or summoned minions alive during this fight, but any distraction from a herd of Buffaloons is definitely welcome!
6. 6- Bench wisely (or “Dealing with bad luck”). In this particular fight, if you’re looking for someone to bench, it might be best to bench the melee companions that have Vengeance Strike, First Strike, or Riposte as opposed to those who have a talent like Relentless or Second Chance. Sometimes all you need up front is a bodyguard who doesn’t do much else than take a hit or two.
7. 7- Bring a sparkshooter (or “Bonnie Anne is freaking amazing”). If you’re looking for a good First Mate for this fight, may I humbly recommend everyone’s favorite fox Musketeer, Bonnie Anne, and if not her, definitely put a Musketeer in your first mate slot . . . especially if you’re a melee type yourself. Not only does Bonnie have that heal, but she’s also really good for not triggering those melee epic talents and for dealing a lot of damage. Any Musketeer is a welcome sight in this fight, however. If you are a Musketeer yourself, maybe you’ll want to put a big heavy Buccaneer in as your first mate for ensuring you’ve got a strong front line.

8. 8- Buff your front line with strength (Or “Dealing with Buccaneers”). Since Buffaloons are Buccaneer types, buffing with strength will help cut down on the damage they put out. Any buff will help though . . . take some advice from Ratbeard and don’t avoid your buffs!
9. 9- Pay a Visit to Gold Creek first. Although the Bumbaloon are right out there by Ogalalla Rock in Big Sky, Gold Creek seems to be the closest and friendliest life fountain nearby. Zeke is there too! It’s always nice to see a familiar face. There are even a couple of blue yum yum fruits that float around in Gold Creek that will help keep you going after multiple fights with the Bumbaloon.
10. 10- Patience. Even seasoned pirates can get a bad roll of the dice here. You’ll be fine though. Take breaks if you feel overwhelmed and come back determined to see the reward at the end of the rainbow . . . Brother Wolf is waiting for you!