'Sea Of Thieves': Essential Tips For PvP

Fighting other players is inevitable in “Sea of Thieves,” so it’s best to know a few handy tips and tricks in case pirates ever decide to cross swords with each other.

Though the ordinary player may want to simply sail circles around their targets while peppering them with cannonballs, real PvP combat involves a lot more finesse than one might expect. Here are some things that all “Sea of Thieves” players need to know when fighting others on the open seas.

Boarding tactics

Players can deal tons of damage to enemy crews and ships by boarding them and wreaking havoc from the inside. This is especially effective against four-man crews on Galleons.

To board a ship, use a harpoon on them. Alternatively, players can use cannons to shoot themselves at an enemy ship.

Once aboard, try the following:

• Steer the ship off-course
• Lower the anchor
• Detonate gunpowder barrels
• Use firebombs

In general, the boarder should be as big a nuisance as possible so their friends can deal as much damage from afar.

Sword Dashing

Holding down the attack button while using a sword will cause players to charge up a thrust attack that can propel them forwards. This is useful for diving into the water and boarding the enemy ship Aquaman-style and with general-purpose mobility.

To perform a sword dash without leaping off a ledge, hold down the block button before charging the attack. Then, as the thrust is released, immediately hit the jump button.

Fighting with cannons

If boarding is not an option, make sure to use cannons properly. It’s easy to blast enemy ships with ordinary cannon fire, but keep in mind that other ammunition types exist as well.

Chainshot can take down masts and cripple the enemy’s movement. Meanwhile, handheld firebombs can be fired in cannons to create fire hazards on the enemy ships. Cursed cannonballs can cause all sorts of weird effects, like putting enemies to sleep, poisoning them or forcing them to dance for a few seconds.

If no special ammo is available, then try to hit the lower decks of an enemy’s ship to deal the most damage per shot.