When it comes to surviving the high seas in Rogue Waters, your ship's setup is key to victory. Having the right combination of modules and cannons can make all the difference in both sea and ship battles. In this guide, you'll find some of the best modules to keep your crew alive, as well as the cannons that will tear through your enemy's ship.
Best Modules for your ship in Rogue Waters
Equipping your ship with modules that boost your crew's health and movement is one of the best strategies in Rogue Waters, especially during tougher battles. Extra health points give your crew more survivability, allowing them to take more hits while staying in the fight longer. This is crucial when facing larger enemy crews that can overwhelm you with numbers. With a crew that has higher HP, you have more time to execute your strategies and can afford a few mistakes without losing your specialists early on.
But it’s not just about defense - being able to move more squares during combat also gives you a huge advantage. Increased mobility lets your crew move further during the start of a ship battle, which could position them right next to your enemies and give you a shot at taking them out faster. In a game where positioning is everything, the ability to move freely makes your crew far more dangerous on the battlefield.
I won't only be focusing on HP and Movement modules, though. In the table below, you'll find an abundance of modules for your ship that I have used and benefitted from in my own game. These can protect your crew, power up certain specialists, and more.
| Module Name | Effect |
|---|---|
| Armor Stands I | +1 Armor for your crew. |
| Drowned Goddess Figurehead | All Mates heal 1HP at the start of their turn. +1 Movement for all Mates. |
| Fireproof Hull | Your crew is immune to the Burning effect (caused by fire on ship decks). |
| Fortified Cabins I | All crew members gain one extra Max HP. |
| Fortified Cabins II | All crew members gain two extra Max HP. |
| Fortified Cantine | Mates gain two extra Max HP, but lose one point of Movement. |
| Fortified Quarterdeck | Captain Cutter gains two extra Max HP. |
| Fortified Spar Deck | Grapplers gain one point of Movement and an extra point to their Max HP. |
| Pennant of Precision | Gives all Mates an extra point to their damage bonus. |
| Pennant of Toughness | Gives all Mates an extra one point damage bonus. |
| Quickfoot Banner | Your crew is immune to the Engaged effect. |
| Rum Supply I | All crew members heal one HP at the start of your turn. |
| Slick Rigging I | Crew modified by one (adds an extra Mate to your boarding party on your second move). |
| Solid Colors | Mates on your crew are immune to bomb explosions and heal one point at the start of your turn. |
| Standard of Retort | All Mates on your crew deal damage to their attacker if they remain in melee range after attacking. |
| Sturdy Deck I | One point of Movement to all of your crew. |
Best cannons for your ship in Rogue Waters
When it comes to sea battles in Rogue Waters, choosing the right cannons for your ship can make or break your chances of victory. Avoid cannons with a damage range that starts at zero. While they might seem tempting for their higher potential damage, they’re far more likely to misfire than land a hit. Misfires don’t hurt your ship, but they waste valuable Command Points, which could be better spent on more reliable cannons. Always aim for cannons with a damage range that starts at one. Even if the damage is lower, knowing you’ll consistently deal some damage is far more useful than gambling on cannons that often do nothing.
Another fun aspect of the game is plundering cannons from enemy ships after you defeat them. You can see which cannon you’ll get by hovering over a raid map target before heading into battle, so it’s worth planning ahead if you're in need of new firepower. Cannons can also be bought at certain ports, giving you even more options to customize your loadout. To equip more cannons at the start of a raid, you’ll need to unlock the relevant upgrades in your Workshop.
| Cannon Name | Damage | Command Point Cost | Applicable Targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decksweeper II | 3-3 | One | Crew |
| Decksweeper III | 4-4 | One | Crew |
| Decksweeper IV | 5-5 | One | Crew |
| Glass Cannon II | 2-4 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Glass Cannon III | 3-4 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Heavy Cannon II | 4-4 | Two | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Heavy Cannon III | 5-5 | Two | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Leviathan | 8-8 | Free | Module |
| Light Cannon III | 2-3 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Light Cannon IV | 2-4 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Mortar I | 2-5 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Mortar II | 3-6 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Mortar III | 4-7 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Mortar IV | 5-8 | One | Module, Cannon, Crew |
| Shipwrecker II | 4-6 | Two | Module |
| Shipwrecker III | 5-7 | Two | Module |
| Shipwrecker IV | 6-8 | Two | Module |
Tips for using your cannons during sea battles
Cannons can only be used during sea battles - this is when you and your enemy are still on your ships and you spend three turns firing cannons at each other. Cannons can be used to damage other cannons, your enemy's modules, and even kill their crew members before you board their ship.
Struggling to do any meaningful damage during sea battles? Try these tips:
- Prioritize targeting dangerous cannons. Always target enemy cannons that look like they can deal significant damage to your crew. Taking these out early can prevent devastating hits later on.
- Carry at least two cannons that target cannons. Make sure to have at least two cannons in your arsenal that can specifically target other cannons. This will give you the edge in dismantling enemy firepower before they can hit you hard.
- Fill the rest of your slots with module and crew cannons. After ensuring you have a couple of cannon-targeting cannons, focus the rest of your loadout on cannons that target enemy ship modules and crew (or modules, crew, and cannons!).
- Use specialized cannons for maximum impact. While the best cannons can target everything—cannons, modules, and crew—many of the more powerful cannons tend to specialize in one area. For example, Shipwrecker III can only target modules, so know what each cannon does best.
- Destroy enemy HP-boosting modules. Keep an eye out for enemy ship modules that give extra HP to their crew. Take these out as soon as possible to make the rest of the fight easier.
- Target bombers and gun users on the enemy crew. Focus on eliminating bombers and gun-wielding crew members before your team has to face them in boarding combat. Removing them early will make your crew’s hand-to-hand battles much smoother.
- Keep your Command Points in mind. Don’t waste Command Points on cannons that frequently misfire, especially those with a range starting at zero. It's better to spend your points on reliable shots that are guaranteed to deal at least some damage.
Looking for more Rogue Waters content at Pro Game Guides? Check out our Rogue Waters Crew guide and What to do if you keep dying in Rogue Waters.
Published: Sep 30, 2024 06:00 am