Sink or Slash? Pt. B - Skyway Schematics 102

"It took Strong HooDoo," Subodai murmurs,
I'm out of sight under a table.
"Do you think it worked?" Bonnie Anne asks,
I'm not so sure, either.

"We'll call her the Sky's Ransom!" I exclaim,
Over the screaming winds at the docks.
Sarah squeals in delight and murmurs
"Swift as a fox, sleek as a jackalope."
Where have I heard it before, Steele?

Hello, everybody! It's about time that I returned to the pirating side of the Spiral, and I did! I've just finished the Lasko/Rat quests and I'm off to my next location, which I think is Jonah Town.
Of course, helping Manny the rat didn't come without a request for rope - and I wasn't off to the shops. Helping Uncle Scuttles involved teaching cutthroats a lesson - in the skyway! I defeated two ships by joining battles, and then sunk three more, thus gaining the necessary rope. As I got caught with one last ship on my way back, a thought came into mind. Well, two;

Darned tokens are going to cost me if I board.

Sink or Slash?



Hello! Today I'm going to give a followup to Skyway Schematics 101. When I posted that, I was trying to establish the ups and downs of broadside combat and what would work better in different situations.
Let's take a look at what I said:

"Sinking - To sink another ship without boarding it, make sure that you have a cannon equipped to your ship and hopefully a healing (wheel) part as well. In a nutshell, choose an enemy ship away from the others (to avoid being outnumbered) and fire at will! Use you time wisely and heal whenever the option rises - even if you don't think you need it! Hold down a few keys so your ship circles its enemy and makes it unable to move (or maybe it just doesn't). Keep hitting your opponent until their ship is considered defeated, and you are free to roam without getting attacked for a certain period of time.

Slashing - Basically, do the same procedure as you would to sink until an "X-box", as I like to call it (go ahead, laugh) comes up offering for you to board the enemy ship. Either that, or the enemy boarding your weak ship (in which case you are forced to slash). Once you board/are boarded, battle continues on like on land, battleboard and all - just watch out for fires, they will do damage to you and your crew. You can put them out by attacking them. Do this wisely, because fires can hurt your opponents as well. 

When?

Very funny, you guys; ask Destiny the tactics question. That is not the way you pay someone for Yum.

However, many factors apply to the decision of sinking or slashing; here are a few to open your mind up.

• Companions - how are they working? Are you level 20 with a level 8 Subodai? (Shame, shame!) If you are worried about your efficiency in battle, then it's a good idea to attempt a sink. 
• Time - cello lesson in twenty minutes, then an hour's break for lunch and frozen yogurt before swim tryouts? Sinking is known to be a bit faster, especially when the enemies are "yellow enemies" or higher (Meaning at your level or harder). However, sometimes I can call it safer (especially when auto-clicking my raft and not thinking) to battle. 
• General Efficiency - still recovering from Boochitis? It's really your choice. You should play it safe until you can find a time to test things out and find out how they work. This, in my mind, means a lot of slashing, but it depends on the person. 
• Enemies - Have you faced them before? How easy are they to defeat?"

Now, this guide still holds true, for the most part. I still take my companions, tennis matches, and enemies into account, but there is something new that has added to my thinking: broadside tokens! I'm going to split this part up a bit, so please don't get lost! Any questions? E-mail me at swashbucklersoultamer@gmail.com!

I. Solo Method

After taking your companions/cellos/enemies into account, now you have colorful spinning tokens to distract you while in combat. They can do multiple things, including but not limited to:

Fire
Obstacles
Traps
Repairs
Ice

It's a lot to take in, and a lot to take out! As a solo player, you have to decide on what you should do.

A. Stop driving and take care of the mess
B. Sink the enemy ship and get rid of the tokens when you're safer

While any of these could happen, here are what those options could lead to:

A. If you stop driving and take care of the mess, I'm thinking that you have a strong ship that can take a few hits. If so, you're well equipped to sink or slash, but clearing the tokens is leaning towards the motive of slashing.

B. If you sink the ship, then you don't even need to worry about the tokens! If you have a stronger ship than your attacks or defenses, then go ahead and sink your opponent. Just don't forget to take care of those tokens eventually!

Well, I'm going to continue this in another post, so it doesn't become too confusing.

And, if you're reading this, thanks. It really makes my day that people read Travels, and that's my only reason why I still write it. I'm not going official, I'm not here for contests, either. Heck, I'm not here to write. I'm here to share. To share my writing, and to share my insights on what I love. You guys are amazing.

Keep Traveling!
Des