Invasion Tips

[Chris Stormshot]

Perhaps this won't work for everyone, mates, but here is what has lead to 3 victories and countin' against Roger:

IF YOU'RE A HEALER: Start out by healing those at the frontmost barricades. Try getting out your doll and walking through everyone. If ye find a man that needs health, give him some assistance. The same with tonics/knockouts. However, around Wave 4 or so, check the map. Go to a weaker barricade that is further in, unless your current is needin' more help at the moment.

WHEN JOLLY ROGER COMES: Unless you have streams of high level pirates at your aid at your barricade, HEAD TOWARDS THE MANSION IMMEDIATELY before Roger gets there. Do not attack him until others have started the offense, then, close on and start whackin'/shootin'/etc.

BEGIN GATHERING A CREW THE MINUTE THE INVASION IS ALERTED! When the 30 minute warning appears, get to work building a crew. Ye don't have to go off to Fort Charles or elsewhere, so put away yer weapon and start searchin'.
Also remember that a lower level is not always a bad choice, but they aren't the best choice either.

Yeah, that's all I got.
But it works for me!
Me sincerest apologies if this has already been posted before.
CS~

[swashbuckler II]

Nice tips, Here is another Must know tip...

Only use ranged weapons on Jolly... Unless your an immortal god/goddess or something..

[JM Ohara]

Actually....

On most of the invasions I've fought JR never even made it to the mansion. I've been on several where he never even broke though the wharf barricade. The more barricades you save the better your rep. Stop him fast.

Healers should have designated players to look out for. Sorry, but low level players really don't make a huge dent in damage. Put em on as healers. You still get credit for every kill made by those you heal. Designate your healers to cover the highest level players and stick with them! Those high level players 40+ with maxed weapons get hammered! Seen it time an again. Been it. I'm a 42 with a mastered staff, this is experience talking. A good healer, targeted to one or two players tops can make a huge difference.

You can, without being, what was it? An immortal god/goddess, attack JR at close range. Stand on the beach doll out. Wait for him to walk through you so he doesn't see you as a threat. Attune him! I've done it. Grave shackle him so people can get hits on him. Life drain him! All this can be done from the far end of his ranged attacks and you can stay alive to fight.

Yes, do arrive early, scout, know who is where. Divide and conquer. If you have just a few guildies and a bunch of randoms on a server, you can divide the guildies into crews, and crew off with the random players for crew bonus. The separate crews can talk in crew chat while the guildmates keep each other informed about what's going on through guild chat.

If you have a staff, flaming skull has the farthest range you're gonna get. As soon as I see JR I head behind the barricade and blast him through it with flaming skull. I live, he takes major hits of my maxed skill on a mastered weapon.

If you don't have a staff, but have silver shot, that works great too! Blast him to kingdom come.

With a good healer or 2 on a single high level player close range attacks can work. As a healer with maxed heal and cure I was able to keep a pair of players alive while they took on JR close range.


A word about tonics. As soon as you see the notice, tonic up! You will use them! Even if you have a designated healer, if you go red hit T! I can't say that enough. I've lost attuned people cause they depended solely on me. I have to wait for my skills to charge just like always! Even with maxed heal and cure, if I'm healing 2 or my limit of 3, you can go yellow and red while I have to wait for my skill to charge. Even with a designated healer, if you go red take a tonic!!! It could be the difference between fighting on and a knockout! Do not assume you are safe! I've lost too many fighters I had attuned cause I can't heal fast enough. Buy tonics and use them!

Also, this may sound callus but do not revive during battle. Unless it's a lull between waves it will most likely get you killed too. Better to go to jail, and your heal will recharge on the way back to the fight. When the battle is over feel free to wade into the sea of knocked out pirates JR always leaves behind and just revive and heal away. During battle though, it will just get you killed.

An that there is my two cents.

[Chris Stormshot]

Thanks for the extra tips, I just posted what I knew at the time. XD
CS~

[combatlizzy]

Aye, Hawke...I use ranged weapons on the undead & JR until yesterday. Since he can be shackled now, I ran up & attuned him. Thought I would be knocked out but I wasn't. Then I backed up & used Dolly on him. He does break attunements, but I ran back up on him & attuned him again. If he shackles me, I use pistol with silver shot. But, if you get a few ppl to attune him & work together...his health does deplete. I'm no expert, but just passing on my experience.

[JM Ohara]

Actually you were who inspired me to take a bash at it Lizzy. Sure enough it does work. You have to have good health before you try to attune him though, cause if he decides you're a threat look out!

[combatlizzy]

<<blush>> Lizzy inspired...Awww..TY for the kudos

Actually when I attune him, I try to sneak up from behind....lolz

[combatlizzy]

All pirates learn more with each invasion, CS It's good we can share the info here...

[Assassin X]

I've been to a lot of invasions. I try to do little damage A LOT of different enemies than big damage to one, because even if you took away one Health, you still get credit in the end for killing them. I use the staff to do this but you can use pistol, dagger, grenades, whatever you want. Yes, I do use flame skull to kill of a lot of them at once since it damages a long and wide range. At the end, I usually have over 60 enemies killed because of what I said above. My highest number of enemies killed was 109 enemies. (I got over 2000 notoriety that time) Be sure to not only use the tactic above, but also try to kill appropriate enemies for your level as well. I you get in the yellows, be careful, you should start running if you dont have tonics at this time.

P.S. Invasions are really good way to level up weapons and level up.

[JM Ohara]

Haven't seen any marked level enemies Assassin. Did you? Where at?

Yes, invasions are killer for rep. I used them to max staff, most of the way to maxing doll, oh, an in the last 10 days I went from level 40 to level 43. Been doing a lot of ship sinking too though.

A forgotten note about healers. If you are a designated healer, as I said you get credit for your fighters kills. Consider then if you are healing 2 and they kill 50 each. You get credit for 100 kills! (Assuming you can keep em alive.) This isn't saying go out an attune 5 pirates, please don't. The more you attune the lower your power. You'd get credit for all the kills yes but you are far, far more likely to have them all die on you. Stick to one or two. Or if you are a 40+ pirate with a mastered doll and heal and cure maxed, maybe 3. Any more is risking the people you are healing and is no good in the end.

[Chris Stormshot]

^I wish I could agree with you on the weapons upgrading, but it doesn't happen for me.
Oh well, maybe it will as I get better at it.
CS~

[KeeperOfTheCode]

I have a full out battle strategy.

A. When the invasion is announced, get a few, outspoken (not too much though) pirates who can inspire, and work as leaders.
B. Use these to gather together as many recruits as you can.
C. During this time, gather as many of your guild and crew as you can.
D. Gather a group around you that will listen to you, and will follow orders. (hard for pirates i know)
E. First, split these loyal allies into regiments ( about one-third should go in each ), and further break them down into companies. ( You should appoint a leader for each regiment, and then another one for each company. The company leaders will answer directly to the regiment leader. )
F. Make sure they are in fairly orderly lines. And make sure they don't run away. ( Try a few, FOR THE CARRIBEAN!s ) Get guns and grenades towards the back ( healers may be in the midst of the frenzy, but a few should be behind the grenadiers. ), staffs in the middle, and Cutlasses/daggers towards the front.

A few tips
If your barricade falls, pull back a little. (Not always neccessary)
Make sure the Mansion has a fairly well supplied force.( I say fairly because hopefully Jolly Roger won't ever make it there.)
Lastly, Keep your forces together and fairly orderly. If you don't hold together, they may retreat, and be picked off one by one.

Here's a map of the invasion. The blue circled areas are places where there should be a high concentration of pirates, the bright red is the path the undead seem to take, orange are barricades, and the red dotted line along the right side is the path Jolly himself will take.
http://www.piratesonlineforums.com/g.../Screaming.jpg

[Bonnylass64]

I'm a lone pirate (no guild), so I stock up on tonics and make sure I have everything else I'll need (ammo, etc.).

I always use my pistol on Jolly. That way I don't need to get to close!
And I always revive pirates that are down as soon as I possibly can.
I just don't understand it when I see pirates standing around not doing anything at all. Not shooting, not reviving anyone. Why are they there then?
My motto is is you are there, take down as many as you can and help your fellow pirates. You never know when you're going to need to be revived! Just my opinion.

[ninety3rd]

Ok, as a Vet of over a dozen invasions on Test and over a dozen more on Open, here is a few of my two farthings worth:

On all the enemy voodoo users (Witchdoctors, Gypsies, AND Jolly) use Hex shot and/or thrown daggers to break their attunement and decrease their voodoo. This can be a switch back and forth between weapons. I have done this numerous times when I see I am taking damage from spells and can see the undead who is doing it to me. I have also done it to help my fellow pirates under attack in the same way.
Using Hex shot on Jolly (once he is at the Mansion especially) helps decrease his voodoo attacks.

If there are high level pirates using staff, help protect them.
High level pirates using staff: Keep track of the battle and move to areas under heavy attack to use your staff to help your fellow pirates.
Cover each other as much as possible, even if you are not in the same crew.

Keep track of the red dots on your compass. Especially those outside your barricade area. This helps you know when to fallback to defend another area, especially the Mansion.

If the barricade you are defending does fall, that is a sign you should immediately withdraw to the Mansion and defend from there.

Remember -- it is the Mansion that must be saved in the long run.

Have fun!