Lvling Grenades When You're Notoriety is High

[Captain Fitch]

If, like me, you started lvling your grenades when your notoriety lvl was 40 or more, here is a useful way to maximize your time. It's STILL a LONG haul but this helps. It'll get you a few more than 100 points at a time instead of 25 or less. It only requires that your grenades have all five points on “throw” and “explosive". (This is the unlimited ammo that you don't have to buy.)

First you have to get to the thrall cave on Isla Tormenta. If you haven't been there then just go to Tormenta, head into the cave, keep going downhill, and look around. It's there. Thrall 50s, 47s, 49s... intimidating at first.

Assuming you already maxed the sword, gun, and dagger before you hit level 40, you can wade through the thrall captains two at a time. They are often replaced by urchinfists and urchinfists are what you're looking for.

To take out two thralls at a time, draw a bead on one with your strongest long range gun using lead shot. The instant you fire get out your dagger. If you wait even a slight moment to draw your dagger, you'll end up re-loading your gun and precious time will be lost. As soon as your dagger is out, throw “vipers nest” at a second thrall. Immediately draw your sword and wait for them to come to you. They will both be substantially wounded. (Keep a health tonic handy but be aware that health tonics are in some loot pouches. I have NEVER run out of tonics on Tormenta.)

If you're a low 40, you can take out one thrall at a time VERY easily by simply shooting one and then using your sword when he comes to you. Either way, the point is to get rid of the thralls so urchinfists can take their place.

After taking care of a few thralls you're suddenly going to see nothing but urchinfists. There will be five of them; three in the main cave and two in the side cave. Urchinfists use grenades, too, and some urchins are high lvls. 50s 49s... just like the thralls. Handily, instead of coming close to you like the thralls, urchins stand a perfect throwing distance from you and heave grenades that do VERY little damage (+ or - 100 pts). If you've taken all five points on “throw” and “explosive”, your grenades will be way stronger and deal them a lot of damage.

It's easiest to get them all in a group so one grenade of yours will harm multiple urchinfists. You can do this by standing at the border of the main cave and the side cave and heaving grenades at all five urchins. They'll be far away but they'll come. Once you've got their attention, back into a corner and wait for them to surround you. Once they do, you can take all five out with your grenades w/o a lot of trouble.

Five urchinfists add up to about 110 pts when your notoriety is over 40. I'm well aware of how little 110 pts is when you're a high notoriety level trying to get from lvl 25 grenades to lvl30 grenades but this was the most efficient way that I could find.

A note concerning getting to lvl 25 grenades:

The bridge on Tormenta that spans the stream on the long way to the thrall caves makes throwing grenades at spineskulls (lvl 30s) pretty easy. They're like Urchinfists' little brothers. They'll stand still, duke it out with grenades, and go down easy.

[ruisen2000]

Also you can try to kill darkhart with stink pot or fire, you get a lot of rep too, or the hallway with 4 kelpbrians in front of treasure island

[Sven Osymthe]

When the cap was still 40 for notoriety I never leveled up my grenades higher than 15 (or around there) until it was one of the last weapons remaining (and in one case it was the only one remaining, after I had hit 40). Most people would say that's the worst way to level up, but I find it much quicker and more fun than hiding behind a fence for hours at Kingshead, never receiving any damage (assuming you did it correctly).

Since the cap is now 50, I did almost the exact same thing. Once I was around 46 I began to level grenades (already level 25 from the time that was the cap - with only sailing, cannons, and possibly one other weapon left to master). That only took me a few hours to master using the bridge mentioned above. If you do it correctly (some smoke, finish with stink and fire), you can get 400+ rep every round (even more if you can add the large group of spineskulls into the group), but due to the level of the enemies, it's only possible to use if you are above level 40 with a healer, or are above level 40 and patient enough to let your health come back.

[Edward Edgemenace]

I assume you are still notoriety 40?

My recommendation is to find level-appropriate enemies, instead. Using the normal grenades "leveling" build:

Throw: rank 1
Long volley: rank 1
Explosive: rank 1
Stink pot: rank 1
Firebomb: zero
Smoke bombs: rank 1
Siege (when unlocked): rank 5
Determination: rank 5
Demolitions: rank 5
Toughness: -any-
Ignore pain: -any-

In the lower portion of the Catacombs, advance at the 3 raiders (near the "Slasher boss") with a blunderbuss - when circle turns red, STOP, you are at the correct distance.

Throw a single stink pot at the "Scary Mary sergeant" to call the 3 raiders over. Throw 5 smoke bombs at the mob, then finish with "explosive" ammo. Even up to notoriety level 42, this yields 65 to 92 rep points for each yellow or red enemy. That is, 195 to 276 rep per minute.

Note: Avoid the slasher boss. While his red tag may be tempting, he takes too long to kill; instead of 1 mob per minute (or more) you end up with 1 slasher boss in 2 to 4 minutes, and you will need a healer.

Using this method, you will level up to notoriety 42 fairly quickly. Your grenades will go from level 9 to about level 25. Remember that if you don't attack at least some enemies with yellow level tags, you are somewhere you do not belong.

Notoriety 42 to 44:

Level something else (e.g. cannons or sailing) to get to notoriety 45.

Notoriety 45 to 47 (optionally, up to 49):

Treasure room of Tormenta. Take out Seabeards 1 by 1, until all 4 are Molusks. Throw 1 stink pot, then 5 smoke bombs or stink pot, then 4 to 6 explosives. This yields 120 to 280 rep per mob. With a healer, you can take a seabeard or two at the same time, plus get get the 20% crew bonus.

Note that the POTCO rounding errors make 20% crew bonus ACTUALLY give you 40 to 50% more points.

Note also: same "grenades leveling" build as above. One point on each attack skill, or you are your own worst rep-stealer.

Notoriety 48, 49 and 50:

Thrall room on Tormenta. Take out Thrall Captains 1 by 1 until you have 5 urchinfists. Use weak pistol to gather all 5 urchinfists at the middle of the room, then run past them to the South sand dune. Turn around, and they are lined up perfectly. Throw 5 smoke bombs or 5 stink pots, then 4 - 12 explosives. This will yield 60 to 110 rep per enemy...that is, 300 to 550 rep per mob. (1 mob every 2 minutes, is 150 to 275 rep per minute.) Note again, much more with crew bonus! Do not ignore the rounding errors inherent in the game here.

Of minor interest: the same "gathering" method for urchinfists works just peachy for flaming skull on voodoo staff. But your survival depends on your notoriety. Remember that enemies 10 levels above your notoriety have an ABSURD miss rate, particularly for grenades which don't have "weapon attack modifiers" to help you hit higher level enemies.

[ruisen2000]

I use gathering method when leveling my gun, i gather all 3 unchinfists/thralls together wth a pistol, then when they're in front of me i fire away with my blunderbuss!
For treasure room i prefer to use seige and bomb all 4 sea beasties at once, only 30-40 rep at once, but lots of fun!