In Skull and Bones, securing powerful weapons early can significantly enhance your experience and help you overcome initial challenges. Here are some recommendations for the best early-game weapons, keeping accessibility and effectiveness in mind:
Main Cannons:
Culverins (I or II): Unlocked right from the start, Culverins offer decent damage and range at an affordable cost. They remain reliable throughout the early game, allowing you to engage enemies from a safe distance.
Demi-cannons (II or III): Once you reach Rover Infamy rank, invest in upgrading Culverins to Demi-cannons. They offer increased damage and the additional benefit of inflicting flooding on enemy ships, hindering their movement and offering tactical advantages.
Auxiliary Weapons:
Mortars (I or II): Easily acquired at the Rover Infamy rank, Mortars provide valuable area-of-effect damage, making them effective against groups of smaller ships or clearing enemy formations.
Smoke Mortars (I or II): Available upon reaching Rover Infamy, Smoke Mortars are crucial early on. They create smoke clouds, enabling strategic retreats, flanking maneuvers, and temporarily obscuring your ship from enemy fire.
Additional Tips:
Prioritize upgrades: Instead of acquiring new weapon types early on, focus on upgrading your existing Culverins and acquiring their higher tiers (II and III). This significantly enhances their damage and effectiveness, allowing you to tackle tougher challenges.
Explore and complete quests: Uncovering hidden coves and completing early quests can reward you with valuable blueprints for weapons or resources to upgrade them.
Visit shipyards: As you progress through the story and unlock new regions, visit shipyards to see if they offer blueprints for affordable early-game weapons that might complement your preferred playstyle.
Remember:
The "best" weapons ultimately depend on your individual approach. If you prefer close-quarter combat, consider trying Swivel Guns once you acquire them, but prioritize long-range options early on for safer engagement.
Experiment and adapt your loadout based on the encountered enemies and situations. The recommended weapons provide a solid foundation for early-game success, allowing you to adjust your strategy as you progress.
By following these recommendations and adapting to your playstyle, you can effectively equip yourself with powerful weapons to conquer the early challenges and pave the way for further exploration and domination in Skull and Bones.