When it comes to surviving the high seas in Rogue Waters, the layout of your ship 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 mods to keep your crew alive, as well as the cannons that will tear apart 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 some mistakes without losing your specialists early.
But it’s not just about defense – being able to move more squares during battle 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 much more dangerous on the battlefield.
I won’t just focus on HP and Movement modules though. In the table below, you will find a wealth of modules for your ship that I have used and benefited from in my own game. These can protect your crew, power up certain specialists, and more.
| Name of Module | effect |
|---|---|
| Armor Stands I | +1 Armor for your crew. |
| Drowned Goddess Figurehead | All Companions heal 1HP at the start of their turn. +1 Movement for all Buddies. |
| Fireproof Hull | Your crew is immune to the Burning (caused by fire on ship decks). |
| Fortified Huts I | All crew members gain one extra Max HP. |
| Fortified Huts II | All crew members gain two extra Max HP. |
| Fortified Canteen | Buddies gain two extra Max HP, but lose one point of Movement. |
| Sturdy Quarterdeck | Captain Cutter gains two extra Max HP. |
| Sturdy Spardeck | Grapplers gain one point of Movement and an extra point to their Max HP. |
| Pennant of Accuracy | Gives all Buddies an extra point to their damage bonus. |
| Pennant of Fortitude | Gives all Comrades an additional one point damage bonus. |
| Quickfoot Banner | Your crew is immune to the Engaged effect. |
| Supply of Rum 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 entry pool on your second move). |
| Solid Colors | Companions in your crew are immune to bomb blasts and heal one point at the beginning of your turn. |
| Standard of Replication | All Companions on your crew deal damage to their attacker if they remain in melee after attacking. |
| Strong Deck I | One point of Movement to your entire crew. |
Best cannons for your ship in Rogue Waters
When it comes to naval 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 due to their higher potential damage, they are far more likely to miss than hit. Misfires don’t hurt your ship, but they waste valuable Command Points that 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’re going to consistently take damage is much more beneficial than gambling with cannons that often do nothing.
Another fun aspect of the game is looting 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 need new firepower. Cannons can also be purchased at certain ports, giving you even more options to customize your loadout. To equip more cannons at the start of a raid, you will need to unlock the relevant upgrades in your Workshop.
| Canon Name | damage | Command Point Cost | Applicable Purposes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deck Sweeper II | 3-3 | One | crew member |
| Deck Removal III | 4-4 | One | crew member |
| Deck removal IV | 5-5 | One | crew member |
| 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 of charge | 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 |
| Shipwreck II | 4-6 | Two | Module |
| Shipbreaker III | 5-7 | Two | Module |
| Shipwreck IV | 6-8 | Two | Module |
Tips for using your cannons during naval 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 before you board their ship.
Struggling to do any significant damage during naval battles? Try these tips:
- Prioritize targeting dangerous cannons. Always target enemy cannons that look like they can deal significant damage to your crew. Pulling these out early can prevent devastating hits later.
- Bring 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 advantage in dismantling enemy firepower before they can hit you hard.
- Fill the rest of your slots with module and crew cannons. After making sure you have some 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 effect. 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 boost modules. Watch 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 gunners on the enemy crew. Focus on eliminating bombers and crewmen’s guns before your team has to face them in a boarding battle. Taking them out early will make your crew’s melee fights a lot smoother.
- Remember your Command Points. Don’t waste Command Points with cannons that fire frequently, especially those with a range starting at zero. It’s better to spend your points on reliable shots that guarantee at least some damage.
Looking for more Rogue Waters content on Pro Game Guides? Check out our Rogue Waters Crew guide and What to do if you keep dying in Rogue Waters.
