Guns of Icarus Online Captaining Tips

Guns of Icarus Online Captaining Tips by Thomas

I am by no means an expert captain but I have picked up a good number of tips in my time. In the end, it really comes down to your own preferences and play style, but these might help.

-Keep at least one gun pointed at the enemy:
A mistake I see happen a lot is not getting the guns to face the enemy. Really you want at least two. The trick for success is to blow them up before they blow you up. Not keeping a gun pointed at them means they’re not going to be taking any damage, allowing them to use all their crew to blast you out of the sky instead of running around and putting out fires and fixing engines.

-Stay on the helm
Another problem I see which often leads to the problem listed above. Captains should rarely leave the helm. The ship generally needs to be constantly adjusted so that guns are facing the enemy, and your ship constantly trying to maneuver out of their sights. Leaving the helm leaves the ship to drift, which means very predictable movements (easy to hit); and left too long will cause your gunners to scream at you to turn the ship, because the enemy is now out of their sights. Also, this doesn’t mean you should never leave the helm; such as to fix the balloon. You should just minimize those trips as much as possible, especially when in combat.

-Communicate clearly
Really, it’s your ship, and you have to tell your crew where you want them. Sometimes this is a given, and other times (most of the time) you have to give them some indication of what to do. This often happens when too many people pick gunner or engineer, leaving the opposing job unfulfilled. You have to be stern and give some commands. Letting them know who to shoot and what your next move is doesn’t hurt either, and some crew will expect it constantly.

-Utilize your skills appropriately
Captain skills are extremely helpful on the helm. Where you should be. You should bring skills (items) that compliment your playstyle or help alleviate some of the downsides on ships. For instance, the galleon and pyramidion turn slowly. A phoenix claw can speed that right up and keep enemies in your sights. Maybe you’re more of the ramming type. A little moonshine and bumpers can be an effective combo in that. Play around and see what helps you the most, but remember to not overuse them and tear your own ship apart.

-Make use of terrain
This gets overlooked slightly, especially with the current name bug. But you should use the terrain to your advantage. This can be rocks, cliffs, clouds, etc. In general, I see ships rise to the highest point in the sky to start looking for other ships. This is from a misconception that they have a height advantage. Sticking low to the ground and moving through the clouds and cover can allow you to approach targets like that mostly unnoticed. They can’t hit what they can’t see. And if you emerge and attack them from their weak side (the side with least guns) it can take them a few seconds to realize what’s happening; and by that time they’re in a panic.

-Up, Down, Forwards, Backwards
The thing I notice most about new captains is that they lock the throttle into full ahead, and then forget about it completely. A captain should be constantly aware of the throttle and their altitude. Never be afraid to throw that puppy into full reverse and watch your enemies wonder how they’re zooming past you so fast. Knowing when to go neutral, forward, and backward can keep your gunners happy, and the enemy gunners really annoyed. Going up and down can help avoid attacks as well, and give your gunners better shots at the enemy. A misconception is that it’s easiest to hit opposing ships by being level with them. When in fact that’s when they’re showing the least surface area. Being slightly above or below them gives your gunners more area to hit, instead of watching some of their shots sail between the enemies hull and balloon. Although you always have to keep in mind that wild erratic movements may dodge enemy shells, but it will certainly make your gunners miss their marks. They have compensate for their ship movement and enemy ship movement. And if you continually change how your ship is moving, they’ll have a harder time compensating for it.