How to Fight in Close Combat in the Age of Great Voyages: A Guide to Close Combat Tactics

In maritime trade, one often encounters various kinds of battles, and boarding combat is one of them. Compared to cannon battles, boarding combat involves two ships coming directly together for a fight, giving a very pirate-like feeling, which many players enjoy. Today, I will talk about how to conduct boarding combat in the Age of Sail. Each type of battle in the game has its own techniques; as long as you prepare well, you can win in battle.

To win in boarding combat, the choice of ship is very critical. I would recommend light oared galleys, Roman oared galleys, and barbarian oared galleys. Oared galleys are the best choice for boarding combat, and these three types can be obtained directly through piracy. These are small to medium-sized vessels, very flexible to operate, and can quickly approach the enemy. In terms of equipment, first, there's the assault grappling hook, which provides bonuses to melee attacks and special attributes for boarding, significantly increasing attack power in melee combat.

There's also teak planking, which offers strong defense for the ship, followed by medium boarding planks, which notably increase the distance for boarding and reduce the difficulty of boarding. The most crucial aspect in boarding combat is to board the enemy ship quickly, so as to start the battle promptly. For the selection of navigators, I recommend Pash, Alan Quinn, and Fiore. Fiore's characteristic is enhancing boarding combat attributes and firmly entangling the opponent, Pash can more quickly approach the opponent to complete boarding during the fight, and Alan Quinn aids in plundering more spoils.

Regarding skill combinations, all are aimed at improving close combat, such as boarding, swordsmanship, assault, tactics, and shooting, which can all enhance output and are skills used in boarding combat. To improve survival, it's also necessary to learn repair, evasion, defense, and emergency handling. In terms of profession, the mercenary profession can bring powerful bonuses to boarding combat, and in naval battles, additional experience can be gained. For equipment, items like knight's breastplate, red copper gloves, pirate scimitar, and dagger can greatly increase damage during close combat.

The above content is my answer today on how to conduct boarding combat in the Age of Sail. After reading this, everyone should have a clear idea of how to go about this kind of battle. If you enjoy boarding combat, then follow the preparation steps I've introduced, and you will gain a greater advantage in battle.