Cannons are the primary long-range weapons used aboard ships, forts or mobile artillery pieces.
They function by using gunpowder to hurl a projectile, usually something heavy, flammable or explosive at their target.
In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, cannons are used by the pirate to sink other ships or to defend their own. Ships also carry a complement of broadside cannons below deck that can only be fired by the ship's captain.
Firing a Cannon[]
All ships carry deck guns (except fishing boats), which can be easily accessed by simply walking up to a gun station and pressing the Shift key.
The pirate's point of view will change to 1st person, showing the cannon in front of you.
To target, hold down the right-mouse button and move the mouse in any direction, or use the direction keys on the keyboard. Left and Right, then Up and Down to elevate the gun. The higher the barrel points, the farther it will shoot. However, different types of ammunition will have different ranges and damage can be affected by using a cannon ram.
Press CTRL or Left-mouse button to fire, or if you are using a laptop you can also tap the mousepad.
Once a barrage is fired (up to 3 Rounds), the cannon will "cool down" while being reloaded. The time it takes will depend upon the pirate's Rapid Reload Skill and/or cannon ram. Reload times for Grape Shot and Explosives will take the longest and only one round can be fired per load.
Cannons will automatically load the last type of ammunition fired.
The type of ammunition used and the area of skill points awarded are reflected in the number of reputation points awarded. Thus, Round Shot with 1 skill point will award more reputation than Round Shot with 5 skill points.
Cannon Skills[]
Ammo Skills[]
| Icon | Type | Description | Cost (Per) | Skill Req. |
|
Round Shot | The basic medium-ranged shot. Infinite ammo. | 0 (~) | 1 |
|
Chain Shot | Two iron balls connected by a chain. Designed to tear down of sails and masts. | 2g (25) | 2 |
|
Grape Shot | A canister of shot that fires in a spread; effective at short-range against ship hull and sails. Slightly more effective than round shot. It also slows down ship repair in Ship PvP | 2g (25) | 4 |
|
Firebrand | A flaming medium-range round capable of lighting ships on fire. | 7g (25) | 8 |
|
Thunderbolt | A highly charged, long-range cannonball that causes a lightning bolt to strike where it lands. | 15g (25) | 12 |
|
Explosive | A mighty exploding cannonball. Highly volatile and extremely heavy, limited range. | 15g (1) | 17 |
|
Fury | A medium-range white-bluish spectral fireball. | 20g (25) | 20 |
|
Grappling Hook | Used for boarding flagships. | 0 (~) | 1 |
Passive Skills[]
| Skill | Description | Level Req. | Icon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shoot | Basic Cannon Skill. Upgrades increase shooting speed | 0 |  |
| Rapid Reload | Decreases reload time. | 6 |  |
| Barrage | Increases Cannon and Grenade Damage | 10 |  |
| Shrapnel | Causes a wounding effect from cannonballs and grenades. | 14 |  |
Cannonball Barrels[]
Special ammunition always seems in short supply. Gunsmiths are happy to help, by supplying these additional containers.
| Name | Description | Cost | Skill Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Barrel | Max. 125 each type/6 Explosive | 500 | Cannon 5 |
| Medium Barrel | Max. 150 each type/9 Explosive | 2000 | Cannon 10 |
| Large Barrel | Max. 175 each type/12 Explosive | 8000 | Cannon 17 |
Cannon Tactics[]
- Firing at the same spot on a ship will eventually cause it to smoke and burn giving a damage bonus to shots made to the same spot.
- In Ship PvP, fire your hull rounds at the waterline (the line where the hull rests in the water), shots going too high do less damage.
- Chain Shots are best against Masts and Sails.
- Firebrand, Round, Explosive, and Fury Rounds are best against Hulls.
- Grape Shots are used for slowing down Ship Repair on enemy ships in SvS, and can be great at clipping sails at short range if set at Rank 5.
- Thunderbolt is effective at long range and is good against the Hull and Sails/Masts.
On the Horizon[]
Although Ship Customization has been released, no new cannons were released along with it. The following items may still be released in a future update, however.
