Cannons and broadsides in Caribbean Corsairs
In Caribbean Corsairs your cannons fire only to the sides, never forward. Turn until a rival sits in the gold lane beside your ship, then fire that side: three cannonballs fly out at once. Each side then needs 2.8 seconds to reload, so you sail away and come back.
Port and starboard: your two cannon sides
Sailors have special words for the sides of a ship. Port is the left side when you look towards the front, and starboard is the right side. You can read more about these words on Wikipedia's page about port and starboard.
| Side | Button name | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left | Port cannons | Q | LB |
| Right | Starboard cannons | E | RB |
Each side has its own cannons and its own reload. Firing the left side does not stop you from firing the right side a moment later.
What is a broadside?
A broadside is when all the cannons on one side of a ship fire together. Real sailing warships fought this way, which is why their cannons pointed out of the sides. See Wikipedia's page about broadsides.
In the game, every broadside fires three cannonballs, side by side. Each cannonball that hits a rival does 20 damage. So a broadside where all three hit does 60 damage.
The gold firing lanes
When you are in a battle, gold dashed lanes show where your cannons will shoot, on both sides of your ship. A rival is in range when:
- it is right beside you, almost exactly side-on, and
- it is close enough for the cannonballs to reach.
When that happens, the rival's name and hull bar glow gold, the cannon buttons get a gold edge, and if that side is READY, the screen says Rival in your firing lane — fire!
You can fire at any time, even with no rival in the lane. But cannonballs that miss are wasted, and you still have to wait for the reload.
Reloading: 2.8 seconds
After you fire, that side's button counts down from 2.8 seconds. When it says READY again, you can fire that side again. If you hold Q, E, LB or RB down, that side fires again by itself the moment it is ready.
While you reload, the game reminds you: Reloading — sail away until your cannons are READY! This is the best habit in the whole game. Turn away, keep your sails up, and come back when you are ready.
How many hits does each rival need?
Rivals get tougher in every battle. Here is how many of your cannonballs must hit to sink one:
| Battle | Rival hull | Hits to sink | Broadsides if every ball hits |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Smuggler’s Cove | 70 | 4 | 2 (one full, plus one ball) |
| 2. The Emerald Passage | 80 | 4 | 2 (one full, plus one ball) |
| 3. The Crimson Fleet | 90 | 5 | 2 (one full, plus two balls) |
So plan on two broadsides for every rival. A rival's hull bar above its name shows how much it has left.
Range: a small secret
Your cannonballs fly a bit further than the rivals need to be to shoot back. Rivals only fire when you are a little closer to them than the edge of your gold lane. This is a hidden number in the game, but you can use it: fire from the far end of the lane, then turn away. See Advanced tips.
Islands block cannonballs
Cannonballs that hit an island stop there with a splash. That goes for your shots and for the rivals' shots. Before you fire, check that no island is between you and the rival. And when you need a moment to reload, an island between you and a rival is a good shield.
How the rivals fire
Rivals fire broadsides the same way you do: they turn side-on and fire three cannonballs. But they are weaker than you:
| Battle | Rival reload | Damage per rival cannonball |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Smuggler’s Cove | 5 seconds | 6 |
| 2. The Emerald Passage | 4 seconds | 9 |
| 3. The Crimson Fleet | 4 seconds | 9 |
Your own reload is 2.8 seconds and your cannonballs do 20 damage. Also, only the two rivals closest to you come in to fight. The others wait further away. More on The three sea battles.
Your Hits score
At the end of a battle the result card shows Hits: the share of your cannonballs that hit a ship. If you fire three balls and two hit, that is 67%. If you fire a lot and fewer than a quarter hit, the game reminds you during the battle to wait for the gold lane.
See also
- Sailing your ship: turning fast enough to line up a shot.
- Hull, damage and repairs: what happens when the rivals hit you.
- Tips for new captains: simple ways to hit more.
- Glossary: port, starboard, broadside and other sea words.
- Fire away: play Caribbean Corsairs, or see all game guides.
