In Sea of Thieves, cursed cannonballs serve as a tactical advantage, offering unique effects that can cripple opponents without inflicting direct damage. To effectively manage these, understanding each cannonball’s impact and strategizing around them is crucial. Here’s a comprehensive guide detailing the various types of cursed cannonballs and their recommended handling techniques.

Types of Cursed Cannonballs and Strategies for Management

1. Anchor Ball
– Effect: Automatically raises or lowers the enemy ship’s anchor, immobilizing it.
– Handling: If your ship gets hit, immediately respond by adjusting your anchor accordingly. As an offensive tactic, utilize the Anchor Ball to halt the enemy ship’s movement. Follow this up with a shot aimed at their mast, forcing them to choose between recovering their anchor or their mast.

2. Peace Ball
– Effect: Temporarily renders enemy cannons unusable.
– Handling: When hit, focus on repairs or evasive maneuvers while your cannons are incapacitated. If deployed against opponents, fire the Peace Ball before launching a broadside attack, leveraging their temporary vulnerability for maximum damage during their cannon downtime.

3. Helm Ball
– Effect: Significantly restricts the ship’s maneuverability.
– Handling: Upon being hit, brace for limited steering capabilities and prioritize damage control. When attacking, hit with the Helm Ball before executing aggressive maneuvers to exploit the enemy’s hindered ability to respond effectively.

4. Rigging Ball
– Effect: Locks enemy sails and slows ship speed.
– Handling: If affected, prioritize rapid sail repairs to regain mobility. Offensively, use the Rigging Ball to control enemy speeds, making them easier targets for subsequent attacks.

5. Barrel Ball
– Effect: Temporarily restricts access to supply barrels.
– Handling: This limitation impacts replenishing supplies rather than carried goods. Use the Barrel Ball against opponents while applying pressure, reducing their capacity to heal or make repairs under fire.

6. Ballast Ball
– Effect: Causes the enemy ship to sink deeper, leading to flooding, especially in larger vessels like galleons.
– Handling: If struck, prioritize bailing water from the mid-deck. This tactic is particularly effective against larger ships; strategize attacks to enhance the flooding situation and capitalize on their vulnerability.

7. Chainshot
– Effect: Damages the anchor, wheel, or lowers a mast.
– Handling: If your mast is damaged, urgent repairs are essential to maintain mobility. Use chainshot offensively to disrupt enemy movement and control during naval engagements.

General Tips for Handling Cursed Cannonballs

– Quick Repairs: Ensure your crew is poised to repair masts, sails, and hull damage promptly following an attack.

– Communication: Coordinate responses with your crew to mitigate the effects of cursed cannonballs, like quickly raising your anchor before it can be forced down.

– Counterattacking: Follow up on the debuffs caused by cursed cannonballs by unleashing traditional cannon fire at the enemy’s weak points, exploiting their momentary disadvantages.

– Preventing Hits: Maneuver your ship strategically to minimize the likelihood of being hit, especially when aware that the enemy possesses cursed cannonballs.

Conclusion

Cursed cannonballs introduce an exhilarating strategic layer to naval combat in Sea of Thieves, disrupting enemy operations while avoiding straight damage. Mastering both the deployment of these cannonballs and responsive tactics when hit can effectively alter the dynamics of maritime confrontations. Understanding each type, utilizing them effectively, and coordinating with your crew can ultimately turn the tide in battles.