This is a mirror of Michael Lee's guide on the Facebook discussion board.

WARNING! THIS GUIDE IS SLIGHTLY OUTDATED DUE TO A SHIFTING PREFERENCE FOR CRAFT! IT WILL BE UPDATED WHEN THE NEW STAT SYSTEM RELEASES!

Every class has its own set of stats and bonuses. All stat bonuses are rounded up.

- 1 Gunnery 1 Craft 1 Nav Distinction: Receives only 2 distributable stats per level, but gains .5 more stat points/level than other classes.

- 1.5 Gunnery Distinction: Increased 20% gold from combat.

- 1.5 Craft Distinction: Decreased 50% disaster rate for mining. Auto-repair in 48 hours. 8 AP salvage, reduced repair cost.

- 1.5 Navigation Distinction: Increased 2.5% good event and 2.5% rare event for exploring (50% increase). See IVb. Explore.

- 1 Navigation .5 Craft Distinction: 100% more gold from trade. Gains (crappy) experience from trading. 50% AP cost while traveling See IVd. Trade.

Every 2 points increases the damage of cannons, sub-cannons, and missiles by 1%.

Every point increases the HP of the ship by 1%, based on the ship’s base HP. Every 10 points increases Armor by 1.

Every point gives you 1 extra speed. Every 2 points increases the damage of rams by 1%. Every 4 points increases the damage of missiles by 1%. Every 25 points increases the armor of your ship by 1.

Although not an investable stat, this stat is generated by a mixture of Craft and Nav. Hulls also add Armor.

DMG REDUCTION = ARMOR / [100 + (2)(ARMOR)]

Cannons are the benchmark for average range and damage; they are the most commonly used weapon in BS.

On offense, the attacker must ideally be fast enough to fire 3 volleys (fast as possible). On defense, the defender must ideally be at 50 speed.

AVG DMG = [(MIN DMG) + (MAX DMG)][(1.005)(GUN)] / 2

Subcannons trade range for weight. They are used almost exactly like Cannons, but require more speed. Subcannons are often used to meet capacity requirements without sacrificing too much damage.

On offense, the attacker must ideally be fast enough to fire 3 volleys (fast as possible). On defense, the defender must ideally be at 50 speed.

AVG DMG = [(MIN DMG) + (MAX DMG)][(1.005)(GUN)] / 2

Missiles trade damage for range. In scenarios where speed is the deciding factor, missiles often outstrip all other weapons in damage.

On offense, the attacker must ideally be slow enough to deal 2-3 volleys to the defender while staying out of the range of his weapons. One can attack at 50 speed with Missiles as a means to scout, though you might have to re-equip right after. On defense, the defender must be as fast as possible. In Clan Wars, on offense, the attacker must ideally be at 50 speed; on defense, the defender must either be as fast as possible or ideally be slow enough to deal 2-3 volleys to the attacker while staying out of the range of his weapons.

AVG DMG = [(MIN DMG) + (MAX DMG)][(1.005)(GUN)+(1.0025)(NAV)] / 2

Rams trade range and weight for damage. The extreme damage of Rams is limited by their range; on offense, they must be fast enough to engage the enemy and on defense, they must be slow enough. They are the least viable and least used weapon in BS, commonly used alongside other weapons on defense or entirely on their own on offense.

On offense, the attacker must ideally be fast enough to fire 3 volleys (fast as possible). On defense, the defender must ideally be at 50 speed. In Clan Wars, on offense, the attacker must ideally have 80-100 speed to catch up to a 50 speed defender.

AVG DMG = [(MIN DMG) + (MAX DMG)][(1.005)(NAV)] / 2

PvP is the most efficient and consistent means to generate experience with AP (usually). However, it carries high risk due to fishers, and your results are inconsistence and may be limited by the targets available at your level.

Refer to Va. The Early Levels.

This is what is commonly called fishing.

Salvage your ship and remove the protection with the proper loadout. Go to “Explore & Attack.” Then go to “Attack.” Refresh the page while hitting “Show valid targets.” Whenever your HP falls, go to the bottom of the page and hit “Quick Repair.” Then enter the pre-selected value minus 1 for AP or gold; if you repair using AP, I recommend using gold to cover the rest, every HP does indeed count.

Fishing can be done slow, semi-slow, or fast. Slow defenders depend on their bulk to absorb damage while managing to kill the attacker with Cannons, Subcannons, and Rams. Semi-slow defenders exist mostly in Clan Wars, staying a comfortable distance away from 50 speed attackers while attacking with Missiles. Fast defenders also use Missiles, but stay a comfortable distance away from slower attackers using all their speed gear. Faster defenders will need Nav; if you are faster than them, they need Missiles to hit you (SPEED IS ARMOR).

Exploration is the a well-rounded means to obtain gold, experience, and resources through sheer luck.

Probabilities (Explorers in parentheses): Nothing 60.0% (55.0%) Encounter 10.0% (10.0%) Good Event 12.5% (15.0%) Bad Event 12.5% (12.5%) Rare Item/Resource Item 5.0% (7.5%)

Generally speaking, even the most incompetent players can take down a NPC, as they are less dangerous than human players in every possible way.

Mining is the most efficient and consistent means to generate resources with AP. However, it carries high risk.

You cannot mine in Imperial.

Mining is influenced by two factors: 1) The quality of the mining team purchased. 2) The amount of AP spent.

The most optimal gains come from 100k and 50 AP. This is dependent of course, on the cost of Ore and Plasma Rocks.

When you buy a mining team, you do not keep it. You must re-purchase it if you wish to mine again.

Engineers are half as likely to suffer from mining accidents. Some claim better mining teams correlate with mining accidents rather than the reverse, but this is all just rumor (or is it?).

Trading is the most efficient and consistent means to generate gold with AP at no risk.

Trading is influenced by two factors: 1) Your capacity. Be sure to un-equip all of your items before you trading. 2) Your friends with Battle Stations! Add clanmates or go here: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=18063885304&topic=3015

Every friend with BS increases trade income. Just add 50 of them, then go to your Notification Preferences (top-center of your Home page) and add the strangers to the “no notifications” list.

Traders gain twice as much gold per AP compared to other classes.

Travelling relocates you from one port to another at the cost of AP. It can be used to shop or to avoid being killed at inconvenient times during Clan Wars. If you cannot buy items on auction, then you must buy it on location.

Imperial City Port: Specializes in Cannons, the bulkiest Armor, it and hosts the ships with the most weapon slots of their class (Albatross, Vanguard, Battle Royale). This is where you go if you want to PvP, as the most people are in Imperial at any given point in time. You cannot Mine in Imperial.

Al Amraan Dock: Specializes in Subcannons and Rams, and it hosts the two bulky ships (Aegis and Obsidian Destroyer).

Corxas Jungle Quay: Specializes in Missiles (especially the higher level ones) and it hosts the three fastest ships of their class (Manta, Hammerhead, and Trident). This is where you go if you do not want to PvP, as nobody comes to Corxas except to buy Missiles, only to leave promptly.

Jade Archipelago Harbour: Specializes in experimental weaponry and parts, and it hosts the best merchant vessels (Enterprise, Merchant O’War, and Cargo Dirigible). Although it is furthest away from Imperial, it is more popular than Corxas due to its shopping.

Flying City of Aeros: This is where all the high-end industrial weapons are. It is expensive to travel here though. You cannot Explore, Attack, Mine, or Trade in Aeros.

Items are listed in a chart. If any of the boxes are red, then you do not meet a certain requirement. If it is weight, the problem can be corrected easily. When you purchase an item, it automatically equips onto your ship, so do not be alarmed that it isn’t in your overall inventory. You will not be allowed to equip items that you do not meet the level or weight requirements for.

Refer here for complete lists: http://shop.8wire.org/

All builds are my personal recommendations. You may customize as you wish, but you’ll probably suck. Just kidding.

I will assume you will be able to afford weapons as they come, and that you will equip them without me necessarily telling you to. Also, if I say “consider,” they are optional.

Also, I will not repeat myself to death. Read the two Commander sections first if you have no idea what to do.

A time for experimentation? No. You're going to rigidly adhere or you'll be humiliated over and over again by the people who did listen to me.

AND BE SURE TO READ YOUR FUTURE BUILD AS WELL! If you mess up, restart early, as you level up every other hour.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross…

You begin with two Steam Cannons. Explore until level 8 while upgrading your ship’s weapons and parts. At level 10, switch to Albatross.

If your future build involves getting Nav, I recommend you go all Nav for the initial 10 levels. This allows you to use Subcannons on larger targets. At level 11, get a full set of 5 Inch Guns. At level 15, switch to 8 Inch Guns. Be sure to keep up with ship upgrades.

Otherwise, get Cannons.

At level 20, get Fireball Cannons (or Battering Rams). It is up to you whether or not to switch ships or continue upgrading your Albatross. Refer to your future build.

PvP basics: -Always attack the largest target available before the next significant improvement in ships or weaponry. -Always repair before attacking. -If they win by luck, try again. If they win because they have a mountain of HP or damage, do not try again. -Always keep your weapons as uniform as possible. Having two Rams and three Missiles is stupid because the Rams are useless until you are close to the enemy. By then, Missiles are useless. Mix only to meet weight requirements.

Other helpful advice: -Action Points, or AP determine what actions you can perform. You receive 5 per hour, barring weekend events which elevate it to 8. There is a maximum cap of 500 APs.

-Golden rule of APs: Don’t bitch about not having enough. Waste less. Go have a life to distract yourself from the agony of waiting for more AP.

-If you are sunk, stay sunk until you mass nearly 500 APs, then salvage. This allows you to waste the least amount of AP for salvage, which is something you do a lot in MW:BS. Engineers automatically salvage every 48 hours (240 AP), so use your APs when this happens, then remove protection so you are sunk immediately to repeat this process.

-When grinding, never pay the full cost in APs for salvage. Pay one less. This wastes less AP per HP. Later on, you may just be paying gold to repair so you can grind more.

-When buying, buy from the auction, if only to avoid travel, which eats up APs. However, items that rarely appear in auction should be purchased on site. Try joining one of the newer clans, as they usually have newer members.

Commanders are the “newbie” class of BS. They have .5 more stats per level than the other classes…which is actually just Nav…at the cost of stat allocation freedom.

So why play Commanders? Because they are the most flexible Gun build, being able to use Subcannons and Missiles as well as Cannons.

There are endless varieties of stat and ship combinations for Commanders, but one thing is for sure. You will need Gun.

On a side note, Commanders render Gun Traders obsolete. This is because they gain the Trader's stats but also an additional .5 in Craft or Gun.

Stats: 2 Gun. Or 1.5 Gun .5 Nav or Craft.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Battle Royale 4-10 → Katana 3-10.

The 20s are just a rather short period of grinding. At level 20, switch to Fireball Cannons. Stop upgrading your Albatross after the level 31 upgrade (4 weapon slots).

The 30s are just like the 20s, except with more and bigger guns. Missiles begin becoming viable weapons and Battering Rams are more easily equipped alongside Cannons in defense. At level 30, switch to 4 Imperial Cannons. At level 33, switch to Vanguard. If you need resources or gold, explore. At level 35, consider Aerial Mines; you can cut repair costs in half by coming in semi-slow with Missiles. Upgrading your Vanguard after the level 54 upgrade (5 weapon slots) is optional, though recommended; do not get a Battle Royale until you are 59 at least.

The 40s are a period of tactical change. It is during this period of time that dedicated fishers and pure ramships begin to become viable strategies. At level 40, switch to Impact Cannons. At level 45, begin defending with your speed gear on. This is because it is at level 40, people will have access to Giga Drill Breaker, which creates no-win situations if you’re anchored. Worse yet, Hammerheads will have 3 weapon slots. At level 46, Aegises begin to become much more dangerous fishers, as they will have 4 weapon slots. I recommend you begin recording the names of fishers.

The 50s are particularly brutal period of any player’s life. This is because of Prototype Cannons, the first common cannon with more than 1000 range. If a defender uses them with anchors, it is ensured that only one of the combatants will survive. At level 50, consider Prototypes; they will be replaced in 5 levels, but they are useful to kill fishers while anchored. At level 55, switch to Immolators. Immolators are strictly more powerful than Prototypes on offense if you can close with the enemy. In the late 50s, you will pretty much be sinking anything you can in PvP, or you will be exploring, as targets become scarcer.

The 60s are, at the time of the writing of this guide, the time when players get the short end of the stick. Damage by this point has totally outstripped HP, and ship strategies reflect this. You are either fast with Rams or Missiles, the prior’s goal being to sink the enemy before they can sink you, the latter’s goal being to stay as far away as possible; or you are slow and bulky to fish with any weapon mix possible; Commanders, who used to have 1 Gun and 1 Craft with 3 investable skill points, were once the only class that could afford to slug it out. At level 60, switch to Type-X Subcannons. At level 62, you must switch to Battle Royale. At level 65, switch to Avenger Autocannons.

The 70s are a rather easygoing period. At this point, you can Missile defend rather effectively. This is because at this point Rammers will not be able to catch up with you as easily due to the linear speed differential. By the time they catch up with you, they will not have enough damage to kill you, and three Missile volleys will kill most pure-Nav builds and severely injure two-volley builds.

A Cannon Pirate, quite simply, is a Pirate that doesn’t invest into Nav. This means that they intend to slug it out, cannons to cannons.

Note that at the time of the writing of this guide, the prior build is more viable due to the imbalanced nature of damage growth versus HP growth.

Stats: 2 Gun, 1 Craft.

If you want more HP, I recommend 2 Gun and 1 Craft.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Battle Royale 4-10 → Katana 3-10.

So yes, you are nearly identical to Vb. Offensive Commander except for three key differences: 1) You have more Gun. 2) You have less Craft (usually). 3) You have no Nav.

You will be using Cannons instead of Subcannons because of your lack of speed (I am assuming you will not be attacking targets weaker than you are; if you want to bottom-feed, use Subcannons).

Standard Pirates tend to do better against fishers, provided that they do not sink you by the second volley. Honestly, if a Pirate can’t kill someone in three rounds, they won’t be killed by anyone at your level at all. If they are anchored though, you can anchor up yourself.

In Clan Wars, Standard Pirates and Offensive Gun Engineers will be the mainstay PvP classes; the prior because of its high damage output and the latter because of its AP efficiency. At the time of the writing of this guide, Commanders still have a 1 Gun and 1 Craft stat bonus with 3 investable stats, but when they are nerfed, I expect Pirates and Engineers to fill the void.

The Glass Pirate is a novelty of sorts. It sets itself apart from other classes. Rather than being wimpy Commanders, these Pirates are all-or-nothing, taking best advantage of their future skill, Gambit. However, this skill has not yet released.

Stats: 2.5 Gun .5 Craft; 30 Nav + (Nav needed to keep parity with Ramships).

Get 3 Nav every level until 10, then do 2.5 Gun, .5 Craft. This takes full advantage of the fact that you're a Pirate, not a Commander. This results in a more fragile and slightly slower Commander, but with a whopping 4 Gun per level. Whenever you upgrade your ship, I recommend you check the Ramship equivalent of your level and keep your Nav on par with it so you can stay ahead in Missile defending.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Battle Royale 4-10 → Katana 3-10.

Surprise, surprise. Almost all Gun-based builds will be using the same ship progression.

Keep Nav only if you intend to defend with Missiles (I personally recommend it, as you will also be able to use Subcannons at level 55 against non-bulky targets).

Glass Pirates are great additions to fort defenses, as they can outrun most ships while guaranteeing one or two volleys (refer to section VI. Clan Wars). Missile defenders are the only assured counter to Rammers.

30 speed is generally enough to keep ahead of and catch up to enemies until the 50s. Then you need to start adding more Nav to make up for the difference between ship speeds. El Toro will be needed if you want to defend in latter levels. If you’re worried about dying, then be a Standard Pirate.

Follow the Offensive Commander build until level 35. Do not attempt to defend anchored. Always use as much AP as possible in PvP. Being a Pirate means you won’t have to Explore very much at all. When you are level 35, Aerial Mines, the first effective Missile becomes available. Get a full set and begin fishing with your speed gear on. If you want to attack, anchor down and be sure to attack non-anchored targets such as Explorers and Traders. BE SURE TO SWITCH BACK TO SPEED GEAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER YOU FINISH ATTACKING YOUR PORTS' TARGETS TO AVOID RETALIATION.

Offensive Engineers are similar to Vc. Defensive Commanders and Standard Pirates, only differing because they have more HP. So why bother? Because Engineers have lower salvage costs.

Stats: 2 Gun, 1 Nav. Reset at 50 for 3 Gun…

Funny how Glass Pirates have similar stats to Offensive Engineers. Anyways, I personally believe that one can rely on your natural Craft stat bonus to keep you alive for early levels.

As with all Nav builds, get 3 Nav every level until 10. It will help you in catching targets up into the 40s. Pump the rest into Gun. You may use your reset at 50, unless you want to use Subcannons until level 70.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Battle Royale 4-10 → Katana 3-10.

You play exactly like a Vb. Offensive Commander. Indeed, you will have similar stats until you reset, giving you more HP and Gun. This allows you to defend better, but you have no Nav, meaning Subcannons aren’t as viable.

If you go with the Nav, then you can probably use Subcannons to a certain extent; I fail to see why you would pick Engineer if you plan to go this route, except for the AP efficiency. As usual, exercise caution and try to attack non-Nav classes. I personally wouldn’t bother with Nav, though some Engineers like to use Subcannons with their immense bulk to overpower slower enemy ships.

A cow of the sky, the entire purpose of this build is to have so much HP that an equivalent ship cannot kill you in three rounds. Meanwhile, you pound away with Cannons, hoping for a kill.

Stats: 3 Gun. Reset at 46 for 2 Gun 1 Craft.

The early Gun is to help you level faster. Play like a Vf. Offensive Gun Engineer. Switch at 46 when you begin fishing. Refer to IVaa.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-5 → Aegis 7-10 → Obsidian Destroyer 6-10 → Goliath 2-10.

I would like to say that this plays like a Vc. Defensive Commander, but it doesn’t. See, unlike the Defensive Commander, you have no Nav at all, so your offensive options will be sorely limited to Cannons. On defense though, feel free to mix and match Cannons, Subcannons, and Rams for maximum damage; I recommend you exercise some degree of uniformity.

Remember that at level 50, a 50 speed defender using Cannons will always be in range of his target.

I recommend you play like a Vd. Standard Pirate.

This is the all-Nav Engineer that I personally use, combining the AP efficiency of an Engineer with the deadly power of Rams. First and foremost: you are not an Explorer. There was once upon a time when speed gear was so powerful that people could not catch targets that are not anchored on the first volley. Hence, ramming ships had bulk to survive two volleys rather than one.

That being said, this is usually used for defensive purposes these days. The Engineer’s decreased salvage optimizes fishing. Though I personally have found it very useful in Clan Wars. I tend to play when my ship auto-salvages or my AP is about to hit the cap.

Stats: 3 Gun. Reset at 54 for 3 Nav.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-5 → Merchant O'War 8-10 → Obsidian Destroyer 6-10 → Endeavor 4-10.

Here is the item build for level 54:

2x Giga Drill Breaker 1x Ramming Piston 1x Battering Ram Armored Expansion Mass Anchor

Switch the Battering Ram for a Giga Drill Breaker by level 60 and add a Guardian Totem. You cannot attack until level 60, if you insist on trying to, and then, only if you get an El Toro.

Just a word of warning, you will probably not be able to catch anything with Nav that is using level 60 gear.

By level 63, you will be switching to Obsidian Destroyer.

Every three levels henceforth, you will be switching a Giga Drill Breaker with a Pile Driver. It will be expensive, but it's the only way to make things fit.

During Clan Wars, attacking at 85-100 speed makes you an ideal slow attacker; you get the damage of Rams with the bulkiness of an Engineer. If they are 50 speed, then you're plow into them the first round. If they are semi-slow (an idiotic strategy, by all accounts) with Cannons or Missiles, then you'll just have to put up with the hits, which is easy to do with your high HP. Otherwise, you'll just go straight through.

By level 79, you can switch to an Endeavor to be a more standard rammer.

The writer of this guide still uses this build.

At the time of the writing of this guide, this is possibly the most imbalanced build past level 60. New Rams increase this style of play’s viability to rival Cannons. When Chainsaw Blades become public, it might be even scarier!

Stats: 2 Gun 1 Craft. Reset at 60 for 3 Nav. Tweak Craft henceforth.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Cargo Dirigible 5-10 → Endeavor 4-10.

You will be using Cannons in the beginning due to weight and speed constraints. You will not invest in any Nav due to the natural stat growth of Explorers. Refer to Vb. Offensive Commander for playing style.

But if you insist on early ramming, go all Nav. You want to use a Merchant O' War for 40-60 Ramming. By 45, one Giga and two Batterings should suffice. By 51, two Gigas and one Battering; Duelist Crest, Outriggers, and Demon Sail are mandatory. By 60, switch to Cargo Dirigible with three Pistons.

At level 60, Cargo Dirigibles have enough capacity to carry 3 Pistons and all of the speed gear at that level. Avoid Giga Drill Breakers. They have problems being recycled. By level 66, you should switch entirely to Pile Drivers.

Essentially, you can stick to all-Nav until you feel you can no longer sustain this build. Then you need to reset to get the Craft needed to withstand two volleys yourself. But for the most part, this will not happen except for brief periods, such as between 75-79 before you get your fourth slot.

Gun Explorers are good only for exploring… Refer to Ve. Glass Pirate if you want to use Missiles. Good for a multi.

Stats: 3 Gun.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-8 → Albatross 1-7 → Vanguard 2-10 → Battle Royale 4-10 → Katana 3-10

Basically, you won’t need much Craft since you’re trying to PvE without being hit. You can skimp on speed gear, just load as many Rams and Subcannons as possible onto your ship.

Refer to Vi. Nav Explorer if you want an offensive ramming build. It is the exact same build. The only advantage of being a Trader is the additional HP and the ability to trade (refer to IVd. Trading). No small disadvantage, as rammer gear is usually very expensive. But then again, with the possibility of finding an El Toro, no big advantage either.

Refer to Vh. Nav Engineer if you want a defensive ramming build. The stat build is revised to match the Engineer’s though; 1 Craft, 2 Nav; you can stop investing in Craft by level 54. The only advantage of Vh. Nav Engineer is the decreased salvage and repair costs that optimize its fishing ability. The advantage of using a Trader is the ability to trade and the flexibility to change your stats as needed.

Gun Traders are good only for gold-farming. Refer to Vb. Offensive Commander or Ve. Glass Pirate. Good for a multi.

Stats: 2 Gun, 1 Craft.

Ship Progression: Windrider 1-10 → Enterprise 1-10 → Cargo Dirigible 1-10 → Endeavor 4-10

Trade your way to 20! Trade, trade, and trade! Buy lots of resources and dump it all onto the market!

*Under Construction*

This document is the sole property of Michael Lee. This guide may not be hosted on a site unless express permission is given by the aforementioned author; this document may be posted if the author is accredited. Acquiring and redistributing this guide for monetary purposes is illegal and the author reserves the right to legal action, as described in the United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DCMA). Michael Lee reserves the right to refuse this guide from being hosted on any site or located on any search engine.

I know there is a MWBS Wiki Guide out there. Under the provisions I have set forth, it is fine if you want to use my material, but you will have to accredit me. And revisions to it must be discussed with me. I would hate for people to be a victim of collateral misinformation.