Corsairs and Raiders: Handling Dovion's Pirates
Dovion's pirates never sleep. Corsairs, raiders (also known as boarders in the community), skiffs: the server regularly sends waves of scoundrels to sweep the archipelago, and every arrival is announced on screen. For a beginner, that's a source of sinkings. For a savvy player, it's a walking gold dispenser. Let's move you from the first category to the second.
Who's who in the local piracy scene
Dovion's pirate threat comes in several forms, all server-controlled:
- Corsairs: the "classic" naval threat, hostile ships out looking for a confrontation.
- Raiders (boarders): as the name suggests, their business is close combat. Let them close the distance, and you're accepting the duel on their terms.
- Skiffs: small pirate dinghies, the foot soldiers of piracy — weak individually, annoying collectively. They get their own guide.
- And at the top, the legendary event: the Black Pearl, the pirate ship everyone talks about.
They all share one crucial trait: their arrival is announced on screen. Dovion never sets an ambush without warning — it's up to you to decide what to do with the information.
The announcement: three seconds to decide
When the event message shows up, ask yourself three questions, in this order:
- Is my hold full? If yes, your top priority is to sell. Pirates always seem to arrive at the worst possible time for unsecured cargo — it's practically a law of the game.
- Can my hull take the hit? A level 8 Chalutier and a level 45 Dreadnought don't read the same announcement. Be honest about your strengths.
- Where's the value for me? Flee, farm elsewhere while others take the hits, or go for the loot: all three answers are valid depending on the moment.
Turning the threat into income
Here's the secret of the players who smile at these announcements: sinking pirates earns gold. A wave of corsairs is loot coming straight to you, no travel time required. A few principles to cash in cleanly:
- Engage on YOUR terms. Against raiders, keep your distance and let your guns do the talking; don't let them turn the fight into a brawl.
- Use the terrain: islands break approach trajectories and let you carve the wave into small, manageable pieces.
- Keep your ability (E key) in reserve for the moment the wave closes in.
- Watch your greed: other players hear the same announcement. Nothing attracts vultures like a weakened ship in the middle of its pirate feast.
The special case of beginners
If you're just starting out, remember this: pirate events aren't mandatory. The announcements give you the information, the map gives you the space — use both to be somewhere else. A wave of corsairs you survive by avoiding it is just as valid a win as a heroic massacre. Our 10 tips for beginners actually make this a general principle: the free information in the announcements is worth its weight in gold.
And keep an eye on merchant caravans: wherever escorted wealth travels, pirates aren't far behind — the caravan/escort/raider trio is a whole ecosystem.
The scoundrels aren't waiting: Play Dovion for free and decide who, you or the corsair, sails away with the other's gold.