Sea of Thieves – How to Sword Lunge

Sword Lunge Guide

All credit goes to Banana Puree!

Introduction

As a preface, this guide is not going to instantly make you a god among men in PVP situations. The power of the Sword Lunge in Sea of Thieves lies in its mobility it can provide against unsuspecting players, rather than the pure damage it can do. As a reminder, using this in direct combat is not a very good idea, it should be used to close gaps across when boarding ships, and jumping over gaps in style. 99% of the time it is easier and faster to sprint than to waste time performing a flashy dash that wastes time. Please learn to judge the usefulness of gimmicks compared to the standard core mechanics. That being said, its time to learn a thing or two about Sea of Thieves.

Section 1: What Is a Cutlass?

The Cutlass, more commonly called the sword by players is one of the 4 weapons available to be used. It can be equipped on ships and outposts where a weapon locker can be found, and is open to customization from the numerous skins available in the game. Due to the nature of the Cutlass being a sword it does not require ammo, and is the most common weapon to be used by players because of its reliability in close quarters engagements, and the ineffectiveness of “double-gun” in general play.

Section 2: What Should I Be Using the Sword Lunge for?

In general play, you won’t be using the Sword Lunge much. Let’s be real, how often are you really going to try to board a ship that is too far out to just hop onto? Well that was a joke. Because the real answer is very, very often. Sea of Thieves is a pirate game! You’re going to get chased by ships trying to steal your loot, or maybe you’re bold enough to try to board one yourself. So as a rule of thumb, use it when you are trying to enter close quarters combat, but you are at a distance and need to close the gap. Its also very useful to make it back to your ship from an island and don’t feel like swimming for a minute or two. Landing in water after Sword Dashing will give you a serious speed boost that is vital to learn how to take advantage of if you want to make it in this game. Some might say that its a useless tool for saving those “few precious seconds that you could live without”, but those arguments fail to recognize that this is a game of speed. Every second you spend without thought is one you should be cherishing. The Sword Lunge is going to save you the time needed to make split second decisions with less collateral to your crew. Picture this: your sloop is being chased by a galleon. You could try to swim out at a sluggish pace to anchor the galleon, or you could speed through the water allowing your teammate at the helm to be vulnerable for less time. So basically, use the Sword Lunge for saving those precious moments that are the difference between Pirate Legend and being another oblivious Xbox player.

Section 3: So How Do I Sword Lunge?

Ok, so you read through all of my mad ramblings (or just skipped to this section) because you wanted the meat of the article, I get it. So I may as well teach you the secrets of Sword Lunging:

1. Look at where you want to go.
2. Hold right click.
3. Click left click while still holding right click.
4. Press spacebar after you start moving forward.

Yeah, a bit anticlimactic I know. You expected more- some crazy combination of keys and mouse flicks that took years of practice and testing to perfect? Yeah well it took me about 5 minutes to learn to do consistently. But, if you do feel like styling on a solo sloop guarding his 2 Castaway Chests with everything he holds dear and near, yeah it looks cool. Make sure to take some time to practice this and where you can jump from.

Section 4: General Notes

1. You cannot Sword Lunge while carrying an item.
2. Sword lunges can be very predictable. If you are fighting someone worth their salt, play smart.
3. Once you start a Sword Lunge, you have commit to it. There is no canceling your action.
4. The Sword Lunge isn’t great for escapes, as it takes a moment before the action starts.
5. When boarding from the front of your ship after it has rammed the other ship, jump off onto the other ship instead of Sword Lunging. You will fly off into the water and look like an idiot.
6. Your mermaid will give you away if you want the element of surprise. The enemy ship will know you are there if they spot your mermaid.
7. If you can, try to board the enemy ship on the opposite side of where you launched from relative to your position compared to the enemy ship. They will expect you to board on their side from where you launched from, and will likely be waiting for you.

Section 5: Closing Statements

It may sound cheezy, but practice really does make perfect. This game balances itself by allowing personal skill to overcome the skill and cooperation of a team. This trick can give you the edge needed to sink that pesky brig, or anchor that sloop that you can’t catch. You need to spend time learning how to Sword Dash effectively and consistently. Just reading this guide wont make you the unstoppable flying swashbuckling, wifecuckling pirate that we all fear will set their eyes on our ship. But, hopefully, with enough time and practice, it will help you overcome the challenges posed by the game and its players. That being said, have fun with your new trick.