@thenumerator78 Hoisting an Athena Emissary flag makes you a prime target. Athena loot is the most prized in the game. As an emissary, you get greater rewards, but with greater risk. That's the way it's supposed to work.
I'll tell you something. I freely admit my crew and I are not the best at PvP. Sure, we've gotten a lot better in our years of playing Sea of Thieves. We've won our fair share of fights. But we've lost more than our fair share, too. There are always better players. Oh, yes. We've been sunk. A lot.
Nevertheless, I've made it to PL-20. My crewmates aren't far behind. We've run a lot of Athena voyages. And I'm here to tell you. In three years of sailing the Sea of Thieves, we've never...ever...lost a Chest of Legends.
"But how, Captain Heather?" I hear you ask. I'll tell you.
Probably 90% of the Athena voyages we've ever done have been in the Devil's Roar. Why? Several reasons. The obvious one is the Ashen Chest of Legends is worth more (a lot more). So the value of your time is almost doubled. Secondly, you're far less likely to run into random crews on the prowl. Because of the ever-present gloom in the Roar, you're less likely to be spotted by ships that aren't also in the Roar. For whatever reason, many people just don't like going there. I personally don't get it, but that's the way it is. Thirdly, you can actually complete an Athena voyage faster in the Roar. The islands are mostly always the same, and the sailing time between them is far less than going all across the map on regular voyages (as sometimes happens). Plus, since you'll have fewer ship-to-ship encounters...you have more time to focus on the voyage.
"But Captain Heather, what about the volcanos?"
Pfft. What about them? With a little experience you'll learn to easily avoid catastrophe. They can slow you down a little but as long as you stay on point and make the most efficient use of your time...any time lost to volcanoes is more than made up for by the other advantages of the Roar.
"But what happens when a ship finds you anyway?"
This is always a risk, no matter where you are. It's less of a risk in the Roar, but it's bound to happen eventually. Here are some tips.
While you're in the Devil's Roar, stop at Morrow's Peak and pick yourself up a handy-dandy Shroudbreaker (by dropping the final Tall Tale, the Shores of Gold). Whatever for, you may ask? If you're pursued by a crew that you know will sink you given half a chance, you can run North into the Devil's Shroud (aka the Red Sea). As long as your pursuers haven't had the forethought to also equip a Shroudbreaker (they almost never do) they won't be able to follow you. You can either wait them out, or try to slip out the West side into the Wilds. You could even try to lure them into the edge of the Shroud and fight them there, giving you a significant advantage.
Next tip. Don't sweat the small stuff. It's all about the big payoff: the Chest of Legends. Keep your eyes on the prize. If all you have left is the final map of where the Athena chest is buried...don't lead them straight to it. Don't mark it on the map. Don't talk about it in game chat. Treat it as Top Secret information. If you are being pursued by a ship, or if there's a ship in the area acting shady...assume they are waiting for you to dig up that chest and steal it. So what do you do?
My crew and I have employed a number of end-game strategies for the Chest of Legends. If the pursuing ship is a sloop (we sail a brigantine) then we know we can easily outrun them. In one recent case, we went ahead and dug up the chest and ran to Galleon's Grave, where my crewmates jumped off and sold it. We repeated this for a few other Athena's trinkets. When we'd sold the most valuable of our cargo, then we turned to fight. This surprised the heck out of them, as they weren't expecting us to fight. In this particular instance, we fought them to a draw. We eventually gave each other GGs and parted company amiably. We've won some and we've lost some. But we've never given up a Chest of Legends.
Another good end-game strategy is the rowboat play. It's really easy. One or two members of the crew sail the ship away, leading the pursuers on a merry goose chase. Another uses the rowboat to reach the final map, digging up the Chest of Legends and rowing it to the nearest outpost. Works like a charm. Of course one must be careful that the other crew doesn't see what's happening, or the game's up. Note that this strategy works well in combination with the Shroudbreaker ploy. You can completely thwart your adversaries.
By the way, be sure to get in the habit of doing "security sweeps" (as we call them) aboard your ship. This is to make sure you don't have any stowaways hiding on board, waiting to gank you as soon as you dig up the Chest of Legends. Check all the common hiding spots, behind the cannons, against walls, inside stacks of loot, the rear corners, behind the helm, etc. Don't just trust your eyes; use your sword to hack at potential hiding spots. Blunderbombs can work too. Always do this at key points (like before sailing to your final map) or when you've seen other ships behaving suspiciously. This is a very common ploy but easily avoided with a little diligence. If you get in a battle and appear to have won, keep in mind someone might have used that as a ruse to get aboard and tuck on your ship. Routine security checks can save you a lot of heartbreak.
Along the same lines, be sure that any outpost you sail up to doesn't have any telltale mermaids around. If you see rowboats at an outpost, assume someone's hiding there. Don't stop the ship until you are sure it's safe. Even then, it's not a bad idea to toss a couple blunderbombs into the tavern before taking your prize in there. You don't want to hand-deliver your Chest of Legends to a sneaky scallywag waiting inside.
As long as you think ahead you shouldn't get into any situation you can't recover from. The ship doesn't matter. The loot doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is the Chest of Legends. I'm not saying to abandon your Athena loot at the first sign of trouble. But keep it all in perspective. An Ashen Chest of Legends is worth more than all the trinkets you'll collect on a typical Athena voyage. If you get sunk and lose it all, don't despair. Just play it smart and get that chest any way you can.
Go ahead and fly the emissary flag. If you stop to sink some skellie ships, megalodons, etc. then you should make it to Grade IV by the end of your voyage. If you make it that far and still have time, by all means go for Grade V. I suggest staying in the Roar if possible. Either drop another Ashen Athena voyage, or just sail around looking for skellie ships, megalodons, skellie captains, etc. Whatever it takes. If you've seen other ships in the area, are low on time, or just feeling wary for whatever reason, don't hesitate to cash in at Grade IV. That's still a great haul. We've rarely gotten to Grade V because of the time it takes. That said...I remember a night not long ago in which we completed two complete Ashen Athena voyages, and the Grade V bonus voyage. Nights like that make your reputation soar.
A few other points.
Unless you're a glutton for punishment, I'd avoid the Athena Run of Thieves Haven. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a fun voyage (I may be alone in that!). But that's the first place hunters look when they see an Athena Emissary on the table. You're almost certain to get jumped at least once while doing that voyage. If you can handle that, then by all means...run the voyage and have fun. But if you're looking to avoid conflict...look elsewhere.
I get it. Maybe you hate the Roar. Maybe you long for beautiful sunsets, soft white beaches, and palm trees. There's nothing wrong with doing standard Athena voyages if you need a break from the gloom. But remember that you're quite likely to run into other ships, at least one of which is bound to give you trouble. That's life on the Sea of Thieves. You're better off getting to know and love the Roar.
A word about Gilded Athena voyages. These voyages are the motherload. Always be sure to grab them when they're available, and make sure your crewmates do, too. But everybody knows about them. So you need to be smart. Number one, don't ever do a Gilded Athena the same weekend it drops. Never never never. Everybody will be out looking to gank people doing Gilded Athenas. And gank you they will. Tuck that voyage safely in your voyage inventory. Keep it there and don't slap it down until there's a Gold & Glory weekend. Then your coveted Gilded Athena will be worth double. While it's true there will be hunters about during Gold & Glory, there will also be lots of people minding their own business trying to take full advantage of the extra gold and reputation. Hoist your emissary (if you dare) and go for the gusto. The same rule applies about keeping your eyes on the prize. It's all about that final map. Nobody will know where your final map is (as long as you remember what I said about treating it as Top Secret), so that gives you the advantage. Whatever else happens...you should be able to reach those yummy Chest of Legends and turn them in. Don't be deterred. If it takes having someone sail your ship across the sea to keep scurvy pirates busy while you work the island...do it. Just get it done. Three Chests of Legends at double rep will put a huge dent in your quest towards Champion of Athena's Fortune.
At the end of the day, please remember that this is the Sea of Thieves. As a Pirate Legend, you are expected to know and accept the risks. It's not meant to be easy. The long slog towards PL-20 is one of the greatest challenges of the game. You will face countless dangers, but none so great as that of other pirates, ruthlessly hunting down their rivals. It's not always about the loot. But their motivation doesn't matter. Your job is to meet the challenge and succeed, no matter what it takes.
That's the advice of Captain Heather. Take it or leave it, but ignore it at your own peril.
And remember...sometimes I'm one of the hunters. Arr!
