Blunderbuss Nerf

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    The Blundy is ridiculously unbalanced. It's the only instakill weapon, it's the only weapon that deals partial damage if you miss, it's the only weapon with knockback (sword lunge, I know, I'll get to that.) It's perfect for ladder camping. It hard counters the Cutlass and the Eye of Reach. It's instakill means players are often killed from full health without ever seeing their enemy. Coincidently (or, perhaps not coincidently), it's the easiest weapon to use on top of everything else!

    Is your opponent trying to snipe you? Bunnyhop over and 1 shot them! Is your opponent trying to sword lunge you? Just sidestep, let them be immobilized next to you, and one shot them! Is your opponent stabbing you? Just pull the tigger to 1 shot them! Is your opponent on the deck? Just land a single pellet and they'll go flying off! Are they trying to get back on? Just 1 hit them as they reach the top! Does your opponent have their back turned, or they just spawned? Easy one hit! Has your opponent resorted to sprinting around the ship? Just spam RT, they'll die eventually even if you miss. Do you not know how to aim a gun? You don't need to!

    It's ludicrous. This gun is the easiest to use and the best for almost everything. It's boring to play with and frustrating to play against. It overshadows all the genuinely fun weapons. I think it'd have an interesting place if it didn't do much damage, and was more focused on it's knockback, but as it is it's just the must-have weapon. In fact, it's so obviously unbalanced and easy to use that I can't help but wonder if it's deliberately there to reduce the skill gap.

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  • BKJ7 v2
    Marauder
    Insider

    I completely agree. It's so frustrating to go up against, drives me crazy. It seems everyone is using it right now too. Guess I should join them....a nerf would be nice though. Remove the 1 shot kill ability and/or remove the knock back. Preferably the 1 shot kill but to have the ability for both is a bit ridiculous. It wasn't as bad when you could knock them back with the other guns. As of now there really isn't much you can do if they have a blunder and you don't, assuming they are decent players.

  • dotcomrobots
    Master
    Insider

    All weapons have their own share of good and bad.

    You just need to learn how to counter each one of them. Don't stay close to an enemy if he/she is using a Blunder. Don't try to close fight it with a gun.
    A sword might be an option against it on close fights because you can easily rotate and jump around your target therefore making yourself hard to hit.

    The Eye of reach destroys the Blunder on mid/long distances such as water/island fights. The Flintlock is even more deadly, 50% damage from quite long distances and a very fast reload time, very easy to aim with it as the visiblity on ADS is very clean.

    The Blunder is useless on mid/long distances, you have to be quite close to make a decent amount of damage. The visibility with this weapon isn't that great and the pellet hits are quite random past a certain distance. Close range is deadly for sure... but don't be fooled, this weapon can sometimes do strange things and a shot you consider deadly could have in fact barely hurt you oponent.

  • PomalotacusMk3
    Master

    Im happy with the damage and range. The knockback should only apply if a certain number of pellets hit...maybe 60 or 70%?

  • Schwammlgott
    Champion

    @wilbymagicbear wow! "Ladder camping"...W T F?! I'd say ladder defending

    Yes, the blunderbuss is a one shot weapon, but only in a range of about 1 meter or less...so don't let them get so close or just move more, don't stay just there...

  • dotcomrobots
    Master
    Insider

    @Schwammlgott Apparently people still don't know how to properly defend their ship.

    A lot of topics popped up recently thinking they could point out flaws in the game but most of them are made by inexperienced players.

    Probably new ones.

  • FaceYourDemon
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    @wilbymagicbear In almost every online game shotgun from point blank kills and it makes sense here aswell.
    and what do you mean ladder camping should we just welcome you to board our ships?
    be more sneaky and less obvious and its one shot from zero range there are alot of disadvantages to the blunderbass.
    So i think you are wrong.

  • BKJ7 v2
    Marauder
    Insider

    @dotcomrobots said in Blunderbuss Nerf:

    All weapons have their own share of good and bad.

    You just need to learn how to counter each one of them. Don't stay close to an enemy if he/she is using a Blunder. Don't try to close fight it with a gun.
    A sword might be an option against it on close fights because you can easily rotate and jump around your target therefore making yourself hard to hit.

    The Eye of reach destroys the Blunder on mid/long distances such as water/island fights. The Flintlock is even more deadly, 50% damage from quite long distances and a very fast reload time, very easy to aim with it as the visiblity on ADS is very clean.

    The Blunder is useless on mid/long distances, you have to be quite close to make a decent amount of damage. The visibility with this weapon isn't that great and the pellet hits are quite random past a certain distance. Close range is deadly for sure... but don't be fooled, this weapon can sometimes do strange things and a shot you consider deadly could have in fact barely hurt you oponent.

    I can't speak for the OP but with respect, ..I base my opinion on fights in confined spaces. Try getting space between two guys on a sloop or three guys on a brig, all with blunders. The galleon isn't as bad, because you have room to maneuver around a little bit.

    Anyone who has been playing this game for a while knows, the blunder is a little overpowered and the easiest weapon to use in the game. It doesn't require much skill if we are being honest here. But it can become a nightmare when a good crew all uses one in confined spaces, which is the meta right now.

    Most fighting in this game takes place on ships, not land...That's why it's an issue. When I get on board a boat and get knocked off when they blunder me from 20 feet away, I think that's a bit ridiculous, no? Or a full crew running after me with blunders, what's the play there?

    I usually use pistol or snipe but they removed the knock back from them, so they become useless on ships, and they take more skill to use. Doesn't seem completely balanced, does it? You don't think it could be tweaked a bit?

    I like the idea above, you should have to land most of your pellets to get knock back....maybe something along those lines would make the game a little better? I can live with the one shot kill, even though I don't think it should. I'd personally like to see it do 80 or 90 damage, max. I mean, they nerfed double gun to remove the "one shot kill". Seems silly the easiest gun in the game can kill you with one shot, doesn't it?

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @faceyourdemon In other shooters, you can gun people down before they get close with the shotgun. In Sea of Theives, with it's high TTK and bunny hopping meta, that isn't going to work.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @dotcomrobots Never said ladder-camping was bad. That's a conclusion you've drawn independently of me. (And by the way, there's a badge right next to my name that tells you I was playing a year before you were)

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @schwammlgott You can call it whatever you want. On a confined space, (a ship), you can't just keep away from them. Any experinced player will bunnyhop while you're trying to shoot them then one shot you when they've closed the gap. Running away from them will lead you to a dead end, and you'll be taking partial damage the whole way. That's assuming of course that you weren't instakilled or blown off the ship by a single poorly aimed pellet.

  • Ghostpaw
    Legend

    If you truly believe the blunderbuss is “the best for almost everything” then grab one and have a ball. The truth is, it is only effective in close combat and nearly useless with any distance.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @dotcomrobots Most fights are at close range. How often do you fight on land or in the water? There is no counterplay to someone bunnyhopping over to you and one shotting you, short of blunderbussing them first. There's no counterplay to someone aiming near you and sending you off the ship.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @ghostpaw Done and done. I just finished my pistol and EOR commendations and suddenly, I'm able to crew wipe again. Trouble is, I don't really like using it, it's a very simple weapon. The pistol and EoR are way more fun, but not nearly as good.

  • dotcomrobots
    Master
    Insider

    Using the word "camping" for someone defending his ship sounds off, especially in SoT. Somehow the word camping has a meaning nowdays with a rather negative echo to it.

    Defending your ship might require you to constantly check the ladders while your crew makes sure your ship doesn't sink. So yes, in a way you could call that a "camp" strat, but it's not a coward move. It's just essential and part of the PvP dynamic. On top of that 2 ladders can be hard to defend if the oponent players know what they are doing.

    Arena fights are the most versatile ones: land, water & ships. I tend to agree that most of them occur in ships, therefore placing the Blunder as the weapon of choice, but other situations could be fatal to you without the proper gun in your hands.

    I myself, tend to forget to adapt my weapon set according to the situation, so yeah I quickly came to realize the importance that. Mostly after my death despite having a Blunder in my hands :)

  • EllisGoodenough
    Master

    I play with Blunderbuss and the Pistol when I know I'm not going to PvP on a Brig or a Sloop, because it's the only two times when I'm in a confined space where I know I can't get enough space between me and the ennemy. So I take the sword and Blunderbuss, if I don't oneshot the guy, I'll finish him with the sword. And any other time, if the players are trying to use the Blunderbuss on me, I'll two shot them with the pistol while jumping around when I reload.

    One of the weaknesses of the Blunderbuss is that everyone that has no skill relies on it and will only try to run you over with that. Unless you're boarding a brig or a sloop you can easily kite any ennemy trying to get to you with this weapon. The weapon is almost completly innefective if you're not hugging the other pirate, so use the environement to put obstacles between you and them. On a galleon, if people try to jump me with it, I'll run around the jail, the map table or the stairs, jump into the captain's room or climb into the crow's nest. You may have played one year earlier than us, you still sound unexperienced in that matter.

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    Yes the blunder is powerful in one players hands, and the other weapons are powerful when used as a team.

    This concession is needed to balance solo play to some degree, though i do use it to wipe crews when boarding from a galleon, and it is by far easier when boarding alone to use a blunderbuss over ranged firearms. This is the point.... dont let me aboard... (raisable ladders?)

    If anything maybe nerf the ammo count to 3 if you want the Blunderbuss nerfed...

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @a-cranky-eskimo Blunderbuss is perfect for mowing down solo players on the run without even aiming. It's perhaps the best weapon against a single player.

  • QuietRobot
    Champion
    Insider
    Founder

    Blunderbuss damage should be no more than 50% and leave 90/100% for the eye.
    What is the point of having a lot of variety of fruits, recovery of life ... if you can not use it given the damage of the weapons?

  • contentzilla
    Ship Mate

    I think the nerf they did the Blunder was perfect, it use to be good at range but now it's not and is only a 1 shot kill if they are literally at zero distance. The counter is obvious, don't let your enemy get close to you and eat food when they do partial damage to you and shoot back with pistol or sniper. Easy.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @contentzilla said in Blunderbuss Nerf:

    I think the nerf they did the Blunder was perfect, it use to be good at range but now it's not and is only a 1 shot kill if they are literally at zero distance. The counter is obvious, don't let your enemy get close to you and eat food when they do partial damage to you and shoot back with pistol or sniper. Easy.

    Most fighting is done in kissing range. Your enemy will get close when they back you into a corner, or you aim a gun, or grab food, or refill ammo.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @quietrobot I'd like of it did 50% damage but was still a knockback king. Keeps it interesting, and it counters the sword stunlock.

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
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    Founder

    @wilbymagicbear said in Blunderbuss Nerf:

    @a-cranky-eskimo Blunderbuss is perfect for mowing down solo players on the run without even aiming. It's perhaps the best weapon against a single player.

    Without aiming lol? Ok👌... its all about skill and i can use it to singlehandedly kill entire crews aswell, something that is much harder to do with a sword paired with any other weapon.

    And the game is still designed to pretty much allow a solo player to pick their battles, and have a chance at defending from boarders... if they remove the blunderbuss 1 shot capability and dont rebuff the sword or nerf cannon splash damage range and knockback, or add the ability to raise ladders or call mermaids at will to prevent instant loss scenarios from being knocked overboard, having the blunderbuss as a last tool when all other plans fail is very useful to a solo player.

    Im not saying you are wrong about it being good at killing a solo player too, but without any one shot option they are at a much more severe disadvantage to teamwork, and with less or no small arms defensive ambush tactics, with the sword in the state it is in.

    I know the game wasnt designed around solo players but again something like this would be a better balance.

    4 player crew get only 2 shots before reloading, 2 and 3 player get 3, and solo gets 5.

    Use other weapons to pve or the sword becomes a necessity, and the blunderbuss a more reserve weapon.

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @a-cranky-eskimo There are a million ways to balance solo play (if it should be balanced at all) Let's pick one that doesn't ruin the weapon balance.

  • Approvedjoey
    Ship Mate
    Insider

    Do you want some pepper with that salt? But seriously it’s fine as it is. It does what it’s supposed to do and it’s dependent on the player whether or not it’s good. The game has gotten a pretty big skill gap since all the updates and honestly the blunderbuss is only good in certain situations like watching ladders and PvE. The meta is more towards pistols or snipers because they are way more consistent but if you find a player with great aim with the shotgun then yeah they’ll wreck you with a lucky shot at sword distance.

  • Vaca Hombre
    Champion
    Boatswain
    Founder

    @wilbymagicbear said in Blunderbuss Nerf:

    @a-cranky-eskimo There are a million ways to balance solo play (if it should be balanced at all)

    -- solo player pokes head into thread --

  • A Cranky Eskimo
    Master
    Insider
    Founder

    @wilbymagicbear said in Blunderbuss Nerf:

    @a-cranky-eskimo There are a million ways to balance solo play (if it should be balanced at all) Let's pick one that doesn't ruin the weapon balance.

    Well, just kegged and sunk a gally of legends in my duo sloop, they ran up on us during a fort... cant say that even 3v1 as it was when i boarded.. that it was worse against me, any more than it was a helpful tool i used, while boarding solo.

    It only shines in close quarters or as an ambush weapon anyways. Seems balanced to me to be better than the other weapons at the one thing it can do lol...

  • WilbyMagicBear
    Ship Mate
    Insider
    Founder

    @approvedjoey I'm basing this more on how I use it than how others use it. The blundy is the king for ship combat (90% of combat)

  • Papy Pitch
    Commander
    Insider

    I, too, feel like the blundy is still a little too much as it is right now. Everytime I get a PVP encounter, everyone is using it.
    When the game launched, it also was like this. Then they nerfed it, the pistol and EoR duo took the lead and now it's the blundy all over again. I find it pretty rare to find anyone using anything else when a pvp encounter begins. Be that on land or on a ship.
    Everyone is just jumping like crazy until they are at range.

    I use EoR and pistol when I'm on my ship and I see someone in the water trying to reach my ship. But it could be considered a more valid tactic to take the blundy and just wait for him to try to get on board and 1-shot him :)
    Eor and pistol are also useful against skeletons-boom-box, but that's pretty much it in my opinion.

    That's just my experience with the game.
    But yeah, blundy seems to be the most valid weapons to use whenever pvp-encounters are around.

    And for the argument about solo-players being able to defend themselves with it... I hear that but look it at the other way: everyone on a galleon can use it too. That's 4 people on the same crew with that weapon. That's pretty dangerous in my eyes :D

    Cheers !

  • ViperishEmu2992
    Marauder

    It's the best weapon for a ship fight for sure. A bit less handy on Islands, in the water or for Powder Keg Skellies.

    They should probably nerf it's max damage to 90%.

  • D3ADST1CK
    Vanguard
    Insider
    Founder

    If I'm on a role that requires me to be on the ship, I use the blunderbuss. Its the best weapon at stopping boarders, even if it doesn't outright kill them, because of the knockback. Even if they manage to get on, I can still hit them and get a one-shot kill or at least decent damage and push them back then I finish them with the sword.

    If I'm digging chests or engaging pirates on the land, I take the pistol or EoR. Even if I'm boarding an enemy ship I might take a pistol because I know they will likely be using a blunderbuss, so I will try to keep distance anyways. If they are standing at the ladder or along the rails, you can shoot them from the water or you can hit them from a decent range from one end of the ship to the other.

    The blunder damage is fine I think. The spread could possibly be tweaked a little bit. The problem was that it was way too good before, then it was tweaked to be nearly useless. Its in a pretty good spot right now for its role.

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