Front Page - Message from the Editor & "Cutpurse & xPROx"
Page 2 - Global Event Gossip
Page 3 - Fully Rigged Ship Battle Scenes & Getting to Know the Crew
Page 4 - Rapid Ranking
Page 5 - Liberia and Lichenstein
Page 6 - Piracy Timeline

Captain Da Vinci wrote:Madshan recently spent two weeks studying various techniques in Rapid Ranking after accidently becoming a Piarte. She spoke directly with Clockwork and Captain Da Vinci to get their perspectives on how to make the process more efficient. Using the information below, Madshan was able to complete her second ever Nation Ranking in 34 minutes, 11 seconds. Prior to making this attempt, she had only completed ranking up through one nation, while simultaneously learning the game mechanics during her first month as a player.

There are 7 Nation Missions in Pirates Glory. Once you have competed the missions to become a citizen of a country you may choose to complete missions for higher ranking titles While it is not neccessary to complete these missions in record time, knowing how to do so can be useful should you need to rank up in a hurry.

Nation Ranks
The Nation Mission Ranks, advantages, nation loyalty, and nation power (votes) include:

1) Captain (Military) - Recruitment cost less (25% cheaper), 20 loyalty, 1 vote
2) Major (Military) - Ship repairs cost less (25% cheaper), 30 loyalty, 1 vote
3) Colonel (Military) - Ship building costs and cannon purchases cost less (15% cheaper), 40 loyalty, 1 vote
4) Admiral (Military) - Further bonus to recruitment cost (+25% for a total of 50% cheaper), 50 loyalty, 1 vote
5) Baron (Noble) - Further bonus to ship repair costs (+25% for a total of 50% cheaper), 60 loyalty, 5 votes
6) Count (Noble) - Further bonus to ship building costs and cannon purchases (+15% for a total of 30% cheaper), 80 loyalty, 5 votes
7) Marquess (Noble) - Ship upgrades cost less (10% cheaper - not port specific, you get anywhere). You will be rewarded with a Man o War for your first successful rank up. 100 loyalty, 5 votes

You can have titles to only one nation at any given time. If you attempt to gain titles to a new nation, you must first forfeit all your titles at your previous nation. Your starting title in a nation is citizen. Many rank bonuses apply only to ports controlled by your nation. This is why it is important for your nation to control ports. All rank bonuses add up. For example, as a Colonel you get both the 25% cheaper recruitment and the 25% cheaper building costs.

For Rapid Ranking, the clock starts ticking as soon as you complete the Captain mission, and runs until you complete the Marquess mission and accept the title. Please note that you do NOT want to rank to Marquess for the first time until you are able to protect the Man of War ship that is awarded for your first Marquess rank prize.


Nation Missions
For each rank there are a series of Nation Missions worth an increasing number of Loyalty Points. Every Nation Mission includes multiple components that give you loyalty points towards the Nation Mission. The types of tasks and actions required include:

- Increase influence in a port: Go to Court > Build Up the Port > gc = 10.2x influence required
- Exterminate port population: Use Black Death voodoo
- Port Population Growth: Use Transport Immigrants voodoo (This is Nation-Specific and will only appear if your nation controls a port)
- Defeat specific NPC Enemy: Go to Plunder > Non-Player Fleets (does NOT require Patrol). NPC will appear and remain at one of the 21 ports until defeated.
- Defeat Enemies: generally has two options: you may attack PvP players who are hostile to your nation OR you can Patrol for NPC fleets and earn ranks for defeating NPC fleets that fly the flags of hostile nations.

Resources
In order to rank from Captain to Marquess, you will need to have:

- Turns: a conservative minimum of 300 turns will be required. Ideally you should have 400 turns stored, with the option to purchase 200 more if necessary.
- Gold coin: roughly 12M in your purse should get you through the port influence missions
- Ships: you will need to have ships in EVERY PORT but you have a few options

- Scout fleets (21) in every port + a Battle Fleet (1) capable of defeating the NPCs + Flying Dutchman every time you need to move the Battle Fleet. Scout Fleets can be a single Cutter or Sloop
- Battle Fleets (21) in each port, which obviously are useful later on. No additional voodoo is needed to transport.
A couple of frigs and cutters will suffice for most NPCs. The last two NPCs will require multiple hits with anything less than SotLs, however, so one big fleet with some FD may save you some time.
- Ravage Fleet (1) in one port, with enough Ravage Voodoo to light up fleetless ships in a specific port. Your Ravage Fleet can be a single Sloop because it is only hitting unarmed Merchant ships.
- Voodoo: you have some options in terms of securing targets to attack as Enemies of your nation, and you will need additional Voodoo to complete some missions

- Black Death (REQUIRED: ~12): have a dozen on hand for reducing port population. Each BD will reduce the population by 1%, so the number you will need varies.
- Spy Network (1 per target player): either cast new or pull from your guild to find a suitable player with fleets that you can use. You will need specific ship IDs if you choose to use Ravage.
- Urban Legends (1 per target player): one UL will increase nation hostility for one player, useful for targeting a specific player as your PvP Enemy. Don't forget to cast it BEFORE you start your missions!
- Favorable Winds (5), Flying Dutchman (# moves): if you need to move fleets
- Disfavor (1 per target player) / Ravage (30 to 45): Identify an inactive player with at least 30 level 2 ships not in fleets. Disfavor will reduce their danger drop by half, so that when you Ravage their ships into a fleet you can get two attacks as opposed to just one.
- Bless (2) / Drums of War (2): can improve your attacks but aren't really necessary.
- Other Voodoo for PvP enemies will include all the regular stuff: Fugitive of Justice, Hostile Natives, Swarm of Worms, Ambush, etc.

Strategy
Well, that would be telling wouldn't it? At the most basic, the strategy is simply to use the above resources to complete the tasks for each Nation Mission. The instructions are all given in the mission details. Beyond that it is a matter of figuring out the best order for completing the missions and the best PvP targets to use and how to get them onto the Plunder board. You do not have to use Voodoo on other players in order to complete the Nation Rank missions, but some Voodoo may make it easier for you. This is a personal choise.