Combat is a tactical affair involving wind direction, sail setting, and ammo types. You have grapeshot for shredding enemy crew, chain shot for destroying rigging, and cannonballs for hull damage. The player must manually aim broadsides, judging distance and travel time.
However, the game offers a duality in gameplay. Once you close the distance and grapple an enemy ship, the perspective shifts to third-person sword combat. While the land-based sword fighting is arguably the game's weakest element—often feeling floaty and imprecise—the boarding actions are high-stakes gambles where the crew numbers and the stats of your officers determine the outcome.
