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• Torchlight Infinite SS12 Scent Weaver Sage Build Guide | Is This the Most Broken Hero?

  Dear adventurers, with the arrival of SS12 Lunaria, a lot of new content is coming to us! It is worth mentioning that this is almost the norm in every new season. A new hero is always added to the game, and of course Lunaria season is no exception! This time it's Scent Weaver Sage. The abilities of this new character are not as simple as her appearance. Her extremely high damage and mobility in the final stage will definitely make your jaw drop!

  For example, she can easily stack 40,000 points of armor, more than 130% defense improvement, 50% Injury Buffer, 100% AoE damage bonus, 300% movement speed, and more outrageous and perverted attributes. 

  Although it is almost impossible to activate all of these attributes at the same time, the wide variety and extremely powerful tools Sage has in her hands give her extremely high mobility, allowing her to easily compete in many different build playstyles. Once it enters the later stages and is fully equipped, Scent Weaver Sage can show its extremely terrifying combat capabilities.

  Obviously, Sage is still a growth hero. Although he may be a little hesitant at the beginning compared to other veteran heroes, he will achieve explosive growth soon! Therefore, we guess that this hero will most likely be significantly weakened in SS13, so now is a good time to experience her!

  Next, let us talk about what this Sage hero is capable of and how she stacks up those abnormal attributes.

  

  Elixir Skills System

  In fact, the core of the entire build revolves around the reworked system of Elixir Skills; through these skills, she can choose one as a base to concoct her own customized elixir.

  Custom elixir

  First, you need to choose one of the many options as a starting base for elixir. After configuring it into Hero Trait, you can further add an offensive and a defensive ingredient to it.

  • Offensive Ingredients: Increases extra damage on critical hits; gains a chance to trigger Double Reaps (this even stacks to 100%); automatically applies a layer of debuffs to enemies each time a skill is cast.
  • Defensive ingredients: Add Injury Buffer; Damage Taken as Mana; Physical Taken as Elemental, which also has a chance to stack to 100%!

  It is worth mentioning that once these ingredients are selected and added, they are completely integrated into elixir itself and become an integral part of it. This means that the elixir buffs you stack up through various means will also act on the attributes provided by these ingredients, thus further amplifying their effects.

  Level 45 traits

  In addition, when your character reaches level 45 and unlocks the corresponding traits, you will also gain a means to make these elixir effects last forever.

  Another additional benefit brought by level 45 traits is: you will gain the ability to automatically cast Empower Skills and Curse Skills; moreover, the effects of these automatically cast skills will be dynamically increased according to your flask gain effect, doubling their power.

  However, Elixir Skills themselves cannot be automatically cast through Sage skills. Therefore, you still need to reserve a Preparation support skill for it, or use the season-specific Activation Medium to trigger it manually later.

  Level 75 traits

  For Scent Weaver Sage, the elixir you choose as the base for custom potion is very important, because it will directly affect the hero's skill effects and damage. Among the many options, there are many options with extremely powerful effects.

  Faced with these attractive elixir options, how to choose is indeed a very confusing problem. However, the good news is that this decision-making process will become slightly easier after reaching trait level 75. Because at this point you can unlock and craft a second bottle of custom elixir.

  Although this second bottle of elixir cannot use the same ingredient as the first bottle, it has its own exclusive ingredient pool. For example, you can choose to convert the overflow life recovery into energy shield recovery; or obtain a multiplier bonus that can greatly increase the chance of blocking. Moreover, this second bottle of customized elixir can also enjoy the bonus of level 45 trait, thus achieving permanent coverage of the potion's effect.

  How to improve the elixirs effect?

  Next, let's dive into how to further enhance these elixir effects. In this regard, there are indeed many excellent matching solutions.

  Steel Vanguard

  First, Steel Vanguard is getting a minor rework, aiming to give Sage some additional elixir charge generation speed increases, additional damage bonuses, and some elixir effect buffs.

  However, the real core highlight of this change is the new Tailored Remedy notable talent: as long as you use two or more Elixir Skills at the same time, you can get up to 60% additional Elixir effect bonus.

  If you only use one Elixir Skill, although you can still get Elixir effect bonus, it will come with an extremely severe penalty: the duration of the potion is greatly reduced by 40%. In short, this is definitely a powerful talent with great value. Almost every Sage player will choose to light up this talent without hesitation.

  Unique items

  In addition, Torchlight Infinite SS12 also introduces new unique items specially designed for Scent Weaver Sage: including a pair of new gloves Omni that can provide elixir effect bonus and can permanently maintain an elixir active state; and a new belt Golden Touch with staggeringly powerful attributes. This belt not only provides the defense attributes and life bonus that Sage covets but also greatly increases the rate of charge generation.

  Even for other builds, this is a piece of equipment with excellent attributes. More importantly, if you can use Elixir Skill frequently and continuously, this belt will provide you with a huge damage multiplier.

  Pets & Hero Memory Revival

  In addition, new pets can also provide massive elixir effect bonuses. With the new Hero Memory Revival mechanism, you can also add the elixir effect bonus to one of your Hero Memory to achieve further multiplication of the elixir effect.

  Build gameplay

  Finally, as a new hero, the question you may have been thinking about is: how exactly does she play? What are the build options?

  In fact, it's the projectiles or AoE builds that we think really shine. In SS12, the most powerful build core of Scent Weaver Sage is Chromatic Shot Sage. This build takes full advantage of Sage's unique ability to convert damage into random elements and cause explosions. It improves output efficiency by focusing on high-speed AoE damage clearing, and uses Licorice Note and Basic Scent Bottles to mix ingredients to obtain various buffs, thereby creating a unique and extremely fast-paced gameplay.

  One of the core features of this genre is that it triggers an explosion when killing an enemy, producing a wide range of green AoE damage, thereby achieving an efficient screen clearing effect.

  In addition to this, you can also try armor stacker play in the late game, because we can get a ridiculous amount of armor just by combining armor and defense elixir even with a relatively small investment of Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium.

  Completing an armor stacker with Sage was much easier than the extreme budget required for any other build. And later in the game, since the armor stacker doesn't require anything other than movement speed, you can simply switch to Blurry Steps and Movement Speed ​​potion to get 400% movement speed, making it the single fastest armor stacker variant. You can easily blow up the entire screen in a very satisfying way.

  Whether you want to use Chromatic Shot to clear the screen in one second, or you want to build the most powerful armor stacker at a very low cost, this Sage advanced guide is an essential manual for you to dominate Torchlight Infinite SS12! Good luck!

• ARC Raiders Third Expedition Mechanism Has Been Changed | Forget about Stash Value, focus on damage!

  ARC Raiders is rolling out a major update at the end of April, including a new map and an all-new boss. Around the same time, the third Expedition window is also set to open in late April, making this a very significant moment.

  On April 17, the team released an article titled A Triumphant Exit, which essentially serves as the official announcement for the third Expedition. It lays out the timing for the third Expedition, key adjustments to the seasonal reset, and several welcome changes compared to previous Expeditions. Let's break down the details.

  

  Third Expedition Date

  The specific window for the third Expedition has now been confirmed to open on April 28, aligning closely with earlier estimates. This date also marks the release of Riven Tides update. It will be the first time an Expedition window opens on the same day as a content update - previously, the update would arrive first, followed by Expedition window a day or two later.

  The only difference is that the window will open a few hours after the update goes live. This Expedition window will last for five days. The opening and closing times, by time zone, are as follows:

  • UTC: April 28, 11:00 – May 4, 07:00
  • PDT: April 28, 04:00 – May 4, 00:00
  • BST: April 28, 12:00 – May 4, 08:00
  • CET: April 28, 12:00 – May 4, 08:00
  • AEST: April 28, 21:00 – May 4, 17:00
  • JST: April 28, 20:00 – May 4, 16:00

  Expedition Requirements

  If you've been hoarding wealth or high-value items throughout this season, most of that accumulation has now become largely irrelevant. Unlike previous seasons, where coins and stash value were the final targets for earning top rewards, this Expedition requires you to deal damage to enemies during the window to obtain the highest reward: 5 Skill Points.

  This adjustment is now the standard rule for the current version, whether you are taking part in your first, second, or third Expedition. The number of Expeditions you've completed doesn't matter - what counts is the total damage you deal between April 28 and May 4.

  How to Meet the Damage Requirement?

  To earn all 5 Skill Points for this season, you need to deal damage to any target except the shooting range within the five-day window. This change is clearly meant to encourage active combat. However, the exact damage threshold has not yet been revealed.

  The team has already stated their intention to reform Expedition system, moving away from a monotonous gold grind and reshaping core mechanics such as ARC Raiders blueprints and Skill Point allocation. This shift was therefore to be expected.

  Players who enjoy PvE will need to find ways to eliminate ARC enemies on the map, while PvP players can expect even more chaos and relentless killing during the window. Stella Montis is sure to become a bloody battlefield. 

  Stash Value

  Although your stash value is no longer needed for this Expedition, the catch-up mechanic still relies on coins and stash value for conversion. Similar to the previous Expedition, you can use 300,000 (combined coins and stash value) to make up for each Skill Point you missed earlier. However, you must first obtain the 5 skill points from the current Expedition by completing the damage challenge.

  For example, suppose you earned only 3 out of 5 Skill Points in the last Expedition (missing 2). This time, you complete the damage challenge and earn all 5 Skill Points. If, when the window closes, you have a combined stash and coin value of 600,000, you will receive a total of 7 Skill Points. If you also missed points from the first Expedition, you can continue to catch up, but that will require even more value.

  Last Call

  A major issue with past Expedition windows was that players had to actively confirm and agree to depart within the five-day window. If you missed it, the entire Expedition window became void - no reset, no benefits.

  Now, a new feature called Last Call has been introduced. It allows players who have completed all the prerequisite steps for an Expedition and are only waiting for departure confirmation - even if they missed the five-day registration window - to still depart the next time they log in, after the window has closed and the reset has already taken place.

  The only difference is that because you depart through this option without needing to meet the damage requirement, you will not earn any Skill Points. However, you will still receive the basic rewards, including:

  • Patchwork outfit (evolved)
  • Expedition Indicator icon
  • Stash capacity increase

  More importantly, Last Call also allows you to retain your Consecutive Buffs. If you fail to depart, those buffs would be lost. Last Call gives you one final chance - even if you can't obtain all the rewards, you can still advance your progress and make up for what you missed in the next Expedition window.

  Rewards

  Permanent Rewards

  Patchwork outfit from Expedition rewards will continue to evolve. However, the announcement mentions that the fourth Expedition will feature a completely different appearance. The evolved skin actually already existed in the game files in an unimplemented state after the last Expedition update, and it will now be officially awarded as the reward for the third Expedition. Depending on whether you are participating in your first, second, or third Expedition, you will receive the corresponding version of the outfit.

  Stash capacity: Each Expedition adds 12 stash slots. After upgrading to the maximum capacity:

  • First Expedition: 292 slots
  • Second Expedition: 304 slots
  • Third Expedition: 316 slots

  Each Expedition grants up to 5 Skill Points, plus any additional points you catch up on. Note that you can obtain at most 5 extra points via the catch-up mechanic per Expedition, for a total of 10.

  Consecutive Buffs

  Depending on how many Expeditions you have completed, these buffs will stack cumulatively, up to a maximum of three stacks.

  • General experience bonus: 5% → 10% → 15%
  • Scrappy materials boost: 6% → 12% → 18%
  • Repair value increase: 60% → 70% → 80%

  If you complete the third Expedition but skip the fourth, these buffs will drop back to the base level, and you will need to complete three Expeditions in a row again to restore them to their current tier.

  This third Expedition is certainly more engaging than simply hoarding stash value, but the window is rather short, and many players may miss out. The current approach to Expedition doesn't feel fully mature. Given that the team is considering adjustments to various aspects of the game, these changes may well be temporary.

• Diablo 2 Resurrected Season 14 PTR 3.2 Worldstone Shards, Sunder Charms and Heralds Changes Explained

  While Diablo 2 Resurrected PTR 3.2 primarily centers on adjustments to the Sorceress, the changes to Terror Zones and item drops are just as noteworthy.

  The developers have made several alterations to the drop rate of Worldstone Shards in Terror Zones, as well as to the spawn frequency and loot tables of Heralds. These adjustments directly affect how Sunder Charms are obtained.

  

  Worldstone Shards

  Worldstone Shards serve as a key currency for transforming an entire game session into a Terror Zone. Although PTR 3.2 patch notes merely stated that the drop rate of Worldstone Shards is no longer influenced by player count, testing suggests that the shards now drop far more frequently - roughly once every 5 to 7 minutes. They are practically everywhere. This shift presents both advantages and drawbacks for players.

  For some, an item's worth is tied to its rarity. If shards become so abundant that they start piling up to maximum stack sizes, their trade value will naturally plummet, rendering them about as valuable as a Perfect Gem.

  On the other hand, players who dislike Terror Zone mechanic previously had little control; without shards, Terror Zones would appear randomly across the map. For builds specializing in a specific damage type, certain zones could be an absolute nightmare to navigate.

  With a significantly higher drop rate, players gain the freedom to convert acts into Terror Zones at will. You can stockpile shards from a particular act and activate the terrorized state exclusively in areas that suit your character's strengths, effectively avoiding zones filled with immune monsters or terrible terrain.

  Overall, the high drop rate of Worldstone Shards is a welcome change for casual players. It grants agency and choice rather than forcing everyone to slog through unpleasant areas. Hardcore players focused on peak efficiency may, of course, hold a different view.

  Heralds Spawn Frequency

  According to the official notes, slaying monsters within a Terror Zone will now summon Heralds almost immediately. Based on player testing, the first two Heralds indeed appear with remarkable speed. In a larger area like Halls of Pain, you can often draw out two Heralds without even fully clearing a single floor.

  The issue lies with the subsequent spawns. Once those first two Heralds are called forth rapidly, the frequency for the third and beyond falls off a cliff, even if you clear every last corner of the zone. It essentially reverts to the old, slower summoning rate.

  This front-loaded mechanic inadvertently encourages a min-max approach to farming. Players can enter a Terror Zone, swiftly spawn and defeat the first two Heralds, then save and exit to start a new game and repeat the process. This, of course, runs counter to the intended design goal of having players fully clear Terror Zones.

  To address this, the summoning speed of the first two Heralds could be moderately reduced, while significantly boosting the summoning rate for the third and subsequent Heralds - or perhaps discarding the old summoning logic entirely. Such a change would discourage players from gaming the system by resetting games for the initial drops and would instead reward those capable of clearing entire zones in a single, sustained session.

  Heralds Loot

  The loot table for Heralds has also been revised. Most importantly, Sunder Charms now drop from Level 2 Heralds instead of the previous requirement of Level 4. Furthermore, if a Herald does not drop a Sunder Charm, the chance for it to drop Unique items and Diablo 2 Resurrected Runes is now considerably higher.

  Additionally, when engaging Heralds with a substantial amount of Magic Find, the likelihood of obtaining Unique Rings and Unique Amulets is exceptionally high.

  Sunder Charms

  Given the changes to Sunder Charm drop mechanic, many players have expressed concern that these charms might become overly common. However, based on current testing, there is no immediate cause for alarm.

  First, to farm these charms efficiently, one must be capable of clearing all Terror Zones and taking down Heralds within them. If your physical damage build lacks a Sunder Charm to begin with, surviving and killing Heralds in a zone teeming with physically immune monsters is nearly impossible. Even top-tier builds like Blessed Hammer Paladin can struggle in certain scenarios without a solid gear foundation.

  There have also been rumors about Sunder Charms dropping from regular monsters outside of Terror Zones. During testing, players have yet to confirm any such drops. Whether the actual drop rate is generous remains a matter of individual luck and clear speed.

  Drop Rate from Regular Monsters

  Rumors suggest that the drop rate for Sunder Charms from regular monsters is roughly equivalent to that of a Grand Charm with +1 to Skills. An average player might find only one or two over the course of an entire season, or perhaps three to five with exceptional fortune.

  Some players wonder if finding a Sunder Charm during a Normal difficulty playthrough would disrupt the game's balance. In reality, as long as it does not become a common occurrence, allowing Sunder Charms to drop with an exceedingly low probability during the leveling process does not harm the experience.

  Even with such a charm equipped, a character's power will not see a dramatic leap without the support of other gear. Moreover, if the designers were truly concerned about this, they could simply implement a restriction similar to that of Worldstone Shards, ensuring Sunder Charms only begin dropping after a character has defeated Hell difficulty.

  These are all the item drop and Herald-related changes in Diablo 2 Resurrected PTR 3.2. Overall, these adjustments appear to be positive steps forward, though some finer details may still require further tuning.

• MLB The Show 26 Jackie Robinson Day Players Tier List | A few low‑overall surprises outshine the rest

  This year's Jackie Robinson Day in MLB The Show 26 brings an unprecedented wave of new content, including multiple Storylines cards, several Rookie of the Year cards, a brand-new Collection Reward, and a number of Pack guys.

  Even without using any Stubs to acquire new players, you'll be able to get plenty of free ones. But for Diamond Dynasty, the real question is: do these new cards actually improve your squad? Which ones are worth using? Let's take a closer look.

  

  D Tier

  • 88 OVR Luis Gil: A four-pitch pitcher who underperforms. He can just barely handle CPU opponents, but not recommended for use against human players.
  • 88 OVR Smokey Joe: Similar to Luis Gil. Good velocity but lacks pitch mix; poor overall utility.
  • 88 OVR Dontrelle Willis: Poor control, fastball only 92 mph, and an unimpressive pitch arsenal.
  • 89 OVR Bill Foster: Even slower than Dontrelle Willis, with mediocre control.
  • 88 OVR Jackie Robinson: A giveaway card. Mediocre power potential, not much value.
  • 90 OVR Willie Mays: Hitting stats are average, 86 speed, overall rating propped up mainly by defensive reaction.

  Tier C

  • 88 OVR Michael Fulmer: Good pitch mix, but poor per-nine stats.
  • 88 OVR Leroy Matlock: Most stats on this card are weak, though he has some extra-base ability. Can be used in casual games.
  • 88 OVR Ray Dandridge: Solid defense, consistent contact but no power, not suited as a core hitter.
  • 89 OVR Toni Stone: A contact-oriented second baseman, but severely lacking in power.
  • 89 OVR Judy Johnson: High contact, no power, defense and speed unremarkable. Barely serviceable.
  • 89 OVR Monte Irvin: Can play many positions, but neither offense nor defense stands out. Not effective.
  • 89 OVR Leon Day: Has five pitches, but overall pitching stats are mediocre.
  • 90 OVR Bullet Rogan: Poor per-nine stats, max fastball only 94 mph, pitch metrics average. Contact is decent but power is low.
  • 89 OVR Rap Dixon: Swing is okay, but hitting and defensive numbers are unimpressive.
  • 90 OVR David Justice: Very strong against lefties, but defense and consistency are too poor for a long-term starter.

  Tier B

  • 88 OVR Drake Baldwin: This card is mostly average, but players will use him as a full-time starter rather than platooning, so his ability to hit lefties is a plus. Power numbers aren't the worst, but not good enough either.
  • 88 OVR Andy Cooper: Andy Cooper has five pitches and a nice mix: 4-seam fastball, slurve, screwball, changeup, and sinker. This allows for some variety on the mound, so overall he's usable.
  • 89 OVR Larry Doby: Larry Doby is excellent as a second-base platoon player. He has a good swing and useful quirks. Good stats against righties, but weak against lefties.
  • 89 OVR Oscar Charleston: His swing has always been solid. The rest of his stats aren't the worst, he has some power, and his speed is decent.
  • 90 OVR Hank Thompson: Overall power and contact are not as good as Oscar Charleston's, but like Charleston, he's a left-handed power-type batter.
  • 90 OVR Scott Rolen: His contact and power numbers are decent, but his swing is somewhat poor; otherwise he'd be in A Tier.

  Tier A

  88 OVR Willard Brown

  Low contact, high power, with acceptable speed and defense. Can perform at All-Star or even Hall of Fame difficulty, especially suited for lower-difficulty players.

  89 OVR Ryan Howard

  Excellent as a pinch hitter off the bench. Very good against righties with great power, but struggles significantly against lefties and in low-Vision situations.

  90 OVR Biz Mackey

  Biz Mackey is a switch-hitting catcher with elite defensive stats across the board. All his defensive attributes are around 90, with 93 arm strength, making him the best defensive catcher in the current game meta. His hitting stats aren't bad either.

  90 OVR Corbin Carroll

  Corbin Carroll has maxed-out speed, high contact, and can hit righties. His home-run power is weaker in lefty-on-lefty matchups, but that's not what he's used for.

  92 OVR Carlos Beltran

  Carlos Beltran is a switch-hitting center fielder. His contact numbers are decent, power is a bit low (63 vs RHP), speed reaches 80, making him better suited for a corner outfield spot.

  

  Tier S

  90 OVR Kris Bryant

  Kris Bryant has 91/77 contact, but high clutch makes up for it. His power vs both sides is around 80, with excellent defense and reaction, and he can play multiple positions. He has quirks like First-Pitch Hitter, Dead Red, and Breaking Ball Hitter, and with his excellent hitting attributes, he performs well on All-Star or Hall of Fame difficulty.

  91 OVR John Donaldson

  He doesn't have Outlier Slider or Outlier Fastball, but his 101 mph fastball paired with an 80 mph forkball creates a massive speed differential, making him one of the most effective strikeout pitchers in the current meta.

  94 OVR Jackie Robinson

  Jackie Robinson is clearly S Tier. His attributes are strong across the board, and after parallel upgrades he reaches 105/106 contact, 81/80 power, combined with speed and defense. He can play second base or even shortstop. He also has two core quirks—Dead Red and Breaking Ball Hitter—that make his swing even more effective. Compared to previous years, this may be one of the best Jackie Robinson cards ever.

  This Jackie Robinson Day is the most content-rich in MLB The Show series history. You should prioritize completing Storylines missions to unlock Jackie Robinson Collection Reward card. For players who just want to quickly finish the event program, focus on using the higher-rated Storylines players, while D and C Tier cards can simply serve as filler for missions.

• Windrose Naval Combat Guide: From Skiff to Galleon! Master Reputation & The Unsinkable Ship Meta

  Windrose, a survival adventure game set in the pirate era, not only blends base building and island exploration with intense naval combat. Each player must assemble a loyal and powerful crew and build the strongest ships to survive the brutal naval battles!

  As one of Windrose's core modes, naval combat forms the core gameplay loop for players to progress, gather resources, and consolidate territory in this competitive open-world sea. It seamlessly connects sailing, combat, boarding, and looting; players acquire the various resources needed to upgrade their ships, gradually transforming their vessels from small speedboats into magnificent galleons.

  But in this chivalrous adventure, will you ultimately defeat the powerful pirate leaders and plunder their treasure, or will you unfortunately become a prisoner? In reality, every battle requires players to precisely control ship speed, positioning, and cannon reloading timing, making naval warfare more tactically deep than simply mindless firing.

  Therefore, we'll discuss how to survive intense naval battles and become the ultimate winner, from initial preparation to proper combat, and how to avoid being sunk. Remember, combat in this game, whether on land or at sea, is extremely challenging.

  

  Build a Workshop and be fully prepared

  First, once you have a warship, you need to build Shipwright's Workshop. With it, you can craft cannons, full suits of armor, boarding gear, and upgrade these items.

  Next, you'll need to collect a large amount of materials, including Wood, Plant Fiber for Fabric, and a large quantity of Copper Ores. You'll need to continuously upgrade these items until the required materials change, as this means you need to progress through the game, and this is a good time to consider setting sail. If you don't have much time to gather materials and level up, Windrose boosting for sale on IGGM might be a lifesaver. A professional booster will help you prepare everything, so you can just start fighting anytime.

  Before setting off, there are two more things to craft: a Repair Kit at the workbench, which acts like a bandage for your ship, providing a continuous repair buff over time; and a Grog, also a buff that increases your and your crew's damage, reload speed, or reduces damage taken.

  Now that everything is crafted and upgraded, you're ready to set sail.

  But don't forget to go to the dock before departure, equip all these items on your ship, and make sure to add them to your hotkeys. Now, you're about to embark on your first battle.

  Finding the Combat Rhythm

  Now, make sure you drink the Grog at the start of the battle so you can receive the buff. Then, depending on the number of enemies you encounter, you can choose several different approaches to deal with your first fight. However, the key is to find the right rhythm for shooting and movement.

  Generally, in the early game, we find that using only the sides of the ship is the optimal choice. Each side has its own set of cannons with independent cooldowns. Therefore, we primarily use the front cannons, then the left-side cannons, alternating between them. This is very effective in the early game.

  Of course, if there are many enemies around, you can also use the right-side cannons. Show off your skills! The only thing to note is that this might be disadvantageous when facing a single boss, as you might not be able to turn quickly enough.

  However, you might consider using Chain Shot. This is a type of auxiliary ammunition specifically designed to destroy the sails of enemy ships. To use it, simply aim at the sails at a slightly higher position. If you hit them enough times, a debuff icon will appear on the enemy ship. This indicates that the enemy ship's movement speed is impaired, and its movement range will be significantly reduced. You can use this opportunity to shake it off or continue attacking its rear while it struggles to turn.

  Here's an advanced tip for multiplayer combat: While you can board and loot all the valuable loot once you've destroyed an enemy ship, be aware that not all ships are worth exploring. In fact, just aim for ships with the Pirate Chest icon; if not, fire a few more shots and send them to the bottom of the sea.

  Once you defeat them, you'll not only get the dropped Pirate Insignias, but you can also loot the wreckage and pick up the Repair Kits they often drop, which will help you survive longer in combat.

  Building Reputation 

  Next, as part of the main storyline, you'll arrive in a place called Tortuga. Here you'll encounter two very important types of NPCs: Bounty Agents and Provisioners. You can turn in Pirate Insignias to Bounty Agents to increase your reputation. Once your reputation reaches a certain level, Provisioners will sell powerful items, including full sets of armor and ship upgrade components.

  Provisioners have a variety of materials and items you'll need, including cannons, full suits of armor, and high-level items like Naval Tactics, which provide passive bonuses to your entire ship, such as increased health, increased damage, or even automatic health regeneration when not under attack.

  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, to unlock items at Provisioners, you'll need a premium currency called Piastres, which is practically essential for trading with all merchants. You can obtain them by killing pirates on land and at sea, or by scavenging lost items floating on the surface. However, the best way to acquire these items is actually by selling the artifacts you loot to merchants.

  As the story progresses, once you enter Tortuga, you'll have more opportunities to obtain these artifacts. They can be obtained by killing enemies, appear in some interesting locations, and even Tortuga's inhabitants and pirates will sell them.

  After selling them, you'll have enough Piastres to start unlocking equipment and upgrading your ship.

  All other equipment is up to you; the only thing you really need is blueprint, the key materials for crafting equipment. Be sure to learn these skills in your journal, then craft them at the dock and equip them on your ship. Make sure to make the most of them.

  The beauty of this equipment is that items of blue quality and above gain new passive effects. Ultimately, you'll gain higher damage, faster reload speed, or better damage reduction. Finally, as you delve deeper into the game, you can also upgrade equipment to higher rarities.

  So, if you have a piece of equipment you particularly like and appreciate its passive effect, consider saving up some rare materials to upgrade its rarity. This will upgrade blue equipment to purple and unlock an additional passive effect, making it even more powerful.

  By increasing your reputation and acquiring new equipment, see what interesting configurations you can ultimately create. Ready to begin your pirate legend in the mysterious waters of Windrose? Don't set sail blindly; take this naval combat guide with you and make your pirate career a breeze from day one.

• EA FC 26 TOTS Week 1 SBCs, EVO, Players Leaks | Your team roster needs an immediate upgrade

  Team of the Season release in EA FC 26 this Friday is without question the most significant promo of the year. It will introduce a wave of substantially upgraded players, several of whom will feature four PlayStyle+ traits.

  ToTS promo can completely refresh your squad, which is why virtually everyone playing FC 26 is tracking any news about it. Leakers have indeed shared some exciting details regarding upcoming SBCs and Objectives. Let's dive into what's been revealed.

  

  First Week SBC and Objective Players

  94 OVR Son Heung Min LW (SBC), LAFC

  PlayStyle+:

  • Quick Step
  • Finesse
  • Shot Pinged Pass

  93 OVR Marco Reus CAM (SBC) – LA Galaxy

  PlayStyle+:

  • Low Driven Shot
  • Tiki Taka
  • Incisive Pass

  91 OVR Sergino Dest RB (SBC / Objective) – PSV

  PlayStyle+:

  • Quick Step
  • Pinged Pass
  • Intercept

  91 OVR Troy Parrott ST (SBC / Objective) – AZ Alkmaar

  PlayStyle+:

  • Finesse Shot
  • First Touch
  • Quick Step

  93 OVR Manuel Locatelli CM (SBC) – Juventus

  PlayStyle+:

  • Intercept
  • Technical
  • Incisive Pass

  91 OVR Strahinja Pavlovic CB (SBC / Objective) – AC Milan

  PlayStyle+:

  • Intercept
  • Block
  • Aerial Fortress

  91 OVR Alexis Saelemaekers RB (SBC / Objective) – AC Milan

  PlayStyle+:

  • Whipped Pass
  • Block
  • Quick Step

  93 OVR Domenico Berardi RW (SBC / Objective) – Sassuolo

  PlayStyle+:

  • Rapid
  • Technical
  • Finesse Shot

  91 OVR Stanislav Lobotka CM (SBC / Objective) – Napoli

  PlayStyle+:

  • Tiki Taka
  • Anticipate
  • Bruiser

  These items will be rolled out gradually over the coming week. While the full in-game stats for all of them remain under wraps, the attributes for Youngman Son and Marco Reus have already surfaced. It's likely only one of the two will drop on Friday, with the other held back to sustain engagement through the following days. Whichever arrives first will demand a considerable amount of fodder and FC 26 coins.

  94 OVR Son Heung Min LW

  • PAC: 93
  • SHO: 94
  • PAS: 93
  • DRI: 92
  • DEF: 53
  • PHY: 87

  The trio of PlayStyles+ on Son Heung Min is a strong combination. While the 92 DRI may leave some questioning how effective Quick Step+ will feel in-game, this is still among the more generous SBC offerings we've seen from the studio lately. Son's shooting has always been exceptional in-game, and his Finesse Shot has been nothing short of phenomenal since day one.

  93 OVR Marco Reus CAM

  • PAC: 92
  • SHO: 93
  • PAS: 91
  • DRI: 94
  • DEF: 68
  • PHY: 80

  Marco Reus boasts impressive numbers across the board. Even when placed alongside Team of the Year items, this Reus card outshines them stat-wise and carries three PlayStyles+. He isn't ideally suited to a pure wide role, but as a central attacking midfielder or shadow striker, he can absolutely dominate matches.

  Although both high-end SBCs come from MLS - which can complicate chemistry links - the current meta makes integration straightforward. With the abundance of Icons, Heroes, and Cosmetic Evolution cards providing Icon Chemistry, you can slot either of these two into your starting eleven without much fuss.

  Studio Leak

  

  The studio inadvertently revealed the full Team of the Season stat pool for Roshn Saudi League (RSL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and Rest of Europe via an in-game loading screen.

  While the distribution of PlayStyles on some cards isn't quite what the community would deem perfect, the crucial takeaway is that every single card in this pool has three PlayStyle+. Exceptions to this rule are Luka Modrić and Lionel Messi, both of whom will receive four PlayStyle+. In the current state of the game, this alone raises the baseline viability of all ToTS cards significantly.

  We can anticipate a broad decline in the value of cards from other promos across the market. The only potential exception may be a few sought-after Trophy Titans items, which could see a minor, short-lived uptick driven by Weekend League demand, but the long-term trend points firmly downward.

  

  Max 90 OVR EVO

  Beyond SBC leaks, there is also word of an Evolution with a Max 90 OVR requirement, though specifics remain unconfirmed.

  The key question is whether this EVO will allow a player to earn a third PlayStyle+. Every new ToTS card features three. If this EVO caps players at just 2, it will feel significantly behind the power curve from the outset.

  Should it offer three PlayStyles+ and adhere to the 90 rating cap, the potential for crafting an elite card is immense. A midfielder with solid foundational stats could emerge with a third PlayStyle+, 90 Pace, 92 Passing, boosted defending and physical presence, plus five-star weak foot - that would be a highly competitive asset.

  Expect this EVO to require around 150,000 coins to complete. Given that ToTS cards themselves will be quite attainable, an EVO offering only 2 PlayStyles+ would represent a questionable value proposition and could be easily skipped.

  If you currently hold players who might fit this EVO's criteria, it may be wise to offload them before the official release. A flood of eligible cards will likely hit the market once it goes live, driving values down.

  That covers the outlook for ToTS in the coming week. Staying ahead of the news allows you to map out your moves. You can begin stockpiling fodder for SBCs or leverage the information to flip cards and generate coins once the promo is live.