"Hey! You're Not Doing Anything Useful Right Now..." A Guide to Companion Tasks

[Willowdreamer]

There is a reason why the game designers gave pirates such a large crew to help them in their travels. Defeat and Bed Rest don't have to be just a waiting-game until the companion is up on their feet again. Every companion can be useful to the Captain. If you have multiple characters, the companions on your inactive pirates can all be sent on Tasks and collected from daily.

Companion Tasks - Brawlin'

Brawlin' is the task where your companions will return with additional experience for themselves. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can from this task:

1. Beginning at Level 8, you can send an unlimited (well, limited by the size of your crew) number of companions on this task. Each additional companion does NOT take longer, and as they gain in levels, the task will take slightly longer but they will return with more xp, a fraction of what they need to get their next level-up, but sometimes it's just what they need so that you don't have to spend a Training Tome. Once their level reaches the same level as the pirate, they cannot go Brawlin' anymore.

For example: At Level 8, each companion will return with 24 experience after about 10 minutes. At Level 12, the experience rises to 50 but the timer takes 20 minutes, and so on. At the highest levels, companions will return with more than a thousand experience, but they'll be gone about 9-10 hours. At Level 69, they gain 1521 xp and the timer starts at 10 hours 34 minutes.

2. Wounded Companions can be switched from Bed Rest to Brawlin' and return to service after gaining xp rather than just sitting around wasting time. This could lead to one Tome taking them to their next level earlier.

3. The Brawler ability adds 10% more experience. All companions can train the first level of Brawler, but Buccaneers can train an additional 2 levels -- Rank 2 for 15%, and Rank 3 for 25%. This means that your idle Buccaneers can be gaining ranks but using fewer Training Tomes to keep their level up with your pirate.

Companion Tasks - Keel Haulin'

Keel Haulin' is the task where your companions will return with a free Training Tome that you can use to level up a crewmate. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can from this task:

1. This task cannot be given to any companion who is below the pirate's level, only those AT or ABOVE, so chances are you will not be assigning it at Level 8. Once the pirate's level surpasses their own, they cannot go Keel Haulin' unless they are leveled up again themselves.

2. You cannot send a companion Keel Haulin' if you already have 10 or more Tomes in your inventory. However, if you have 9 tomes, you can send up to 10 (if you have a large crew of sufficient level) companions fetching additional tomes. For max level pirates, this can be a great way to afford leveling the whole crew up to max.

3. The first companion sent will take about a day to return. Each additional companion sent will have a longer timer by a few hours, the fifth companion will take 2 days, and eventually the 10th companion will take three days.

4. Each NEW companion recruited by a pirate normally starts above the pirate's level, so sending them Keel Haulin' for a while is a good method of obtaining tomes if you are low on gold.

5. The Officer ability cuts 10% off the Keel Haulin' timer. All companions can train the first level of Officer, but Privateers can train an additional 2 levels -- Rank 2 for 15%, and Rank 3 for 25%. This means that your idle Privateers can be fetching Training Tomes faster than other crew.

Companion Tasks - Pet Wranglin'

Pet Wrangling is the task where your companions will return with pet stuff for your pirate. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can from this task:

1. This task can be given to any companion at Level 8 or above. They will return with pet items. For example, a Level 8 companion will generally return with rank 1 pet gear and possibly a rank 1 pet snack. The higher the companion's level, the higher the rank of gear/snacks they will return with. On the rare occasion, they can return with a Pet Egg.

2. The pet gear and snacks can be sold or used for training pets. the Pet Eggs can be stored in your house or bank until sold for gold, or traded to other pirates on the same account.

3. The first companion sent will always take the shortest time to return, the timer gets longer as they gain levels. Each subsequent companion sent will have a longer timer depending on level, until at highest levels, the later companions could take days to return.

4. This task works best if the companions are at a variety of levels - earlier level companions will return with Skull Island and sometimes Monquista origin snacks. About the level 30, they will begin returning with Cool Ranch origin snacks. At about level 40, they will starting finding Mooshu and Other origin snacks. Finally, at upper levels, they will return with Marleybone and Aquila origin snacks. Having a wider range of companions on the account will allow for stockpiling of snacks for the pets being trained to Like or Love.

5. The Pet Wrangler ability cuts 10% off the timer. All companions can train the first level of Pet Wrangler but Witchdoctors and Privateers can train an additional level -- Rank 2 for 15% faster return. For some reason, Rank 3 of Pet Wrangler does not exist in-game.

Companion Tasks - Plunderin'

Plundering is the task where your companions will return Gold for your pirate. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can from this task:

1. This task can be given to any companion at Level 8 or above. They will return with gold amounts based on their level. For example, a Level 8 companion will return with 20 Gold after about 12 minutes. A Level 12 companion will return in about 15 minutes with 22 gold, and so on. Max level companions will return with 597 gold per trip. Once the pirate nears the gold limit, Plundering will no longer be available.

2. The companion will occasionally return with a second amount of gold, again based on its level, as a bonus. At top levels, this is 30,000 Gold.

3. The first companion sent will always take the shortest time to return, the timer gets longer as they gain levels, not quite doubling with each subsequent companion. At highest levels, too many companions assigned, and they could take days to return.

4. This task is generally ignored in favor of Scavenging, since gear can be stored in the shared bank until lower level pirates are ready to use it or sell it. Unwanted items can be sold for more gold either in the Bazaar or at regular vendors. However, if the pirate's backpack is constantly in danger of overflowing, Plundering could be the better option, and that bonus gold is very nice to see.

5. The Plunderer ability adds 10% more gold per trip. All companions can train the first level of Plunderer but Swashbucklers can train an additional 2 levels -- Rank 2 for 15%, and Rank 3 for 25%. This means that your idle Swashbucklers can be fetching much more gold than other crew.

Companion Tasks - Sailin'

Sailin' is the task where your companions will return with additional Nautical experience for your pirate. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can, (and be sure to go into your Options and turn on the Restart Tasks):

1. Beginning at Level 8, you can send an unlimited (well, limited by the size of your crew) number of companions on this task. Each additional companion will take slightly longer, and as they gain in levels, they will return more nautical xp and the timer will get longer and longer.

For example: At Level 8, each companion will return 18 nautical experience after about 10 minutes for the first companion. At Level 9, the nautical experience rises to 27, level 10 yields 36, and so on.

Each additional companion sent Sailin' will have a timer that is about 20% longer for the first few companions, and even longer for additional companions:

For example: At Level 8, the first timer will be 10 minutes, the second companion will finish in about 12 minutes, the third about 14 minutes, the fourth about 16 minutes, and the fifth companion's timer won't end until almost half an hour later. At higher levels, if you send too many companions Sailin' the last few won't return for a day or more. Boochbeard will popup and remind you that too many companions on the same task isn't necessarily a good idea.

2. The Cannoneer ability adds 10% more experience. All companions can train the first level of Cannoneer, but Musketeers can train an additional 2 levels -- Rank 2 for 15%, and Rank 3 for 25%. This means that your idle Musketeers can be your pirate's best source of non-ship-battle Nautical Experience.

Having multiple Pirates on your account allows you to gain valuable Nautical Experience on the pirates you aren't questing on, by using the Sailin' task wisely. When you login regularly and collect all that experience from the idle pirates' crews, those pirates will be nicely nautically-prepared when you go back to questing on them.

There is a limit to the experience that can be gained -- a pirate can only gain one Nautical Level above his normal experience level via Sailin' -- once that level is exceeded, those companions still on the task will continue, but will not Restart their task, and no new companions can be assigned to Sailin' until the pirate levels up again. Once a pirate has completely maxed the nautical levels (Level 70 currently), no more Sailin' at all for the crew.

Companion Tasks - Scavengin'

Scavenging is the task where your companions will return with a piece of gear for your pirate. Here are some tips and ideas for gaining the most advantage you can from this task:

1. This task can be given to any companion at Level 8 or above. They will return with a piece of wearable gear (hat, outfit, or boots) based on their level. For example, a Level 8 companion will return with Level 5+ gear. A Level 10 companion will return with Level 10+ Gear. A Level 22 Companion will bring back Level 20+ gear, etc.

2. The gear will be for any pirate class, not necessarily your pirate's own class. On rare occasions, they will return with TWO pieces of gear, one of which will be No Auction, again, for a random pirate class. The odds of receiving No Auction gear are low but it does happen. Obviously, the more companions sent on the task, the greater the chance of receiving the bonus gear.

3. The first companion sent will always take the shortest time to return, the timer gets longer as they gain levels. Each subsequent companion sent will have a longer timer depending on level, until at highest levels, the later companions could take days to return.

4. This task works best for the highest level pirate on the player's account. Off-class gear can be stored in the shared bank until lower level pirates are ready to use it or sell it. Unwanted items can be sold for gold either in the Bazaar or at regular vendors - sometimes for more gold than the companion could return with if it had gone Plunderin' instead.

5. The Scavenger ability cuts 10% off the timer. All companions can train the first level of Scavenger but Witchdoctors can train an additional 2 levels -- Rank 2 for 15%, and Rank 3 for 25%. This means that your idle Witchdoctors can be fetching pirate gear faster than other crew.

I hope that this Guide answers most of the questions on why and when to use the various tasks to help your crew and your pirate grow stronger.

Yo Ho!

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[LuckyDuck]

Finally, a guide to companion tasks! I didn't know Witchdoctors had a better deal for the Scavenger ability. Maybe I should pay more attention to Old Scratch..

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[HelpfulAuroraParker]

Oh, this is AWESOME! Thank you, @Willowdreamer!

[Toa of Gallifrey]

Finally, a guide to companion tasks! I didn't know Witchdoctors had a better deal for the Scavenger ability. Maybe I should pay more attention to Old Scratch..

Don't curse Scratch with non-combat talents. He's too useful to be a fodder unit, even if you're not Privy or Witch.

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[Willowdreamer]

Using your companions for Tasks is important if you are questing and nautical leveling and need gold for ships. The more companions you have, the more they can help you!

Use Yer Crew!!

[mohitpwps]

Great guide! I didn't even know about companion tasks ( Never payed notice). Thanks Willowdreamer

[Willowdreamer]

I just thought I'd bump this thread, since new players seem to have a lot of questions about Companions.