How to plunder and pillage - 20-or-so Plunder Pirates tips from PG and Midoki

The latest game from Rovio's publishing program is a pirate-flavoured Clash of Clans-alike called Plunder Pirates.

In the game you must build a mighty pirate village for your crew, and defend it against attacks from marauders (aka, other players). Plus, you can hire grog-swilling pirates and go wreck rival towns.

To help you on your way, we wanted to put together some handy advice for the game. Some tips for how to get ahead and make the most out of your money, once you've gripped the basics.

I'm rubbish at the game, though, so I've enlisted some help. This advice comes to you from our own Peter Willington and the developer of the game, Midoki.

Building your town



"The most important thing to concentrate on is the Pirate Hall," says Midoki. "This is the center of the island and unlocks everything you can construct. Keep it upgraded and you'll always have plenty to build."

However, Peter warns that "upgrading too quickly without also building up your island will leave you open to attack from opponents much more powerful than your meagre defences will be able to fight off."

"The best approach is to upgrade your Town Hall, and then spend a few days upgrading current buildings to their highest possible level, investing in new buildings, and only then renovating your Town Hall again."

"Keeping the Academy upgraded is also a must," adds Midoki. "Keeping the crew's skills and abilities at their top levels are only going to improve your chances in battle.

"You should also ensure the Guild Hall is top of your list when deciding what to buy next," says Mr Willington. "Guilds allow you to work with others by communicating with one another and even sharing advanced technology."

And here's a handy tip, from P Diddy - "you keep all your resource buildings in one easily accessible location. This makes it much quicker to gather up all that lovely Gold and Grog as soon as you jump into the game, leaving you to consider your next upgrade rather than scrabble about the map looking for that elusive distillery."

Defending your village



"Walls are obviously a great defensive strategy, keep them upgraded for maximum resistance," says Midoki.

Peter agrees, and says "surround your most important buildings as a matter of priority, keeping them bunched together for maximum protection when starting out."

"You'll also want to keep Cannons and Towers close to these important buildings, as they'll repel attacks, and if you can keep your ship nearby to provide additional supporting fire, all the better."

"Also think about where the ship, Ground Pounder and Bunkers are placed," the developer offers. "They have a set direction of fire so their orientation is all important."

Midoki also says, "using mortars to cover wide areas of your island is a good strategy, but if the enemy gets up close they are vulnerable so make sure they're covered by cannons or gun towers.

And Peter wants to make the case for mines, but says "be aware that once they're detonated you'll need to buy and install them again."

A final defensive tip from Peter: "on top of this, make use of the free Shield you're given after an attack. It gives you a breather from rival pirates, and it'll remain there until it runs out, or if you attack an opponent."

And Midoki adds: "if you surround you island with decorations, the distance between the valuable targets and the sea increases, giving any attacking forces longer to walk."

Attacking other pirates



"'Strength in numbers' is a good motto to follow when you're kicking off your pirate career," says Peter.

"Never set out to fight baddies with anything less than a full compliment of pirates behind you. Swamping an enemy position will demolish it quickly, which is especially useful against cannons and the like."

Midoki's advice is to make the first line of attack be the Brute and Juggernaut, as there are "plenty of hit points with these guys" and you can "use the Brutes taunt ability to distract the enemy defences."

"After that the Witch Doctor is great for adding some protection, the Thieves as they target the resources, and the Gunners are they're quick with a ranged attack."

PW says to "make sure to use the ten seconds or so before a scrap with an opponent to survey the island and figure out if there are any weak spots in their defence. Look for defence structures being upgraded, or walls that aren't as strong as those surrounding it, and try to take out anything thorny right at the start of a battle (or ensure you can avoid it altogether)."

But the real secret to winning battles takes place outside the battlefield. "Training troops is the key here. If you're struggling to defeat bases get the pirates into the Academy and upgrade their skill levels." says Midoki.

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That should keep you going for now. Make sure you share your tips in the comments below. And if you're looking for a guild, we're always adding people to the Pocket Gamer clan.