How to Overcome Frequent Deaths in Rogue Waters

In Rogue Waters, dying is a common part of the game experience. During the tutorial, players are reassured that if they perish, they will respawn on their ship with all crew members and loot preserved. However, repeatedly dying in the early stages can become tedious, so this guide offers strategies for handling frequent deaths in Rogue Waters.

While dying is intrinsic to Rogue Waters, there are methods to minimize the negative impact on your crew during naval and ship confrontations. A complete raid consists of several encounters, and it’s fortunate if you discover a location during your journey that can heal any of your crew. Encountering one of these spots usually allows you to heal just one random wound from your crew member.

Given this situation, it’s essential to maintain your crew’s health throughout a raid. There are various ways to increase the health points (HP) of your crew members, including items that offer healing during ship battles and ship modules that enhance your crew’s Max HP.

Below, you’ll find sections detailing multiple methods to prevent dying in Rogue Waters. This includes character classes with health-boosting skills, modules that can be acquired or plundered during raids to enhance your crew’s Max HP, and specific items that must be equipped to your specialists to provide healing.

How to Avoid Dying in Rogue Waters

Beating a full raid in Rogue Waters. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

This guide is primarily designed for new and struggling players, and thus won’t delve into the advanced modules and items encountered later in the game post-hours of raiding. These modules and items will become available as you progress, making survival feel more attainable.

Classes with Health Skills

Aisha Bloodthorn's Cure I skill in Rogue Waters. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Many classes feature at least one skill that can be unlocked to increase health. Here’s a selection of classes with such skills. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it includes many frequently encountered classes in the Tavern.

Class	Skills that Add HP
Assassin	Quick and Sturdy.
Brawler	Quick and Sturdy.
Bruiser	Tough II.
Combat Medic	Cure I, Cure II, Cure III, Tough II.
Commander	Get Yourself Together I, Get Yourself Together II, Get Yourself Together III.
Cutthroat	Quick and Sturdy.
Escapist	Tough II.
Fencer	Tough II.
Grappler	Tough II.
Heavy Arm	Bulky and Slow, Tough I.
Hunter	Quick and Sturdy.
Musketeer	Quick and Sturdy.
Reaver	Bite I, Bite II, Flesh Eater, Tough I.
Shepherd	Shiv’s Presence I, Shiv’s Presence II, Shiv’s Presence III, Shiv’s Presence IV.
Spearmaiden	Quick and Sturdy.
Strongman	Bulky and Weak, Resilient I.
Sturdy	Bulky and Slow, Resilient II, Tough II.
Trick Shot	Resilient I.
Virulent	Quick and Sturdy.

Modules that Add HP to Your Crew

The Pennant of Toughness in Rogue Waters. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Before setting sail, you’ll have some modules at your disposal, which you can select at the Shipyard. Other modules can be obtained from defeated ships during battles or purchased at different ports along your journey. Below are several common modules you’ll encounter that can enhance your crew’s HP:

Module Name	Effect
Fortified Cabins I	All crew members gain +1 Max HP.
Fortified Cantine	Mates gain +2 Max HP, but -1 Movement.
Fortified Quarterdeck	Captain Cutter gains +2 Max HP.
Fortified Spar Deck	Grapplers gain +1 Movement and +1 Max HP.
Pennant of Toughness	+1 Max HP to all Mates.
Rum Supply I	All crew members heal one point at the start of your turn.
Solid Colors	Mates are immune to bomb explosions and heal one point at the start of your turn.

Items with HP Effects

The Leather Belt in Rogue Waters. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

You can acquire items from certain ports during your raiding activities, while others can be gained through raiding enemy ships. These items must be equipped to your crew members to be effective. Some items require manual activation, which you can execute during that unit’s turn in a ship battle. Here are typical items that can boost your crew’s HP:

Item Name	Effect
Brew of Healing	Take a sip to heal one HP. Three uses.
Cleansing Water	Take a sip to heal one HP. Removes blight and bleeding. One use.
Fancy Buckle	+1 Max HP, +1 Movement.
Leather Belt	+1 Max HP.
Ring of Molting	Unit heals three points at the start of their turn. +1 Max HP, -1 Armor.
Ring of Renewal	Unit heals four points at the start of their turn.
Seaskin Ring	Unit heals one at the start of their turn.
Sturdy Belt	+3 Max HP, -1 Movement.

10 Tips to Keep You Alive in Rogue Waters

Buying more Command Points in Rogue Waters. — Screenshot by Pro Game Guides

Even if you’re facing deaths, keep raiding. It doesn’t matter if you finish a raid, you will still retain your experience points, Glass, and Blueprints.
Always have a full replacement crew ready. Instead of starting a new raid with wounded specialists, swap them out for others waiting in the Galley.
Let your crew heal. Similar to the previous point, always allow your crew to heal whenever possible. This can be tough early on when finances restrict hiring more specialists.
Always raid with a full crew. There’s no advantage to raiding with fewer members. Since you’re likely to be outnumbered, bring as many crew members as you can.
Avoid engaging with less than two cannons that can target enemy cannons. During naval confrontations, your enemies’ cannons will inflict considerable damage. Having only one cannon to attack back can be detrimental.
Acquire more Command Points, as they enable you to fire additional cannons during naval battles.
Ensure at least one dedicated healer is part of your crew. While Captain Cutter has healing skills, you might not want to use your captain for this role initially, especially since there are specialists in the Combat Medic class available for hire from the Tavern.
Utilize ropes. Ropes allow your crew members to navigate the ship’s deck more efficiently. If you have specialists with high damage skills, send them into combat alone for better survival odds.
Grapple enemies into fire. Grapple class specialists can be very effective on ships with flames. Use their grappling skills to throw foes into burning spots, inflicting damage through the environment.
Encourage specialists to work together. Pair certain specialists effectively. For example, combining a Grapple class with a Spearmaiden can maximize damage output through well-coordinated attacks.