Ultimate Rogue Waters Crew Recruitment Guide: Top Skills and Hiring Tips

In Rogue Waters, you assume the role of Captain Cutter, who returns to the living after 14 years. Cutter’s goal is to defeat Blackbone, and securing a skilled crew during raids is essential for success. If you’re looking to hire crew members at the Tavern in Rogue Waters or seeking a character build guide,

Guide to Building the Best Crew in Rogue Waters

In the initial phase of Rogue Waters, you might find yourself frequently dying during raids. This occurs for two reasons: the game allows deaths without significant consequences, and you’ll likely start with standard crew members instead of specialists.

You can hire specialists from the Tavern only when you return to your ship after a raid. These specialists start with basic skills and will gain experience points, leveling up as you continue your raiding adventures in Rogue Waters. Upon leveling, you can develop character builds that align with your strategy.

Before you build characters, you must select the best specialists in Rogue Waters for your crew.

Best Specialists to Hire in Rogue Waters

Upon entering the Tavern from your player base, you’ll find three specialists available for hire. These specialists rotate after each raid, regardless of your success or failure. Each specialist can be hired for 250 Glass, the **in-game currency** replacing traditional gold coins.

Beneath each specialist’s name, you can identify three class types they belong to. For instance, Crimson Malikah is classified as a Spearmaiden, along with being a Heavy Arm and Fencer. Typically, specialists are addressed by their primary class type. Therefore, Crimson is primarily known as a Spearmaiden, Handsy is categorized as a Grappler, and Two-Barrel Jim is identified as a Cook. Other class types include Backstabbers.

Each specialist will have two additional classes associated with them, such as Heavy Arm and Fencer. You can hire two Cooks with different secondary and tertiary classes, making it vital to examine their classes rather than just their appearance (since all main class types appear similar; thus, both of your Cooks may share a similar look but could have distinct second and third classes).

As the names of your crew can be changed in Rogue Waters, it’s uncertain whether specialist names are randomized. Therefore, the table below includes all three classes available to a specialist so you can find the right fit, even if their name might differ.

Here are the top recruits to hire in Rogue Waters during the early game:

Name	Main Class	Second and Third Classes	Why Hire
Aisha Bloodthorn	Spearmaiden	Combat Medic & Hunter	Spearmaidens have enhanced reach with their weapon, allowing them to attack across two squares, unlike swords that typically have a one-square reach. Among her secondary and tertiary classes, the Combat Medic role is vital, enabling healing skills and HP recovery for allies. Given that all characters start with four hit points, boosting HP is essential. Aisha’s Hunter class helps increase her HP and enhances weapon damage.
Cutbait Kwame	Backstabber	Noble & Fencer	The Backstabber class offers an opportunity to enhance damage output. When equipped with the melee skill (Weakening Strike I), you can deal damage to enemies nearby, albeit with a temporary negative damage penalty. Specialists with the Noble class are valuable during raids due to their hidden pistol, which adds further damage capacity. The Fencer class also grants HP, Armor, and melee damage bonuses.
Handsewing	Grappler	Study & Cutthroat	Grapplers face the downside of inflicting no damage initially. While tossing enemies into other foes or onto ship structures can be entertaining, it may leave them vulnerable. The Cutthroat class provides a skill similar to Noble, offering a hidden dagger to deal damage when necessary. With additional HP from the Study class, Handsy becomes a versatile option.
Pete the Plank	Grappler	Strongman & Sturdy	Pete serves as an alternative Grappler to Handsy. Both share the skill to enhance their attacks, which is crucial when developing a Grappler. The Strongman class provides a damage bonus to Pete’s attacks, while Sturdy improves HP, allowing you to strategize effective attack formations that utilize his enemy-pushing ability efficiently.
Sally Brisk	Backstabber	Noble & Assassin	We’ve already discussed the roles of Backstabber and Noble in previous entries, so let’s focus on the Assassin capability of Sally Brisk. The Assassin class allows your specialists to eliminate nearby enemies with just one or two HP left (depending on skill progression). Sally also gains an additional HP from her skills, which is crucial for survivability.
Two-Barrel Jim	Cook	Reaver & Bruiser	Unlike other classes, Cooks do not push enemies back when attacking, which mitigates potentially dangerous situations. The Cook class strikes enemies from above, delivering two damage. Additionally, having a Cook with Reaver and Bruiser classes allows for recovery after attacks via the Reaver abilities while stunning opponents with Bruiser skills, thus controlling combat more effectively.
Zola Broadsnatch	Spearmaiden	Fencer & Noble	If you want a Spearmaiden focused on dealing damage rather than providing healing, Zola is a perfect choice. Her Fencer class contributes extra melee skills and her Noble class allows for utilizing a hidden firearm. Ultimately, she’s a damage dealer with three weapons ready at her disposal.

How to Create the Best Raiding Party in Rogue Waters – Party Composition

It’s crucial to have at least one healer in your raiding team. If you don’t have a dedicated healer yet and can’t afford to hire one with healing skills from the Tavern, rely on Captain Cutter’s healing abilities. Once you have the funds, aim for at least two healers, as suggested in Captain Cutter’s character build.

In addition to a healer, ensure you have at least one specialist who can perform strong melee attacks. Assassins are ideal for this role, as they can effectively dispatch adjacent enemies with low HP. Having at least one Noble who can wield a gun is also beneficial, with two being preferable once you unlock more slots in your raiding party.

Next, include a Spearmaiden in your roster. These specialists can reach two spaces to strike an enemy and can attack without harming an ally located in the space between them and their target. If an ally occupies the space adjacent to the target, the Spearmaiden can still deal damage.

As to Grapplers and Cooks, consider developing Grapplers fully before utilizing their full potential. Initially, their ability to push enemies might not yield significant tactical gains, whereas having another crew member deliver a melee strike would likely be more advantageous.

Given this, prioritize hiring a Cook over a Grappler until the latter has enough experience points to learn skills that deal damage. Cooks can immediately inflict damage through overhead attacks and are not hampered by fire squares since they don’t need to move into the enemy-occupied spot.

Here are suggested party compositions to help you progress and acquire further upgrades. You can add up to five specialists to your raiding party, but each requires a Specialists’ Cabin upgrade in the Workshop. You’ll begin with a maximum of two specialists in your party.

Two specialist slots:

• Captain Cutter (have Heirloom Pistol I unlocked).
• Sally Brisk or another specialist with the Assassin class (have Assassination I unlocked).
• Aisha Bloodthorn or another specialist with the Combat Medic class (have Cure I unlocked).

Or

• Captain Cutter (have Get Yourself Together I unlocked).
• Sally Brisk or another specialist with the Assassin class (have Assassination I unlocked).
• Zola Broadsnatch or another specialist with the Noble class (have Distracting Shot I unlocked).

Three specialist slots:

• Captain Cutter (have Heirloom Pistol I unlocked).
• Sally Brisk or another specialist with the Assassin class (have Assassination I unlocked).
• Aisha Bloodthorn or another specialist with the Combat Medic class (have Cure I unlocked).
• Two-Barrel Jim or another Cook (unlock the Cook skills as soon as possible).

Four specialist slots:

• Captain Cutter (have Heirloom Pistol I and Get Yourself Together I unlocked).
• Sally Brisk or another specialist with the Assassin class (have Assassination I unlocked).
• Aisha Bloodthorn or another specialist with the Combat Medic class (have Cure I unlocked).
• Two-Barrel Jim or another Cook (unlock the Cook skills immediately and prioritize unlocking Reaver skills next, if available).
• Pete the Plank or another Grappler with the Strongman class (unlock the Strongman skills as soon as possible).

Five specialist slots:

• Captain Cutter (have Heirloom Pistol I and Get Yourself Together I unlocked).
• Sally Brisk or another specialist with the Assassin class (have Assassination I unlocked).
• Aisha Bloodthorn or another specialist with the Combat Medic class (have Cure I unlocked).
• Two-Barrel Jim or another Cook (unlock Cook skills and Reaver skills if you have Jim).
• Pete the Plank or another Grappler with the Strongman class (unlock the Strongman skills).
• Zola Broadsnatch or another specialist with the Noble class (have Distracting Shot I unlocked, enhancing your team with a second gun).

With this configuration, you’ll have two crew members skilled in healing, two capable of ranged attacks, an Assassin, a damage-dealing Grappler, and a Cook with self-heal capabilities while dealing damage.

A well-rounded team that enhances your chances of success.

Rogue Waters Character Builds

The following character builds correspond to the recommended crew list in the previous section.

Captain Cutter Character Build (Swashbuckler/Commander/Shepherd)

Captain Cutter specializes in Swashbuckler, Commander, and Shepherd classes. His build allows you to choose from six skill paths spanning these classes. While you can mix and match, it’s advisable to focus on maximizing selected skill paths to progress toward advanced skills efficiently.

For the Swashbuckler class, start with the pistol, then switch paths to the Retaliate skills on the left side. Pistols are a formidable weapon for your crew, but Retaliate skills are invaluable to counterattack when under fire. Initially, you can manage with just the basic pistol skill and return for more later.

For the Commander class, prioritize the left-side skills first, enhancing Captain Cutter’s healing ability rather than focusing on mobility for other crew members. If you already have a dedicated healer, consider skills that boost movement instead. Always try to maintain at least two dedicated healers in your Quarters to facilitate rotation between raids.

For the Shepherd class, you can either focus on pushing enemies (right side skills) or on enhancing Captain Cutter with various bonuses (left side skills). I recommend proceeding down the left side first to grant Captain Cutter bonuses for health, armor, movement, and an extra damage bonus.

Here’s a complete Captain Cutter build for Rogue Waters:

1. Swashbuckler – Cutlass Swing I (initial skill unlocked).
2. Commander – Get Yourself Together I.
3. Shepherd – Shiv’s Presence I.
4. Swashbuckler – Heirloom Pistol I.
5. Swashbuckler – Retaliate I.
6. Swashbuckler – Cutlass Swing II.
7. Swashbuckler – Retaliate II.
8. Shepherd – Shiv’s Presence II.
9. Commander – Get Yourself Together II.
10. Commander – Get Yourself Together III.
11. Shepherd – Shiv’s Presence III.
12. Shepherd – Shiv’s Presence IV.
13. Swashbuckler – Heirloom Pistol II.
14. Swashbuckler – Strong I.
15. Commander – Hurry Up, Scallywag! I.
16. Commander – Hurry Up, Scallywag! II.
17. Commander – Hurry Up, Scallywag! III.
18. Shepherd – Mermaid Call I.
19. Commander – Take That Rat Down I.
20. Shepherd – Mermaid Call II.
21. Shepherd – Mermaid Call III.

The subsequent character builds will focus on the specialists included in the formations mentioned earlier. This approach will give you insight into building various specialists as you unlock new options throughout your Rogue Waters journey.

Aisha Bloodthorn Character Build (Spearmaiden/Combat Medic/Hunter)

If you plan to utilize Aisha Bloodthorn as a healer, focus on maximizing her Combat Medic skills as your top priority. Three of these skills enable her to heal herself and allies (Cure I, Cure II, Cure III), while Tough II increases her overall Max HP. The more advanced Cure abilities also eliminate Blight and Bleeding effects, which are crucial for preventing allies’ deaths.

If you don’t intend for her to be a healer, selecting another Spearmaiden would be advisable. Aisha excels as a Combat Medic, and when her Spearmaiden skills are coupled with this role, her effectiveness multiplies. You can postpone unlocking the Hunter aspects of her build until after completing her Combat Medic and Spearmaiden skills.

The beauty of specialists lies in the abundance of choices; you should always find one that matches your targeted classes. Aisha stands out with her abilities as a Spearmaiden/Combat Medic duo, as she can heal substantial amounts of damage (Cure I provides three healing points!) while attacking foes up to two squares away.

Upon unlocking her Combat Medic and Spearmaiden skills, start developing her later Hunter abilities. The Blighted Javelin skills offer Aisha the opportunity to throw a javelin, potentially inflicting Blight upon her target. This dual functionality enables her to throw a Blighted Javelin and employ a Spearmaiden ability in the same round, an advantageous combination when not focused on healing. Here’s my recommended build order for Aisha:

1. Spearmaiden – Thrust I (skill unlocked upon purchase).
2. Combat Medic – Cure I.
3. Combat Medic – Tough II.
4. Hunter – Blighted Javelin I.
5. Combat Medic – Cure II.
6. Combat Medic – Cure III.
7. Spearmaiden – Quick and Sturdy.
8. Spearmaiden – Thrust II.
9. Spearmaiden – Focus.
10. Hunter – Quick and Sturdy.
11. Hunter – Blighted Javelin II.
12. Hunter – Blighted Javelin III.

This build for Aisha ensures she can function as a Combat Medic while also being capable of defending herself and attacking enemies rather than merely serving as a healer.

Pete the Plank Character Build (Grappler/Strongman/Sturdy)

Pete the Plank is my preferred Grappler, as you can build him to deal significantly more damage than simply pushing enemies around, which is Pete’s initial capability with just Wrestle I unlocked (the first Grappler skill).

When building Pete, prioritize unlocking Grappler and Strongman skills, but do consider unlocking Sturdy’s first skill for an extra two Max HP.

The Grappler skills enable Pete to maneuver enemies into adjacent spaces on the ship, inflicting damage with later skills. Meanwhile, the Strongman class provides damage bonuses. However, the last Strongman skill negates some bonus effects – Sturdy and Weak sets Max HP to +4 while decreasing the damage bonus by one.

Instead of selecting that final Strongman skill, consider progressing through the Sturdy skills to boost Pete’s HP. While you could debate whether the trade-off of HP for damage is beneficial, opting for a skill which counters another seems counterintuitive.

Thus, I suggest you build Pete the Plank as follows:

1. Grappler – Wrestle I (skill unlocked at the start).
2. Grappler – Tough II.
3. Strongman – Flex I.
4. Grappler – Wrestle II.
5. Grappler – Wrestle III.
6. Strongman – Resilient I.
7. Strongman – Flex II.
8. Sturdy – Tough II.
9. Sturdy – Resilient II.
10. Sturdy – Bulky and Slow.
11. Sturdy – Reinforced I.
12. Strongman – Bulky and Weak.

Bulky and Slow & Bulky and Weak are both skills with adverse effects, so you can opt-out from unlocking the final trio of skills listed if you wish to avoid those penalties.

Sally Brisk Character Build (Backstabber/Noble/Assassin)

Sally Brisk boasts an exciting skillset. She embodies a stealthy powerhouse and ranks among my favorite specialists in Rogue Waters. She starts with two skills available at her purchase – Backstab I and Weakening Strike I.

While there are other Backstabber specialists, Sally’s dual role as a Noble and an Assassin stands out. The Noble class grants her a firearm, and the Assassin class bestows her with melee abilities enabling her to outright eliminate nearby enemies with just one or two HP left, contingent on her skill progression.

Having a firearm levels the playing field, especially since you’ll frequently encounter enemy ships where crew members wield guns, which can be quite disruptive. I usually aim to target gun users early during naval battles to avoid future complications when boarding.

With such a rich array of skills, crafting a build for Sally can feel overwhelming. Here’s a streamlined approach:

1. Backstabber – Backstab I and Weakening Strike I (skills available at purchase).
2. Noble – Distracting Shot I.
3. Assassin – Assassination I.
4. Assassin – Quick and Sturdy.
5. Assassin – Assassination II.
6. Noble – Extra Mobility I.
7. Noble – Distracting Shot II.
8. Noble – Distracting Shot III.
9. Backstabber – Weakening Strike II.
10. Backstabber – Backstab II.
11. Assassin – Assassination III.
12. Backstabber – Disengage.

Two-Barrel Jim Character Build (Cook/Reaver/Bruiser)

Two-Barrel Jim is an exceptional Cook for your crew. By adding the Reaver and Bruiser classes, he becomes a formidable specialist with substantial offensive capability. As you likely know, the Cook class allows Jim to attack enemies from a distance without advancing. This ability is invaluable, particularly on ships with several fiery squares.

The Bruiser class equips him with stunning skills, allowing him to keep enemies in check while capitalizing on Jim’s Cook skills to deal damage. A well-rounded approach, rotating through the three classes during his development, proves to be most effective.

The Reaver class harmonizes well with the Cook and Bruiser classes. Reavers can literally bite their enemies to restore health to themselves—a bit vampiric, yet an incredibly useful skill in combat.

Consider unlocking Jim’s skills in this sequence:

1. Cook – Chop I (skill unlocked at purchase).
2. Bruiser – Bash I.
3. Reaver – Bite I.
4. Cook – Chop II.
5. Bruiser – Tough II.
6. Cook – Chop III.
7. Bruiser – Bash II.
8. Bruiser – Strong I.
9. Reaver – Tough I.
10. Reaver – Bite II.
11. Cook – Reinforced I.
12. Reaver – Flesh Eater.

Zola Broadsnatch Character Build (Spearmaiden/Fencer/Noble)

Having two Spearmaidens with distinct abilities enhances your team strategy, making Zola Broadsnatch my final pick. She too has access to the Noble class, allowing her to strike opponents in her line of sight with a gun. Across her three classes, Zola wields three different weapon types, making her an excellent DPS character for your crew.

While Aisha (your other Spearmaiden) focuses on healing, delegate Zola to be an attacking force. Given that I’ve already discussed the Spearmaiden and Noble classes, let’s delve into the Fencer class.

Fencer specialists have a unique advantage; they retaliate automatically when hit by enemies. This invaluable skill activates without the need for direct player input, allowing Zola to counterattack against any nearby enemy when hit.

With that teamwork strategy in mind, here’s the skill unlock order for Zola:

1. Spearmaiden – Thrust I (skill unlocked at purchase).
2. Spearmaiden – Quick and Sturdy.
3. Noble – Distracting Shot I.
4. Fencer – Retaliate I.
5. Fencer – Tough II.
6. Fencer – Retaliate II.
7. Spearmaiden – Thrust II.
8. Noble – Extra Mobility I.
9. Noble – Distracting Shot II.
10. Noble – Distracting Shot III.
11. Fencer – Reinforced I.
12. Spearmaiden – Focus.

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