Yar! The Pirate in Bravely Default is interesting. It has the highest Strength of any class, and makes for a good tank. By mixing the right abilities from other classes, the Pirate definitely has a unique play style. Let me guide you to becoming a King, or Queen, on the open water.
This guide will cover everything about Pirate including:
- Unlocking Pirate: How to unlock the job.
- Equipment Guide: What they use, and the optimal equips.
- Ability List: What level they get them.
- Cross Job Tips: Which jobs fit well with Pirate.
- Special Moves: Which are best suited for Pirate.
- Combat Tips: Being most effective in battle.
Unlocking Pirate
You unlock Pirate by defeating Barbarossa in chapter 3. You get a side quest from Zatz and Datz that talks about a ghost ship.
You have to go to a foggy area, then choose to enter. The location changes between north of the Grandship and southwest of the Grandship.
Equipment Guide
Pirates have an S aptitude for Axes. They also have an A aptitude for Swords and Shields.
Armor
- You want Strength to take advantage of their high Physical Attack.
- Getting items with Dexterity can also help, because they can miss a lot.
- If you want to tank and take too much damage, try a shield.
Weapons
- Axes all the way. You will do a lot of damage.
- If you really can’t afford any misses, then go with swords.
Ability List
Pirates have the Adrenaline Rush Specialty.
- Adrenaline Rush – Raises Physical Attack and Defense by 50% for five turns when your HP falls below 20%
Level 1
- Double Damage – Uses 25% of you max MP to do double the damage of a normal attack.
Level 2
- Provoke – Raises your chances of being targeted by all enemies to the highest level possible.
Level 3
- Shell Split – Attack that does normal damage, but lowers the target’s Physical Defense by 25% for four turns
Level 4
- Scale Strip – Attack that does normal damage, but lowers the target’s Magic Defense by 25% for four turns.
Level 5
- Shin Smash – Attack that does normal damage, but lowers the target’s Speed by 25% for four turns.
Level 6
- Mass Attack – Causes allies with less than 20% of their HP left to attack at the same time you do. The allies that join in can still do their normal actions.
Level 7
- Berserk – Raises Physical Attack by 50%, but can only use normal attacks for six turns. Does not stack with other Physical Attack boosts.
Level 8
- Adrenaline Rush – Support ability that lets you use the Pirate’s Specialty on other Jobs.
Level 9
- Physical Attack 20% Up – Support ability that raises Physical Attack by 20%
Level 10
- Defang – Attack that does normal damage, but lowers the target’s Physical Attack by 25% for four turns.
Level 11
- Skull Bash – Attack that does normal damage, but lowers the target’s Magic Attack by 25% for four turns.
Level 12
- Axe Lore – Support ability that raises Axe aptitude to S.
Level 13
- Torrent – Physical Water attack that does 0.3 times the damage of a normal attack up to 16 times on one target. Costs 2 extra BP to use.
Level 14
- Amped Strike – Attack that uses half of your max MP to deal four times the damage of a normal attack.
Cross Job Tips
The Pirate is a great tank or pure damage dealer.
- Swordmaster is great for a variety of reasons. Nothing Ventured will halve the damage you take during that turn and counter attack with double the damage of a normal attack. By using Provoke, you can make sure that you counter every enemy and you won’t take much damage while doing it.
- Swordmasters also get Free Lunch at level 14. This causes all abilities for two turns to use no MP. That lets you use Amped Strike freely. Talk about a lot of damage.
- Knights and Templars are great if you want to tank with Pirate. Their Physical Defense Up abilities really help. You also want the Knight’s Two-Handed ability if you want to just do damage.
Special Moves
Axe
- Level 1 – Defeat 5 enemies with physical attacks.
- Grand Strike – Attacks all enemies. Raises Physical Defense for all allies.
- Level 2 – Defeat 10 enemies with physical attacks.
- Maelstrom – Attacks one. Raises Hit Count for all allies.
- Level 3 – Defeat 5 enemies with physical attacks.
- Gigaton Swing – Attacks one enemy with Earth damage. Raises Physical Defense for all allies.
Combat Tips
Pirates make good damage dealers and good tanks. Other classes can do each Job better, but I like using the Pirate to do both.
- Use the Knight’s Two-Handed ability to have a nice increase of Physical Attack.
- Max level a Swordmaster, then use it as your cross job. Now you can Provoke enemies and counter them all the next turn. On bosses you can spam Amped Strike after using Free Lunch.
- As long as you keep the Pirate a live, it and your whole team can deal all the damage they want to enemies. If you have trouble staying a live, equip a shield and switch Two-Handed for either a Defense or HP ability.
Check my Master Guide List for more tips and guides. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions or suggestions.
Published: Feb 13, 2014 01:22 pm