Curse

Freetraders are in a unique position right now. Nobody can survive as long as an FT and they can excel in different areas. They have a moderate amount of combat strength, but it can be difficult to tap into that strength. Theres a definite limbo in FT effectiveness. We approached the Freetrader by giving them some new functionality (stealth, a strong attack debuff) and changing how two of their skill chains are used.

In the process, we removed the following skills from Freetraders: Desperation Fire 1, Repel Grapples 1, Dockyard Contract, Identify Weakness 1 and Before the Wind 1. Here are some of the new Freetrader skills to replace the old ones:

• Underdog – Tier 1 Desperation: Increases damage, acceleration, turn rate and speed by 7.5%. Only works if you have less than 82% total armor remaining (50% for one broadside).
• Determination – Tier 3 Escape: Boosts your resists and grappling defense by 15%. Requires an enemy target within 250y range. 4 minute duration, 8 minute reset.
• Work the System – Tier 5 Logistics: An upgraded version of Claim Prize. Each derelict provides 1-3 commendations instead of 1.
• Debilitating Broadside – Tier 5 Ship Mastery: Similar to Crippling Broadside, except with an intensity multiplier. Reduces target acceleration, reload, turn rate and speed by 1% per shot that hits (max 15 hits).
• Running Dark – Tier 5 Smuggling: A clickable OS buff that improves your stealth (20% + 7.5 miles) and OS speed (2.5%) at the cost of reload rate (-20%). Lasts 12 minutes, resets in 10 minutes.

As usual, several existing skills changed (especially Provisions and Preparations). Heres a bunch of those changes:

• Career Base – added 1 defense
• Hasty Fire – now lasts 2 minutes instead of 1.
• Repel Grapples – This is now the same as the Cut Lines pirate skill.
• Evasion – Now costs 40 morale instead of 50.
• Reinforcement – now provides 2% all protection, 5% structure integrity
• Battle Preparations (4 skills): These skills now last for four minutes with an eight minute reset timer. They work different from the Privateer version in that they have a shared cooldown of two minutes, and they can stack. That means its worth getting more than two of these.
• Provision Allies (4 skills): These skills now provide twice as much benefit to the user as to the group members.

And heres what the Freetrader skill tree looks like:

• Career: Sailmaster – Mercenary – Carpenter – Gunner – Captain
• Desperation: Underdog – Dump Guns – Desperation Fire – Rum Ration – Hasty Fire
• Escape: Repel Grapples – Defense – Determination – Evasion – Deter Pursuit
• Logistics: Economy: Production – Economy: Manufacturing – Trade Connections – Economy: Shipwright – Work the System
• Provisions: Defense – Maneuver – Boarding – Offense – Extra Rations

Ship Mastery: Hold Together – Reinforcement – Identify Weakness – Overloaded Shot – Debilitating Shot

• Smuggling: Rescue Me – Ranging Shot – Smuggled Cargo – Give the Slip – Running Dark
• Trade: Tax Evasion – Optimal Rigging – Before the Wind – Sailhandling Drills – Misdirection
• Travel: Travel – Battle Preparations: Maneuver – Battle Preparations: Defense – Battle Preparations: Speed – Battle Preparations: Offense