If you’re looking to speed up your bounty tasks or take down the armored Kraken more efficiently in Old School RuneScape, mastering cannon usage in sailing combat is essential. Today, I’m going to teach you exactly how to maximize your damage output with cannons, allowing you to hit multiple targets at once and farm high-value rewards faster than ever.

Understanding Cannon Placement

The key to maximizing cannon damage in sailing combat lies in positioning. Most sea creatures are small enough that only one cannon can hit them at a time. However, armored Krakens and other large 4x4 tile monsters are an exception. By placing your boat so the monster is directly in front of you—north of the boat if we’re marking the orientation—you can have both cannons firing simultaneously.

This setup allows you to deal double damage per tick, drastically reducing the time it takes to complete high-level bounty tasks. Everything else in the ocean is too small for both cannons to hit at once, so this technique is reserved for large enemies.

Crew Setup

Having a skilled crew makes a significant difference, though you, as the player, will almost always outperform them on the cannon. At level 71 sailing, you can have three crew members. Here’s an example of an optimal crew for cannon efficiency:

• Odblock – at the wheel, navigating the boat smoothly.

• Ex Captain Sead – handles turning left and right, keeping your boat aligned perfectly.

• Captain Boy Jenkins – versatile and capable of repairing your boat while boosting HP.

• Jittery Gym – assigned to one of the cannons.

While some players might suggest using a female crew member for cannon duties, I stick to my tried-and-true setup. This ensures no mutinies while sailing high-stakes bounty targets.

Player Gear and Strategy

You can supplement cannon damage with your personal weapons or magic. I recommend earth spells, especially against Krakens, as they are weak to earth. This avoids wasting blowpipe darts, which can be costly, and makes use of abundant blood runes you might already have.

Tip: Even with level 4 pioneering cannons, which are the strongest your crew can man, you as a player will always outperform them. So, make sure you take control whenever possible to maximize DPS.

How to Use Cannons Effectively

1. Assign one of your NPC crew to each cannon.

2. Use the “eye” icon on the cannon interface to lock onto your target.

3. Fire at the manta ray or other large target and turn the eye off.

4. Jump to the second cannon and repeat the process.

This allows both cannons to fire at once while maintaining control of your boat’s movement. If you need to turn, your designated helmsman keeps the boat steady, allowing uninterrupted cannon fire.

Tips for Bounty Hunting

• Multiple Targets: While you’ll often out-DPS your crew, having them on the cannons ensures constant damage output while you focus on movement or healing.

• Ammo Management: Use steel cannonballs if you have a large stockpile—they’re cost-effective and reliable.

• Healing: Crew members like Boy Jenkins can repair and overheal your boat, keeping you in the fight longer.

• Target Switching: Re-engage the “eye” icon on your cannon whenever switching targets to keep your crew focused efficiently.

This setup isn’t just for armored Krakens; it works on other high-level sea creatures, including manta rays, great whites, and other large bounty targets. By controlling both cannons and supplementing with your magic or ranged attacks, you can clear tasks much faster and farm rare drops like dragon nails, cannon barrels, and plates efficiently, as well as OSRS gold.

Summary

By mastering and maximizing cannon damage in OSRS sailing, these mechanics, you’ll smash through bounty tasks, farm high-value drops, and make the most of your sailing adventures. Whether you’re tackling armored Krakens or large ocean predators, using both cannons simultaneously is the ultimate way to maximize your damage output.

RSorder Team