Preface
This guide was made as a thought exercise over how to speedrun Andrew, but should also be useful to those who just want to get through the character quick or people who are stuck and want to figure out what to do next.
Warning: This guide will, of course, be full of spoilers. I will be skipping the content of the cutscenes (they won't even be indicated in the guide), as people can easily watch them if they want, but there will be more than enough hints to spoil part of the story.
You have been warned.
Note: Andrew is the worst character of this game to speedrun. Lots of back and forth, long voyages at sea, and the toughest check of the game to manage. The run is a pain to go through, and takes the longest of all main characters.
Setting Sail/Newcomer Onboard
As usual, Chapter 1 is very much a tutorial. You'll have more fights than usual in this tutorial, but nothing difficult. It's also one of the fastest in the game if not for said fight, which is an advantage as Andrew's story tends to be long.
Go to the Shipyard
Go to the Pier
Set Joyce as Surveyor
Set William as LookoutSail to Ceuta
Go to the Tavern
Talk to ElderlySet Sail
Get the Pillars of Hercules discovery
Return to CeutaSail to Madeira
Fight a single pirate halfway to Madeira
Fight a pair of pirate vessels closer to Madeira
Note: These two fights aren't anything difficult (the second can actually beaten by just staying in place and waiting until the enemies kill themselves on your crew), but the drops they have might have an effect on the rest of your game. Getting Sailor's Bandannas early gives extra speed and, with two, you can skip passing by Copenhagen. The same goes for getting a Hornet Helmet and Hamburg.
Go to the Trade Center
Sell whatever cargo you looted from the pirates
Buy 2 White SugarAuto-Sail to Lisbon
Use the Offshore Topographic Map: Portugal before setting sail
Once you've set sail, put Joyce as Lookout
Put William as Sail Master
Equip a Sailor's Bandanna on William if you have one
Great Navigators
Chapter 2, like all of the upcoming chapters, is exploration-heavy. You'll be visiting every port in Africa in this chapter, along with some back and forth to Lisbon. The advantage is that there are no battle in the entirety of this chapter, so you can relax and not stress about being attacked.
Go to the Tavern
Talk to Julianne
Talk to Sailor
Level Andrew up to 21, and put the point in ShipbuildingGo to the Shipyard
Buy two Common Foremast Hard Sails
Buy a Common Aftermast Gaff Topsail
Repair your ship while thereGo to the Item Store
Buy Offshore Nautical Chart: Portugal
Buy Offshore Nautical Chart: Spain
Note: Activating Andrew's Route Pathfinder ability is a major advantage, so you'll be buying those charts. If you don't have enough, you can sell every piece of equipment and every ship part save the compass we just got and any Sailor's Bandanna you have.
Sail to Copenhagen
You won't be taking a direct route to Copenhagen. Instead, you'll be grabbing treasures for spending money. There are three to be found: North of Porto on the Iberian Peninsula (20 000 gold and Rapier), in the bay East of Dublin in England (20 000 gold and King's Sword), and the peninsula at the top Northeast corner of Scotland (20 000 gold and Celtic Crown).
Note: Only the King's Sword is really necessary, and that's because it sells for 300 000 gold, which will cover your expenses for a long while.
Note 2: Normally, I'd say to grab the North Sea Fishery and even possibly the Scandinavian Fishery discoveries while near them, but Andrew doesn't need them for contribution purposes, and (due to a bug) they don't currently given XP. As such, they are useless detour, however slight they would be.
That will probably change when this gets fixed.
Go to the Equipment Store
Buy until you have 2 Sailor's Bandanna
Sell the King's Sword, Rapier, and Celtic Crown
Note: If you somehow, due to the graces of RNG, already have two Sailor's Bandanna, go straight to Hamburg instead of passing by Copenhagen and do the selling there.
Sail to Hamburg
Go to the Equipment Store
Buy Buy a Horned Helmet if you don't already have one.
Note: You need both an Horned Helmet and a Horn for the purposes of this speedrun. Again, if you already have a Horned Helmet, skip this place and go to the next (this time: London).
Sail to London
Go to the Item Store
Buy Floating DandelionGo to the Tavern
Set William as Sail Master
Set Loris as Lookout
Set Joyce back as Surveyor
Note: Yes, William is the one we will be building up to Brawling 5, as he already as enough of the other two needed stats that the rest of the equipment we'll find will let him pass the check.
Note 2: Loris is needed for the second, less difficult check, which is Music 4/Geography 3. We'll also be working up to that in time.
Sail to Genoa
Note: Grabbing the shipwreck next to Palma is not recommended, as nothing inside can be sold (quite possibly a bug) and it contains no money. As such, it is a waste of time.
Go to the Tavern
Talk to Scholar
Talk to Experienced SailorGo to the Pier
Talk to Sailor
Remove all cargo capacity for supplies
Note: Talking to the Scholar and Sailor isn't necessary for Andrew's main quest, but it unlocks Bernard's Gifts, which will be useful in making money later on, along with getting us a specific item.
Note 2: You won't be needing to transport anything anymore, so going full supplies makes it safer for long distances.
Sail towards Tunisia
Grab the Ras ben Sakka discovery North of Tunisia
Sail to Genoa once done.Go to the Tavern
Talk to Blanca
Equpi the second Sailor's Bandanna to Maltim
Set Maltim as second Sail MasterSail to Arguin
Sail to Las Palmas
Sail to Madeira
Auto-Sail to Lisbon
Go to the Royal Palace
Talk to OfficialAuto-Sail to Madeira
Sail to Cape Verde
Grab the Cape Verde discovery West of Cape VerdeSail to Sierra Leone
Sail to Abidjan
Sail to St-George
Go to the Item Store
Buy Nautical Chart: Gulf of Guinea
Buy Nautical Chart: Northwestern AfricaSail to Benin
Sail to Sao Tome
Grab one of Bernard's Gifts just outside the city (Advanced Telescope, 100 000 gold)
Note: If you're not grabbing all of thell, do grab this one, as the Advanced Telescope is necessary for the future Geography checks.
Sail to Luanda
Sail to Benguela
Grab the treasure just south of Benguela for Horn and 20 000 gold.
Note: Do not miss this one! The Horn will be necessary for the tough check needed in Chapter 3, and outside of this chest can't be gotten except after battles.
Sail to Cape town
Go to the Black Market
Buy Nautical Chart: Vasco da GamaSail to Natal
Grab the Cape of Good Hope discovery Southeast of Cape TownSail to Toamasina
Note: Passing around Madagascar isn't technically necessary for the main quest at this point, but will be in the future.
Sail to Sofala Province
Sail to Mozambique
Sail to Kilwa
Sail to Zanzibar
Go to the Item Shop
Buy the Nautical Chart: East AfricaSail to Mombasa
Sail to Mogadishu
Grab one of Bernard's Gifts Southwest of Mogadishu next to the river (Laurus Corolla, 100 000 gold)
Note: This one isn't necessary and can be skipped if your finances are good enough.
Sail to Socotra
Grab the Cape Adare discovery on the peninsula east of Socotra
Note: Technically, you do not need to sail to every East African Port to get this chart, but you won't be able to use it if that's the case. As you'll be going back and forth from Portugal, you will need it for Auto-Sail purposes.
Sail to Muscat
Go to the Item Store
Buy Nautical Chart: Arabian Sea
Use all chartsSail to Diu
Sail to Goa
Go to Governor's Office
Talk to the GovernorGo to the Teahouse
Oceanic History
Chapter 3 is where most people have issues with Andrew. Not only is there the most difficult check in all main quests of the game, but some of the quest directions aren't clear and can leave people stuck for a while. You also need to wait ten days at sea at the start, which some people might not realize and end up not knowing what to do.
Go to Calicut
Go to the Item Store
Buy Offshore Nautical Chart: India
Buy Nautical Chart: Bay of Bengal
Use all chartsGo to the Item Store
Sail to Kochi
Sail to Puducherry
Sail to Ceylon
Sail to Kolkata
Go to the Shipyard
Buy an Arab Windsail Ship
Install two Common Foremast Hard Sails at the front of your ship
Install a Common Aftermast Gaff Topsail to the back
Repair your ships as neededGo to the Teahouse
Level up Andrew to 31, and put the point in Geography
Level up Maltim to 31, and put the points in Sail Control
Level up Joyce to 31, and put the points in Mapping
Talk to Joyce
Recruit full crewGo to the Pier
Put your new ship as flagshipSail to Goa
Grab the treasure at the bottom of the Island of Sri Lanka (20 000 gold and Crown of Banten)
Stop before arriving in Goa, then wait until 10 days at sea have passed (you'll get a cutscene)
Dock in Goa then
Note: The Crown of Banten is necessary for the tough Humanities check you'll need to do later this chapter.
Note 2: Yes, you need to have been ten days at sea before you get the cutscene. As such, staying put is best; docking anywhere resets the timer, and there nothing else that'll gain you time within ten days of sailing. Just stay in place and wait.
Go to the Governor's Office
Go to the Teahouse
Auto-Sail to St-George
Go to the Tavern
Talk to Sailor (topmost one)Auto-Sail to Benguela
Go to the Tavern
Talk to Joyce to start her side-quest
Talk to Sailor (topmost one)
Note: Normally, side-quests don't make sense in speedruns, but hers unlocks faster Auto-Sail, and we are and will be doing a lot of that.
Auto-Sail to Sierra Leone
Stop just before turning towards the port, then sail West to South America, staying as close to the equator as possible
Grab another of Bernard's Gift at the mouth of the Amazon (Tiny Golden Scale and 100 000 gold)
Grab the Aztec Sun Stone discovery on the south side of the Amazon River
Sail to BahiaGo to the Tea Stall
Talk to SailorSail back to Abidjian
Scavenge the shipwreck just outside the city in the bright spot of sea.
Note: If you arrive closer to Sierra Leone, go there instead. It's just a launchiong point for Auto-Sail
Auto-Sail to Benin
Go to the Trade Center
Talk to Trade Center OwnerGo to the Pier
Auto-Sail to Muscat
Go to Tavern
Level up William to 31, and put the points in Brawling
Level up Loris to 21, and put the point in Geography
Note: With that, you have everything that's needed for the check save an item that comes later.
Auto-Sail to Puducherry
Stop before turning towards the port, and continue instead to Aceh
Dock in AcehSail to Malacca
Grab the Strait of Malacca discovery while passing thereSail to Jambi
Sail to Palembang
Go to the Bookstore
Buy Trade Nautical Chart: Java Sea
Buy Trade Nautical Chart: Banda Sea
Buy Trade Nautical Chart: Celebes SeaSail to Jakarta
Go to the Black Market
Buy Trade Nautical Chart: Eastern IndiaGo to the Commerce Guild
Talk to Wim Mestes
Note: This is part of Joyce's sidequest, and if it isn't available you either haven't leveled her to 31, or haven't talked to her in the Tavern/Tea Stall.
Go to the Shipyard
Install two Shrapnel Guns at the front of your ship
Repair your ship as needed
Note: There's a fight against two enemies coming up, and more fights against the Spanish after that. You'll need those guns.
Sail to Banjarmasin
Sail to Surabaya
Sail to Makassar
Sail to Dili
Sail southeast of Ambon to discover Maluku Islands
Fight the Pirate fleet
Note: this is an easy fight, especially at 2-on-2. Just focus on the flagship as usual.
Sail to Ambon
Sail to Ternate
Sail to Manila
Go to the Governor's Office
Talk to ArandaGo to the Pier
Auto-Sail to Jakarta
Note: By this point, you should have gotten at least the first part of Garaba's recruitment (the missing supllies scene).
Go to Commerce Guild
Talk to Wim MestesAuto-Sail to Mogadishu
Note: Joyce's last ability will unlock after a few days at sea from this point on.
Go to the Cafe
Talk to Scholar
Level up Garaba to 31, and put both points in Sail Control
Equip Garaba with William's Sailor's Bandanna
Put William as Helmsman
Put Garaba as Sail MasterAuto-Sail to Muscat
Stop Auto-sail before docking in Muscat, and continue to Hormuz
Dock in HormuzSail to Basrah
Go to the Bookstore
Buy the Nautical Chart: Red SeaGo to the Library
Equip Advanced Telescope to Loris
Talk to Scholar
Interpret the Ring Seekers using William and Loris
Note: It may be possible in the future to do both book at the same time, but at this point it isn't worth it. As such, you'll be returning to Basrah in not very long.
Sail to Socrota
Stop Auto-Sail before arriving in Socrota, and continue to Aden
Dock in AdenSail to Massawa
Fight the Spanish fleet
Note: You'll be fighting the Spanish right outside Aden. This isn't a tough fight: just two ships. It's also the reason why you kept those guns, as they'll help you deal with the quickly. Dock in Massawa when you're done.
Sail to Jeddah
Sail to Northern Red Sea
Bring four characters and only food
Go straight East to find the exclamation mark (1SE, 3NE, 3SE, 1NE, 2SE, 1NE)
Return to the exit once doneSail to Suez
Go to the Black Market
Buy the Nautical Chart for Smuggling: Indian Ocean
Use all chartsGo to the Shipyard
Replace your frontal guns by two Common Foremast Hard Sails
Repair your ships as neededAuto-Sail to Basrah
Go to the Library
Equip Advanced Telescope and Compass to Andrew
Equip Horn, Horned Helmet, Crown of Banten, and Ring of King Solomon to William
Interpret Damaged Logbook using Andrew and William
Note: Once this check is passed, none of the items are necessary (save the Ring of King Solomon, of course). You can sell those if needed.
Auto-Sail to Massawa
Go to the Governor's Office
Get the Land Expedition Qualification permitGo to the Post
Take four characters and only supplies
Go 8SW, 8S to reach the exact valid square
Return to the exit once done
Note: Unlike in most cases, the exact square is not indicated. As such, you'll need to follow the steps exactly to get there.
Set Sail
Wait outside Massawa for two days (you will get a cutscene)
Dock back in Massawa
Note: If you haven't visited every single East African port, you will not get the cutscene until two days after you've visited the last. That includes Toamasina (which isn't technically on the East coast of Africa), which is the reason we visited earlier.
Go to the Post
Take four characters and only supplies
Go 7SW, 8S to reach the exact valid square
Return to the exit once doneAuto-Sail to Lisbon
Go to Royal Palace
Talk to Official
Circumnavigation
Compared to the rest of the game, Chapter 4 is simple and boring. Just discovering ports and sailing around the map.
Go to Tavern
Level up your Sail Masters as much as possible, putting all points in Sail Control.Sail to Ushiaia
Note: There are multiple ways of sailing there, depending on how your game went. For speedrun purposes, the best is generally to Auto-Sail to Cape Verde, cancel auto-sail before arriving, then sail the rest of the way manually.
Go to the Pier
Talk to ResidentSet Sail
Go a little Southeast and grab the Cape Horn discovery there
Sail to Valparaiso once that's done.Sail to Copiapo
Sail to Lima
Buy Nautical Chart: American West Coasts
Use the Chart you just boughtSail to Lambayeque
Sail to Tumbes
Sail to Panama
Sail to Guatemala
Sail to Acapulco
Auto-Sail to Lima
Go to the Shipyard
Instal two Shrapnel guns in the front of your ship
Note: You'll need those now as there are no shipyards before the next battle.
Sail to Whanganui
Sail to Hiva Oa
Sail to Hawaii
Sail to Samoa
Sail to Samarai
Auto-Sail to Dili
Fight the Spanish on the way
Continue to Dili once that's done
Note: This is the toughest fight to date, but it isn't that tough. Three ships but nothing too dangerous. Just mow the crew of the flagship with your Shrapnel guns, and continue on your way.
Auto-Sail to Jakarta
Go to the Shipyard
Install two Foremast Hard Sails in the front of your ship
Note: these will only be there temporarily as we have one last fight to go through.
Auto-Sail to Goa
Go to the Governor's Office
Talk to GovernorAuto-Sail to Sofala Province
Go to the Shipyard
Install two Shrapnel guns in the front of your shipAuto-Sail to Luanda
Fight Aranda between Benguela and Luanda
Dock in Luanda after that
Note: This is the toughest mandatory fight of the game for Andrew, though it doesn't compare to some of the fights that other main characters have to face. Let the Fortuna act as your decoy for as long as it can, and while she does that, mow down the enemy flagship. It's more risky than usual as the four ships have decent broadside, but it's quite doable.
And, once that's done, there isn't any more difficulty left in this run.
Go to the Tea Stall (if needed)
Recruit crewAuto-sail to Lisbon
Note: And now you're done, save the final cutscenes.
Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2929367740
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