Sandstorm: Pirate Wars guide - How to keep your rusty bucket airborne

Have you ever longed for the day that you could experience Bethesda's world of Fallout but as a pirate? No, I didn't think so. But, if the idea does intrigue you, you might want to check out Ubisoft's Sandstorm: Pirate Wars.

It's set in a post apocalyptic future and has you riding around the world in your very own customisable airship, completing quests, taking on attacking pirates, and upgrading your ship.

While it's a lot of fun, it quickly becomes challenging if you don't pay attention to your ship. Well, we've got you covered with this guide to keeping that rusty bucket airborne. Preparation is key

Before you even take off, you should check on the status of your ship. If it needs repairing, pay however many bolts it costs to do so - it's a small price to pay to make it to your desination safely.

Then, you should take a look at which weapons and support systems you have equipped. The trick here is to make sure you're prepared for any eventuality - and yes, that doesn't mean just equipping your most powerful weapons.

For a start, you need at least one weapon which can pierce shields so you can take out the enemy's support systems quickly and efficiently. Then, with your remaining slots, you'll want to vary it up for different eventualities.

For example, a heavy weapon may take ages to recharge but will deal insane damage to an enemy ship. You don't want to take only those though, as sometimes you'll only need to deal a tad of damage to finish them off - and that's where light weapons come in.

Preparation is half of the battle - the other half is the battle itself.

The first thing you'll want to do is take down their support systems - focusing first on those that mess with your best attacks. Shields are a good place to start but don't neglect systems that shut down your favourite weapons or automatically repair the ship - those can be deadly.

Be organic in your approach though. For example, if the enemy is intent on shutting down your most powerful weapon, try and shut down their system that allows them to do that as quickly as possible.

You're a pirate so get with the program and start earning those big bucks - or bolts, in this case.

The best place to start is to complete the main story quests as these tend to be the easiest to complete yet reward the highest.

Don't neglect those tavern missions though. In fact, as soon as they become available you should pick them up. They're usually pretty easy to complete, and require you to perform tasks you would have done anyway.