How to Sword Lunge in Sea of Thieves

Sword Lunging can be incredibly useful in various scenarios in Sea of Thieves, some of which aren’t even combat-related. Unlike the normal Cutlass strike that does less damage, one Sword Lunge will take away half an enemy pirate’s health. Doing a Sword Lunge will leave you vulnerable for three seconds, but the move can’t be blocked. For this reason, it’s usually best for fighting fewer, stronger enemies rather than crowds. Here’s how to properly do a Sword Lunge in Sea of Thieves and some tips for use outside of combat.

Equipping a Cutlass (Sword)

Before you can Sword Lunge, you’ll need to equip your sword. You can do so by going to your ship, locating the Armoury (a brown box on the wall with a crossed sword and gun on the front), and holding X to open it. From there, press Right Bumper to navigate to the Cutlass tab, then select a sword to equip. You can only have two types of weapons equipped at once, one of which needs to be your sword. Exit the Armoury menu and cycle your weapons with Y until the sword is in your hand.

Related: How to get the Ignoring The Rules Of Engagement achievement in Sea of Thieves

How to Sword Lunge

With sword in hand, face whatever it is you’d like to Sword Lunge and make sure it’s relatively close to you (within about five yards). Now, hold Right Trigger (RT) and don’t let go. Your walking speed will slow, and you’ll begin to charge your sword for a strike. In a few seconds, you’ll lunge forward at high velocity and strike hard with your sword, which means you’ve successfully executed a Sword Lunge. Remember that you’ll be immobile for three seconds after the attack.

The Sword Lunge might seem simple enough on the surface, but its specific mechanics and uses actually go a bit deeper:

• You can hold Left Trigger (LT) to block with your sword, but holding LT as you execute a Sword Lunge allows you to move around faster while you charge your attack.
• You can also hold LT, hold RT to perform a Sword Lunge, and jump just as you begin to strike with your sword. This can be hard to do, but if done correctly, you will fly forward with a bit of momentum, allowing you to traverse longer distances faster.
• Finally, if you’re going to swim a fair distance in the water, perform a Sword Lunge off a platform to enter the water. Your momentum will carry you through the water a fair distance, saving you some time.

Learning and executing these maneuvers well will help you play like the pros in Sea of Thieves.