How to Prepare for Marleybone

G'mornin' me hearties!

A few days ago, there was some conversation on twitter about what level & nautical level would be good for starting Marleybone.  Apparently if you don't complete any side quests, you will be around level 48 when you finish Mooshu.  And it is possible to be a much lower nautical level than that when you finish as well.  The question is, would this be ideal for starting to quest through the new content? While the answer may vary from person to person, I decided to put together a few guidelines for what I think would make questing through this world and Aquila doable. I will also include some tips on how to keep up with your nautical level and companions' training. So are you ready to hear my fantabulous opinions?  If so, read on! :)

• Regular level - I was level 50 when I started questing in MB, and I didn't find it to be too difficult at all.  However, from what I hear and have seen, Aquila is much more difficult.  So my suggestion would be to be somewhere between level 48-50 when you start Marleybone.  Remember, your level determines which gear and ships you can get, as well as how high you can train up your companions.
• Nautical level - Your nautical level decides which ship parts you can and can't purchase.  So I would say you want to try to be at least level 45, but level 48-50 would be even better!  I personally like to try to keep my regular level and nautical level within 1-2 levels away from each other.  I also find this makes it less overwhelming to nautical level, if I am only trying to level by 1 level at a time.
• Companions - My companions were all level 50 before I started questing through the new content.  However, I really do think that this might be overkill.  You would probably be okay with training your companions to level 45-47.
• Gear - The Mooshu vendors sell some decent level 45 gear.  This is what I used to quest through MB.  However, you may be able to snag some even better gear now that the bazaar has opened up.  I don't know if I would start questing with anything less than level 45 gear though!
• Ships & ship equipment - This is a big reason why I recommend being at least level 48, so you can get a really good ship.  The Royal Navy Galleon is a level 54 ship, and you need to be at least level 48 to equip it.  If you can afford it, I highly recommend this ship and the best equipment you can find for it. It will help you out A LOT!

My biggest tip for achieving all this is......side quests!  I know some people don't like doing side quests, but on Pirate101 you can get tons of companion training points and NXP from doing them.  If you really don't want to side quest, you could always join up with a bunch of people at an NXP party.  This is a great way to nautical level pretty quickly.  You can also farm for gold and purchase companion training points.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to have fun! And if you prepare for MB, you should have a great time questing there. I know I did!  Good luck and thanks for reading! :)