I usually wait until low red, but sometimes I wait too long and end up in jail with full health.

Depends on the island. I'll use some on Kingshead, never on a tame island.

As well, depends on a character. Characters below 10 don't get groggy, which is about 3/5's of my characters. As well, some of them still have meat tonics as I understand, and I don't want to use them if I don't have to.

LOL - on pirates that still have roast pork, I can never press "T," instead "I" then mouse down to a tonic I want. 90% of the time, I'm in jail by the time my mouse reaches the tonic. :-)

Higher level pirates don't really need it much, specially with drain life.

My newest little guy though, well when there was just a spec of red showing and the grenadier had a grenade mid flight, I hit the tonic, lol.

Ha ha ha, I like this question. It really depends on how much fun I'm having with the NPC. Usually I use tonic in dire need, so low red. Then I whip around and STAB! You guys know how much I would Like a good, dramatic POTCO movie ;).

Low red only when needed if i turn red (im lvl 40) and im fighting a vl 18 vet who has 250 health left ill just finish him off. I use tonics when i turn high red when facing a larger enemy (ie. assassin boss)

Yea, I never really need to tonic. Life drain helps, then there's the times when I have a healer with me.

Fine print reminder: this is supposed to be about low level pirates. :-) I.e. your baby pirate, if you have one or more 40s.

Carry on! I'm glad this thread proved to be both informative and entertaining. I'm not so sure I ever made the distinction about rate of damage before tonic, consciously, that someone pointed out above. Also never thought to tonic early, to get a second tonic in. Too spoiled from all the healers in Beckett's Quarry, I guess.