phantom ships

[Spagz]

Wrong. The Skeleton ships do not fire from their bows, or at least I havent had one do it yet and I've killed tons of em. The best way to to stay on its bow keeping enough distance to make it keep turning into you while constantly bashing it with your broadsides. When you engage them from the rear, they just turn and fire off a quite damaging barrage of firebrand and thunderbolts.

Unless the AI is bugged, most ships will always turn into you once engaged to close distance, exposing their bow until they get within a close distance to turn again to broadside . Even with normal frigates that can shoot forward, its always best to receive a little damage rather then allowing a chance for them to broadside you.