I could never get the timing down on the dueling minigame. Chain shot is risk-free (and cost-free since dueling risks your crew), plus the dueling minigame gets harder as your character gets older but your sailing muscle memory remains reliable forever.

First thought was shooting parallel to floor, then ppl where talking about masts. I was like oh, ok that makes sense too.

there's also that a lot died of infection.

The vast majority of wounds documented during the Civil War were caused by the Minié ball, while the rest were from grapeshot, canister or other exploding shells. Few men were treated for saber or bayonet wounds and even fewer for cannon ball wounds.

Unfortunately for the soldiers and the surgeons, the Civil War was fought just years before the widespread acceptance of the Germ Theory and the understanding of antisepsis and the sterilization of instruments and equipment. The Civil War surgeons performed their work as best they could, but did not have the knowledge of the role germs played in causing infection. While some antiseptic substances like iodine and bromine were used, the reason for their effectiveness was unknown. The discovery of antibiotics was still decades in the future.

Again, a shot that spreads wide would affect more men then 1 straight saw.