  We exploit a conjectured continuity between super Yang-Mills on $\mathbb
R^3\times \mathbb S^1$ and pure Yang-Mills to study $k$-strings in the latter
theory. As expected, we find that Wilson-loop correlation functions depend on
the N-ality of a representation ${\cal R}$ to the leading order. However, the
next-to-leading order correction is not universal and is given by the group
characters, in the representation ${\cal R}$, of the permutation group. We also
study W-bosons in super Yang-Mills and show that they are deconfined on the
string worldsheet, and therefore, can change neither the string N-ality nor its
tension. This phenomenon mirrors the fact that soft gluons do not screen probe
charges with non-zero N-ality in pure Yang-Mills. Finally, we comment on the
scaling law of $k$-strings in super Yang-Mills and compare our findings with
strings in Seiberg-Witten theory, deformed Yang-Mills theory, and holographic
studies that were performed in the 't Hooft large-$N$ limit.
