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Tips and Tricks
This page contains tips, tricks, strategies, and secrets you should know before heading out on the open seas in Sea of Thieves.
Please click or tap the links below to jump to different sections of this Tips and Tricks page:
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Hit the links below to jump to other tip-related pages of this guide where you'll find info on what to do if you're just starting your piratical journey, what Sea of Thieves doesn't tell, and more:
Beginner Tips
These tips are meant for players starting Sea of Thieves for the first time. And hey, even if you've played for a bit, you may find a few new details here or there! Add your own by hitting the "Edit Page" button after you've signed in.
The objective of Sea of Thieves is to work with others to amass riches, chase down treasures, complete quests, and defend your lives and loot from the enemies both undead and human.?
First Things First
Check out The 9 Best Tips for Getting Started, and more tips below!
Whenever you begin, you're going to want to stock up on items found on your current island. Find Bananas to help restore health, planks to help patch holes in your boat, and cannonballs for, well, your cannon.
Once you're full, head back to the ship and drop them into the barrels found in the lower decks. Now you'll always have some of these items handy and you'll have room for the next time you leave the ship. It's a good idea to have your pockets fairly empty (at least no cannonballs and planks -- you want bananas to heal yourself) when exploring an island as you'll want to stock up again.?
Next up, get yourself some quests from your starting isle merchants. You can activate them in the Captain's Cabin on your ship. Once enough players have voted on a quest (by standing in front of the table and selecting one), you will receive destination information. Head down to the map, find the matching island, hit a button to circle it, and remember the direction (or have someone advise you later. It's time to set sail!
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Ship Terminology
Communication is key, but it's also important to know what everything is called, especially in quick and tense situations.
- Bow - Front of the ship.
- Stern - back of the ship.
- Hull - The main body of the ship (between bow and stern).
- Mast - The large wooden pole the holds up sails.
- Rigging - Rope that supports the sails and masts.
- Port - Left side of the ship (when facing bow).
- Starboard - Right side of the ship (when facing bow).
How to Sail
Everyone likes to pretend they know what they're doing at first but we all start somewhere. Understanding how to operate the ship can come a long way. Keep in mind that the larger your crew, the bigger your ship.
- Anchor - Located near the bow. Quickly drop the anchor with X or take the time to turn and raise the anchor. You don't need to hold X while raising it.
- Sails - Each sail has two options. The left rigging allows you to raise and lower the sail. Have it lowered when you want to sail to allow the wind to push your boat forward. Raise it when you've stopped and you don't want your boat to move. The rigging on the right will let you turn the sail. Turn the sail into the direction of the wind to have it work properly. Look for the wind lines that show the direction and origin. You want the wind to hit your sails just right. The sails will make a noise and fill up when you've got the right angle. To go slower, raise the sails.?
- Map - Having someone keeping an eye on the map is always a good idea. As everyone works outside, the player watching the map can communicate with the player behind the wheel. You can mark locations on the mark with a circle and don't forget you can zoom out and in to see finer details of each island.
- Wheel - The wheel isn't as daunting as it looks. Turn left to go left, right to go right. Just like driving a car, you'll need to position the wheel back to the center once you've got the direction you want.
- Crow's Nest - There's a ladder that takes you up the main mast and into the Crow's Nest. Use this handy spot to spot obstacles and islands of interest in the distance. This is a great way to keep an eye out for danger as well.
Communication is Key
If you want to experience Sea of Thieves to the fullest, you're going to want to pull out that headset. Communication is vital in completing voyages and simply navigating the ship. Ideally you'll want everyone in your crew to have voice chat enabled, but even having one member speaking can make a big difference. Remember to use simple, but specific terminology -- like 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, or the above-mentioned nautical terms.
If you really can't pull out a microphone, there are a few in-game options that will give your partners something to work with. Hold the D-pad to reveal a circle wheel of premade text messages. Simply move the left control stick to select a message and let go to send it. Don't forget that hitting X can reveal an additional set of dialogue. Ahoy!
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Hitting the D-Pad while holding certain items or interacting with objects can yield a different set of messages. Use it while holding a telescope to alert your crew of a ship, or select one of the cardinal directions when viewing the map. If you pull out your pocket watch, you'll have the option to suggest voting on a new voyage.
Communication is Key Part 2
Chat in Sea of Thieves is proximity-based, and you can use this to your advantage when encountering other players.
Simply chatting up others may help extend the hand of friendship, but you can also eavesdrop on other crews who may be planning something nefarious. You can also try and sneak onto their ship and listen in on where their treasure is located, or when the plan to drop anchor and hop off. Don't give away too many of your tactics if you think someone else might be listening!
Repairing Your Ship
Sometimes your ship gets damaged and it starts filling up with water. It happens. When it happens, whip out your plank and seal the damaged area. From there, grab a bucket, scoop up some water, then toss it overboard. Each scoop picks up a surprising amount.
If there's a window in area or any of the floors before the main deck, fill up your bucket and toss the water through the window. This will speed up the process!
Enemy cannons aren't the only way your ship can be damaged. Sailing into wreckage or slamming into an island doesn't help your ship at all. Even riding through a storm can cause leaks to appear.
Know Your Ships
Before you hop into the game, you'll be asked what kind of crew size you want. The ship you start with depends on the size. A crew of four will get a galleon featuring three sails and additional decks, a duo will get you a vessel, and going solo will start you off with the smallest boat.
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Larger ships will take longer to turn over their smaller counterparts, but they do offer a different advantage. The galleon is a faster boat overall, provided you are sailing with the wind. Be able to turn quickly can help you evade enemy attacks, so keep this in mind! There's also the new Brigantine ship, which is a mid-sized ship perfect for groups of two to three.
Advanced Tips
Check out some of these lesser known tips that'll help you better navigate the open sea and help you get the upper edge on enemies.
Mermaid Warp
YOUR CREW LEFT YOU AGAIN! Don't sweat it! If you took too long checking out a new island or the nearby shipwreck, you'll get the chance to warp back to your ship. Once the ship has made some distance, a mermaid will appear in the water. Look for the plume of smoke rising from the water to locate it. Interact with it to rejoin your crew.
This also works if you jump overboard while you're out on the open seas. No big deal!
Lights Off
It's good to have the element of surprise, right? Make sure to shut off those lanterns when the sun goes down. The moon offers plenty of light, so there is no need to light up like a Christmas tree for any treacherous foes to see. Lanterns give off a yellow glow and can easily be seen from a distance.?
Treacherous Glint
The spyglass is great for spotting enemy ships -- but if the sun shines on it, it'll produce a very visible flash. Be careful not to stare too long or you might alert your opponents.?
If you see a glint coming from the beach of an island, it usually means there is a piece of treasure there.
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Blast Off to Your Destination
Cannonballs aren't the only thing you can place in the cannon. If you want to get from ship to land in a hurry, throw yourself into the cannon and get blasted off to the island. Seriously.
To do this, first aim the cannon to wherever you'd like to land. Do not equip a cannonball and make the sure the cannon is not already loaded. Go to the front of the cannon and load it with yourself. A friend can aim you and fire or you can aim before climbing in and fire yourself.
You may end up taking some fall damage once you land, so keep that in mind. To stay on the safe side, you can always aim for the water near the shore.
Cannonball Tips
Ah yes, the cannon. Looks awesome and it's super effective, but let's make sure we're using it to its full potential.
First off, before you even start a battle, prepare your cannons by loading up them up with cannonballs. When a fight does occur, the loaded cannons can be quickly used and they can be the slight edge you needed to walk out victorious. Leave one or two cannons open in case you want to use them to blast yourself to land.
When fighting another ship, make sure you're holding spare cannonballs as you can instantly reload -- and try not to shoot your cannon at the same spot. Blasting a hole is the first step, but there's no point in continuing to fire in the same location. Find a new spot!
Take note of the part of the ship that floats below the water. You'll want to aim your shots to land here so that water starts to fill the enemy ship once it's been hit. Aim just above where the water hits the ship to better your chances.
If an enemy ship is hit, they'll need one person to fix one hole. Now imagine if three holes were made at once. More work for one person to clean up and hopefully more chaos for your foes. Coordinate with your crew to try and attack at the same time to make it harder for any enemies.
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Knock Back Opponents
Melee combat can be a bit finicky in Sea of Thieves, but there are some aspects you should know.
when swinging your sword - either at skeletons or players alike, a three-hit combo will send your opponent flying backwards, even if they block. Charging up your swing and doing a dash strike can also knock back enemies (except skeleton captains), as well as stunning them - if it connects. Use knockback to get some space, or get rid of other players who try to swarm your ship.
Votes that Count
There are two things you can vote on. The first is sending someone on your crew to the brig. Dealing with someone who is causing chaos for no reason? A troll of some sort? If a majority votes to send them to the brig, the player will be locked up on the bottom deck of the ship where other members of the crew can taunt, mock, or even vomit on the troublemaker. That player can be voted out by the rest of the crew. Otherwise, you're stuck there until you quit. Make better choices!
If you're playing for the first time and wondering why you're locked in a cage you can't escape, well, that's why.
The second voting option is for scuttling ships. Did you get yourself in a tight situation you can't seem to get out of? Vote to scuttle your ship to have it appear at a nearby island.
Better in Numbers
This one may be a little obvious but it can easily overlooked. Having multiple players perform a single task can help speed up the process. Clearing out water from inside the ship? Yes. Help bring up the anchor? Definitely. Digging out a treasure chest? You bet.
Sharp Turns
Want to flip your boat with a sharp turn? Start turning the wheel in the direction you desire, then drop the anchor jolt the boat in the same direction. The wind can help you pull off a very fast turn. This is a nice tactic if you're being pursued, but you'll still want the rest of the crew pulling the anchor back up quickly.
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Eyes for the Captain
The view from behind the wheel can be breathtaking, provided you can see past the sail. For the center mast, try raising it a bit to allow the player controlling the wheel to see some of the water directly in front of the ship.
Center of the Wheel
It's important to straighten out your ship after you've successfully turned it in the right direction. One of the handles on the wheel is plated in gold, indicting the center. For larger ships like the Galleon, the wheel can make two full rotations. Listen for a specific loud smack as the gold handle passes to confirm the center.
The North Star
The compass is great, but there is an additional way to easily navigate. At nighttime, look up and search for the brightest star. It's the North Star!
Enemy Ships at an Outpost
Treasure found in the world of Sea of Thieves will need to be dropped off at an outpost where you can claim your reward. Naturally, different crews will be entering and exiting outposts quite often.
Be careful! If you see a ship already docked at an outpost, that can mean trouble. You may get lucky and nobody will bother you, but let's be real. You can try and take care of the enemies first before handling the treasure, or you can send out your crew to protect the person transporting the chest. The last thing you want is to reach the end of your voyage only to have your treasure stolen at the last second.
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You can try and avoid prying eyes by sailing to the back of an island and quietly sneaking into town. Resist the urge to needlessly fire guns or cannons when you can use the element of surprise.?
Hide Your Treasure
Surprise! Pirates are common in the world of Sea of Thieves, so you'll want to safeguard your treasure as much as possible. If you've collected a chest and you're on your way back to an outpost, look around your ship for unique places to hide your prized possession. Hide it on the balcony area of the Captain's Quarters or try dragging it all the way up to the Crow's Nest. You can even drop the chest on the sails. If you do put the chest below deck, always put the more valuable chests further back and the less valuable ones right on the stairs, so that if a enemy pirate boards you, they will usually take the first chest they see.
Salvage the Treasure!
Your boat is sinking and there's no saving it. But what about the treasure?? Thankfully, treasure chests will float to the surface where you'll get a chance to salvage them. This won't last long, so be quick. Keep this in mind for downed enemy ships too.
The Blunderbuss
While you may not be equipped with it at the start of your adventure, the Blunderbuss can be a worthwhile investment. This shotgun like weapon can take down an enemy in a single shot if you're close enough. Remember that you can swap weapons to the Blunderbuss or Eye of Reach by going to your armory either at the Weapon Shop or on your boat.
Restock at Outposts and Large Islands
You never know when you'll be needing a large supply of wooden planks or cannonballs - and the standard amount you have on your ship isn't always enough. Store everything you carry, and then head to town or explore a large island and grab everything from all the barrels you can find - you'll often be able to store a lot more goods, especially when working with a team.
Gross But Effective
Drinking up grog at the bar will eventually get you to vomit. If this vomit manages to get on anyone, it'll affect their movement and their visuals. Have your bucket ready and vomit into it. Now you can run over to any of your pals and splash them at your own pace! Take it a step further and put the puke-filled bucket away to store it for any unsuspecting enemies.
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Abandon Ship
Got an enemy on your tail as you speed through the open waters? Consider this. Keep your boat sailing forward and let it go on its own. Abandon ship and jump off the side of your boat, then wait underwater as the enemy boat draws near. Swim up, board their ship, and wreak havoc by surprise.
Count Your Steps
Are you trying to count your steps yourself? No need. Pull out your compass and hold down the right trigger to bring the compass closer to the center of the screen. Every step you take will leave a rumble, indicating each and every step. Use this voyages with riddles and step counts!
When Chased By a Large Ship, Sail Into the Wind
The larger galleon seems to be much faster than the smaller, more maneuverable sloop when sailing with the wind, but the opposite appears to be true when sailing into it. It would stand to reason that more sails mean more drag when the wind isn't blowing in the galleon's favor, and if all else fails, use the snoop's maneuverability to make frequent and drastic heading changes.
Telltale Signs
There are two types of clouds that you should look out for. One is very obvious: thunderstorm clouds. If you see dark clouds and lightning, there'll be rough seas ahead. You will take damage if you sail through them.
There's also a skull cloud with glowing eyes that will appear. This will be point your way to a skeleton outpost.?
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See a lot of birds circling above the water? They're likely seeing a sunken ship below. Some are easy to spot because the mast's still sticking out. Others are fully submerged and may require a deep dive.?
Don't Give Up Your Treasure
If you're ever outmatched and being chased by other pirates - it doesn't always have to end with them blasting you out of the water and taking your treasure.
Items are static in the world - meaning if you jump ship and stash your items on an island (and your pursuers don't notice), you can use a mermaid to respawn your ship and sail back to the island you left your loot at.
Crossplay
Sea of Thieves is crossplay compatible on Xbox One and PC in both its adventure and PVP modes. In PVP, crossplay is optional and pools of players can be selected from PC players or Xbox One players. Crossplay also functions between PC and Xbox One players playing the game through Games Pass.
The Wildlife
Keep an eye out for the wildlife spread throughout Sea of Thieves. Sharks will attack you in the water and taking them out while underwater can be difficult. Snakes will be obvious when seen, but some hide in grass and bushes and they'll quickly take out a chunk of your health with their quick bite attacks.
Beyond that, you should obviously keep an eye out for the Kraken and the Megaladon. If you hear some scary music start playing, keep an out for a massive shark fin sticking out of the water — it's the megalodon. If you can't attack it (if you're alone, don't bother), try to get to an island as fast as possible.
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If the sky turns dark and the water surrounding your ship does too, the Kraken is about to appear. You can either attack or abandon ship.
Voyages, Tall Tales, and More
The map of Sea of Thieves will never change — your favorite island will always be located at the same spot on the map. However, virtually everything else changes in the game, including the locations you're sent to for voyages and especially Tall Tales. If you run a Tall Tale today, it might take you to one island but if you run that same Tall Tale tomorrow, your clues might lead you to a completely different island.
Keep an eye out for those changes and plan accordingly when taking on voyages or starting a Tall Tale.
There Is No Scaling in Sea of Thieves
This is another way of saying that the amount of damage you do with a weapon during your first day in-game is the same amount of damage you'll do 300 days in. The same goes for health and everything else in the game. However, you'll still run into players much better than you or enemies much tougher than others.
This is because of skill. While there's no level scaling or anything like that, players who have played for a while will almost always be better than a player who's on their first-ever sail around the Sea of Thieves. Basically, if you're feeling underleveled, you're not — keep at it and you'll be a pirate legend in no time.
Don't Sail to the Edge of the Map If You're Trying to Stay Alive
This one is simple, but worth noting: you'll die if you sail too far beyond the edge of the map. How do we know? We sailed right past the end and beyond and...we died, but we died so that you don't have to! There's nothing waiting for you out there but a red sun that will send your ship to Davy Jones' locker.
There's No Minimap
If you're wondering whether or not there's a minimap to unlock somewhere in the game...there isn't. Your only map is the one on-board your ship — study it, memorize it, and love it because it's all you got. Focus on learning how it and your compass work together. If an island is just north of you, use your compass to travel north.
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There's a Charge Attack (That Many People Forget About It)
When fighting in Sea of Thieves, it's super easy to spam the attack button. It works, sure, but there's some nuance to be had in fighting with a sword. One very important move to learn is the charge attack. Simply hold the attack button and you'll see your pirate charge up — when the attack is fully charged, your pirate will automatically lunge forward for a heavy damage attack that can also push enemies quite a distance away.
Your enemies won't be using this move too often because it's easy to forget about, but if you practice with it now and add it to your rotation, you'll be schooling fools on the Sea of Thieves in no time.
World Events
If you see something in the sky, there's a good chance it's pointing you toward a world event. These special events happen every so often in Sea of Thieves and while most are challenging to compete, the reward (which is usually just a ton of treasure chests, gems, and more) is always worth it.
Be sure to learn what each World Event is, what it looks like, and how to compete it before sailing out on the waters of the Sea of Thieves. Head to IGN's All World Events and How to Complete Them page for more information about all of that.
A Pirate's Life Tips and Tricks
- A Pirate's Life is a new story-based expansion that features the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones, Mr. Gibbs, and more from Pirates of the Caribbean thanks to a collaboration between Disney and Rare.
- A Pirate's Life consists of five Tall Tales — you must play the first to play the second and so on. However, upon completing a Tall Tale, you can replay it as many times as you want.
- Each Pirate's Life Tall Tale features a handful of commendations to complete — you'll want to do this because after completing a Tall Tale, you get one special item but in order to unlock the second special item available, you'll need to complete each commendation in that specific Tall Tale.
- When all is said and done, after each Tall Tale (and assuming you achieved every commendation in a given Tall Tale), you'll receive two unique items. These can be anything ranging from a hat to new sails to a new capstan and more.
- Head to A Pirate's Life: Pirates of the Caribbean Tall Tales in this IGN guide for detailed walkthroughs of each Tall Tale. By following these walkthroughs, you'll complete each Tall Tale with every commendation unlocked.
- Most of the Tall Tales take place in new locations created specifically for A Pirate's Life. What's great about this is that these locations are separate from the Sea of Thieves, which means that while playing the Tall Tales, you won't need to worry about running into other players that want to sink your ship and steal your treasure.
- Spread throughout each Tall Tale in A Pirate's Life are easter eggs and references to not just the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise, but the actual Pirates of the Caribbean rides at the multiple Disney parks in the world.
- When using Jack's Compass, it doesn't point North — instead, it points to your heart's desire (which is another way of saying it points directly to where you need to go to satisfy the next objective in the Tall Tale).
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- When using the Trident of Dark Tides, players must press RT to charge the Trident's shot up — there are three levels of charge: with each progressing level of charge, the subsequent shot goes stronger in damage output and range.
- When fighting Sirens, don't let them get too close for if they do, they'll unleash a flurry of slashes that can easily take down a good chunk of your health bar.
- If Sirens back up and stay still, they're about to use their own trident to fire a powerful blast at you. Keep an eye out for this and swim either left, right, up, or down to avoid the attack.
- To take out a Siren, target the Siren's Heart gem enlarged in their chest to do extra damage. The standard Sirens go down in about one fully-charged Trident shot (usually) where as the Royal Guard sirens might take a second shot depending on where you hit them.
- A Pirate's Life introduces three new land-based enemies into the game and collectively, they're referred to as the Ocean Crawlers. They can be found throughout the Pirate's Life Tall Tales, but they also spawn throughout the standard Sea of Thieves world now, too.
- There are three Ocean Crawler types:
- 1. Electric Ocean Crawler: these Ocean Crawlers dash around, shocking you with their AOE electricity, and they fire electric orbs at you. Dodge these and shoot them three times in the blue gem enlarged in their chest to take them out — however, when they die, step back because they explode in electricity when they die and this can hurt you.
- 2. Clam Ocean Crawlers: these Ocean Crawlers feature a massive clam for a head and not only do they charge at you with a rush attack that does a ton of damage and knock back, they also constantly give off green poisonous spores. Shoot these Ocean Crawlers in the green gem enlodged in their chest two to three times to take them out but do so from a distance so as to avoid their green poison.
- 3. Crab Ocean Crawlers: these Ocean Crawlers look like giant crabs and not only are they the hardest to take down, they do the most damage. Fortunately, they move really slowly. Just keep your distance from them to avoid triggering their massive, AOE ground pound attack, and fire away at the red gem enlodged in their chest. It takes about five shots to take them down.
- One of the new enemies in the game, courtesy of the Season 3: A Pirate's Life update, are Phantoms. These are ghostly green in appearance and for the most part, they look like regular ole pirates (except maybe a bit more transparent).
- They attack much in the same way that the Skeleton enemies in the game do: they slash at you with their sword and fire at you with their guns.
- They do, however, have one new move: a raging dash attack. They'll dash (float? apparate? whatever it is that ghosts do?) from one area to another, aiming specifically to hit you along the way.
- When this dash attack lands its hit on you, you'll take a good chunk of damage and receive a significant amount of knock back. Step out of the way to dodge their dash attack.
- Phantoms go down in about 3 to 7 sword attacks or one to two gun shots.
- If you aren't intimately familiar with the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, specifically the one at Disneyland, we highly recommend familiarizing yourself with it before playing through the third A Pirate's Life Tall Tale called Captain of the Damned. It features a ton of ride-related Easter eggs and recognizing them is part of the fun in that Tall Tale.