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Ship Combat Mastery — Sea of Thieves Guide
Sea of Thieves

Ship Combat Mastery — Sea of Thieves Guide

Learn to master ship combat in Sea of Thieves. This guide covers treasure mechanics, types of loot, and how to effectively sell your findings to trading companies for gold and reputation.

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Learn to master ship combat in Sea of Thieves. This guide covers treasure mechanics, types of loot, and how to effectively sell your findings to trading companies for gold and reputation.

Walkthrough
  1. 1
    Finding Treasure: Treasure can be found scattered across islands, floating in shipwrecks, within barrels, inside vaults at forts, or taken by enemies like Skeleton Ships, Megalodons, and the Kraken. Treasure items emit a distinct colored glint or glow, allowing players to spot them from a distance.
  2. 2
    Carrying and Delivering Treasure: Each treasure item must be carried by hand to its respective Trading Company representative. A pirate can only carry one item at a time and cannot use equipment or resources while doing so. Dropping the item allows for full control. Harpoons can retrieve treasure from afar. Smaller items can be stored in Container Chests, which hold up to 3 items and can hide their glow.
  3. 3
    Treasure Lifespan: Treasure left on land remains until interacted with. Treasure dropped in water will sink after approximately 5 minutes, though Trade Good Crates may float longer.
  4. 4
    Emissary Value: Sailing as a Trading Company Emissary grants Emissary Grade Reputation when picking up relevant treasure. Additional reputation is gained by placing these items on your ship. These bonuses are awarded only upon the first claim of a treasure item.
  5. 5
    Trading Companies: Treasure items are categorized by the Trading Company that buys them: Gold Hoarders, Order of Souls, and Merchant Alliance. Each company values specific treasure types and offers Voyages, Quests, Gold, Doubloons, Reputation, and Emissary Value.
  6. 6
    Types of Treasure: Treasure items include Treasure Chests and Artefacts. Chests are often locked and sold to the Gold Hoarders. Artefacts are smaller valuable items found throughout the seas.
  7. 7
    Gold Hoarder Treasure: Items sold to the Gold Hoarders include various Treasure Chests (Regular, Shipwrecked, Coral, Ashen, Valuable, Cursed) and Artefacts. These emit a White Glint (Chests) or Golden Glint (Artefacts).
Tips
  • Use a Harpoon to quickly grab treasure from a distance, especially when under pressure.
  • Container Chests are essential for organizing and protecting smaller treasures, and for hiding their glow from other players.
  • Pay attention to the glint color to identify treasure types and their potential value from afar.
  • Prioritize delivering treasure relevant to your current Emissary flag for maximum reputation and value gains.
  • Be aware of the time limit for treasure sinking in water, especially after battles or during long voyages.

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