Looking for Skull and Bones ship types? Ubisoft’s own Sea of Thieves-esque pirate game arrives on our shores on November 8, 2022, and we’re starting to get an idea of everything we can expect – from pirate customisation, to ship combat, and even its survival game aspects. In a developer blog uploaded in July, Ubisoft revealed more details about the Skull and Bones ship types and their uses.
There are three types of ship (and one outlier) that you’re able to helm in Skull and Bones. Within these categories, there are twelve ships to choose from at launch, all with their own unique perks. In a video on the Ubisoft YouTube channel, senior game director, Ryan Barnard, has confirmed that the intention is for players to build a rounded fleet, with ships for different ventures, rather than putting all your resources into one. Here’s what we know so far about Skull and Bones ship types.
Firstly, the main thing to know about ship types in Skull and Bones is that all ships (excluding the Dhow) have some capacity for battle, navigation, and storage. However, their specific category determines which of these features is most prominent, or what their major pros and cons are. From there, their perks and size also determine what you can do with each one.
Skull and Bones starter Dhow
When you first start the game, having washed up in Sainte-Anne after a shipwreck, you receive a Dhow, a small, flimsy starter sloop. It won’t be up to much, but it’s exactly what you need to get yourself up and running again. Use it to hunt wildlife and gather the resources you need to build bigger and better ships.
As for combat, there’s certainly no room for a cannon, but you can still challenge other players in a Dhow with fun (but deadly) spear fights.
Skull and Bones Cargo ships
- Hulk (Small)
- Padewakang (Medium)
- Snow (Medium)
A slow but sturdy ship type. Great for carrying loot, but not so hot in combat, cargo ships pretty much do what they say on the tin. While you can still load a few weapons onto your cargo ship, being mindful of size and weight, these ships are best for short distance challenges which involve collecting or delivering large amounts of loot.
When you have a choice of ships, you want to look into their individual perks. Every ship has them, so the ship you pick from each category may depend on what type of Captain you want to be, your favourite type of adventure, or a specific challenge. For example, the Padewakang has a larger cargo hull, while the Snow has improved brace efficiency (more damage resistance when braced for attack).
Skull and Bones Firepower ships
- Sloop (Small)
- Brig (Medium)
- Sambuk (Medium)
Also heavy and slow, with minimal navigation, but able to carry a massive arsenal, Firepower ships will, of course, be used when heading into treacherous waters. If playing with friends, you may even want one of you in a Firepower ship no matter the challenge, to act as your sea-faring bodyguard. However, you probably won’t want to take one out on a long-distance journey.
Skull and Bones Navigation ships
- Bedar (Small)
- Brigantine (Medium)
- Ghanja (Medium)
The fastest ship type, with excellent navigational properties. Cargo ships are the only option when you have really long-distance challenges ahead of you. This means, depending on the other aspects of the adventure, you need to really pay attention to perks. The Ghanja, for example, has perks which improve its effectiveness against enemy attack, its larger front quadrant and increased ramming damage allow you to sail through enemy barrages with ease.
The eagle-eyed will have noticed there are only ten ships listed above. The two remaining Skull and Bones launch ships are the Cutter and the Corvette, presumably both large ships, and presumably one Cargo and one Firepower. However, we aren’t sure which is which just yet, as we haven’t spotted them in any Ubisoft developer blogs or gameplay videos.
That’s all there is to know about the ship types in Skull and Bones. Don’t forget to check out the Skull and Bones release date to get an overview of the co op game. In the meantime, now you know about the different types of ship, familiarise yourself with the Skull and Bones ship loadout options with which you’ll be kitting them out.
