There are 3 main types of Treasure that you can hand over to Trading Companies in exchange for in-game currency. Those are Gold Hoarders Treasure, Bounty Skulls, and Merchant Alliance Goods. And it’s just your luck that all 3 consistently spawn in the 6 Sea Forts scattered around the map.
These Phantom-guarded bastions are relatively easy to farm for goods and usually located close to an Outpost for fast selling. So, a fantastic place to start your loot-gathering voyages and get a bit of combat experience in the process! You also shouldn’t be bothered by other Players too often, as the Forts are located at the edges of the map – easy to hide a ship around the back.
Dock your vessel at one of these Forts as you avoid the Phantoms’ poorly-aimed cannon fire. Next, fight the waves of the ghostly Spanish sailors until the Fortress Captain spawns. Defeating him will make all other Phantoms disappear. (I find this battle is best to conduct from the very top of the Fort, where you can easily pick off foes.)
Once the Captain is down, he will drop a Fortress Treasury Key that can be used in the Fort’s lowest level. Inside the Treasury you’ll find a bit of everything alongside a few small piles of Gold. Make sure to then comb the containers in the rest of the fortress! More Treasure, Gold, and the key to the Store Room on the battlements can be found hidden away. Just leave the Gunpowder Barrels! They’re never worth the risk.
Before leaving, take time to empty the other Barrels dotted around the Fort. They always stock a good number of Cannonballs, Wood, and all types of Food to keep your ship well supplied.
9. Sunken Wrecks
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Keep watch for those pesky gulls!
Randomly spawning but not uncommon to come across are the Shipwrecks. They can be sighted from far away by the thick cluster of Seagulls circling above their position. The types of loot here are more haphazard, but your chances of finding a rarer, more valuable item are high. Plus, they drop Shipwrecked Chests, which will count towards unlocking the Silent Barnacle Set of cosmetics if handed into the Gold Hoarders, so it’s always worth a quick nosy if you spot one.
Once you’ve sought out a group of hungry gulls, anchor your ship just under them (I normally wouldn’t condone anchoring the ship when leaving it, but it's liable to drift off otherwise). Sometimes you’ll be lucky enough to come across a Wreck that is poking partway out of the water.
Before diving down, keep your head on a swivel for sight of any Player ships on the horizon. You don’t want to get caught with your trousers down. Alternatively, if there are more than one of you, leave some of your crew on the ship to keep watch. Sharks or Sirens may attack you underwater, but these are not hard to kill or avoid.
A Shipwreck is always the biggest type of ship, a Galleon. As such, there are three compartments to search – the Captain’s Cabin, the Tween Deck, and the Hold. Occasionally, you can find a Chest nestled into the Crow’s Nest or on the Main Deck. Remember to make short trips – you have human lungs and will drown if down there for too long!
8. Siren Kingdoms
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Stonecarved mysteries under the reef
Time to go deeper. On the Ocean’s floor are tucked away 6 Siren Shrines and 3 Siren Treasuries, all filled with Coral Treasure. So much loot. I would recommend the Treasuries over the Shrines simply for the fact they take less brain power – the Shrines involve puzzles whereas the Treasuries are all combat.
Find the bluey-purple glow in spots around the edge of the map. Dive down and swim quickly. The entrance to each structure may take a little searching to find. You do drown significantly slower down here but it’s still wise to swim through the coral formations that produce air bubbles.
Depending on which type you’ve gone for, you’ll be starting the 12-15 waves of Treasury combat against Sirens and Ocean Crawlers, or you’ll be solving the Shrine puzzles. For the Treasury, defeat all waves using the Resources scattered around the cave, and the vault will open. In the case of the Shrines, the Treasure is concealed throughout. For both, send loot back up to the surface by storing it in Sunken Merfolk Statues.
Your ship is even more vulnerable while you’re down in the depths. And you’re down there for a long time. I would recommend at least a 3-man crew and leave 1 member behind, if you don’t want to surface and find your ship has been sunk without you knowing. They can also retrieve the loot you send up and load it on board!
7. Represent!
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Showing off some Trading Company Voyages. Good way to get then nicked...
Hoist an Emissary Flag. This tip is applicable to every other on this list, and perhaps the most important. The only reason it’s not mentioned first is that each Flag costs 20,000 Gold. It takes a while to gather that! Once you have one however, you can multiply the value of your takings for the different types of Treasure, ultimately by 250%. But keep an eye out for other ships on the horizon even more! You’re a juicier target now.
First you must decide which Trading Company you’d prefer to represent, although you can always switch. Hauling goods for the Merchant Alliance is always lucrative, as are their Lost Shipment Voyages. But this sensible method is, dare I say it, a tad dull. The Gold Hoarders offer classic treasure hunting. Only, be careful with the more problematic loot. Items like the Chest of Sorrow and the Chest of Rage will quickly sink your ship if left unattended.
The Order of Souls will forever be my favourite of the three. They want Bounty Skulls, which are obtained simply by hunting High-value Skeletons, wherever you can find them. And you’ll find plenty!
Go on Voyages offered by each Company, follow clues, and uncover the loot. Each relevant piece of Treasure found, and each Voyage or significant enemy felled, raises your Flag’s rank. Once you’ve gotten your Flag up to rank 5, immediately sell your loot at the nearest, safest Outpost. Set sail again, find more, and repeat. Selling in stages reduces your risk of losing all your progress.
Don’t forget to lower the flag at the Trading Company after you’re done for an extra boost of Gold – 5,000 if you’re at full Emissary Status.
6. Skeleton Forts
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A close shave with the Skellies
Skeleton Forts are some of the biggest World Events that happen within the game. They are rich spots for plunder but be prepared for a gruelling fight! Stock up well on Supplies and take a friend or two before tackling one of these babies.
Keep an eye out for a cloud in the shape of a skull in the sky! That is where you’ll find one of these Events. Much like the Sea Forts, you’ll need to approach these islands under a hail of cannon fire. Unlike the Phantoms on Sea Forts, I find the Skeletons here to be more accurate. Try and dock your ship in a blind spot for the surrounding defence towers.
The next task is simple – fight and survive. About 12 waves of normal Skeletons will rush you. After that, another wave with a Skeleton Captain spawning in the Fort’s central tower. Next, another wave, with an Ashen Key Master and an Ashen Guardian to fight (Killing them and pairing their loot will lead to bonus Treasure).
And finally, one last wave, with 1 of 3 unique Skeleton Lords. The Lords are extra tough, so make use of all the Firebombs, Blunderbusses, and Gunpowder Barrels you can to defeat them.
When dead (he’s already dead but you know what I mean) the Skeleton Lord will drop a Stronghold Key. Use this to open the Vault located on the island. And keep in mind that all this time, that skull cloud will be a beacon pointing out to the whole Sea of Thieves that you are there completing a Skeleton Fort. Be wary of that horizon!
5. Buddy Up
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Flying the colours en masse outside the Glorious Sea Dog Tavern
Many hands make lighter work, as they say. If you can, join a Player Alliance. This is the most effective way to grind for Gold without having to do all that much! And you may well acquire someone to watch your back or come to your rescue. Whenever your allies sell, you will also get Gold. Just be careful of wild cards who might choose to betray you, just because…
What do you do when you see a ship that isn’t immediately firing at you or running? Communicate! Set off Fireworks, send friendly messages in Pirate Chat, or hail them through your mic,using the in-game Speaking Trumpet to amplify your voice. Let them know you mean no harm. Some folks, however, see a ship battle as the best form of introduction. Use it to prove your worth for the potential team!
Once you’re agreed, you and the other ship must both raise the heart-adorned Offer Alliance Flag. From here, you can choose to form an Alliance. You will see a separate flag has appeared on your ship, below your personal Flag and Emissary Flag. Members of your Alliance will now be able to contribute to one another’s spoils and see friendly ships’ icons on the map.
You have begun your fleet. Now all you need to do is play the game and sell your loot. Others in your Alliance will do the same, and all of you will receive Gold. When a player receives Gold directly, the rest of the Alliance will receive 50% worth of that Gold. If other ships sell the type of loot you’re flying an Emissary flag for, that 50% will be multiplied. Passive income achieved!
4. Piracy – Duh!
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Aiming for the mainmast
What inspired Sea of Thieves? Real Pirates. You know, the 17th and 18th century mercenaries and criminals who attacked, murdered, and robbed throughout the Caribbean? This game is designed for pillage and villainy. Lean into that. Why do the legwork when you can have others do it for you?
This part of the game is by far the riskiest challenge and can quickly turn against you, but you never know what expensive goodies other players are hiding from you below deck. It takes a lot of practice to be good at this, but the feeling of winning a heated skirmish on the waves just adds to that Treasure hunting thrill.
Gather a crew and lots of supplies. If you feel like it, raise the PvP flag – Flag of the Reaper’s Mark – which will make you visible on the map. Far better not to telegraph your position though, unless you want to strike fear, of course.
Roam the seas. Find other ships at their most vulnerable – docked at islands, Outposts, Forts, etc. as they complete Voyages. Sneak around the land to catch them unawares. Take advantage of World Events like Krakens and Skeleton Fleets that they are distracted by, then pounce!
There are so many how-tos and streamers posting tips on getting better at ship combat, and I suggest checking them out. To keep it simple here – use special Cannonballs to suppress and disable the victim crew and cripple their ship. Split your crew in two, with half boarding the enemy ship to stop them repairing, and the other half to defend and repair your own ship. When the spray settles, hopefully you are left the victor.
3. Join the Dark Side
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The Servant of the Flame, representative of the Reaper's Bones
Now that you have some PvP experience, you can join the Reaper’s Bones and earn their Emissary Flag. This shadier Trading Company will accept all Treasure types, meaning the Emissary multiplier will work on everything you give them. Apart from Fish, and a couple of other items. The cosmetics also look awesome, and the sight of the Flag itself can often be enough to send other players trembling and flustered.
Not everything will raise the status of the Reaper Emissary Flag. This Company really pushes you to attack other players. Killing normal Emissary players and stealing their Treasure will push that Flag the highest. Completing PvE encounters, unlike the regular Emissaries, will do nothing for you. Other than the loot you collect, that is.
Collected Broken Emissary Flags and Captain’s Logbooks from defeated ships will also be taken by the Reapers. Besides that, there is special Reaper loot. These unique Treasures appear on the map as a gold or red skull, and can give you a base price of 10,000 G. These can generally be found in select Shipwrecks. But you will have a beacon that follows you around the map until you sell it. Humble and Generous Gifts can also be sold at the Reapers.
You are a target when you raise the Reaper’s Flag, always visible on the map. And selling is trickier. You’ll only have the one place to hand over your loot, right in the centre of the map. This can lead to some strategic difficulties, to say the least, when it comes to selling time.
2. Become the Captain
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Another day at the office
Time to get a nice hat to go with your very own command, Cap’n! Captaincy streamlines selling and gives access to higher value Voyages. And you get to fully customise your ship. What else is all that money for? However, this is a long-term method for acquiring Gold, and assumes you are committed to playing this game for a while. In fact, this is probably a tip on how to lose Gold the most effectively! But it can make following adventures a smoother experience.
To be a Captain, first you need a ship. In the game’s main menu, you can purchase a Sloop for 250,000 Gold, a Brigantine for 375,000, or a Galleon for 500,000. Obviously, you are not going to manage this early game. Think carefully about the size of crew you most usually sail with before parting with that dosh.
Captain’s Voyages, which can only be purchased from the Shipwright at an Outpost once you are a Captain, offer an efficient way to accept and carry out tasks for Trading Companies. The best thing is that you no longer have to visit the Companies to pick up a new Voyage each time, as you can store up to 50 Captain’s Voyages on your ship.
The Sovereigns are the most useful thing about being a Captain. Instead of selling your loot to the individual Companies at an Outpost, you can hit the Sovereigns’ distinctive dock stationed to the side and hand everything over to one NPC. This doesn’t sound all that special, but in practice the time it saves is a blessing.
1. Be Appreciated
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Sea of Thieves' Landmark 5th Anniversary
Rare, the devs of Sea of Thieves, love the love that Players show for their creation. And they celebrate and show their appreciation by giving back to those Players. Every Season, which happens every 3 months or so, offers new and generous ways to bring in Gold, and more!
Each Season brings a new battle pass to the game. Now, most battle passes in live service games offer little without you forking over real-world currency. Rare’s ‘Plunder Pass’ is more lenient. Simply by playing the game and earning Gold normally, you can rank up the Pass and, on top of Gold, earn cosmetics, and the other two types of in-game currency, Doubloons and Ancient Coins.
Once a Season, Rare hosts a Community Day. Most recently, for the game’s 5th Anniversary, they extended it into a Community Weekend. During this time, any Gold you gather in any way is multiplied further. The only problem with this is the strain of the crowds it attracts to the fit-to-bursting servers. A mini version of this happens twice a day called Gold Rush, multiplying Gold x1.5 for 1 hour.
There is always more to come. Sea of Thieves is a well-supported game, ever growing and adding new things. New Gold-earning locations, enemies, and events are bound to show up in future Seasons and updates!
A hairy beast from the barbaric wilds of Scotland (Glasgow), Michael has been part of storytelling in all its forms for years, from playing games to writing novels and participating in living history.
Gamer Since:
1999
Favorite Genre:
RPG
Currently Playing:
High On Life
Top 3 Favorite Games:
Fable: The Lost Chapters, Sea of Thieves, BioShock
