A strong Jackdaw trivialises the map, so spend your plunder here before anything else. Upgrades need metal, wood, cloth and reales — all of which flow from the ships you sink and board.
Priorities
- Hull Armour first — survivability lets you fight bigger, richer prey.
- Broadside Cannons and the Ram for raw offence.
- Mortar and Swivel Guns for range and clean boarding setups.
- Rewards from Legendary Ships and forts unlock the final elite upgrades.
Upgrade tree
🛡️ Hull & Ram
More health and a stronger ram — the foundation for taking on frigates and forts.
💣 Cannons & Mortar
Broadsides, heavy shot and mortar upgrades scale your damage across every fight.
⚙️ Elite upgrades
The top-tier hull, cannons and mortar require blueprints from wrecks, forts and Legendary Ships.
⚓ Cosmetics
Sails, figureheads and wheels are pure flair — buy them once the combat upgrades are done.
Funding upgrades
Metal and wood come from boarding merchant ships; reales come from selling cargo and running contracts. Convoys (three-ship groups) are the richest early targets — disable the escorts, board the loaded merchantman, and one fight can fund a whole tier of upgrades.
Where blueprints come from
- Underwater shipwrecks (via the diving bell) hold many of the elite upgrade plans.
- Storming naval forts drops blueprints and reveals region loot.
- Legendary Ships and some story rewards unlock the very top tier.
- Buy any remaining upgrades with reales from selling cargo and running contracts.
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!