Skull and Bones is out now on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Amazon Luna, and PC via Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store. You'll start Skull and Bones as a pirate outcast, but quickly gain Infamy to help you raise your rank as you earn new ships, weapons, attachments, outfits, pets, and more. Gain enough Infamy and you'll become a pirate Kingpin and experience Skull and Bones' robust endgame. While nearly everything you do in Skull and Bones will net you some Infamy, here are our five favorite ways to rank up fast.
Follow the Golden Path (early on)
As a pirate outcast, you'll have nothing to your name until you arrive at the pirate den of Sainte-Anne. While you may be enticed to speak with merchants and explore the nearby shallow waters, we recommend going straight to John Scurlock's office. Nothing gets done in Sainte-Anne without Scurlock's say-so, and as he's the pirate kingpin of Sainte-Anne, you'll need to get in good with him to make any progress. Speak with him immediately to follow the main campaign as he'll set you on the path to crafting your first seaworthy ship, the Bedar.
Once you have your first ship, be sure to outfit it with weapons and fulfill the First Blood contract. From there, the world of Skull and Bones will open up quite a bit.
Take Out Merchant Convoys
You'll periodically be notified of various world events taking place in Skull and Bones. One such world event tips you off to a merchant convoy with valuable cargo traveling along a nearby trade route. If you're able to intercept them before they reach their destination, and successfully sink their ships, you'll be rewarded with goods and Infamy, but that's easier said than done.
These merchant convoys are stout ships with their own armed escorts. To take them down in the allotted time, you'll need to team up, either with friends or strangers you come across while at sea.
Hunt for Legendary Treasure
Another world event in Skull and Bones marks the location of a legendary treasure map for all nearby players. These maps will lead you to extremely valuable chests that will net you tons of loot, silver, and a sizable chunk of Infamy. But these rewards do not come without risk! Having a legendary treasure map in your cargo will opt you into PvP combat. You'll be marked on the map for all players on your server to see and attack. But if you fancy yourself a true pirate, we think the risk is worth the reward.
Pay Attention to Rumors
Don’t ignore the rumors you hear while docked at pirate dens; they just might tip you off to uncover the mysterious disappearance of a pirate crew, or help you find a treasure thought to be lost forever. Following through on these rumors can make you feel like a detective on the high seas and solving their mysteries is often its own reward, but the extra Infamy doesn’t hurt either.
Play in Co-op
Skull and Bones allows you to team up with up to two other friends for three-player co-op sessions. Sailing the seas with your fleet of ships can help you overcome some of the more difficult challenges and ensures that you always have backup if you're carrying a legendary treasure map or need to take out a tough opponent. And all members of your party get the entirety of contract rewards and Infamy.
As you rank up, you'll unlock more diverse ships and weapons and can take on specific roles within your group to overcome any challenge. Dying over and over again? Have one person use the Barque ship, which offers passive healing over time, and healing bombards, which can be shot at allied ships to heal them. Need to withstand some damage and get up close? Equip the Snow ship with sea fire to give as good as you get. Or maybe you want to deal as much damage as possible. Go for the Brigantine outfitted with bombards, long guns, rockets, mortars, and torpedoes. With so many ships, weapons, attachments, and passive boost-enabling furniture, there's a combination for everyone.
Follow these five tips and you'll soon find yourself a true pirate kingpin ready for Skull and Bones' endgame filled with Legendary Heists, Hostile Takeovers, and so much more. Skull and Bones' Year 1 roadmap has also been revealed with four Seasons on the way each delivering new challenges, ships, weapons, monsters, and deadly pirates to take out.