Top 5 Skull and Bones Best Ship Builds & Loadouts in Season 1 (PvE & PvP)

Skull and Bones Season 1 is here bringing a new ship, a new challenge boss, and new rewards. Here we update the new top 5 overpowered ships for you, as well as break down the best loadout (weapons, armor, furniture) to set up the most powerful solo endgame build for each ship!

Skull and Bones Season 1 Best Ships - Top 5 Best Solo Endgame Ship Builds & Loadouts for PvE & PvP

As the salty sea air of Skull and Bones Season 1, titled Raging Tides, fills our sails, players are thrust into an era of naval warfare against the formidable Plague King and his menacing fleet. In this guide, we delve into the best ship builds and loadouts for both PvE and PvP encounters, tailored to help you conquer the challenges of the new seasonal content. Whether you're battling the Fleet of Pestilence, pursuing Kingpin Bounties, or navigating the Smuggler Pass for exclusive upgrades, our comprehensive analysis will arm you with the knowledge to claim victory over the high seas and secure the most sought-after prizes including the best Skull and Bones items of this treacherous new world.

1. Sambuk Ship Best Build & Loadout

The SAMBUK ship build in "Skull and Bones" Season 1 is highly regarded for its DPS capabilities, making it a powerful choice for solo leveling and grinding in the game. Its role as a DPS ship is enforced by the Scorch ability that deals burning damage and increases damage to ships affected by the Blaze effect. The build is designed to quickly apply and capitalize on the Blaze effect, maximizing damage output. This makes it effective not only for engaging pirate ships and grinding for experience but also for completing Smuggler's Pass levels rapidly. The SAMBUK can also heal itself through crew attacks, further enhancing its sustainability in combat.

Best Loadout for the SAMBUK Ship Build:

Main Weapons:

Front: Zama Zama 3x4

Broadside: Zama Zama 3x4 (both sides)

Stern: Zama Zama 3x4

Aux. Weapon:

Leopold 3 (replacing the LEF Flo for better performance in PVE)

Armor:

Royal Custodian (preferred for its fortifying effect after using repair kits; alternative options include Oroboros for different preferences)

Furniture:

Scrapper Station (restores 8,000 Hull Health after a crew attack, enhancing survivability)

F Slot Two (increases charge rate of Blaze effect on enemy ships, synergizing with the ship's Scorch ability)

Gunpowder Breach (boosts damage to enemy ships with a Blaze effect by 10%, stacking with the inherent damage boost for ablaze targets)

Increased Front Weapon Damage (by 10% to ensure comparable damage with broadsides despite having one less cannon)

Spiked Warhorn (increases charge rate of crew attack by 10%, allowing for more frequent heals and damage through crew attacks)

The SAMBUK's build enables fast, efficient pirate ship takedowns, contributing to rapid Smuggler Pass leveling and accumulation of resources like silver, contraband, and pirate balls. Its ability to heal through crew attacks and maximize Blaze effect damage makes it a formidable farming ship.

2. Barque Ship Best Build & Loadout

The Barque ship in "Skull and Bones" Season 1 serves as an excellent support vessel, excelling in aiding allies during combat. Its unique perk that restores a percentage of hull health and severe damage per second to itself and nearby friendly ships can be a game-changer in battles. As a support ship akin to the Cutter, it's designed to provide assists that can significantly influence the outcome of engagements. Although specialized for cooperative play due to its healing capabilities, the Barque can be effectively used solo by focusing on its self-healing properties and avoiding the need for repair weapons which cannot be self-applied. With its impressive speed, cargo capacity, and stamina, the Barque can withstand engagements and continue to heal, making it a formidable ship when used strategically.

Best loadout for the Barque ship build:

Main Weapons:

Bow: Scurlock's Long Nines (for sail damage)

Broadside: Darel's Gun

Stern: Fire Bombard Tier 3

Aux. Weapon: Rama's Legacy

Aux. Weapon:

LEF Flo (noted to be very expensive and new in Season 1, details to be covered in a separate video)

Armor:

Wailing Ward (provides toxic resistance and reduces crew stamina depletion)

Furniture:

Rope Locker (increases acceleration; important for solo play)

Bombard Powderhouse (if running solo, for increased damage)

Bombard Works (enhances elemental damage for bombards)

Mortar Powderhouse (increases mortar damage)

Double Planked Hull (vital for increasing hull health by 5%; for group play, consider Joinery Workshop for increased repair from repair weapons)

The Barque's ability to heal while in combat without the use of repair kits is highlighted as a significant advantage, making it a sustainable choice for enduring battles. The ship's design and its trimming speed also receive praise for both aesthetics and performance.

3. Brigantine Ship Best Build & Loadout

The Brigantine build is touted as the ultimate solo endgame setup in "Skull and Bones" Season 1 due to its versatile capabilities in both PVE and PVP scenarios. The Brigantine's balance between firepower and speed makes it an ideal choice for a variety of tasks, from engaging in combat to completing delivery missions efficiently. Its array of cannon ports and a dedicated mortar slot, coupled with five furniture slots, allows for significant customization and synergy, enabling players to create a build that deals massive elemental damage—specifically fire damage. By igniting enemy ships and capitalizing on the ensuing damage over time, players can quickly overpower their adversaries. The chosen furniture buffs further enhance reload speeds, damage output, and elemental effects, making this build extremely effective in maintaining pressure and dealing sustained damage across the seas.

Best loadout for the Brigantine build:

Main Weapons:

Right and Left Cannons: Fire Bombard 3s

Front and Back Cannons: Can be Fire Long Guns or Scurlock Long Nines (depending on preference for control in PVP)

Aux. Weapon:

Mortar: Leopolds (ideally tier 3 for the best results)

Armor:

Royal Custodian (for additional armor after using repair kits, suitable for aggressive playstyles)

Furniture:

Megaphone (to improve reload speed, especially useful for bombards)

Gunpowder Bench (to boost damage when enemy ships are ablaze)

Bombard Works (to increase elemental damage from bombards)

Front Powder Kegs (to enhance front weapon damage by 10%; can be swapped with Rear Powder Kegs based on playstyle)

Mortar Works (to boost elemental damage from the mortar)

4. Snow Ship Best Build & Loadout

The Snow ship build in Skull and Bones Season 1 is revered for its exceptional tankiness and ability to withstand substantial damage, making it ideal for engaging in challenging battles that would overwhelm less durable ships. With its tenacity perk, the Snow can recover brace strength rapidly, allowing it to brace more effectively and frequently against incoming attacks. Its massive brace strength, coupled with a higher hull health than many other ships, ensures it can survive in the thick of combat, taking hits that would send other ships to the depths. Though it trades off some speed and maneuverability for resilience, the Snow's ability to sail well even against the wind and its large cargo capacity make it a formidable contender in any fight, especially when going up against multiple or powerful foes.

Best loadout for the Snow ship build:

Main Weapons:

Bow: Torpedoes (for flooding damage)

Left Broadside: Flooding Demi Cannons

Right Broadside: Flooding Demi Cannons

Stern: Bombard (for retreating or awkward angle attacks)

Aux. Weapon:

Rocket (sets ships on fire and deals damage at close range)

Armor:

Royal Custodian Armor (increases durability further; co-op event drop)

Furniture:

Major Slot: Increases damage by 15% after a crew attack for 30 seconds

Slot Two: Increases damage from auxiliary weapons by 10% (boosting rocket damage)

Slot Three: Increases elemental damage multiplier of Rocket by 19% (for quicker application of the fire status effect)

Slot Four: Increases charge rate of crew attack by 10%

The Snow's build is designed to maximize its tank role while still dealing significant damage through flooding and fire. The focus on improving the effectiveness of crew attacks and auxiliary weapons allows for a balanced approach to combat, enabling the ship to deal considerable damage while maintaining its role as a frontline tank in the most grueling of battles.

5. Padewakang Ship Best Build & Loadout

The Padewakang ship build is an exceptional choice for high-level plunders in "Skull and Bones" Season 1, especially when targeting heavily fortified locations such as forts and military bases in the Dutch territories. The ship's unique perk, Detonate, is tailored for demolishing structures with its ability to trigger explosions that deal extensive damage in a considerable blast radius, and it becomes even more effective when the target is ablaze. This makes the Padewakang an invaluable asset when dealing with tough defenses that comprise both structures and enemy ships. The ship's increased damage against structures and amplified weapon damage radius synergize to make it a powerhouse in sieges, capable of swiftly dismantling a fort's defenses while managing enemy vessels that pose a threat during the plunder.

Best loadout for the Padewakang ship build:

Main Weapons:

Bow: Mon's Meg x2

Left Broadside: Mon's Meg Tier 1

Right Broadside: Mon's Meg Tier 1

Stern: Mon's Meg Tier 2

Aux. Weapon:

Mortar Tier 3 (with blast perk for additional explosive damage)

Armor:

Royal Custodian (or any preferred armor, the Royal Custodian is mentioned for its overall effectiveness)

Furniture:

Megaphone (consecutive hits decrease reload time)

Slot Two: Increases front weapon damage by 10% (hence the tier 2 Mon's Meg at the bow)

Bombard Works: Increases elemental damage multiplier of bombards by 19%

Mortar Works: Increases elemental damage multiplier of the mortar by 19%

This build focuses on maximizing damage to structures, with the Mon's Meg cannons being key due to their siege perk. The use of Mortar Tier 3 complements the siege capabilities by dealing area-of-effect damage. The furniture choices are designed to enhance the ship's offensive capabilities, with a particular emphasis on reducing reload times and increasing damage from both the front weapons and elemental damage multipliers for bombards and mortars, ensuring that the ship can dispatch towers and enemy ships with devastating efficiency.