This tier list evaluates ship builds based on four criteria: combat effectiveness, cargo efficiency, speed and maneuverability, and versatility across game content. Each ship can be built in multiple configurations, and the tier ranking reflects the best possible loadout for each ship type, not the ship itself. A well-built Ketch can outperform a poorly built Brig if the loadout is optimized.
S-tier builds are the absolute best in the game, excelling in their intended role with no significant weaknesses. A-tier builds are excellent with minor trade-offs. B-tier builds are solid and viable for all content but not optimal. C-tier builds are situational and require specific playstyles to succeed. D-tier builds are suboptimal and should be avoided unless you are experimenting for fun.
The 2026 meta has shifted significantly from the launch meta due to balance patches. The most notable change is the nerf to reinforced hull plating, which now reduces speed by 10 percent instead of 5 percent. This made pure tank builds less viable and elevated speed-focused builds that can dodge incoming fire. Additionally, the buff to expanded cargo holds, which now add 15 slots instead of 10, made trade builds more profitable.
When choosing a build, consider your primary activity. If you focus on PvP naval combat, prioritize speed and cannon firepower. If you focus on trading, prioritize cargo capacity and crew morale. If you focus on PvE boss encounters, prioritize hull health and repair modules. The best build is the one that matches your playstyle and available resources.
| Tier | Description | Example Builds |
|---|---|---|
| S | Best in class, no weaknesses | Speed Frigate, Trade Brig |
| A | Excellent, minor trade-offs | Combat Brig, Gunboat Ketch |
| B | Solid, viable for all content | Balanced Frigate, Scout Ketch |
| C | Situational, requires skill | Tank Frigate, Smuggler Ketch |
| D | Suboptimal, avoid | All-cannon Ketch, No-sail Brig |
How the Ship Build Tier List Works
This tier list evaluates ship builds based on four criteria: combat effectiveness, cargo efficiency, speed and maneuverability, and versatility across game content. Each ship can be built in multiple configurations, and the tier ranking reflects the best possible loadout for each ship type, not the ship itself. A well-built Ketch can outperform a poorly built Brig if the loadout is optimized.
S-tier builds are the absolute best in the game, excelling in their intended role with no significant weaknesses. A-tier builds are excellent with minor trade-offs. B-tier builds are solid and viable for all content but not optimal. C-tier builds are situational and require specific playstyles to succeed. D-tier builds are suboptimal and should be avoided unless you are experimenting for fun.
The 2026 meta has shifted significantly from the launch meta due to balance patches. The most notable change is the nerf to reinforced hull plating, which now reduces speed by 10 percent instead of 5 percent. This made pure tank builds less viable and elevated speed-focused builds that can dodge incoming fire. Additionally, the buff to expanded cargo holds, which now add 15 slots instead of 10, made trade builds more profitable.
When choosing a build, consider your primary activity. If you focus on PvP naval combat, prioritize speed and cannon firepower. If you focus on trading, prioritize cargo capacity and crew morale. If you focus on PvE boss encounters, prioritize hull health and repair modules. The best build is the one that matches your playstyle and available resources.
| Tier | Description | Example Builds |
|---|---|---|
| S | Best in class, no weaknesses | Speed Frigate, Trade Brig |
| A | Excellent, minor trade-offs | Combat Brig, Gunboat Ketch |
| B | Solid, viable for all content | Balanced Frigate, Scout Ketch |
| C | Situational, requires skill | Tank Frigate, Smuggler Ketch |
| D | Suboptimal, avoid | All-cannon Ketch, No-sail Brig |
S-Tier Ship Builds: The Meta Definers
S-Tier Build 1: Speed Frigate. This build sacrifices cargo for maximum speed and maneuverability, turning the Frigate into a devastating hit-and-run warship. Loadout: lightweight hull (reduces health by 20 percent but increases speed by 15 percent), reinforced sails (immune to sail damage for 10 seconds after taking sail hit), 16 long cannons (extended range), streamlined cargo hold (40 slots but zero speed penalty), and elite navigator crew (permanent 5 percent speed boost). This build can outrun anything it cannot outgun and outgun anything it cannot outrun.
S-Tier Build 2: Trade Brig. This build maximizes profit per hour by optimizing cargo capacity and route efficiency. Loadout: three expanded cargo holds (total 85 slots), luxury cabin (increases crew morale and reduces wage cost by 20 percent), reinforced hull (survives pirate encounters), 4 cannons (minimum for defense), and merchant crew (reduces port fees by 15 percent). A Trade Brig running the Castellan Bay to Ironport route earns 400 to 600 gold per trip, which is the highest gold-per-hour in the game for solo players.
S-Tier Build 3: Gunboat Ketch. This build turns the humble Ketch into a deadly PvP assassin by focusing entirely on burst damage. Loadout: 4 heavy cannons (double damage but half range), lightweight hull, smoke screen module (deploys a 10-second smoke cloud that breaks enemy targeting), reinforced sails, and elite gunner crew (15 percent cannon damage bonus). The Gunboat Ketch excels at ambushing larger ships in narrow waters where range is less important than raw damage output.
All three S-tier builds require rare modules found in high-level content. The lightweight hull blueprint drops from the High Priestess boss in the Cursed Swamps, the reinforced sails blueprint is a faction rank 5 reward, and the elite crew members must be recruited from specific tavern locations. Expect to invest 15 to 20 hours into assembling an S-tier loadout.
- Speed Frigate: maximum speed and firepower
- Trade Brig: maximum gold per hour
- Gunboat Ketch: burst damage assassin
- Requires rare blueprints and elite crew
- 15-20 hour investment for full loadout
A-Tier and B-Tier Ship Builds
A-Tier Build 1: Combat Brig. A balanced warship that can handle both PvE and PvP content effectively. Loadout: reinforced hull (800 extra health), 8 standard cannons, standard cargo hold (40 slots), repair module (restores 200 health every 60 seconds), and veteran crew (10 percent cannon accuracy bonus). This build is the most forgiving for players learning naval combat and remains viable through all mid-game content.
A-Tier Build 2: Scout Ketch. A pure exploration build optimized for mapping new islands and finding shipwrecks. Loadout: lightweight hull, crow's nest module (reveals nearby points of interest on the map), expanded fuel tank (doubles sailing range), 2 cannons (minimum defense), and lookout crew (increases detection range by 30 percent). The Scout Ketch is the fastest ship in the game for pure exploration and is essential for completing the cartographer achievement.
B-Tier Build 1: Balanced Frigate. A jack-of-all-trades build that does nothing exceptionally well but has no major weaknesses. Loadout: standard hull, 12 cannons, two expanded cargo holds (70 slots total), standard sails, and mixed crew. This build is recommended for players who want a single ship for all activities rather than specialized builds for each task. It is strictly inferior to specialized builds in each role but offers the convenience of not needing to switch ships.
B-Tier Build 2: Heavy Trader Ketch. A budget trade build for players who cannot yet afford a Brig. Loadout: two expanded cargo holds (40 slots), reinforced hull, 2 cannons, and merchant crew. This build earns 150 to 200 gold per trade run, which is enough to fund your Brig construction within a few hours of trading.
The A and B tier builds are accessible to most players without rare blueprints or elite crew. They use standard modules available from faction vendors at reputation rank 2 or lower, making them practical choices for the mid-game. As you acquire rare modules, you can upgrade these builds toward S-tier configurations.
| Build | Tier | Best For | Gold/Hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Frigate | S | PvP Combat | 300 |
| Trade Brig | S | Trading | 500 |
| Combat Brig | A | PvE Combat | 250 |
| Balanced Frigate | B | All-purpose | 200 |
C-Tier and D-Tier Builds: What to Avoid
C-Tier Build 1: Tank Frigate. This build maximizes hull health at the expense of everything else. Loadout: triple reinforced hull (2,400 extra health but 25 percent speed reduction), 8 cannons, minimal cargo, and repair crew. After the hull plating nerf, the speed penalty is too severe for the extra survivability to matter. A Speed Frigate can simply kite the Tank Frigate indefinitely, making it ineffective in PvP despite its massive health pool.
C-Tier Build 2: Smuggler Ketch. A stealth trade build that uses a smuggler's hold module, which hides cargo from NPC customs inspections. Loadout: smuggler's hold (30 slots, undetectable), lightweight hull, reinforced sails, 2 cannons, and smuggler crew. This build was meta before patch 1.3, which added player bounty hunters who can scan cargo regardless of smuggler modules. It is still viable for NPC-only routes but carries significant risk in PvP-enabled waters.
D-Tier Build 1: All-Cannon Ketch. This build removes the cargo hold entirely to fit 6 cannons on a Ketch. While the firepower looks impressive on paper, the Ketch's hull cannot survive the combat engagements where 6 cannons would be useful. The ship dies before it can fire a second broadside, making this build strictly worse than the Gunboat Ketch which keeps 4 cannons but maintains hull integrity.
D-Tier Build 2: No-Sail Brig. An experimental build that replaces sails with oars, making the ship independent of wind direction. While this sounds useful, the oar module reduces speed by 40 percent and requires a crew of 12 to operate at full efficiency, which is the Brig's maximum crew capacity. The result is a painfully slow ship that cannot fight effectively because all crew are rowing instead of firing cannons.
Avoid these builds unless you are experimenting for fun or completing a specific challenge. Every D-tier build has a strictly superior alternative in a higher tier, and the resource cost of building a D-tier ship is the same as building an A-tier or S-tier ship with the same base hull. Always check the tier list before committing your hard-earned materials to a build.
- Tank Frigate: too slow after hull nerf
- Smuggler Ketch: countered by player bounty hunters
- All-Cannon Ketch: dies before firing second broadside
- No-Sail Brig: too slow to be useful
- Always check tier list before building