Mastering the Art of Plunder: A Guide to Successful Raids in Skull and Bones

In the immersive world of Skull and Bones, mastering the art of Plundering is essential for acquiring valuable resources, enhancing your Infamy Rank, and gaining experience points. This intense and engaging feature involves taking control of entire settlements, tackling guard towers, and confronting various ships to collect precious loot. The Plundering system can seem intricate and overwhelming at first. Players are given the opportunity to raid numerous small settlements scattered across the map. Each Plundering mission starts as a staged engagement in which players must survive to maximize their rewards. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to successfully Plunder settlements in Skull and Bones.

First and foremost, you can only Plunder settlements that aren't dockable on the map. This excludes notable locations such as Sainte-Anne or the Sacred Tree. Instead, look for settlements lacking the fast travel icon and typically surrounded by guard towers. When you approach these specific settlements, your screen will present two choices: Interact and Plunder. Opting for the Interact option brings up a menu to trade with the settlement or complete various contracts and quests.

Choosing the Plunder option initiates a cutscene featuring some of your crew disembarking your ship. Once the cutscene concludes, combat begins against the settlement and any nearby guard towers. The objective on your screen will transition to defeating all enemies and will display icons for towers and ships. If an icon appears red with a number, it indicates that you need to destroy those targets.

For example, if the ship icon shows a '1' in red, there is one ship that you need to either sink or board. Similarly, a red tower icon requires you to deplete the hit points of the guard towers or the settlement itself. After eliminating all necessary targets, a golden treasure chest icon will appear, guiding you to your loot. At the top of your screen, four treasure chest icons track your progress in the Plunder. To complete the Plundering fully, you need to collect four treasure chests, requiring you to clear four stages of enemy ships and towers. Each stage presents new enemies, necessitating repeated combat until the Plunder is fully completed.

Once the final chest is looted, another cutscene plays, showing your crew returning to the ship. A notification will then appear confirming that the Plunder is complete. You can Plunder the same location again after a cooldown period, allowing for repeated raiding if desired.

Plundering in Skull and Bones is a high-stakes endeavor. While the rewards can be significant, multiple enemies will converge on your ship, making each mission a test of strategy and combat prowess. For beginners, it's advisable to start in lower-level areas on the map, gradually working towards more challenging settlements as you upgrade your ship's armor and weaponry.