Skull and Bones: Best weapons and loadout

There are many different ship designs in Skull and Bones, each with special effects and specific layouts for possible weapons. Knowing the best loadout for your ship can mean the difference between being on top of the world or at the bottom of the ocean.

While some weapons can be equipped on any slot on any ship, some are only placeable in certain areas. With the right weapons in their proper spot, you can be a threat to any ship on the seas of Skull and Bones from any angle. At the end of the day, a ship’s weapons should be the captain’s preference. But here are our suggestions.

Best weapons and loadout in Skull and Bones

Here are our picks for the best weapons for each slot on your ship. If you have a ship that can place weapons in all five spots, then these weapons are the ones you’ll want to use:

• Front slot (bow) weapon: Bombard
• Left and right slot (portside and starboard): Culverin
• Best rear slot (stern) weapon: Torpedo
• Best middle slot (auxiliary) weapon: Mortar

Best front slot (bow) weapon: Bombard

Once you get used to the aiming conventions of the Bombard (always aiming lower than you think will work), you’ll quickly see it’s the superior weapon to stick on your ship’s bow. The Bombard shoots two powerful blasts that can be fired as you bear down on an enemy ship, and they can quickly cripple a ship if they both connect with a weak point. The explosive damage provided by a standard or Fire Bombard makes it an essential weapon for the Blaster Sloop ship.

Best left/right slot (portside/starboard) weapons: Culverin

There’s nothing better than a classic, and though you start out with the Culverin cannons, I would highly recommend finding and following the blueprints for a higher-level Culverin or its Basilisk variant. The Culverin is versatile and reliable, and while the shotgun-like Demi-Cannon deals more damage, the Culverin allows you to keep a safer distance, which is great for DPS or support-type ships that don’t have high armor.

Best rear slot (stern) weapon: Torpedo

After first trying out the Torpedo launcher on the front of the ship, I first thought it wasn’t that great, especially after I had already had so much success with the Bombard. But then I discovered I just didn’t have it in its proper spot on the rear of the ship, or the stern. It’s a perfect weapon for ships on your tail, whether you’re trying to weaken an opponent further as you’re turning, or if you’re trying to escape a ship that outmatches you.

Best middle slot (auxiliary) weapon: Mortar

Not only is the Mortar arguably the most fun weapon to use in Skull and Bones, but it might also be the most useful. The Mortar is obscenely good at initiating fights as you essentially launch an orbital strike that will catch any unsuspecting ship off guard. As long as you get the timing just right and lead your shot correctly, this is a guaranteed mega source of damage.