Ubisoft has dropped tons of information on Skull and Bones at its recent Ubisoft Forward Spotlight. Along with a release date, new gameplay was revealed, along with how customization works. A more in-depth article has been provided, which details some of the different ship categories, sizes, weapons and more.
We already know about cargo ships, which are great for smuggling large amounts of materials. You also have ships with lots of firepower but unfit for long-distance sailing; navigation ships that are fast and have the most sails; and ships that support others while being vulnerable. Size also plays a part – a Draught profile means a ship can sail inland through rivers, near coasts or out into oceans, which bigger ships can’t do.
Each ship also has dedicated perks. The navigation ship, Ghanja, has perks that increase its front quadrant and ramming speed. The Padewakang has extra cargo capacity, making it ideal for smuggling.
As for weapons, you’ll have Demi-cannons with faster fire rates which are best for close-range combat and a Giant Ballista for ranged combat but takes time to aim and charge. Different damage types include blunt, piercing, crushing, tearing, flood, fire, and explosive so depending on your foe’s armor, you’ll have to make some choices. Weapons are sorted into different families and have different variations for further refinements.
For instance, Mortars are ideal for long-range fire. You can either go with a Blasting Mortar for a larger explosion radius (but with longer travel time for projectiles); the Siege Mortar for a lower blast radius but large amounts of crushing damage without drop-off; and the Repair Mortar to heal allies. There are also Attachments like Reinforced Wood Armor, which is good for piercing and crushing damage resistance, Metal Armor for resistance to blunt and crushing damage, and Stone Armor which is resistant to piercing and fire damage.
If that weren’t enough, Furniture offers different synergies like increasing ship hitpoints, improved crew-to-crew attacks, automating processing like cooking and fishing, etc. Many furniture bonuses are shared among the group, which can lead to interesting combos.
Skull and Bones is out on November 8th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, Amazon Luna and Google Stadia. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.