Step into the world of Skull and Bones Season 1, which is known as Raging Tides with this complete guide! Join in as we will delve into everything you need to know to conquer Season 1 activities and gain an edge over others.

I’ll guide you through the crucial gameplay updates, such as the introduction of William Blackwood and the Smuggler Pass. Discover how to obtain and effectively utilize the new rewards - Barque ship, Carronade cannons, La Potence Schematics, and the Wailing Ward armor to enhance your quest.

Philippe La Peste

This season starts with the infamous pirate Philippe La Peste arriving in the Indian Ocean from the Caribbean, along with his Fleet of Pestilence ships. He’s on a quest for a cure to a Curse afflicting him and aims to seize control over the helm known as a 'Plague King' for his plague and poison bombs.

La Peste is a formidable threat, casting a shadow over the Indian Ocean. Our objective is to confront him and his fleet, to liberate the Indian Ocean from his dangerous to confront La Peste and his fleet.

William Blackwood

Of course, we won’t be acting alone. We get support from a new ally - William Blackwood, who comes to the Indian Ocean, setting up in our 2 hubs, ready to challenge La Peste. Driven by his sponsorship aggravation with La Peste, Williams is to assist us in our mission to eliminate this menacing threat. William comes with a unique set of equipment specifically designed to target La Peste.

These items cannot be simply purchased. They must be earned through the Smuggler Pass activity. Featuring rewards across 3 categories: Shipmaster, Quartermaster, and Gunner Master, each category requires progression to unlock new items, including the new Barque ship that can heal itself and nearby allies.

Smuggler Pass

The Smuggler Pass is introduced as a new Skull and Bones tab where you’ll find all the necessary information to progress. In the Smuggler Pass and earn Smuggler Marks, you’ll need to gain infamy ranks and complete special weekly and monthly challenges presented by William.

These Smuggler Marks can be then used to redeem rewards and obtain the new equipment we just mentioned. To unlock all 4 seasonal items, you need at least 70 Smuggler Marks out of the total 90 available. This means you have to plan which category to unlock first. Here is the recommended part:

Carronade Cannons

Start by focusing on the Gunner Master category to gain access to the Carronade cannons. These are Level 120 cannons, and you receive 2 guns unlocking this path. This is the quickest way to upgrade your ship to Level 12 if you haven’t reached this level yet. However, it requires 30 Smuggler Marks to unlock it.

La Potence Schematics I

For the second item to unlock, I recommend the Quartermaster category, focusing on the La Potence Schematics, which require only 20 Smuggler Marks. This schematic reveals the weak points of La Peste shapes and additionally grants 10% of critical damage for all other ships.

Without it, neither La Peste himself nor any plaguebringer will have vulnerable sports for critical damage. Keep in mind that this schematic is a minor furniture piece. Consider whether you want to trade in your existing furniture for the new one or not.

Wailing Ward Armor

The last category to focus on is the Shipmaster, featuring the Wailing Ward, which offers protection for plague damage. However, this should be your lowest priority unless you lack other Level 400 health.

The reason being aside from combat against La Peste, there are limited scenarios where this armor proves advantages. You’ll find more benefits with the armor like Ouroboros or Black Prince. But if you’re in need of the Level 400 armor, this might be your quickest option.

New Barque Ship

As for the Barque ship, it’s available for 45 Smuggler Marks independent of category. This ship is impressive. It stands out featuring the ability to heal itself and nearby allies, plus it boards a huge cargo capacity. I'm sure you will enjoy using the ship.

Battle Pass Tips

For optimal progress this season and to accelerate getting Smuggler Marks, make sure to prioritize the weekly and monthly challenges. For instance, William Blackwood contract involves defeating plaguebringer ships and bringing him special drops from them. This means you need to around hunting for the small ships marked with the plague skull symbol, sink them, and collect their loot.

You also have to tackle the new elite warship events where you’re tasked with sinking a group of ships within a specified time. This can be quite challenging to do solo since they’re pretty tanky and demand a coordinated effort for a successful takedown.

Don’t miss out on the monthly events that pop out at the specified time. Completing these events will earn you a hefty amount of infamy points, thereby speeding up your journey to earn more Smuggler Marks.