In this Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire Ships Guide, we will guide you on how to use your ships in different scenarios in Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire. Ships are a vital element in the game and you will spend quite a lot of time on your ships.
You will be sailing your ships in vast oceans, engaging in combat with other ships, assembling your crew and managing resources as well during your voyages.
We have curated this Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire Ships Guide in which we have detailed everything there is to know about ships in Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire. After reading this article, you will be able to upgrade your ship, engage in combat effectively with your enemies and manage your ship’s equipment and upgrades. We have also detailed different crewmembers and how you unlock them.
Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire Ships
You cannot ignore the fact that ships are vital to your success in Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire. You can get your first ship with a small resource pile and minimum crewmembers as soon as you finish the first chapter.
However, all this can be improved as you progress in the main story of the game. You unlock better crewmembers, buy better ships and upgrade the equipment to become the ultimate crew on the seas. So without further ado, let us start with the Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire Ships Guide.
Upgrading Ships
It is vital that you buy and upgrade to newer and bigger ships as you progress through the game. Your first ship will only allow you to have a certain number of crewmembers and will have less number of guns. Bigger ships can not only accommodate more crewmembers but also come with better armor, speed, and more guns.
Each ship has its own unique capacity as well which allows you to store supplies in it. Smaller ships will not allow you to store a large number of supplies and equipment. They also lack certain equipment. Better boats can be bought later in the game. You can upgrade and buy better ships once you reach the dock of Queen’s Birth.
You will have to play the main story of the game and reach the Queen’s Birth. Here you must then to the northwestern edge of the area to find Zamar. Zamar will sell you better ships and equipment. Each item will cost you a decent amount, especially the ships.
They are not cheap but investing in a better ship is always worth the trouble and grind. Apart from the upgraded equipment, you will find four ships available to purchase. You can find the details of these ships below.
- Voyager – 20,000
- Dhow – 35,000
- Galleon – 50,000
- Junk – 60,000
These are upgraded and better ships but as you can see, better the ship gets, more it costs. Earning gold is not a very difficult task in Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire so you should be able to earn enough to buy the first boat when you arrive on the island.
Crew Members
After upgrading your boat to a bigger one, you will need new crewmembers and Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire has plenty of crewmembers for you to find and hire. Crewmembers can be found all over the world. Once you unlock boat travel, you will also be able to hire some crewmembers but initially, this number will be very low.
As you progress through the game and upgrade your ship, you will be able to accommodate a much larger number of crewmembers on your ship. You can find crewmembers in different ways.
Simply playing the main story will also unlock plenty of crewmembers for you. You can also earn more crewmembers by completing side quests, meeting them at inns around the world and completing certain objectives.
Each crewmember has a specialty and it is recommended that you assign that crewmember to the area in which they excel. You can place the crewmembers in any location that you like but it is best if they are placed in locations where they are good at.
This not only increases their skill but the task is also performed much better. We have detailed below all the available crewmembers and how you can unlock them.
- Chitupec – Chitupec starts with the Novice Deckhand rank and 1 Deckhand and 1 Cannoneer job traits. He can be unlocked when you choose Chitupec instead of the supplies at the start of the game.
- Rum-Dumb Riggere – He starts with Seasoned Deckhand rank and 2 Deckhand job traits. You must free him from his cell in Port Maje and then find him in the marker to add him to your crew.
- Eld Engrim – He starts with Novice Cannoneer rank and 1 Surgeon and 1 Cannoneer job traits. He is already in your crew at the start.
- Beodul – He starts with Novice Helmsman and 1 Boatswain and 1 Helmsman job traits. He is in your crew right from the start.
- Irrena – He starts with Novice Cook rank and 1 Deckhand and 1 Cook job traits. He is in your crew right from the start.
- Oswald – He starts with Novice Navigator rank and 1 Helmsman and 1 Navigator job traits. Find him inside Oathbinders Sanctum and save him to add him to your crew.
- Little Lecua – Starts with Novice Deckhand rank and 1 Deckhand, 1 Navigator job traits. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Ora The Mad – Stars with Novice Deckhand rank and 1 Deckhand job trait. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Vanizzi – Starts with Novice Cannoneer rank and comes with 1 Cannoneer job trait. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Shieldsister Daelia – Starts with Novice Surgeon rank and 1 Deckhand and 1 Surgeon job traits. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Ikiuq Starts with Novice Helmsman rank and 1 Helmsman and 1 Cannoneer rank. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Little Lecua – Starts with Novice Deckhand rank and 1 Deckhand and 1 Navigator job traits. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Scyla Five Glass – Starts with Seasoned Navigator rank and 1 Deckhand and 2 Navigator job traits. Can be recruited from Kraken’s Eye.
- Coin-Counter Foeldas – Starts with Seasoned Cannoneer rank and 2 Cannoneer job traits. Can be recruited from The King’s Coffin in Dunnage.
- Big Mouth – Starts with Expert Surgeon rank and 3 Surgeon and 1 Navigator job traits. Can be recruited from The King’s Coffin in Dunnage.
- Llendreth – Starts with Expert Helmsman rank and 3 Helmsman job traits. Can be recruited from The King’s Coffin in Dunnage.
- Grim Kuldran – Starts with Novice Helmsman rank and 1 Helmsman and 1 Deckhand job traits. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
- Tuliak Longfrost – Starts with Novice Deckhand rank and 1 Deckhand job trait. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
- Ushizu – Starts with Novice Cook rank and 1 Cook job trait. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
- Caergr- Starts with Novice Surgeon rank and 1 Surgeon and 1 Deckhand job trait. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
- Aledh – Starts with Novice Cook rank and 1 Cook and 1 Cannoneer job trait. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
- Nia – Starts with Seasoned Cannoneer rank and 2 Cannoneer and Novice Boatswain job traits. Can be recruited from The Shipyard in Queen’s Birth, Neketaka.
Managing your Ship
Buying the ship and assembling a crew is not all. You must manage your ship afterward so that it can be of service when in need. When it comes to managing your ship, there are three main categories.
Food and Water, Crew and Reserves and Equipment and Upgrades. Food and Water can be easily found on your journey so you must always have a large supply of food and water on board.
You will find food and water in crates, barrels and different shops in towns. To be used by your crew, the food and water supplies must be dragged from your inventory to the ship’s inventory. Your crew will then use these supplies every day for survival. Without food and water, your ship’s crew cannot survive.
Crew and Reserves is the second thing that you must manage effectively. Assign the crew member to locations where they can work most effectively and increase their skills as well as the ship’s effectiveness to different situations.
Keep them fed, healthy and keep a good stock of items in ship’s inventory, which the crew can use in case of emergencies such as medical supplies.
The last thing that you must manage is your ship’s equipment and upgrades. The ship is equally important as your crew. Always upgrade to better ships and equipment when you can. Add more and better cannons to increase your ship’s defenses. You can also change the color of your ship’s hull and sails to your liking.
Ship Combat
Ship combat is a vital part of Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire. You cannot always ignore ship combat so it is best to learn the simple mechanics of ship combat. Ship combat starts when you approach another ship and either of the ships starts firing at each other.
You can also choose to run away from the fight as well. However, if you plan to fight, there are some things that you ought to keep in mind.
The first thing is the enemy level. Always make sure that enemy level is equal to you or one level up than yours. Anything above than one level will be very hard if the situation leads to boarding combat.
The second thing to keep in check is the resources during combat. A ship with higher resources is more likely to survive a combat scenario. If the enemy ship is tougher on the outside, board the ship and take it down from the inside.
The ship combat is turn-based which will require you to use different actions to perform on each turn. These actions will determine the course of the battle and the enemy will react to these actions accordingly. We have detailed the different actions below for you.
- Report to – Issue scenario-based commands such as moving injured to healing/repairing
- Full Speed Ahead – Allows you to get closer to the enemy ship. Good for close ranged cannon combat or boarding the enemy ship.
- Brace for Impact – Prepares the ship and the crew for enemy attacks. Sometimes it reduces all damage taken by 50%.
- Surrender – This allows you to surrender your ship to your enemies who will take some of your resources and gold.
- Prepare to Jibe – Turns the ship 180 degrees allowing you to quickly fire from the other side’s cannons.
- Half Sail – Allows you to get close to the enemy ship at a slower pace but with better defense options.
- Hold Position – The ship stays at the same location. This gives you a bonus to the next volley.
- Turn to Starboard – Turns the ship right allowing it to fire the starboard side cannons.
- Turn to Port – Turns the ship left allowing it to fire the port side cannons.
This concludes our Pillars of Eternity 2 Deadfire Ships Guide. If you want to add anything to this guide, feel free to use the comments section below!
