World of Sea Battle best ships by rank and role

New to the game? Start with the beginner guide and the World of Sea Battle hub; this page assumes you know how the shipyard and materials work. For costs and materials see the ship crafting guide.

How the B21 shipyard changes "best"

Ships are no longer grouped only by class. They sit in three faction trees, and the faction tells you the general character of a hull:

Each faction has a main branch to rank I and two side branches ending at ranks II and III. Inside a faction, ships are still sorted by class (combat, heavy, fast, transport and so on), and every researched branch (one row of a faction and class) gives a 7.5 percent bonus. Unique and premium ships can break the faction pattern.

That means "best ship" is partly "best ship in the branch you already research". Jumping factions costs you research progress, so pick a faction that suits how you play and stay in it until you hit rank III.

Ships by rank and role (confirmed after B21)

Iberia: fast frigate, rate IIIOfficial stat card from the Steam news: durability 2220, speed 9.3, hold 16500, crew 140.

Three Hierarchs: heavy ship of the line, rate IVOfficial stat card: durability 2420, speed 8.4, hold 21000, crew 152.

From small to largeShip silhouettes from the official site, ordered from the smallest hull to the largest.

These ships were added or moved into regular branches in B21, so their rank, class and faction are current. Regular branch ships are built with resources.

Notes from the B21 changes that affect picks:

• Surprise is now called Unity. Same hull, new paint and name. The official site describes it as a corvette and frigate hybrid with a good sail rig and a small hold, so it is a combat and escort ship, not a trader.
• Pickle gained two broadside guns, Mercury and Polacca one each. Good news for small ship players.
• La Salamandre lost two broadside guns, Le Requin one to two and Le Cerf one. Le Saint Louis lost six bow guns.
• Polacca and Le Requin lost their mortars; owners of the mortar upgrades were compensated.
• Heavy class ships can no longer fit the Incendiary Mixture upgrade. If your heavy build relied on fire, rethink it.
• A new galleass subclass covers Al-Fatih and La Royale.

Best trade ships

A trader wants hold, durability and crew, which is exactly the Español profile. Buen Viento (Español transport, rank V) is the new mid game hauler, and Bonhomme Richard moved into the Antilia transport branch at rank II, so it is now built from resources instead of bought as a unique.

Two things matter as much as the hull. Elite status level 3 adds 10 percent to base hold, and Elite level 1 cuts resource loss on sinking by 10 percent, so a trader that you sail often is worth levelling. And a big hold is useless if you cannot get away: bring an escort in your squadron or trade under the peace flag in waters where it works. The trading guide covers routes and risk.

Best PvP ships

San Leandro: World of Sea Battle (official channel)

For open sea PvP you want maneuverability and protection first, broadside weight second. Kai and Severia hulls are built around that. On the Español side, Diana (V), San Leandro (III) and Montanes (II) are the combat line picks, trading some agility for durability and crew, which helps when fights end in boarding.

Players on the Steam forums often name the premium ships Firestorm and Octopus among the strongest open sea PvP ships, along with Poltava, Ingermanland and Surprise (now Unity). Those opinions predate B21, and premium ships come with full Elite status, so treat them as a direction, not a verdict. The Huracan is strong enough that B21 capped it in port battles: one per side in 10 vs 10 and 15 vs 15, two in 20 vs 20, four in 40 vs 40, and only in rank I battles.

Tactics matter more than the hull at every rank; read the PvP guide before you spend Battle Marks on a unique ship.

Best PvE ships

PvE rewards staying power and steady damage. Heavy class hulls such as Rota (Antilia, V), Tie Long (Kai and Severia, V) and Georgy Pobedonosec (Kai and Severia, III) soak fort and NPC fire, and heavy ships take 10 percent less mortar damage as a class passive since B19. For Hunt mode, remember it is now limited to ranks III to V, so a strong rank III or IV ship is worth more than a rank I you cannot bring.

The official site lists five showcase ships with a difficulty rating. Adventure, William Kidd's oared frigate armed with mortars, is rated low difficulty and medium versatility, which makes it a friendly PvE ship. Santisima Trinidad is the opposite: huge firepower, slow, hard to handle, and best against forts and squadrons. The PvE guide covers what to hunt.

Unique ships and their Battle Mark price

Qing Long, the Blue DragonJunk with red sails, revealed in the official Steam news.

Tie Long, the Iron DragonArmoured junk, official ship reveal.

Al FatihShip revealed in the official Steam news.

San Juan NepomucenoShip of the line, official ship reveal.

Bonhomme RichardShown moored in harbour in the official reveal.

Ornate flagshipGilded hull with red sails from the official gallery.

Unique ships are bought with Battle Marks rather than built. B21 set new prices:

At these prices the rule from the beginner guide makes sense: never sell Battle Marks for gold.

Elite status: the new way to make a ship better

B21 added Elite status for ships of ranks I to V. Each ship levels on its own from the actions you do in it, separately from captain experience and branch research:

1. Level 1: 10 percent less resource loss when sunk.
2. Level 2: maximum integrity plus 2.
3. Level 3: base hold plus 10 percent and a third sail design slot.
4. Level 4: integrity repair 20 percent cheaper.
5. Level 5: integrity repair 35 percent faster.
6. Level 6: plus 20 percent experience and loot, and two more equipment preset slots.

Two practical consequences. First, the ship you sail every day becomes better than an identical fresh copy, so a "worse" hull with level 6 Elite can beat a better hull at level 0 in everyday farming. Second, a ship with Elite status cannot be listed on the exchange, so decide before levelling whether you might sell it. More on this in the upgrades and skills guide.

How to choose your next ship

Choose the correct ship for you (Thexppkiller)

1. Decide the job first: trade, PvP, PvE or all round.
2. Pick the faction that matches (Español for hold and crew, Kai and Severia for agility, Antilia for balance).
3. Stay in the branch to keep the 7.5 percent research bonuses stacking.
4. Check the stats in your own shipyard, because B21 changed many numbers.
5. Build at a port of the ship's faction for the 20 percent discount, and craft heavy parts on your island.
6. Keep one cheap fast ship for errands and small ship content.

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