The World of Sea Battle hub gives the short version. This page is the full setup, from the first building to the third island. If you have just started, the beginner guide explains what to do before rank 9.
What the island does for you
The personal island tutorial (Thexppkiller)- Collects mine output automatically once the right building is up, so iron, wood and coal pile up while you play elsewhere.
- Crafts heavy parts for less. The island workshop uses about 20 percent fewer resources than a port (the gold part of the cost does not drop).
- Turns captives into manpower, which speeds up crafting.
- Gives a lighthouse for travel back to your base.
- Adds Elite status experience: since B21, island bonuses also apply to the new per ship progression.
Where to place it
Islands do not move. When you want a better spot, you build a new island and abandon the old mines, so the first placement does not need to be perfect, only useful.
- Look at the resources first. Open the map and find iron and wood mines close together, near the ports you actually use.
- Check the range. Mines must sit within about 7,000 distance of the island to be collected automatically. Hold Ctrl and hover over the island to see the range line before you commit. (One older guide says 6,000, so check the line, not the number.)
- Avoid the central PvP circle for your first island; you will sail to it with full holds.
- Plan the move. Community guides recommend a second base in richer black waters once you reach level 12; treat the first island as temporary.
Building order
The first building costs only gold. Every building after it needs plates, and each new building costs more plates than the last. So the first building must be the one that makes plates.
| Order | Building | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Workshop set to plates | Gold only, and it produces the plates every other building needs |
| 2 | Pier | Docking and ship handling at your island |
| 3 | Mission Hall (outpost) | Automatic collection from mines in range |
| 4 | Lighthouse | Travel to your island |
| 5 | Warehouse | Storage so you are not hauling everything |
Further buildings, such as the tavern for recruiting crew, come after the core five. Since costs grow with every building, finish the core set before you spend plates on anything optional.
Mines: what to build
Mines produce iron, wood and coal. Iron is in every recipe and sells well, so it gets the most slots. The setup most experienced players settle on:
| Stage | Mines |
|---|---|
| Early (two mine slots) | 1 iron, 1 wood |
| Established (four slots) | 2 iron, 1 coal, 1 wood |
More mine slots come through captain skills. Coal is what turns ore into iron and goes into plates, so do not skip it once you craft in volume. If a mine's output piles up unused, switch it rather than selling raw resources cheaply.
Workshop, manpower and captives
The island runs one workshop type at a time. Switching from plates to beams, for example, costs manpower, so plan batches: a week of plates, then a week of beams, rather than switching daily.
Manpower comes from captives. With the Slave Holding skill (available from level 15), you can choose to take captives after winning a boarding instead of inviting the ship to your squadron:
- Board an NPC ship below half health with more boarding crew than it has.
- Choose to take captives after the fight.
- Sail to your island and dock.
- Disembark the captives. One captive becomes one point of manpower.
Note that the peace flag blocks prisoner transport since B19, so you carry captives at some risk. Boarding is explained in the PvP guide.
Income from the island
The island does not pay gold by itself. It pays in materials, and you choose whether to use them or sell them. The best value is usually crafting plates and bulkheads and either building your own ships with them or listing them on the exchange, where shipbuilders pay for the time you saved them. The ship crafting guide lists the recipes, and how to make money shows how island income fits with trading and combat.
Second and third island
- Second island: unlocked with a captain skill that costs 1 skill point and 300,000 gold.
- Third island: needs Voodoo Skulls and a Construction License. This is one reason never to sell Voodoo Skulls.
- Use them for regions. A second island near the ports where you trade or a richer resource area beats two islands next to each other.
Your first month on the island
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| Rank 9 | Place the island near an iron and a wood mine, build the plate workshop |
| First week after | Pier and Mission Hall, so mines start feeding the island automatically |
| Second week | Lighthouse and warehouse, craft beams and bulkheads for your next ship |
| Level 12 and up | Scout a richer area for a second base |
| Level 15 | Slave Holding for captives and manpower |
| Later | Second island skill (1 point, 300,000 gold), more mine slots through skills |
Common island mistakes
- Building something other than the plate workshop first. You then pay for plates you cannot make.
- Mines outside the range line. They will not be collected automatically. Always check with Ctrl and hover.
- Switching the workshop daily. Every switch costs manpower.
- Hauling captives under the peace flag. Since B19 the peace flag blocks prisoner transport.
- Selling Voodoo Skulls. You will need them for the third island.
- Treating the first island as permanent. Islands do not move, so plan the second one early rather than over investing in a spot you will leave.
FAQ
When do you get a personal island in World of Sea Battle?
The personal island unlocks at captain rank 9.
What should I build first on my island?
A workshop producing plates. The first building costs only gold, and every later building needs plates.
How far can mines be from my island?
About 7,000 distance for automatic collection through the Mission Hall. Hold Ctrl and hover over the island to see the range line.
How many islands can I have?
Up to three. The second needs a captain skill costing 1 skill point and 300,000 gold, the third needs Voodoo Skulls and a Construction License.
How do I get manpower?
Learn the Slave Holding skill, take captives after winning a boarding, dock at your island and disembark them. One captive gives one point of manpower.
Can I move my island?
No. You build a new island in the new location and abandon the old mines, so carry your stored resources over before you leave.