Four systems make a ship stronger: upgrades, Elite status, captain skills and crew. They are separate, and several older guides mix them up or describe rules that changed in 2025 and 2026. The World of Sea Battle hub has the overview and the beginner guide tells you what to unlock in week one.
Ship upgrades and slots
Since B17 the slot system works like this:
- A new ship has a sail slot and two upgrade slots.
- Two more upgrade slots unlock as the ship gains experience.
- A sixth slot for a special upgrade unlocked after fully researching the ship's branches, and special upgrades come with small stat penalties.
- Upgrades have a single level since B17, so guides about upgrading grades are out of date.
Other changes worth knowing: B18 removed the Battle Mark requirement for most upgrades and the Voodoo requirement for the best sails on low rank ships, and B19 added six new sail upgrades tied to the wind strength system. B21 stopped heavy class ships from fitting Incendiary Mixture. Pick upgrades for the ship's job: maneuver and sail upgrades for PvP and trading, durability and reload for forts.
Elite status (B21)
Elite status is per ship progression for ranks I to V. Each copy of a ship levels separately, from the actions you do in it, and the experience does not mix with captain experience, branch research or upgrade experience.
| Level | Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10 percent less resource loss when sunk |
| 2 | Maximum integrity plus 2 |
| 3 | Base hold plus 10 percent, third sail design slot |
| 4 | Integrity repair 20 percent cheaper |
| 5 | Integrity repair 35 percent faster |
| 6 | Plus 20 percent experience and loot, two more equipment preset slots |
- How to level it: spend the ship's accumulated Elite experience plus gold, or buy the level for coins.
- Patents: 10,000 Elite experience, one level, or full Elite status. They come from the Elite chest (99 coins, replacing the Imperial chest), the Arena shop and the Overseas Merchant during events.
- Bonuses that speed it up: the Captain's Seal, the Corsair specialist, lanterns, flags and the personal island. The Scribe specialist's bonus does not count.
- Trade off: an Elite ship cannot be listed on the exchange. Premium ships start with full Elite status.
Captain skills to take first
Captain skills are unlocked with skill points as you rank up. The full tree is long; these are the ones community guides agree you should take early:
| Skill | What it gives | When |
|---|---|---|
| Fast Travel | Travel between neighbouring ports without sailing | First |
| Escort | A movement and squadron skill; read the in game text, guides describe it differently | Second |
| Logistics | An extra fast travel use; requires Fast Travel | When you travel a lot |
| Slave Holding | Take captives after boarding for island manpower | From level 15 |
| Second island | A second personal island (1 skill point and 300,000 gold) | When you have a second region to cover |
More mine slots on your island also come from skills. Spend points on what saves time first: travel and economy, then combat.
Crew and specialists
Your crew is more than a number. Boarding depends on how many fighting crew you have, so a full ship matters. Players distinguish sailors, soldiers and musketeers, and a common tip is to clear enemy musketeers before boarding. Recruit at ports and, later, at the tavern on your island.
Specialists (called special crew until B20) are named crew with personal bonuses:
- Searching for a specialist takes 20 hours, costs scrolls, and only one search can run per account. Adventurers cannot be searched for.
- Corsair boosts experience, and since B21 that also feeds Elite status.
- Fisherman adds a bonus per boarding crew member, cut from 0.5 to 0.4 percent in B21.
- Scribe gives an experience bonus that does not apply to Elite status.
The Captain's Seal
The Captain's Seal is the premium subscription (renamed in B17). Since B20 it also raises port battle rewards and experience from PvP, boarding, fishing and whaling, and since B21 its bonuses apply to Elite status experience. It is not required; the referral programme gives three premium days to an invited player, and the inviter gets seven premium days and 300 Battle Marks once the new captain reaches rank 10.
What to unlock first: a priority list
- Fast Travel and Escort.
- Fill the free upgrade and sail slots on your main ship.
- Full crew.
- Start levelling Elite status on the ship you sail most (rank V and up).
- Slave Holding at level 15 if you run an island workshop.
- Specialists for your main activity.
Weapons and ammo are in the cannons and ammo guide, and hull choice in best ships.
Integrity and repairs after B21
What ship to use and which upgrades to use (LifeofKino)Integrity is how many times a ship can be sunk before it needs a proper repair, and B21 changed it for every ship:
- Base maximum integrity is 6 for ships outside the imperial branch. Premium ships get 2 more from their full Elite status.
- Repair time is 30 seconds plus 2 minutes 30 seconds per integrity point restored.
- Repair and overhaul costs rose by 25 percent, except for Octopus and Huracan.
- Exceptions: Huracan's maximum integrity dropped to 4 and Deadfish's to 6.
- Existing ships kept their current integrity when the system changed.
This is why Elite levels 2, 4 and 5 are worth more than they look: more integrity, cheaper repairs and faster repairs add up on a ship you sink with often. Santisima Trinidad lost its separate experience and loot bonus in B21, because Elite status now provides the same kind of bonus.
Common upgrade mistakes
- Following pre-B17 guides about upgrade grades; upgrades have one level now.
- Hoarding Battle Marks for upgrades that no longer need them since B18. Spend them on unique ships instead.
- Levelling Elite on a ship you plan to sell. Elite ships cannot go on the exchange.
- Keeping Incendiary Mixture plans for a heavy ship. Heavy class ships cannot fit it since B21.
- Running two specialist searches in your head. Only one can run per account at a time, so queue the important one first.
FAQ
How many upgrade slots does a ship have?
A new ship has a sail slot and two upgrade slots. Two more unlock with ship experience, and a special sixth slot became available after full branch research under the B17 rules.
What is Elite status?
A per ship progression added in update B21 for ranks I to V. Six levels add perks from 10 percent less loss when sunk up to plus 20 percent experience and loot at level 6.
Which captain skills should I take first?
Fast Travel first and Escort second, then Logistics if you travel a lot and Slave Holding at level 15 if you use an island workshop.
How do I get specialists?
Start a specialist search. It takes 20 hours, costs scrolls and only one search can run per account. Adventurers cannot be searched for.
What is the Captain's Seal?
The premium subscription, renamed in update B17. It boosts several kinds of experience and rewards, and since B21 also Elite status experience.