Where to find & how to defeat ghost ships in Skull and Bones

The whispers of ghost ships in Skull and Bones are, in fact, not unsubstantiated rumours. They're as real as anything, and they'll send you to Davy Jones's locker fast if you aren't ready for the fight.

So, let's go over where to find and how to defeat one of the game's bosses, the ghost ships.

Where to find ghost ships

The ghost ship, also known as Maangodin, haunts the Open Seas. While there is talk of ghost ships popping up on the coastlines of the East Indies, you're far more likely to find the Maangodin in the waters east of The Oubliette.

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The smoothest way to force an encounter with Maangodin is to accept the Oceans Apart Contract from the Mysterious Rogue at The Oubliette. After that, the ghost ship will appear east of The Oubliette the next time you sail through at night. This contract is repeatable, so feel free to acquire it daily to respawn the Maangodin.

Alternatively, ghost ships can materialise as part of the Strange Sightings called Spectral Voyages. If you routinely check your map for Strange Sightings, you'll occasionally notice one about Spectral Voyages. If you venture out to it, you'll come into contact with the Maangodin.

The next time you go sailing when it's dark out, keep an eye towards the horizon for a ghost ship emerging from the fog!

How to defeat ghost ships

The Maangodin is a force to be reckoned with, more so than even sea monsters like Kuharibu. You should get to at least Ship Rank 8 and upgrade your loadout before you even think about engaging with the Maangodin. It's a lot easier if you invite friends to help you fight it, too.

The Maangodin has a ton of health, so prepare for a lengthy fight and bring plenty of Repair Kits! The main thing to watch out for is the ghost ship's tendency to ram and the Blue Specter attached to the bow, which will blast deadly fire and torch your ship quickly if you let it.

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Ghost ships are otherworldly, so they won't initially take physical damage. To hurt a ghost ship, you must target its weak spots. Throughout the battle, you'll need to constantly destroy the bright red targets on the Maangodin before you can dish out damage to the hull and other parts of the ghastly vessel.

The most effective strategy for defeating the Maangodin is to maintain a safe distance and chip away at its health from afar. The ghost ship's long-distance attacks aren't particularly threatening, so if you stay away from the Blue Specter and don't let the boat ram you, it shouldn't be too difficult to sink the Maangodin.

The Maangodin will begin teleporting when its health gets low; don't let it phase you and continue evading its ram attempts while relentlessly unloading cannonballs at it.

What do you get for defeating ghost ships?

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When you defeat ghost ships, you'll get all kinds of loot. Specialised Materials and goodies like Mysterious Chests and Treasure Maps are common drops from the Maangodin. However, the primary reason to hunt ghost ships is to get Ethereal Ashes and Vengeful Essence.

Ethereal Ashes is a special currency only redeemable at the Mysterious Rogue at The Oubliette. The Mysterious Rogue will sell you additional Mysterious Chests and blueprints to turn your ship into a replica of the Maangodin!

Vengeful Essence is another ingredient you can only get by destroying ghost ships. While not as plentiful as Ethereal Ashes, you'll need it to craft the devastating Blue Specter.

That's everything you need to know to track down and defeat ghost ships in Skull and Bones. The Maangodin is the only type of ghost ship in The Maangodin right now, but future seasons will likely add additional variants for players to battle!

Visit our Skull and Bones homepage for more tips and tricks, like all the ways to farm Silver, Pieces of Eight, and Gold or how to get Shellac. We've also rounded up the best games like Skull and Bones if you fancy a change of pace.