How to Find and Beat Skeleton Forts in Sea of Thieves

Sea of THieves player pointing sword with pirates in background
Credit: Rare Ltd

Sea of THieves player pointing sword with pirates in background
Credit: Rare Ltd

Do you want to learn how to beat Skeleton Forts in Sea of Thieves? If the answer is yes, then we've got you covered. In this guide, you'll teach those eerie skeletons a lesson and capture the most valuable loot they stash.

For those who don't know, a Skeleton Fort is one of the best ways to loot in Sea of ​​Thieves, but it's pretty difficult all the same. These huge islands are guarded by brutal skeletons, and you have to defeat them to win the big prize.

In this guide, find everything there is to know about finding and beating a Skeleton Fort in Sea of Thieves along with some handy tips on how to avoid a trip to Davey Jones' locker.

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Credit: Rare Ltd
Skeletons in Sea of Thieves.

How to Find and Beat Sea of Thieves Skeleton Forts

For those who don't know, Skeleton Forts are islands famous for their desolation, which you can encounter all over the Sea of ​​Thieves' world. Although these are seemingly abandoned, they will have brutal skeletons assigned to guard the great loot.

When a cloud of skulls appears in the sky while sailing through the Sea of ​​Thieves, the time will come for this, and you will want to plunder these forts to make a name for yourself in the pirate world.

To defeat Skeleton Forts and get the loot in Sea of ​​Thieves, you must first see a gigantic cloud of skulls in the sky. Once you've done this, sail your ship to the bottom of the skull cloud, and you'll eventually come across an island guarded by skeletons.

These scoundrels are truly ruthless and will do anything to protect the hidden loot. That said, you should always stay alert, as different types of skeletons may appear during the battle. It should also not be forgotten that they attack in waves.

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Credit: Rare Ltd
Skull cloud in Sea of Thieves

One of the kinds you can encounter on the island is the Gold Skeleton. They move slower than other skeleton types and take half as much damage. When they are exposed to water, including rain, they corrode and lose their damage reduction properties, and most importantly, their speed decreases. In short, you need to get them wet to reduce their strength.

Another type is Plant Skeleton. These generally have similar features to standard skeletons. What sets them apart from others is their rapid recovery when exposed to water and their low general health.

Perhaps the most dangerous species is the Shadow Skeleton. These are quite powerful at night and do not take any damage. However, when exposed to a light source, they are defenseless for approximately ten seconds, and this is your opportunity to take them out.

Now that you know all the species you can encounter, you should focus on your main goal: killing everything on the island. Skeletons will come in waves, so at some point, you'll want to try different methods, like explosives. By acting strategically and interacting with the environment, you can prevent the incoming skeleton groups from tiring you out.

After defeating many skeleton groups and their captains during your battle on the island, including Skeleton Waves, First Captain Wave, and Second Captain Wave, it is finally Skeleton Lord Wave's turn.

This is quite important compared to the others because you will receive the Stronghold Key after killing the Skeleton Lord leading this group.

Sea of Thieves skeleton running on wooden walkway
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Credit: Rare

This key can be used to open the locked Fortress Vault below the main Fort structure. This safe will immediately attract your attention because it is generally green in color.

This vault contains a massive amount of loot along with all kinds of guaranteed Castle-level items. Finally, carry the loot to the ship and complete the mission successfully.

There you have it, that's everything there is to know about beating Skeleton Forts in Sea of Thieves. For more, check out our other guides showcasing how to get Pets and how to bury treasure.