A Hunter's Cry is the latest Sea of Thieves time-limited Adventure that cannon-balled into action on August 18, with players braving a daring rescue to save the beloved Merrick from the clutches of the Dark Brethren. It's the first time players can return to The Sea of The Damned since the Pirate's Life update of Season 3, but this time it's a storming-the-keep style battle looped around a Damned Sea Dog's Tavern fortress.
Some players have described A Hunter's Cry as one of the most exciting and rewarding Adventures yet in Sea of Thieves. However, it also has its challenges in the shape of tricky puzzles and a PVP-enabled environment, leading to issues like spawn-camping and griefers for some players. However, it is possible to join forces with other players and complete the mission in enough time before the Pirate Lord gets cranky. This guide lights the way in three main steps and contains spoilers.
Since the Adventure launched, Rare has reduced the maximum crew for each trip to two and increased the overall completion time to one hour.
How To Start The Adventure
Players can activate the Adventure by speaking to Larinna outside the Tavern on any active Outpost and selecting the Begin Adventure option, which spawns the Pirate Lord on the dock. When players talk to the Pirate Lord, he will open a nearby portal for players to sail through to reach the Sea of The Damned. It's essential to stock up on supplies before setting off, especially fruit for health and wood for the possibility of player and NPC ship attacks.
Sailing through the portal transports players and their ship to the Sea of The Damned, where the Pirate Lord briefly appears, instructing players they will need to use the lighthouses to unlock the path to Merrick. As players continue to sail forward, the green skies clear to a murky blue landscape as the voice of Warsmith appears, unless the Adventure is already underway by other players, along with ghost and player ships encircling the fortress where Merrick is held captive.
There are 3 lighthouses surrounding the central Sea Dogs Tavern that juts out of a central rocky arch, plus many surrounding rocks to dodge. Players can park their ship anywhere but may find it easier to park and begin at the Southern dock where there is plenty of space. The lighthouses are positioned in the north, south, and east.
Step 1 - Lighting The Way To A Mysterious Jetty
The first step is to collect a green flame of souls using their lanterns from one of the lit braziers on the docks. Players can then use their lanterns to open many locked lighthouse doors by lighting the two small braziers at the stairway entrance to each lighthouse, breaking the green force field doorway. If players die, they need to collect the flame again. Once inside a lighthouse, eagle-eyed players will sometimes find a stash of gold at the bottom of the lighthouse stairs unless already looted.
Once at the top, players need to light the lighthouse mechanism to activate it, then line it up with the beacons, which can be spotted more easily by searching for the green torches. Players familiar with the Pirate's Life Adventure may remember a similar lighthouse puzzle. Lighting one beacon triggers another to appear, so players can transport easily between lighthouses using the cannons on the docks and ladders peppered about the island. This is also a handy way of avoiding other players when needed. Players need to light at least two beacons until a ghostly jetty appears at the base of the central Damned Sea Dog's Tavern, where one of the beacons is located.
Step 2 - Storming The Jetty
Players must now travel up the jetty's stairs, lighting all five small braziers along the way and around the Damned Sea Dog's Tavern entrance, battling Dark Brethren phantoms as needed or running past them. Once all braziers and enough beacons are lit, the green glow around the capstan mechanism near the Sea Dog's Tavern door dissipates, and players can turn it to open the large, nearby gate.
The tunnel inside the gate leads players directly underneath the central rocky arch with a small brazier that players need to light. There's currently no way across the gap, but a large beacon is now visible in the distance behind it that needs to be lit using the Northern lighthouse. When players return, a ghostly bridge appears at the top of the tunnel, allowing players to travel across the gap. It's a tricky walkway, with a big jump that might confuse some players, but they can safely navigate it.
Step 3 - A Dangerous Walkway And Accessing The Drawbridge To Merrick
Once across the bridge, players need to light another small brazier located in front of a fallen mast with dangerous spikes underneath. When lit, it triggers another large beacon to appear on the right, which players must light from the Eastern lighthouse. Once lit, players can head back to the fallen mast by climbing the shipwreck shortcut at its base and walk carefully across the mast onto another hazy, ghostly construction that has now appeared, leading players back to the central arch, but this time on the opposite side.
Here, players must light another small brazier by a cannon that triggers another beacon to appear, which can be lit with the Southern or Eastern lighthouse. It's quickest to sword dash across the water to save time. When players climb back to the spot with the cannon, the final ghostly wooden platform becomes visible, enabling players to follow it round to the final capstan. If players fall off, there's a handy mast at the bottom where they can climb back up. When turned, the capstan lowers the drawbridge, leading to Merrick. If players cannot complete all steps in time and reach Merrick in about one hour, the Pirate Lord will end the Adventure, and players need to activate it from Larinna again, so time is of the essence.
Merrick Rescued And Delivering A Letter
On reaching Merrick, players can see the Dark Brethren in the background, looming over him. Players need to speak with Merrick to complete the rescue, resulting in the Pirate Lord appearing as the Dark Brethren escape through a portal. Once the Pirate Lord finishes speaking, players fast-travel back to their ship where the Pirate Lord returns and asks players to return to Larinna at an Outpost for one final task, albeit Chapter 1 of the Adventure is now complete.
When players talk to Larinna they can activate the final chapter of the Adventure that involves sailing to the North Star Seapost and delivering a letter from Merrick to his wife Serik for a sweet ending. On completing the Adventure, players achieve the Hunter's Repose Memento which is a painting that can be shown off as a trinket on the walls of player ships and, if they complete all Adventure Deeds, the Defender of the Damned Memento. Players have until September 1 to complete the Adventure and unlock any remaining achievements.
Sea of Thieves is available to play on Xbox and PC and is free to play on Xbox Live Game Pass Ultimate.