The Burning Blade is a powerful warship in Sea of Thieves that you can take control of or sink, depending on whether you wish to support or stand against the game's central villain, Captain Flameheart. However, as a Sea of Thieves World Event open to all players, taking down the Burning Blade is often no easy task as a massive ship with devastating firepower, whether controlled by a PVE skeleton crew or other players. However, there are a few tips and tricks that can help make defeating the Burning Blade in Sea of Thieves somewhat easier.

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Once you manage to defeat the Burning Blade, you'll also need to ensure it sinks before another crew has the chance to grab it. Sinking the Burning Blade also allows you to pick up some valuable rewards and impressive achievements, making sinking the monstrous ship as worthwhile as taking control. This guide primarily focuses on taking down an AI-controlled Burning Blade as a solo Sloop player.

How To Beat The Burning Blade In Sea Of Thieves

Tips For Beating The Burning Blade

the burning blade defeated and sinking in sea of thieves

Defeating the Burning Blade in Sea of Thieves can be a challenging task, especially if captained by other players or if other players are nearby. However, despite all odds, it is still possible to defeat the Burning Blade even while sailing solo, with a few handy tips and tricks. While everyone's playstyle is different, some techniques for defeating the Burning Blade with a skeleton crew include the following:

Get In Close And Shoot The Side On

While it's risky to sail too close, you'll need to sail close enough to the Burning Blade to get a decent angle to shoot it with standard cannonballs, so you can shoot side-on or attack the back of the ship, aiming for the lower deck. Forget loading throwables into the cannons, as the Burning Blade is immune to fire damage. Instead, shoot the Burning Blade as much as possible with regular cannons to take it down quickly so it takes on enough water before its crew can repair all the damage. Chase down the Burning Blade and repeat this strategy until defeated between fixing your ship and bailing out water as needed.

sea of thieves shooting the burning blade with cannonballs

You could also try adding Sea of Thieves' chain shots to take down the masts or using scattershot cannonballs to pepper the ship with more holes to make defending it more difficult. Depending on your skill with the cannons, you might be able to fire off some successful long-distance shots. However, it's usually more reliable to shoot from medium-short distances.

Avoid The Burning Blade's Flamethrower Attack

When sailing close to the Burning Blade, be careful to avoid sailing towards it when facing head-on. This is to avoid the Burning Blade's devastating fireball attacks, which can set almost your entire ship alight in an instant. It's possible to sail towards the ship as it sails towards you, but just be mindful of getting too close or your ship can be set alight as quickly as you might say "Burnt Banana".

sea of thieves the burning bladeTake Out The Obsidian Skeletons Or Other Players First

Some pirates might also find success by heading aboard and taking out the Obsidian skeleton crew first. However, this could have mixed results if the Burning Blade is captained by other players too, and it's always worth keeping a lookout for other players looking to grab the ship for themselves. Of course, there is the option to try taking it down in an alliance with another crew also looking to oppose Flameheart.

Rewards And Achievements For Sinking The Burning Blade In Sea of Thieves

Once you hit the Burning Blade enough times with cannon fire, you will get an on-screen notification indicating you have defeated it. However, if you want to sink the Burning Blade, keep firing until it starts to descend into the water. Once the ship fully sinks, it will disappear and send a bunch of loot floating up to the surface, including Sea of Thieves' Blade of Souls, a sword that inflicts fire damage and knockback. If you sink the Burning Blade while it's only controlled by a skeleton crew, the Blade of Souls will carry no additional value and sells for about 10,000 gold. However, its value can increase if a player crew has completed Rituals. In addition to the Blade of Souls, it's also possible to obtain the following rewards for sinking the Burning Blade, many of which are suitably fire-themed:

  • Obsidian Ashen Winds Skull
  • Chest of Fortune (worth at least 20,000 gold)
  • Ashen Captain's Chest
  • Ashen Maurauder's Chest
  • Devils Remnants
  • Magma's Grail

Players can also obtain the Burning Vengeance achievement for sinking the Burning Blade and the Sweltering Sword achievement for selling the Blade of Souls. Of course, you don't have to sink the Burning Blade if you prefer to pledge your loyalty to Flameheart and earn rewards through completing Rituals. As ever, the choice is up to you.

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Sea of Thieves
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Released
March 20, 2018
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SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Developer(s)
Rare
Publisher(s)
Microsoft Game Studios
Genre(s)
Adventure