Issue 041 — July 2026
A PC-only games siteHow we reviewSubscribe
PCGame·Pilot
Systems

Ships, Progression & Crafting: Mastering the Six Branches

How ship branches, levels and the crafting economy fit together on the road to an endgame fleet.

By PC Game Pilot·Core·~6 min·Updated 6 Jul 2026

How ship branches, levels and the crafting economy fit together on the road to an endgame fleet.

  • Ships span six branches - Combat, High-Speed, Transport, Heavy, Siege and premium Imperial - each with a distinct tactical role.
  • Levels count DOWN from VII (starter) toward I (legendary); you must own and upgrade the previous ship to unlock the next.
  • Combat line endgame targets are Blackwind, then Ancient, then Victory; the High-Speed line caps at the legendary Ingermanland.
  • Imperial-class ships have the best raw stats but require rare currencies - Battle Marks, Voodoo Skulls and Escudos - so never sell those.
  • Match ship faction to port faction when building to bank the 25% material discount on every craft.
  • Focus a steady income stream early, such as north-south Sugar/Salt trading, to fund hull upgrades and materials.
  • La Salamandre is widely considered a trap - save the resources and push straight to Blackwind instead.