Burning Blade: How to Defeat and Sink Captain Flameheart’s Flagship?

Sea of Thieves Season 13 is in full swing as every player is busy challenging Captain Flameheart’s Flagship, The Burning Blade. As mentioned in our previous article, the new Season update allows players to choose whether they sink or take control of the ship depending on whether they wish to support or stand against the game’s central villain, Captain Flameheart.

Sunk a 394 Burning Blade, got 142 levels in Athena and 11 Million gold after selling the sword, this is just WILD.#SeaOfThieves pic.twitter.com/PIzytkvrNC

— Feagle Rogers (@EqualTree3) July 29, 2024

However, many players neglected they must first defeat the massive ship with devastating firepower before reaching the conflicting options. It is a task easier said than done, as it is the most powerful ship yet in the game.

Therefore, to help our pirate readers and gamers defeat The Burning Blade without sweat, our writers have written a guide below on the most effective action sequence.

Related: 5 Best Games Like Sea of Thieves

How to Defeat The Burning Blade?

Confronting Head On

As a wise person once said, the best offence is the best defence, and to defeat The Burning Blade, you need to be on the offensive as if it is a battle of numbers; Captain Flameheart has you beat. Therefore, you must take a sufficient risk to get close to the flagship but not too close to avoid the ship’s devastating fireball attacks, which can set almost your entire ship alight.

From our experience, you must locate a decent angle to blast the ship with standard cannonballs. For example, sailing to the side of the flagship is a good tactic as you can utilise a full frontal assault on the ship’s side, lower deck and back. However, remember that throwables are a no-go as the ship is immune to Fire damage.

Once you deal enough damage that the crew has insufficient time to repair, The Burning Blade will turn tail, and this is where you give chase and compound the misery on Captain Flameheart.

Defeat the Obsidian Skeleton Crew First

Another tactic we found relative success is directly heading on board and defeating the Obsidian Skeleton Crew first. However, this choice is far more arduous to execute if other players are on board the Burning Blade and choose to plead allegiance to Captain Flameheard. If you unfortunately find yourself in this situation, it’s best to join an Alliance.

However, if you are adamant about completing solo, you must always keep tabs on the ship’s marker on the Map Table. For context, If you see an icon of a Skeleton Camp below the ship’s mark with the number of Rituals the ship’s completed, another crew has already taken over the ship.

On the flip side, if the marker is just the Burning Blade without the Skeleton Camp icon, then the ship is yours to take!

Rewards and Choices After Defeating The Burning Blade

Once you defeat The Burning Blade, it will enter a defeated state, drifting in the water for ten minutes. It is where the conflicting choice appears. If you decide to sink the ship, keep firing until it starts to descend into the water. Then, a fiery ring will pulse through the water, notifying you of your victory. You will also receive rewards, including the Blade of Souls.

If you want to side with the Burning Blade, board the ship and enter the Captain’s Cabin. Then, interact with the Captain’s Table in front of the statue of Flameheart to pledge your crew. Once you succeed, you will scuttle your current ship, and the Burning Blade will become your new ship for the session, initiating the second phase of the world event.

Listed below is a detailed breakdown of the rewards you can receive:

• Sinking The Burning Blade: Blades of Souls, 10,000 Gold and 1 Broken Reaper Emissary Flag (if crewed by Player Pirates)
• Returning The Burning Blade: Reaper’s Bones Reaper’s Bones Reputation, 26,000 Gold for each ritual completed (14,000 Gold if returned without rituals)
• Treasure Aboard The Burning Blade: Chest of Fortune (20,000+ Gold), Obsidian Ashen Winds Skull, Ashen Captain’s Chest, Ashen Marauder’s Chest, 3 Magma’s Grail and 2 Storage Crates

Closing Notes

With everything considered, Sea of Thieves Season 13’s world event is challenging to veterans and beginners alike. Hopefully, with our guide above, we can ease the pain when you take on Captain Flameheart’s flagship.

For more gaming guides and more, follow our Twitter page for timely updates on the latest announcements from the gaming community.