A Skeleton Fort is a World Event in Sea of Thieves indicated by a Skull-shaped cloud with glowing green eyes. Read on to find out how to find and start Skeleton Fort events, how to complete them and beat their defenders, and the rewards you get for completing them!

How to Start a Skeleton Fort

Starts When a Green-Eyed Skull Cloud Hovers an Island

The Skeleton Fort is an event that takes place on one of the many Skeleton Fort islands and is usually indicated by a skull cloud with green eyes hovering the island.

Normally, when a Skeleton Fort island does not have the green-eyed skull cloud hovering above it, this means that it isn't active and there will be no skeletons invading it and the vault in the fort will be locked.

Note that you might have to wait for some time before a skull cloud with green eyes can spawn, as world events rotate and Skeleton Fort might not be active from the get go once you join in a server.

Skeleton Forts are Available in Safer Seas and High Seas

Skeleton Fort World Events can appear even if the player opts to play in Safer Seas. However, there are commendations related to Skeleton Forts that you can only complete if you play in High Seas.

Note that in Safer Seas, you will get less gold for turning in treasure than when playing in High Seas. However, you'll be safer while transporting your loot compared to High Seas where other players can fight you for your Skeleton Fort loot.

High Seas vs. Safer Seas

How to Beat a Skeleton Fort

How to Beat Skeleton Fort
Beware of the Fort Cannons Use a Pistol Against the Skeletons Don't Stay in One Position and Keep Moving Use the Blunderbuss Against Boss Get the Stronghold Key Gather Loot in One Place

Beware of the Cannons as you Approach the Fort

As you approach a Skeleton Fort, you'll be greeted by cannonball attacks from the fort as they try to sink your ship.

Maneuver your ship away from the cannonballs and find a safe spot to park where the cannonball cannot shoot your ship. Once you park your ship, bring food and your weapon of choice with you and start raiding the fort.

Use a Pistol Against the Skeletons

Use a Pistol to deal with hordes of normal skeletons as it has a low reload time compared to other guns in the game.

While moving, remember to pick up ammo pouches from slain skeletons so you won't run out of ammo for your gun. You should also aim to take out skeletons with guns first, as they can shoot you from afar and can be difficult to deal with because of that.

Don't Stay in One Position and Keep Moving

If you let yourself stay in one place, there's a high chance of you getting overwhelmed. Always move and keep your distance and attack whenever you're in a safe distance.

While moving, you will see normal barrels where you can loot items from and Gunpowder Barrels that you can carry and throw towards the horde of skeletons so you can detonate it which deals a lot of damage against them.

You'll have to survive 12 waves of 10 skeletons before fighting the wave with 10 skeletons and a Captain Skeleton. After this wave, you will be fighting skeletons but with two Captain Skeletons this time: the Ashen Key Master and the Ashen Guardian.

After defeating them, it is time to fight the Skeleton Lord wave which is when the boss of the Fort will spawn in, making it 15 waves in total.

Use the Blunderbuss Against the Fort Boss

After clearing waves of Skeletons, the boss of the fort and one of the Skeleton Lords: The Mutinous Helmsman, The Mutinous Helmsman, or The Duchess will spawn in the center of the main fort area.

The Blunderbuss deals the most amount of damage in the game, making it an effective gun to fight bosses with. Just make sure to get close to the enemy to maximize its potential.

Get the Stronghold Key After Defeating the Boss

After defeating the Skeleton Fort boss, it will drop the Stronghold Key which opens the Stronghold Vault that contains numerous treasures. The Stronghold Vault is usually located near the center of the island.

Gather Loot in One Place

After defeating enemies, they will drop loot but you can't carry all of them at once. Gather all of them in a safe place after completing the Skeleton Fort so you can safely bring them back to the ship.

You can also store the loot you acquire within a Treasure Chest for faster transport to your ship, especially when you're sailing with a crew.

Skeleton Fort Rewards

Treasures like Gold and Other Items

The Skeleton Fort gives different rewards, usually in the form of gold but other items such as keys and skulls can be obtained from this event too.

Usually, the treasure obtained from this whole event will give gold ranging from 25,000 to 45,000. However, completing the event can also give the following treasures below.

Treasures	Dropped from:
Villainous Bounty Skulls x 3	• Skeleton Captain • Ashen Key Master • Ashen Guardian
Ashen Key x 1	• Ashen Key Master
Stronghold Skull x 1	Dropped by one of the following: • The Mutinous Helmsman • The Two-Faced Scoundrel • The Duchess
Stronghold Key x 1	Dropped by one of the following: • The Mutinous Helmsman • The Two-Faced Scoundrel • The Duchess

Stronghold Vault Treasures

Upon defeating the Skeleton Lord, players can obtain the Stronghold Key which can open the Stronghold Vault that contains different treasures.

The following are treasures that can be obtained within the vault. Note that not all of these can be obtained after opening the vault and that the ones that do not appear might show up on other Skeleton Fort events.

• Stronghold Chest
• Stronghold Skull
• Stronghold Gunpowder Barrel
• Gunpowder Barrels
• Ashen Chest
• Crate of Ancient Bone Dust
• Chest of Rage (Only in Molten Sands Fortress)

Skeleton Fort Commendations

Commendation	Requirements and Rewards
Gunpowder Plot	How to Complete: (High Seas Only) Destroy 5 Skeletons at the same time by Shooting a Gunpowder Skeleton on an active Fort while at least 1 other Crew is on the Island at the same time. Reward: 20 Doubloons
Legendary Gunpowder Plot	How to Complete: (High Seas Only) Destroy 5 Skeletons at the same time by Shooting a Gunpowder Skeleton on an active Fort; while at least 1 other Crew is on the Island at the same time (20 times). Reward: 20 Doubloons
Master of Black Powder	How to Complete: Sell 10 Stronghold Gunpowder Barrels Reward: 20 Doubloons
Golden Master of Strongholds	How to Complete: Sell 10 Stronghold Chests Reward: 20 Doubloons
Mystical Master of Strongholds	How to Complete: Sell 10 Stronghold Skulls Reward: 20 Doubloons
Master of Ancient Bone Dust	How to Complete: Sell 10 Crates of Ancient Bone Dust Reward: 20 Doubloons
Helmsman Hunted	How to Complete: Defeat The Mutinous Helmsman Reward: 10 Doubloons
Mutiny Crushed	How to Complete: Defeat The Mutinous Helmsman 10 times. Reward: 20 Doubloons
Tied to the Wheel	How to Complete: Defeat The Mutinous Helmsman 25 times. Reward: 30 Doubloons
Scoundrel Slain	How to Complete: Defeat The Two-Faced Scoundrel. Reward: 10 Doubloons
Two Faces, One Fate	How to Complete: Defeat The Two-Faced Scoundrel 10 times. Reward: 20 Doubloons
Facing the Inevitable	How to Complete: Defeat The Two-Faced Scoundrel 25 times. Reward: 30 Doubloons
Duchess Destroyed	How to Complete: Defeat The Duchess. Reward: 10 Doubloons
Duchess of Death	How to Complete: Defeat The Duchess 10 times. Reward: 20 Doubloons
A Noble Defeat	How to Complete: Defeat The Duchess 25 times. Reward: 30 Doubloons

How to Get All Commendations

What is a Skeleton Fort?

World Event that Takes Place in a Skeleton Fort Island

The Skeleton Fort event will be indicated by a gray Skull cloud with green eyes hovering over one of the many Skeleton Fort islands in the game. This means that a huge group of skeletons have invaded that specific Skeleton Fort where countless treasures await your arrival.

When you try to raid an active Skeleton Fort, you'll be fighting multiple waves of Skeletons: 12 waves of 10 skeletons, 2 Skeleton Captain Waves and then finally the Skeleton Lord wave where the boss of the fort will spawn, making it 15 waves in total.

Sea of Thieves Related Guides

All World Events and Encounters

World Events and Encounters

All World Events
Ashen Winds	Fort of Fortune
Ghost Fleet	Skeleton Fleet
Skeleton Fort	-
All Encounters
Kraken	Megalodon
Skeleton Ship	-