The high seas of Skull and Bones just got deadlier. The latest build from one of the game's top creators showcases the Sloop of War, transformed into a plague-spreading death ship that dominates both PvE and PvP. With its toxic torpedoes, buffed contagion mechanics Skull and Bones Items, and self-healing armor core, this ship thrives on aggression, attrition, and chaos.
If you've been looking for a poison-based DPS setup that melts ships over time while keeping you surprisingly durable, this "Plaguebringer Sloop" might be your next obsession. Here's a full breakdown of how it works, from the core abilities and weapons to armor, furniture, and tactical strategy.
The Plaguebringer Sloop of War-Overview
This build turns the Sloop of War into a vessel of rot and ruin. Thematically, it's described as a ship that "spreads pestilence in its wake," as if the Plague King himself breathed life into its sails. Mechanically, it specializes in toxic damage, status stacking, and area denial, combining debuffs and explosions that make it devastating against fleets or fortified targets.
The heart of this build lies in its Plaguebringer passive, which rewards aggressive chaining of poison hits. Every successful strike increases both the damage and duration of poison effects, while granting powerful explosion triggers that shred clustered enemies.
Core Perks Damage Mechanics
Here's how the Sloop's toxic specialization stacks up:
Plaguebringer Bonus:
Each hit on a poisoned target boosts poison damage by 6% and duration by 20%.
Can stack up to +30% damage and +100% duration, allowing poison to tick for much longer and hit much harder.
Each weapon strike also has a chance to trigger a 300-meter toxic explosion, dealing 1,000 poison damage to nearby enemies.
Toxic Mastery:
Increases toxic weapon damage by 20% and boosts poison charge rate by 150%, meaning you'll be applying poison far faster than your opponents can react.
Spite Passive:
While attacking poisoned ships, they begin emitting poison of their own-dealing 50 toxic damage per second within a 300-meter radius for 10 seconds.
You also take 30% less incoming damage from enemies currently affected by poison, giving the build surprising survivability during sustained fights.
This combination rewards players who stay aggressive, chaining poison procs to keep enemies constantly ticking and detonating under pressure.
Weapons Loadout Setup
Let's break down the Plaguebringer's arsenal, which is tuned to deliver maximum toxin output from multiple ranges:
- Front Weapon-Daka Torpedoes
Base Damage: 2,601
Affixes: Noxious, Amplified Flooding ×2
These torpedoes function like aquatic serpents, cutting through multiple ships and applying both flooding and poison. When fired in volleys, they can obliterate enemy armor and trigger multiple poison explosions simultaneously.
- Chaser Weapon-Blightbringer Launcher
Base Damage: 2,826
Affixes: Noxious, Death Blow, Double Lethal
This is the core damage dealer of the build.
Upon impact, it creates toxic clouds that linger, spreading a Gaseous Status Effect dealing 300 poison damage per second within 150 meters.
The effect stacks up to eight times, making it lethal in prolonged fights.
Additionally, the weapon deals 150% more torpedo damage when the target is beyond 85 meters-rewarding distance and timing.
- Rear Weapon-Daka Cannon
Affixes: Combustion, Lethal, Amplify Piercing
This is more of a utility slot. It adds extra burst during rear engagements or while retreating. You can experiment here-though it's not the main focus of the setup.
- Special Weapon-Spirit Beacon
Base Damage: 2,645
Affixes: Rupturing, Soul Mending, Overflow
Deploys a spectral buoy that slows, weakens armor, and damages nearby ships, while also making Weeping Specters more vulnerable. It's a great control tool that pairs perfectly with poison to ensure enemies can't escape the cloud of death.
Armor Survivability
The build uses the Ascended Nocturn Heart, one of the best armor cores for toxic builds:
+85 Armor
+7.6% Hull Health
Restores 160 Hull Health per second
That last perk is crucial-the constant regeneration allows you to stay in the fight longer, even while under sustained fire. The reduced damage from poisoned enemies synergizes perfectly with this healing, turning your ship into a durable plague tank.
Furniture Support Modules
Your furniture setup is the hidden backbone of this build-boosting poison output, reload speed, and torpedo performance.
Siphon Furnace
If the target is poisoned, +10% toxic weapon damage
+12% projectile speed
+10% max range
Perfect synergy with Plaguebringer-more range and speed means more poison uptime and faster detonations.Ramrod Workshop
-7% reload time for broadside weapons
+7% secondary damage for broadsides
Useful for speeding up your main battery cycles and adding small bursts between torpedo volleys.
Tuning Station I
+20% torpedo secondary damage
+13% torpedo projectile speed
Restores 10% crew stamina per second while out of combat
This module turns your torpedoes into true death machines-faster, harder-hitting, and easier to maintain between engagements.
Torpedo Works I
+19% torpedo secondary damage
Stacks multiplicatively with the Tuning Station, giving this build some of the highest torpedo burst damage in the game.
Blightbringer Ward
-7% reload time for toxic weapons
+4% toxic weapon damage
Small but vital efficiency buffs to keep the pressure constant.
Maintained Arsenal I
+13% damage from auxiliary weapons
Your Spirit Beacon gets stronger, ensuring no enemy can escape your toxin barrage.
Performance Handling
The Sloop of War remains one of the fastest and most agile combat vessels in Skull and Bones. Even fully outfitted, it maintains an impressive 17 knots under full sails, giving you the flexibility to dictate engagement range or chase down weakened enemies.
The handling allows for tight turns-perfect for weaving in and out of combat zones while laying poison clouds or torpedo lines. This mobility, combined with the Plaguebringer's passive damage reduction and regeneration, makes it feel nearly untouchable in the hands of an aggressive captain.
Combat Strategy
To make the most of this setup, timing and aggression are key. Here's a quick breakdown of how to pilot it effectively:
1.Open with the Blightbringer Launcher-fire from range to apply gaseous stacks and start the poison ticking.
2.Follow up with Daka Torpedoes-once poison is active, every torpedo hit amplifies the effect, boosting both duration and damage.
3.Deploy the Spirit Beacon-use it to trap fleeing or kiting enemies; the slow and armor reduction makes finishing them off effortless.
4.Chain Explosions-once multiple enemies are poisoned, their deaths and explosions can chain across an entire fleet, clearing waves in seconds.
5.Keep moving-your armor will heal you constantly, but positioning keeps you out of trouble while your toxins do the work.
The poison detonation mechanic is especially potent in fleet battles. Hitting a single target can trigger area damage that spreads contagion across multiple enemies-turning the tide of large-scale fights.
Final Thoughts
This Plaguebringer Sloop of War isn't just stylish-it's lethal. Between stacking poison damage, self-sustain, and rapid-fire torpedo barrages, it's easily one of the most fun and effective DPS builds in Skull and Bones right now.
Pros:
Insane poison uptime and explosion potential
High mobility for a torpedo-based ship
Constant healing and strong defense versus poisoned targets
Flexible furniture customization options
Cons:
Relies on poison uptime-less effective against immune targets
Lower burst versus armored ships without poison active Buy Skull and Bones Silver
Requires good positioning and aim for long-range torpedo bonuses
Still, once mastered, this Sloop dominates any sea lane it sails. Whether you're clearing convoys, hunting player fleets, or spreading death across the open ocean, the Plaguebringer is as toxic as it gets-in the best possible way.
