The Dark Brethren have launched a full-scale assault on Captain Flameheart’s Skeleton Forts, sending their spectral army to plunder the vast treasures held within their Vaults. To protect his riches, Flameheart has transformed his strongholds into Reaper Fortresses, reinforcing them with deadly traps, additional firepower, and his most formidable warriors.
To claim the riches locked inside a Reaper Fortress, you must battle through waves of Flameheart’s fiercest defenders, drive back the Dark Brethren’s ghostly forces, and fight off any rival crew that challenges you for victory.
What is the Reaper Fortress World Event?
A Reaper Fortress is a wave-based World Event available to all pirates sailing the High and Safer Seas. During the World Event, you will fight multiple waves of elite enemies at a fortified Skeleton Fort. Defeating the Skeleton Lord on the final wave will reward you with a Stronghold Key you can use to open the fort’s Vault.
Unlike Skeleton Fort World Events, where you only encounter Skeletons during the battle, a Reaper Fortress World Event also includes waves of Phantoms and Ghost Ships for you to defeat.
How to identify a Reaper Fortress
You can easily identify an active Reaper Fortress World Event by scanning the horizon for a dark gray cloud in the shape of a skull wearing a hat. The skull will also have glowing red eyes.
A Raid on a Reaper Fortress
If you are Reputation Level 40 with Athena’s Fortune, you can dive to an on-demand Reaper Fortress through your Quest Table. You’ll find the Raid Voyage under Athena’s Fortune Legendary Raids.
While the mechanics of the Raid Voyage are similar to an emergent Reaper Fortress World Event, the treasure inside the Vault will be exclusively Athena’s Fortune treasure, just like other Athena’s Fortune Voyages.
Where can a Reaper Fortress appear?
A Reaper Fortress World Event can take place at any one of the Skeleton Forts found in the Sea of Thieves, except Molten Sands Fortress and the Fort of the Damned.
Fire Traps
Each reinforced Reaper Fortress has fiery traps that you can use to dispatch Skeletons, Phantoms, or rival crews with fire. The traps have a 60-second cooldown, so you’ll want to use them wisely! As the traps are permanent fixtures to the forts, you can also use them during Skeleton Fort and Fort of Fortune World Events.
How to complete a Reaper Fortress World Event
Similar to the Skeleton Fort World Event, you will need to conquer waves of enemies, 15 to be exact, and open the Vault to complete a Reaper Fortress. The Skeletons you’ll fight during the Reaper Fortress are much stronger and more deadly than the Skeletons you would fight at a Skeleton Fort World Event. You can expect to encounter Shadow, Obsidian, and Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons throughout the waves of enemies.
Similar to most other World Events, the difficulty of a Reaper Fortress scales to the number of pirates and crews present. While the number of Ghost Ships will always remain the same, you can expect the number of Skeletons and the health of the Skeleton Lord to increase as more pirates participate.
Wave 1
The first wave introduces the full scope of the World Event with Skeletons, Phantoms, and Ghost Ships attacking you and each other. Expect a barrage of cannon fire from both the Skeleton Fort and the Ghost Ships during your approach. Get close enough to the fort to prevent the Skeletons from shooting cannonballs at you while ensuring you still have an angle to take out the patrolling Ghost Ships.
To progress through the waves of the World Event, you must defeat all the Skeletons and Phantoms in each wave. As the Skeletons fight for Captain Flameheart and the Phantoms are loyal to the Dark Brethren, they will fight each other, helping you clear the waves.
While you won’t need to scuttle the Ghost Ships to progress a wave, you should still focus on taking them out. The Ghost Ships can quickly sink your ship, leaving you stranded on the fort.
Ghost Ships
Destroying the Ghost Ships not only prevents your ship from sinking, but it will also reward you with resources. One of the three Ghost Ships will drop Storage Crates of the Damned filled with Cannonballs, Wooden Planks, and food upon defeat. You even have a chance of finding a Cannonball Crate of the Damned filled with Wraith, Phantom, and Fire Phantom Cannonballs!
Defeating 15 Ghost Ships will also complete the Breaker of the Brethren Commendation, which unlocks a Trinket for your ship.
Wave 2
Once you clear the first wave, Wave 2 will begin with another round of Skeletons and Phantoms. No need to worry about more Ghost Ships for now. However, they will return for another round in later waves.
Waves 3, 4, 5, and 6
The following four waves, waves three through six, will pit you against some of the toughest Skeleton variants, including Shadow, Obsidian, and Order of Bone and Blade Skeletons. Clear each wave of Skeletons to progress to the next one. As soon as you complete the sixth wave, you will want to run back to your ship or the closest sea-facing cannon, as more Ghost Ships will appear for another attack.
Waves 7 and 8
The seventh and eighth wave mirrors the first two waves with Skeletons, Phantoms, and Ghost Ships. However, the eighth wave does include an additional Master of Arms.
The Master of Arms is a Skeleton Captain with more health and a nameplate above its head. More importantly, defeating a Master of Arms will reward you with a unique skull, the Skull of Arms, that you can use to open the Weapon Cache on the Skeleton Fort.
Weapon Cache
The Weapon Cache is a locked chamber on the Skeleton Fort. Its sealed door has a circular lock similar to the one on the Vault door. A lifeless and headless Skeleton will also be nearby. Inside each Weapon Cache are a variety of resources and tools to help you complete the World Event.
To open a Weapon Cache, put the Skull of Arms you acquired from the Master of Arms on the headless Skeleton. Placing the skull on the Skeleton will lower the door to the Weapon Cache.
Opening the Weapon Cache will reward you with a guaranteed Black Powder Barrel and a Storage Crate filled with Cannonballs, Wooden Planks, and Food. You also have a chance of finding the following items:
- Firebomb Crate
- Storage Crate filled with more Cannonballs, Wooden Planks, and Food
- Storage Crate filled with Bone Callers, Firebombs, and Blunderbombs
- Cannonball Crate of the Damned
- Horn of Fair Winds
- Skull of Siren Sorrow
- Obsidian Ashen Winds Skull
If you are at an emergent Reaper Fortress, you can also find a Cannon of Rage and Trident of Dark Tides.
Each time you open a Weapon Cache, you will progress the Crasher of Caches Commendation. You can also use the tools inside the Weapon Cache, such as the Obsidian Ashen Winds Skull and Skull of Siren Sorrow, to complete the Phantom Flame and Skeletal Sorrow Commendations.
Once you’ve completed the Crasher of Caches Commendation, you will want to hold on to the Skull of Arms and sell it to complete a different Commendation, the Farewell to Arms Commendation. You can sell the Skull of Arms to the Smugglers’ League.
Wave 9
After you take out the wave with the Master of Arms, you’ll need to clear another wave of Skeletons and Phantoms during Wave 9 before moving on.
Waves 10, 11, and 12
The following three waves, waves 10 through 12, will have you fighting just Skeletons. However, instead of fighting one type of Skeleton at a time, you will be fighting a mix of different Skeletons per wave, some even holding Gunpowder Barrels. As soon as you clear Wave 12, head back to your ship for the impending arrival of more Ghost Ships.
Waves 13 and 14
Waves 13 and 14 are similar to the first and second waves, where you must contend with Skeletons, Phantoms, and Ghost Ships. However, there are also two additional Skeleton Captains for each wave. Wave 13 will throw two Order of Bone and Blade Skeleton Captains at you, while Wave 14 introduces an Ashen Guardian and Ashen Key Master.
Defeat the Skeletons, Skeleton Captains, and Phantoms to progress to the fifteenth and final wave.
Final Wave
After battling through the onslaught of enemies from both sides of the fight, you will finally face off against a mighty Skeleton Lord. You can use the tools you acquired from the Weapon Cache and the fort’s traps to help you dispatch the Skeleton Lord. Once you defeat the Skeleton Lord, it will drop a Stronghold Key for you to use to open the Vault.
Reaper Fortress Rewards
The treasure you can find inside the Vault of a Reaper Fortress is different depending on whether you are on the High Seas or Safer Seas. The treasure can also vary depending on whether the Reaper Fortress is an emergent World Event or one from a Raid Voyage.
For both the High and Safer Seas, you will find high-value Gold Hoarder, Merchant Alliance, Order of Souls, and Smugglers’ League treasures.
However, expect to find Reaper’s Bones treasure and Gifts only on the High Seas at an emergent Reaper Fortress. The treasures include a Reaper Warrior’s Urn and Casket of Battle Bones. If you are on Safer Seas, you will find Mermaid Gems and Treasure Chests instead of the Reaper’s Bones treasures. You also won’t find a Reaper’s Chest on Safer Seas.
Emergent Reaper Fortress Rewards
The Vault of an emergent Reaper Fortress World Event includes:
- Chest of Fortune (Rotating Chest of Fortune)
- 1 Black Powder Barrel
- 1 Classic Smuggler Painting
- 2 Crates of Floral Fate Rum
- 2 Crowns of Hope
- 1 King’s Chest
- 2 Stronghold Chests
- 1 Crate of Immaculate Diamonds
- 2 Crates of Ancient Bone Dust
- 3 Ashes of the Damned
- 1 Wrathful Kings Bounty Skull
- 1 Vicious Bounty Skull
- 2 Stronghold Skulls
- 3 of any combination of Feared Redmaw or Barnacled Dread Grisly Teeth or Scales
- 2 of any Megalodon, Feared Redmaw or Barnacled Dread Pristine Teeth or Scales, or Pristine Boar Tusks
- 2 Reaper Warrior’s Urns
- 2 Caskets of Battle Bones
- 2 Mermaid Gems
- 1 Collector’s Chest
- 4 Humble Gifts
- 2 Generous Gifts
- 1 Reaper Chest
Raid Voyage Reaper Fortress Rewards
The Vault of a Raid Voyage Reaper Fortress World Event includes:
- 1 Talisman of Magnificent Fortune
- 1 Skull of Athenas Blessing
- 2 Gilded Relics of Fortune
- 2 Crates of Legendary Voyages
- 1 Legendary Fortune Keeper
- 2 Chalices of Ancient Fortune
- 1 Artifact of Legendary Hunger
- 4 Gold Piles
- 1 Collector’s Chest
Mega Stash Rewards
If you take on a Reaper Fortress on the High Seas during Season 17 Act 3, you also have the chance of finding a Mega Stash inside the Vault. The Mega Stash adds a significant amount of high-value treasure to the loot pile.
You have a chance of finding a Mega Stash inside an emergent Reaper Fortress, and one you dove to through the Quest Table. However, the probability of encountering a Mega Stash is much higher at an emergent Reaper Fortress than at an on-demand one.
The Vault of any kind of Reaper Fortress World Event with Mega Stash treasure includes:
- 3 Chests of Fortune
- 1 Chest of Legends
- 3 King’s Chests
- 3 Chests of Tribute
- 3 Crates of Immaculate Diamonds
- 2 Scrolls of Undiscovered Waters
- 3 Wrathful King’s Bounty Skulls
- 2 All-Seeing Eye of Souls
- 1 Barnacled Dread Pristine Tooth
- 1 Feared Redmaw Pristine Tooth
- 2 Monstrous Kraken Eyes
- 5 Reaper Warrior’s Urns
- 5 Caskets of Battle Bones
- 5 Humble Gifts
- 5 Generous Gifts
- 1 Reaper Chest
- 3 Cannon’s of Rage
- 2 Collector’s Chest
Brethren’s Masquerade Ship Set
Completing a Reaper Fortress will progress the Wrecker of Reaper Fortresses Commendation. Each Grade you achieve for the Commendation will unlock a cosmetic from the Brethren’s Masquerade Ship Set. The ship set includes the Brethren’s Masquerade Hull, Sails, Flag, Cannons, Wheel, Capstan, and Figurehead.
Just like other Reaper Fortress Commendations, you can work on the Wrecker of Reaper Fortresses Commendation on the High or Safer Seas.
