If you're looking for a ship build that turns sustained pressure into overwhelming destruction, this Sloop of War DPS build is one of the most efficient and brutal setups currently available in Skull and Bones. Built around poison stacking, toxic explosions, and flooding damage scaling Skull and Bones Items, this configuration excels at melting enemy ships without relying on reckless ramming or risky close-quarters tactics.
Instead, this build thrives on consistent hits, status effect synergy, and mathematical inevitability. Once an enemy ship is poisoned, every second of combat tilts further in your favor. Damage increases, duration extends, explosions trigger, and incoming damage is reduced-all while flooding damage ramps up based on projectile speed bonuses that most players overlook.
This is not a flashy glass cannon. It's a methodical executioner, and once opponents dip below 25% hull, the fight is already over.
Core Identity: Plaguebringer Sloop of War
At the heart of this build is the Sloop of War, configured as a dedicated DPS platform using the Plaguebringer playstyle. The entire concept revolves around keeping enemies permanently under the poison status effect, then exploiting every bonus tied to it.
When attacking a poisoned enemy ship, Plaguebringer provides:
+6% poison damage per consecutive hit, stacking up to 30%
+20% poison duration per hit, stacking up to 100%
Each weapon hit has a chance to trigger a 300-meter toxic explosion, dealing 1,000 toxic damage
+20% toxic weapon damage
+150% poison charge rate
Spite effect: poisoned enemies deal 50 toxic damage per second to nearby targets within 300 meters for 10 seconds
30% reduced damage received from poisoned targets for 10 seconds after applying poison
In practical terms, this means that once poison is applied, you:
Take less damage
Deal more damage
Extend poison duration indefinitely
Trigger chain explosions
Punish grouped enemies passively
The longer the fight lasts, the worse it gets for your opponent.
Weapon Loadout: Long Gun V Dominance
This build runs Long Gun V cannons on all four sides, creating consistent pressure regardless of orientation. Long guns are ideal here because they benefit heavily from projectile speed, range bonuses, and status effect synergies.
Bow (Front) Long Gun V
Damage: 4,910
Perks: Noxious, Swift, Siege, Overflow
This weapon serves as your opener, quickly applying poison and setting the tempo. Swift helps maintain pressure, while Siege improves structure damage for PvE engagements.
Port (Left) Long Gun V
Damage: 4,877
Perks: Swift, Noxious, Amplified, Flooding, Overflow
This cannon introduces flooding into the build, which becomes critical once furniture bonuses come into play. Amplified improves consistency, while Flooding sets up devastating damage scaling later.
Starboard (Right) Long Gun V-The Star of the Show
Damage: 4,847
Perks: Noxious, Rupturing, Death Blow, Deadly Strike
This is your execution weapon, especially effective against smaller ships and weakened targets. The Death Blow + Deadly Strike combination ensures that once an enemy dips below critical hull thresholds, they simply disappear.
Stern (Rear) Long Gun V
Damage: 5,061
Perks: Noxious, Rupturing, Siege, Deadly Strike
The stern cannon allows you to punish pursuers while retreating or repositioning. Deadly Strike again reinforces the lethal endgame once targets fall below 25% hull.
Auxiliary Weapon and Armor
Auxiliary: Little Grace III
Perks: Service, Restorative, Empower
This auxiliary provides self-sustain and survivability, compensating for the Sloop of War's naturally low hull health. It allows you to stay in prolonged fights where poison stacking shines.
Armor: Nocturne Heart
Perks: Stout Maintenance, Maintenance
The Nocturne Heart synergizes perfectly with this build by:
Providing additional hull health
Offering consistent self-healing
Enhancing durability during extended engagements
Since the Sloop of War has limited base survivability, this armor ensures you don't crumble before poison and flooding can do their work.
Furniture Setup: Where the Build Truly Breaks the Game
This build lives and dies by furniture synergy, specifically stacking projectile speed to unlock absurd flooding damage bonuses.
Major Furniture: Siphon Furnace
If the target is poisoned:
+10% toxic weapon damage
+12% projectile speed for toxic weapons
+10% maximum range for toxic weapons
That 12% projectile speed may not look impressive-until you realize what it feeds into later.
Long Gun Works I
+19% secondary damage for long guns
Straightforward but essential for boosting overall DPS.
Long Gun Grinder I
+15% projectile speed for long guns
Combined with the Siphon Furnace, you're now at 27% projectile speed.Ammo Priming Bench
(Available from Blackwood's weekly rotation)
+4% siege weapon damage
+7% repair effectiveness
+10% projectile speed for siege and repair weapons
That brings total projectile speed bonuses to 37%.
Caustic Ball Station
This is where everything snaps into place.
Flooding damage from over 200 meters away is increased by 13% for 10 seconds
For every 1% projectile speed bonus, flooding damage increases by 1%
With 37% projectile speed, that's +37% flooding damage
+10% damage to flooded enemy ships
This single piece of furniture converts projectile speed into raw damage in a way few builds can replicate.
Expanding Corkscrew Station
+12% secondary damage for flooding weapons
+8% maximum range for flooding weapons
This final piece amplifies everything flooding-related, pushing damage even higher and letting you apply it safely from distance.
Combat Performance: When the Math Takes Over
In live combat, the numbers speak for themselves. Opening salvos regularly hit for 6,900+ damage, quickly escalating to 7,300+ once poison and flooding stacks are active. Even lower hits still land in the 5,600+ range, which is devastating given the frequency and consistency of fire.
The key is discipline:
You don't chase recklessly
You maintain optimal distance
You let poison and flooding do the work
Once an enemy drops below 25% hull, Death Blow and Deadly Strike trigger relentlessly. There's no dramatic ram, no last-second heroics-just a quiet moment where the cannons stop, and the enemy ship sinks.
The crew may be yelling orders, pumping water, and scrambling below deck-but the perks don't care, and the math never lies.
Final Verdict: A DPS Monster Built on Inevitability
This Sloop of War Plaguebringer DPS build is one of the most oppressive sustained-damage setups in Skull and Bones. It rewards patience, positioning, and understanding of hidden mechanics like projectile speed scaling.
You gain: Skull and Bones Items for sale
Massive poison uptime
Explosive toxic procs
Ridiculous flooding damage scaling
Reduced incoming damage
Reliable execution under 25% hull
You can run, you can turn, you can try to survive-but once poison sticks and flooding ramps up, the outcome is already decided.
