Sea of Thieves released its latest update dubbed Ashen Winds. This one introduces a new threat in the form of Ashen Lords and, of course, includes corresponding rewards for taking them down. As an update, it also offers new accessibility options along with gameplay improvements.
New Threats
Who are the Ashen Lords? These are four new cursed Skeleton Captains who's arrival is marked by a fiery tornado. Their attacks include knockbacks, lunges, breathing fire, and even hurling flaming rocks. They also have what is known as “Roar of the Devil,” which you’ll know when you see it. Once defeated, geysers then erupt and unearth treasures.
One reward is the Ashen Winds Skull. This can serve as a trophy while also functioning as a weapon. Players can use it like a flamethrower, setting fire to rivals, skeletons, and even ships. There are also Ashen Winds Commendations. These give players new titles, the Ashen Winds Skull Sail, and a range of Ashen tattoos.
Additionally, there are Ashen Winds Achievements for both Xbox and Steam. These can be unlocked by progressing through new in-game Commendations. There is a total of 40 gamerscore available for players to earn which include the achievements:
- Hunter of Captain Grimm
- Hunter of Red Ruth
- Hunter of Old Horatio
- Hunter of Warden Chi
Gameplay Improvements
As mentioned, there are going to be new gameplay improvements added to Sea of Thieves. One main change is in Dealing Damage through the Environment. With the update, all melee and ranged weapons are now prevented from dealing damage through the solid surfaces of the ship. What this means for players is that they can now hide behind the mast for cover, a good option especially during a ranged weapon face-off. There’s no doubt this is going to offer new strategies.
Still on this matter, shots from ranged weapons can still pass through ship railings, stairs, and deck grates. This should allow for more tactical opportunities when engaging rivals on different levels of the ship.
Other changes include:
- Inactive Ships in The Arena
- If a rival crew leave an active contest, their ship now begins to sink instantly.
- This prevents any further silver gain from damaging it.
- World Event Encounters
- The frequency of Ashen Lord encounters is increased for the duration of the Ashen Winds update.
- Skeleton Ship Restocking
- Defeating a Skeleton Ship now reward players with a storage crate containing food, wood and cannonballs.
- Skeleton Fort Waves
- New waves of skeletons appear much more quickly after the horn is sounded.
You can go through all changes that arrived with Patch 2.0.17 here.
