Sea of Thieves – Ashen Winds Update Guide

Sea of Thieves recently received the Ashen Winds update and it brings in new dangers to the game. Captain Flameheart unleashed his legion of Ashen lords to the Sea of Thieves. It’s going to take more than a few shots of the blunderbuss to defeat the new Lords so here is a guide to take on Captain Flameheart’s Ashen Lords. PreparationBefore sailing into the storm, pirate crews should stock up on plenty of food and cannonballs. Food and cannonballs should be top priority; the Ashen Lords will deal a lot of damage to players. If players run out of food from the barrels on the island on which they’re fighting, they’ll surely meet the ghost ship. Additionally, cannonballs should be carried not for the Lord himself, but the other crews who are after them. Other ships will likely head to the Ashen Winds to get the loot for themselves. If  a gamer’s crew encounters another ship on the island on which a fight is happening, they’ll have to shoot it down. The Lords and Their Abilities There are four Ashen Lords players can fight: Captain Grimm, Red Ruth, Old Horatio, and Warden Chi. They all fight similarly and share the same abilities. The Lords are all bigger than any skeletons players have faced so far and their attacks reflect this. In the first phase of the fight, they have basic melee attacks to engage players from the front. They can also leap far at a player they’re facing. Pirates should strafe around the Lords when they do this. Ranged attacks include fire rocks, which they throw, dealing a small amount of damage. Fire Boulders can also be thrown by the skeletons, which not only deal more damage than the small fire rocks, but set players on fire if they’re within the boulder’s impact area. Additionally, these hulking skeletons can throw rocks and boulders at ships, so someone should always be onboard in case it gets damaged. Lords can also breathe fire in front of them, making them vulnerable to a careful sword lunge or gunshots to the back. There are two more tricks they have which makes fighting these bosses annoying. They can summon their skeleton crew frequently even if players defeat them all. They’re never going to be harder to kill than two or three hits, but they can be overwhelming. The lords can create an ash cloud in the nearby area, making it so players can barely see what’s in front of them. Players can walk outside of it, but the Ashen Lord is likely hidden inside the smokescreen. After stage two of the fight, the Lord will pound the ground, sending players flying away. This attack is easy to predict since the Lords will always announce the attack while preparing the knockback. The third stage introduces players to the World’s End, where the Lords summon volcanic rocks from the sky while erupting geysers and breathing fire. The rocks cover a wide range of the battlefield and the surrounding waters will harm players as they’re boiling. How to Find and Defeat Them Ashen winds can be found by looking at the sky and seeing if the whirlwind of ash is floating around. That’s where the Ashen Lord is waiting for crews to come and hunt him down. One player should stay on the ship while the rest of the crew engages the Ashen Lord to speed up the fight and protect the ship. When players find the skeleton, they should get ready for a battle. There will always be an ammo crate on the battlefield near the boss, which is perfect for the blunderbuss or sniping. Players will also notice the heart of the Ashen Lords shines brightly in their chest and that’s their weak point. While melee strikes from the front will definitely work the best, players can easily keep it safe and aim for the Lord’s heart when they’re vulnerable. The first phase is easy, as the boss is less aggressive during this time. So, don’t be afraid to surround the Lord and take turns stabbing and shooting him. He will also summon his crew and emit an ash cloud, which can sometimes happen simultaneously. If pirates don’t want to deal with the ash, they can run outside of its range and take shots at the captain since their weak point is still visible. Players should also listen for the quotes the Lord says before his summon and ash cloud attacks. The boss will always say something before these abilities. If players deal enough damage to the Lord, they will become weakened, making them vulnerable to several sword slashes and even a stab to their hearts! After Lords wake up from the weakened state, stage two commences, where they gain the knockback ability. The lords tend to say a quote before using the knockback; so, run away when the animation starts. The boss will summon their crew more frequently while also using the ash cloud ability more often. Players need to clean up the skeletons while attacking the Lord. The Third phase is where the boss will use the World’s End, which will deal a lot of damage if players aren’t careful of their surroundings. Players should attempt to dodge the rocks when this happens. Brave Pirates who have a lot of health can deal damage to the Ashen Lord during the World’s End since they’re immobile during this attack.While the World’s End is the Lord’s most powerful attack, players shouldn’t forget about the ash cloud or the crew the Lords summon. If players keep up the fight while taking minimal damage, they should have plenty of ammo and health to succeed. Rewards and Commendations Once defeated, the Ashen Lord will drop an Ashen Winds skull, which not only sells for around 5,000 gold, it also acts as a flamethrower. Players shouldn’t use the flamethrower too much as it lowers the price of the skull. Lords will also drop ashen loot, which serves as an added bonus to victory. Players can unlock new cosmetics after completing the new set of commendations. Defeating each Ashen Lord five times will grant them a commendation along with a new tattoo. The commendations are Hunter of Captain Grimm, Hunter of Red Ruth, Hunter of Old Horatio, and Hunter of Warden Chi. Crews will also gain the Sails of the Ashen Winds after getting the Hunter of the Ashen Winds commendation, which requires players to sell 25 Ashen Wind Skulls. Players should also have the Banisher of the Flame commendation after defeating 25 Ashen Lords. If gamers don’t use the Ashen Skull’s flamethrower, they can get the Skull of Fire commendation for selling a fully ignited Ashen Winds Skull. To get the last few commendations, however, they have to use the skull’s flames. To get the Ashen Bones commendation, pirates need to set fire to 20 skeletons with the Ashen Winds skull. The Captain of the Ashen Bones commendation requires gamers to set fire to 100 skeletons. Finally, to get the Warsmith of the Flame Commendation, they need to set fire to 10 Skeleton Ships. This can be done if players happen to get close to another skeleton ship.  That’s everything relevant in the Ashen Winds update; stay tuned for the next Sea of Thieves guide.