The open seas of Sea of Conquest: Pirate War are populated by a variety of non-player character (NPC) ships that offer different rewards, risks, and strategic opportunities. The primary NPC ship types include Armed Freighters, Merchant Ships, Smuggler Ships, and Leader Ships (patrols). Each ship type has distinct characteristics regarding spawn location, difficulty level, loot, and consequences for attacking it.

Engaging NPC ships increases the player's Adventurer Level and provides materials for shipbuilding. However, plundering merchant and smuggler vessels carries the risk of accumulating Infamy, which can result in significant penalties.

Armed Freighters are the most common NPC ships and the primary source of XP Books and class-specific ship wood. Players can manually select the desired level and spawn this ship type directly from the game interface. Each attack costs 60 stamina regardless of the freighter's level. Higher-level freighters yield more valuable loot and more Adventure EXP.

Using the magnifying glass icon in the bottom-left corner of the screen automatically locates the nearest Armed Freighter or other NPC ship, greatly streamlining the daily hunting routine.

Merchant Ships roam freely across the sea map and are not confined to fixed routes, though white dotted lines near ports suggest typical trade paths. Unlike Freighters, their level cannot be manually chosen. They are a good source of cooking and brewing items needed for rare recipes. Attacking these ships significantly raises the attacker's Infamy.

Smuggler Ships carry the same goods available at the Black Market. Attacking a Smuggler Ship is an effective way to quickly obtain additional gold and rare goods. As with Merchant Ships, however, the attacker's Infamy increases substantially. Smuggler Ships travel along trade routes near ports that have active Black Markets.

Leader Ships spawn randomly in areas where several Freighters have been sunk. They are slightly stronger than regular Freighters but offer a significantly better stamina-to-loot ratio: one Leader Ship yields roughly the same loot and Adventure EXP as five Freighters of the same level — at 300 stamina cost compared to 5 × 60 = 300. Players should prioritize Leader Ships whenever they plan to sink multiple Freighters in a session.

At high Infamy, the player becomes a free target for other captains, regardless of existing alliances or truces.

For efficient NPC hunting, equip your fleet for maximum attack power and cargo capacity. Since Merchant Ships and Smugglers roam the map, high sailing speed is also advantageous. Coordinating with gang members allows you to engage higher-level ships that would be impossible to defeat alone.

• Tip: Focus your daily stamina budget on Armed Freighters — always select the highest level your fleet can handle to maximize EXP and loot gains.
• Tip: Only attack Merchant Ships and Smugglers when your Infamy level has enough headroom — track your Infamy via the Red Skull icon in the action bar.
• Tip: Use the magnifying glass icon in the lower-left corner to automatically locate the nearest Freighter or NPC ship, rather than manually searching the map.
• Tip: If a Leader Ship spawns in an area where you have been hunting Freighters, prioritize it — the loot-per-stamina ratio is identical but the time investment is lower.
• Tip: Organize group hunting expeditions with your gang to sink higher-level NPC ships and obtain significantly better loot.
• Tip: Always check your cargo capacity before carrying Smuggler goods — losing your ship on the return journey means losing the entire haul.

• Fat Wallet Refugee – Sea of Conquest Game Guide (retrieved: 2026-03-06)
• AppGamer – How to Trade and Smuggle (retrieved: 2026-03-06)
• Talk Android – How to Smuggle Goods (retrieved: 2026-03-06)
• Pocket Gamer – Sea of Conquest Starter Guide (retrieved: 2026-03-06)
• Talk Android – All Ports and Goods (retrieved: 2026-03-06)

Ships

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