February 2, 2025

Fastest Ways to Level Up Every Trading Company in Sea of Thieves

This guide provides the fastest methods to level up all Trading Companies in Sea of Thieves and reach Pirate Legend efficiently, with solo-friendly, non-PvP strategies.

Fastest Ways to Level Up Every Trading Company in Sea of Thieves cover

If you're looking to quickly level up every Trading Company in Sea of Thieves, this guide covers the best methods to maximize your reputation and reach Pirate Legend status as efficiently as possible. Whether you're a solo player or part of a crew, these strategies work across all factions without requiring PvP.

Understanding Trading Companies and Emissary Flags

Currently, Sea of Thieves features five primary Trading Companies:

  1. Gold Hoarders – Treasure chests and buried loot.
  2. Order of Souls – Skeleton skulls and bounty missions.
  3. Merchant Alliance – Cargo runs, lost shipments, and commodity crates.
  4. Reaper’s Bones – All loot types, PvP-oriented.
  5. Athena’s Fortune – Exclusive for Pirate Legends.

Each Trading Company has specific loot preferences and emissary flags, which grant increasing reputation multipliers the higher their grade. The key to fast leveling is hitting Emissary Grade 5 before turning in loot.

Sea of Thieves Gold Hoarders

Gold Hoarders: Treasure Hunts & Ghost Fleets

Best Method: World Events & Emissary Quest Stacking

  1. Fly the Gold Hoarders Emissary Flag (unlock at Level 25).
  2. Complete a Ghost Fleet event—the most efficient way to quickly reach Emissary Grade 4+.
  3. Finish with a nearby Sea Fort to push your flag to Grade 5.
  4. Claim the Grade 5 Emissary Voyage at an Outpost and collect high-value chests.
  5. Sell everything at once for maximum reputation and gold.
  6. Lower and re-raise your Emissary Flag to repeat the process.

Order of Souls: Skeleton Fleets & Ashen Lords

Best Method: Skeleton Fleets & Ashen Lords

  1. Raise the Order of Souls Emissary Flag and engage in a Skeleton Fleet event.
  2. Ensure you collect all loot—skeleton ship loot despawns if left too long.
  3. Follow up with an Ashen Lord event—a five-minute fight if you use throwing knives effectively.
  4. Sell all loot at once when reaching Grade 5, then collect the Emissary Quest for even more skulls.
  5. Repeat by finding another world event or stacking voyages.

Merchant Alliance: Lost Shipments & Cargo Runs

Best Method: Lost Shipment Voyages & Supply Crates

  1. Buy and use Storage Crates—purchasing supply crates levels up your Emissary Flag.
  2. Start an Ashen Lost Shipment Voyage—track the shipwreck using seagull clusters.
  3. Find the Captain’s Key at one of the clue locations (often overlooked but crucial).
  4. Unlock the special chest inside the shipwreck, granting massive reputation.
  5. Stack cargo runs while following Lost Shipment routes for additional XP.
  6. Sell all at once for maximum Grade 5 payout.
Reaper's Bones: PvE & PvP Options

Reaper’s Bones: PvE & PvP Options

PvE Method: Sea Forts & Constant Loot Turn-Ins

  1. Cycle between the two southern Sea Forts, as they quickly regenerate loot.
  2. Sell continuously to Reaper’s Hideout—this keeps the flag level climbing.

PvP Method: World Events & Hourglass Battles

  1. Fly the Reaper’s Flag and farm world events, prioritizing Fort of Fortune.
  2. Engage in Hourglass Battles—fastest rep gain for experienced PvP players.
  3. Win fights, sink ships, and cash in enemy loot at the Hideout.

Athena’s Fortune: The Pirate Legend Grind

Best Method: Legend of the Veil Voyages & Hourglass PvP

  1. Vote for Legend of the Veil at any Pirate Legend Hideout.
  2. Complete tornado fights and shipwreck hunts for high-tier Athena loot.
  3. Stack Athena loot before turning in at Grade 5 for max gains.
  4. If you enjoy PvP, Hourglass dives also provide massive Athena XP.

Bonus: Fort of the Damned – The Ultimate XP Boost

The Fort of the Damned remains the most overpowered way to level up any Trading Company. Since it spawns unlimited high-value loot, running it repeatedly with a guild can yield insane XP and gold gains.

Tips for Fort of the Damned Farming:

  • Stack Ritual Skulls to trigger the fort multiple times.
  • Use Guild Flags to double down on rewards.
  • Store explosive barrels in the center to instantly kill the boss.

Conclusion: The Best Way to Level Fast

By optimizing your Emissary Grades, stacking world events, and repeating efficient loops, you’ll reach Pirate Legend in record time. Whether you're avoiding PvP or embracing it, these time-efficient methods will get you to max level fast. If you are looking for a cheap Sea of Thieves Steam key, you can find the best deals in our price comparison.

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