All status effects in Skull and Bones explained

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games here

Skull and Bones has plenty of status effects that you can use to decimate enemy ships. For instance, you can set other pirates’ vessels ablaze or cause them to get flooded. These effects will then aid your conquest of the seas as you sink ship after ship. So what are all the status effects in Skull and Bones?

✓ Quick Answer

Every status effect in Skull and Bones

Skull and Bones has Ablaze, Explosive, Flooded, Piercing, and Torn Sails effects. Each of these will either cause additional damage to a ship or allow you to get the upper hand by slowing them down. Status effects are powerful tools that you should always use during battle.

Skull and Bones – All status effects, explained

There are multiple weapon types in Skull and Bones with each dealing a different kind of effects. The status effects and debuffs in the game are as follows:

StatusEffectWeapons with effect
AblazeAblaze catches a ship on fire and causes significant fire damage over time.
Can be left to fade over a period of time or repaired using a repair kit.
Zamazama, Fire Bombard, Fire Long Gun, Rocket, Termite, Sea Fire Kallinikos Flame, Blue Specter
ExplosiveExplosive damage type that causes an area of effect damage on impact.
Causes high damage in an area.
Bombard, Mons Meg, Fire Bombard, Dardanelles Gun, Shalei, Mortar, Leopold
FloodedCauses significant flooding damage and slows down ships.
Damages the ship over time and decreases the ship’s maximum hull health.
Damage from flooding is irreparable using repair kits.
Flooding Demi-Cannon, Torpedo, Rahma’s Ambition, Shalei, Rahma’s Legacy, Leopold
PiercingPiercing damage heavily affects weak points and penetrates Hull Armor.
The amount of damage dealt increases if a weak point is hit.
Ballista, Great Springald, Twin-winch Ballista, The Termites, Mons Meg, Long Gun, Scurlock’s Chasers, Fire Long Gun, Scurlock’s Long Nines, Basilisk
Torn SailsDeals medium damage, tearing the ship’s sails.
Tearing Culverin, Scurlock’s Chasers, Scurlock’s Long Nines, Great Springald
All Skull and Bones status effects

Depending on the loadout, your ship’s weapons can deal a lot of damage. While many weapons deal basic damage, as you increase your Infamy Rank, you will unlock weapons that deal dot damage through fire or flooding. This will enhance your overall DPS and make you even stronger.

Skull and Bones all status effects: Player talking to blacksmith showing off weapon with status effect
Almost every weapon in Skull and Bones has a status effect. Image captured by VideoGamer

You can also get furniture that increases a specific status effect. For instance, the Munitions Mixer increases both the flooded status effect and the ablaze status effect. This way the full effect of these debuffs can be felt and you can deal more damage over time. This can have a devastating effect on your enemies. More furniture can be used to enhance the torn sails status effect or even give you the ability to heal over time.

How to cure status effects in Skull and Bones

One of the many tricks you have in Skull and Bones is the ability to stop status effects once they are applied to your ship. Be sure to always pay attention to what effects are applied to your ship since they aren’t all easy to spot.

Once a status effect has been applied to your ship, you can use repair kits I, II, and III along with restoration kits to heal your ship. You can also rely on other ships with repair weapons to heal you. Using a restoration kit or repair kit will immediately heal your ship of status effects except for flooding.

Flooding is a special status effect that doesn’t just hurt your ship, it also lowers its overall Hull Health. This type of damage can only be repaired back at port or with special equipment such as furniture.

Skull and Bones all status effects: Ship furniture screen showing off healing furniture
Some furniture will heal status effects or help you inflict more damage. Image captured by VideoGamer

Furniture for healing status effects

The following furniture can be used to heal your ship more effectively. We recommend having at least one piece of furniture to aid with healing.

FurnitureEffect
Maintenance ForgeRestores severe damage per second while out of combat.
First Aid StationIncreases repair amount of repair weapons by 30% for ships with less than 33% hull health.
Joinery WorkshopIncreases repair amount from repair weapons
Rigging StationRecovers 1% Hull Health per second when Hull Health is less than 20%.
Scrapper StationRestores 8000 Hull Health after a Crew Attack.
Skull and Bones healing furniture items

Weapons that repair status effects

When it comes to a larger engagement, you may want to have an ally that can apply healing effects and temporary buffs using their ship. The Repair Bombard, Repair Long Gun, and Repair Mortar will all provide you and your allies with healing.

Skull and Bones status effects – FAQ

Are status effects strong in Skull and Bones?

Yes. Status effects are extremely strong and should always be used to deal with enemy ships.

What are the strongest status effects in Skull and Bones?

The best status effects are Flooding and Ablaze. Both of these deal damage over time which is very good when dealing with multiple foes.

About the Author

Aden Carter

Aden Carter is a guides writer for VideoGamer with a focus on action RPGs and adventure games. When he isn't busy writing, he is spinning tales with his friends at the local game shop.

Skull & Bones

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • Genre(s): Action