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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: Best Ship Upgrades

Aaron Potter avatar
Guide by Aaron Potter Contributor
Additional contributions by Joel Franey
Published on

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is far from the first game in the franchise to feature naval combat in some form, but it's definitely back in force with this entry in the series. In this=guide we'll be walking you through everything you need to know about your very own boat in the game, including the ins and outs of combat on the high seas, as well as how to upgrade your ship as quickly and easily as possible.

On this page:

Best Ship Upgrades in Assassin's Creed Odyssey

You won't get a ship you can upgrade from the get-go in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. You'll only be able to leave the island of Kephallonia after you've dealt with the Cyclops and rescued Barnabas, who'll act as your captain for your voyages. From here, you'll be granted the most basic ship of them all, with arrow volleys, javelins, and fire braziers as your methods of attack.

Until you start unlock fast travel points across the world, Barnabus' ship is the only way to cross oceans. | Ubisoft

All Ship Upgrades Explained

But everything about your ship can be upgraded and improved. Just below, we'll list all the available upgrades that you can perform for your ship in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, as well as detailing their bonuses.

  • Arrow Volleys - Upgrade this attack to increase damage output and reload time.
  • Javelin Throws - Upgrade the Javelin Throws to perform successive attacks, and decrease reload time.
  • Fire Braziers - Unlocks fire arrows and fire javelins for your ship.
  • Arrows - Upgrade basic arrows to increase damage, and increase the chance of a weak point creation on the opposing ship.
  • Ram - Increase the Ram level to boost damage, and increase weak point creation.
  • Javelins - Upgrade for stronger Javelins with higher damage, and further weak point creation.
  • Hull - Upgrade the Hull of your ship to increase ship health and armor, as well as increase the number of Lieutenants you can assign to your ship.
  • Rower Stamina - This level boosts your base Rower Stamina, while also boosting the rate at which Rower Stamina refills.
  • Crew Armor - Increasing the Crew Armor reduces bracing damage reduction, while also decreasing fire damage taken.

You should get all ship upgrades over time, but some are better than others. | Ubisoft

If you're cutting through Assassin's Creed Odyssey, we've got everything you'd ever need at our Walkthrough here. Whether it's combat, stealth or finding the best items, we can provide.

Keep in mind that the Ship Cosmetics category, which can be found in the bottom right corner of the screen, has no bearing on the statistics of your ship. No matter which figurehead or crew you equip, it won't change your ship's stats.

Cover image for YouTube videoAssassin's Creed Odyssey's Pure Sense of Fun Makes it Perfect for Current Times
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What Ship Upgrade Should I Get First?

As for which ship upgrade in Assassin's Creed Odyssey is best, we'd recommend prioritizing the hull first. Not only does it increase your ship's health, it'll increase the amount of lieutenants you can have active on board, adding additional bonuses and effects.

Before sailing on, why not see what other AC: Odyssey content we've got here at USG? Mike's review of the game can be found here, or check out what we have to say on the game in this episode of Axe of the Blood God.