Gold makes the world go round in Sea of Thieves. It buys you cosmetics, unlocks upgrades, pays for voyages, and flexes your progress. Sailing around for hours only to end up with a handful of loot and a sunk ship isn’t exactly efficient. If you’re tired of wasting time chasing scraps, it’s time to start farming smart. In this guide, we’ll break down five of the best, most repeatable ways to stack gold fast. Keep reading to find real numbers, real tips, and tricks to avoid the usual headaches. Whether you’re solo or rolling with a duo, these methods are built for speed, safety, and maximum gold per hour.
The Elephant in the Room: Buying vs. Grinding
There are plenty of ways to make gold in Sea of Thieves. Most players grind it out by doing voyages, selling loot, and winning fights. Others skip the slow part and just grab some Sea of Thieves buy gold deals from outside platforms so they can focus on the fun stuff instead of the grind. But if you’re reading this, odds are you’re trying to stack that gold the old-fashioned way. Just know it’s not always smooth sailing. Let’s talk about five methods that work and won’t make you rage-quit.
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1. Sea Fort Runs: Easy Loot with Minimal Drama
Sea Forts are one of the most consistent ways to farm gold without chasing down maps or dealing with toxic PvPers. They’re mini-dungeons filled with ghost skeletons and a boss that drops a vault key — and that’s where the gold lives.
How to do it:
- Start at Plunder Fort or near Ancient Spire Outpost.
- Raise a Reaper’s Emissary flag before heading out. This gives you a major gold boost.
- Clear the waves fast using throwing knives and your sword. Drop kegs near the boss for a quick kill.
- Grab everything in the vault, stash it on your ship, and rotate to the next nearby fort like Old Brinestone.
- Loop it. With two forts on rotation, you don’t need to wait long for respawns. Just jump between them like clockwork.
Gold per hour: Solo or duo can rake in 200,000–250,000 with Emissary bonuses. And you’ll barely break a sweat.
2. Skeleton Camps: Season 13’s Hidden Jackpot
If you have played since Season 13, you’ve seen the Skeleton Camps pop up. They are loaded with high-value loot, including orbs of secrets that sell for major gold.
How to speedrun it:
- Get your Emissary Rank up to 5. This activates the real gold multipliers.
- Use the Tall Tale “The Cursed Rogue” to start near Plunder Outpost, which sits close to one of these camps.
- Smash through the constellation puzzle, blow up the boss with kegs, and grab the orb.
- Sell it right there at Plunder. Then jump servers and do it all again.
This method is prime for solo players, and thanks to the server-hopping trick, you avoid waiting for respawns or running into sweaty crews.
Gold per hour: Around 300,000 if you’re moving fast and not wasting time.
3. Merchant Alliance Animal Runs: Low Risk, Decent Reward
It might not sound glamorous, but hauling animals for the Merchant Alliance is one of the least risky ways to build steady gold. This is especially true if you like chill farming without PvP stress.
How to do it right:
- Use seaofthieves.rarethief.com or similar tools to find the spawn points for pigs, chickens, and snakes.
- Load ‘em up using a Storage Crate for smoother handling.
- Deliver to the nearest outpost. Repeat. You won’t hit the same highs as forts or camps, but you also won’t get jumped by Reapers every five minutes.
Gold per hour: About 1000 per golden animal, plus voyage multipliers.
This method is great for beginners, casual players, or when you just want a gold farming day without drama.
4. Gold Hoarder Vault Voyages: Classic, Reliable, Underused
Gold Hoarder vaults are not as flashy as Season 13 content, but they still pay well if you know how to run them smart.
How to farm it:
- Buy Vault Voyages from Gold Hoarders or at Reaper’s Hideout.
- Dig up keys quickly. Stack multiple for the same vault to save time.
- Yeet yourself from the cannon for a quick scout. It is faster than climbing the mast and way more fun. You’ll spot campers before they spot you.
- Bust that vault wide open, scoop up every shiny thing you can carry, and dip. No time for sightseeing.
Vault loot is not that tempting for PvP-focused crews, so the risk is much lower than Reaper loot runs.
Gold per hour: Moderate, but very stable.
5. Pro Tips for Staying Fast and Alive
- Always raise an Emissary flag for the faction you’re selling to. That 50%+ bonus adds up fast.
- Throwing knives are your MVP for consistent damage and quick skeleton clears.
- Server hop using Tall Tale portals to avoid long respawn timers or sweaty servers.
- Bring a Storage Crate every time. Seriously. Inventory juggling wastes more time than you think.
- Don’t overextend. Keep routes tight between forts, camps, and outposts. The less time sailing, the more time stacking loot.
Mix and match methods based on how you feel. Feeling aggressive? Hit Sea Forts. Want it easy? Run animals. Need fast returns? Skeleton Camps all day.
Gold Farming That Works
Gold is the heartbeat of Sea of Thieves. Now you have five solid ways to earn it fast, without wasting time or sailing in circles. Pick the method that fits your vibe, stay sharp, and keep that treasure rolling in.
