Gold is everything for a pirate and this holds true in Rare's must-anticipated Xbox exclusive Sea of Thieves. In addition to having a grand old time sailing the high seas with friends, Sea of Thieves is built around its gold economy. Its progression system is solely focused on cosmetics meaning players use gold (very large amounts of it) to upgrade the look of their weapons, gear, costume, and even elements of their ship.

To fill one's bank account with doubloons, players earn gold by redeeming loot and acquiring said loot is where the fun comes in. Here's a guide to the different ways players can build up their gold stores in Sea of thieves, but more importantly, how to earn gold in the quickest and most effective ways.

Related: Our First Impressions of Sea of Thieves

The best way to earn gold quickly in Sea of Thieves is simply to raid and the game's version of that mission archetype comes in the form of Skeleton Forts. Players will know when these become available and where they are when seeing skull clouds form in the skies with glowing eyes.

Skeleton Forts Are The Best Place Earn Gold in Sea of Thieves

Skeleton Forts are the most challenging PvE scenario currently in Sea of Thieves and not just because there are 10 waves of skeletons to defeat before acquiring the Stronghold Key to open the treasure vault. Inside the Stronghold will be an assortment of chests, trinkets, skulls and valuable merchant goods to redeem at Outposts and the gold value of the collection can range between 10-19 thousand gold.

These events are open to everyone on a server though so expect company. Other players can and often will attempt to interfere, destroy your ship, or take your hard-earned wealth for themselves. Such is life as a pirate. Although there are some wonderful stories of players working together and sharing loot...

Don't Waste Time With Livestock in Sea of Thieves

In the early hours of playing it's hard not to be enamoured with the idea of capturing chickens and pigs (and later, snakes) and housing them on your ship, either as a mascot, or as an item to sell to merchant traders at an outpost. Don't.

The reward for selling even the most valuable chicken types (like the gold-feathered ones) is miniscule and only a tiny fraction of their actual value when on a voyage. So, unless your crew is tasked with acquiring livestock, don't waste time capturing and transporting animals. They have virtually no value.

Be A Pirate And Steal Some Gold

Sea of Thieves is a pirate game so embrace that reality. Other players will steal your loot, so steal theirs first. Another way - and certainly the most fun and dynamic - is to steal loot. There are a few key strategies to being effective at this, and while we won't detail combat strategies here, we will say that looking for opportune times to attack enemies can earn your crew bountiful rewards.

At outposts for instance, if there's another crew nearby, stay close to to the Order of Souls and Gold Hoarders merchants and have a blunderbuss ready. This is where other players will be redeeming valuable loot and when they're holding said loot, they cannot also have a weapon at the ready, nor can they sprint. This is an easy kill and since you're at the NPC already to redeem the loot, it's an instant redemption for your team.

Of course, there's the main way of completing voyages. Players can carry up to three voyages each so stock up with the faction voyages you're planning to level up in reputation, and to be effective in terms of gold earnings rate, complete all the ones you have and then redeem them all at once. Ultimately, the pace as which your crew earns is in how much risk you're willing to take on. The safest way is the slowest so be a real pirate and step up to the challenge!

Next: These Stories Are What Make Sea of Thieves So Special