Sea of Thieves: Emissary Value Explained

Becoming an Emissary in Sea of Thieves is akin to first stepping foot on a ship- it's an exciting opportunity filled with boundless potential rewards, though equal in complexity and unknowns. Taking the plunge and committing is easy, but it can be hard to figure out what to do from there.

Fortunately, when boiled down to its basics, running loot for one of Sea of Thieves' Trading Companies is surprisingly simple. Here's a step-by-step guide to the Emissary process, and the potential rewards for taking the journey.

Becoming an Emissary

The first step for a player is pledging allegiance to one of the five Trading Companies that employ Emissaries. To do this, one must purchase an Emissary Flag, which costs 20,000 gold, from whichever company they choose to represent. Not every member of the crew on a ship has to have the flag purchased, so long as at least one does.

Each company has its own set of specific requirements for purchasing a flag. Here's a breakdown:

Gold Hoarders: Must be Rank 15 with the Gold Hoarders. Can be purchased from a Gold Hoarder Representative, which can be found at every Outpost.
Order of Souls: Must be Rank 15 with the Order of Souls. Can be purchased from an Order of Souls Representative, which can be found at every Outpost.
Merchant Alliance: Must be Rank 15 with the Merchant Alliance. Can be purchased from a Merchant Alliance Representative, which can be found at every Outpost.
Reaper's Bones: Offered to anyone that manages to reach The Reaper's Hideout.
Athena's Fortune: Offered by the Pirate Lord to anyone that has become a Pirate Legend.

A crew must then vote at an Emissary Table on whether or not to represent the Trading Company, similar to the process for voting on Voyages. Emissary Tables for the Gold Hoarders, the Order of Souls, the Merchant Alliance, and the Reaper's Bones can be found near every Outpost. The table for Athena's Fortune will always be next to the Mysterious Stranger in the Tavern.

If a crew votes to represent a Trading Company, then two flags will be raised on their ship- one on the back and a Pennant that flies above the Crow's Nest. The flags will remain until a crew chooses to lower them at a table, or until the ship is sunk.

Emissary Grades

Emissary Grades are a way to measure a crew's dedication to their chosen company. Each new Emissary Ship starts out at Grade I and can be increased all the way to Grade V by gaining Emissary Reputation. Players can check their Emissary Grade status by accessing the Reputation Tab in the Pirate Menu.

Here are different ways to gain Emissary Reputation.

Progress in company-related Voyages or Quests
Picking up, and placing, company related Treasure Items for the first time
Completing World Events
Sinking Emergent Skeleton Ships
Beating Megalodon and Kraken encounters
Defeating rivaling Emissary Player Pirates (i.e. sinking any other Emissary Ship)

Once a player reaches Grade V, special Emissary Quests will become available for every company except for The Reaper's Bones. Instead, the Reaper's Bones offer the special ability to give all other Emissary Ships the Reaper's Mark, making them identifiable on a Map Table.

Emissary Value

All of this leads to Emissary Value, perhaps the most enticing reason to become an Emissary. Emissary Value can only be gained by selling Company-specific treasures to a Company Representative while flying under the Emissary Flag of said company.

Emissary Value is used to increase a player's status in the Emissary Ledger, which is a leaderboard of sorts for each company. The Ledger is split into four tiers, from highest value to lowest. It resets each month, and players that are in the top two tiers at the end of each month will receive special Trading Company Sails cosmetics.

Each Company Treasure Item has a base value that can be increased as a crew upgrades its Emissary Grade.