Sea of Thieves guide: Who is the flaming head  and how to defeat the Ghost Fleet event?

Microsoft's Sea of Thieves has enjoyed a growing userbase since its 2018 debut. The open-world multiplayer action-adventure is one of the most popular games in the genre on Steam and Xbox consoles. It features countless hours of seafaring pirate adventures as players engage in quests to hunt for treasure and take down hostile opponents in both PvE and PvP.

This Sea of Thieves guide covers Flameheart and his Ghost Fleet event. Introduced a couple of years ago, this even pits players against a slew of spectral ships and the flame-headed captain of the fleet, Flameheart. In return, players will be awarded rare loot.

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Flameheart in Sea of Thieves: How to beat the Ghost Fleet

As part of the Haunted Shores update for Sea of Thieves, Flameheart was introduced as a World Event. He is an Ashen Skeleton Lord, as well as the main antagonist of the game. A large flaming skull indicates this world event in the sky that can be seen from a distance. His bright orange tone and brightly glowing eyes are hard to miss.

Note that the skull can disappear after a certain period if not engaged with. Other Sea of Thieves players may also join in (or worse, try to beat the player to it), so bear that in mind.

Once the player's ships are close enough, Flameheart summons waves for ghostly vessels that must be defeated to progress. With more than a handful of eerily-glowing green ships closing in, they must be dispatched quickly as the opponent has the upper hand in numbers.

The phantom fleet strikes with volleys of different cannonballs. These include Phantom Cannonballs, Flame Phantom Cannonballs, and Wraith Cannonballs. The former two are similar to normal cannonballs and firebombs, respectively.

However, the latter is a powerful attack that can damage the player ship's hull if care is not taken. Enemies can also drop mines in the water, so ensure to skirt around them to avoid taking damage. Thankfully, despite these annoyances, these enemy ships are not much of a hassle as they go down in a handful of hits.

These skirmishes wrap up with the appearance of the main flagship, the vessel known as the Burning Blade. It is visually distinct from the others due to a burning fire at the center. This one is also stronger than the standard flagships in Sea of Thieves, requiring almost two dozen hits to take down.

However, once the waters are clear, players can resort to plundering whatever is left of the downed vessels. Ghost ships drop Damned Loot and are marked by three spirits hovering over the water.

Ghost flagships drop more loot than normal vessels, especially the Burning Blade; these rewards include Skulls, Chests, and Ashes of the Damned. Flameheart's ship can also drop the Cannonball Crate of the Damned, which consists of various spectral cannonballs that the ghostly enemies use for the players' operations.

Defeating the Burning Blade 10 times unlocks the Burning Blade Sails as a reward while sinking 500 ghost ships collectively grants the Ghost Captain Sails use.

Sea of Thieves is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.