5. Order of Souls

The Order of Souls is an Emissary who mainly deals with the dead. Formed by seers and conjurers in the Sea of Thieves (according to lore), this trading company found a way to reclaim the memories of the dead and compensates players heavily when they turn in bounty skulls.

This emissary is by far THE BEST for anyone that prefers PvE. 

In the Order of Souls voyages, you will be expected to kill skeleton captains (and turn in their skulls) and fight ghost ships. 

Through the Order of Souls, you will be able to fight undead pirates and line your pockets in the process. 

One tip, though - If you’re doing an Order of Souls voyage, make sure you have plenty of time to spare - they usually take a while. 

What the Order of Souls Excels In: 

• Giving a varied gameplay experience. Voyages require you to travel across the map to complete certain objectives and stop at islands to fight skeletons.
• Making you cooperate with your crew. When fighting ghost ships, one wrong move can make your entire crew get sent to the ferry of the damned. These voyages make you cooperate with your crew.
• Teaching you what to do in PvP scenarios. Most Order of Souls lovers don’t enjoy PvP, but player combat is something that happens whether you like it or not. This trading company gives you the opportunity to fight ships and human-like enemies, preparing you for the inevitable PvP encounters you’ll have.
• Making you learn how to play Sea of Thieves by giving you practical experience. This emissary is my go-to recommendation for beginners, as it requires them to learn how to sail and fight, which are the basics for any good pirate.
• Lore-accurate gameplay. Most of the Sea of Thieves lore revolves around dead people, their treasures, or what they want to do to the present-day Sea of Thieves. The Order of Souls specializes in dead people - some tall tales even require you to visit Order of Souls tents to acquire important information!

Pick the Order of Souls if... 

• You enjoy PvE but HATE fighting other players (PvP). This trading company involves NO PvP and specializes in PvE
• You have a lot of time to spare. Voyages take a LONG time (1-2 hours if you’re by yourself)
• You love in-game combat. Every voyage involves either pirate combat or ship combat

4. Merchant Alliance

Ah, the merchant alliance. I’ve sunk countless hours into this emissary in an attempt to increase my reputation in order to reach Pirate Legend status. 

This trading company is like the Amazon of the Sea Of Thieves - it deals in trade goods and delivers products across the map.

You can sell any type of crate, gunpowder barrel, or mermaid gem to any Merchant Alliance representative on the dock of an outpost.

The main reason why people naturally gravitate towards this faction is because it’s extremely easy and quick. Unlike every other emissary in the Sea Of Thieves, you need no more than 10 minutes to complete a basic Merchant Alliance Quest. 

Personally, getting on the game and doing one merchant voyage in about 10 minutes has become part of my daily routine - It’s so straightforward that there’s no reason not to.

1. Get the Cargo Run voyage from the Merchant Alliance representative at the dock.

2. Accept the voyage.

3. Read the voyage instructions.

4. Get all the crates from the NPC written in the instructions.

5. Put the crates on the ship and sail to the island or outpost specified on the delivery instructions.

6. Deliver the crates to the NPC.

7. Make a base amount of 10-15 THOUSAND coins.

All in 10 minutes.

It’s a no-brainer.

What the Merchant Alliance Excels In: 

• Giving you a large amount of coin for very minuscule effort. One cargo run gives you great coin and is so simple that you could probably check through your email or do some work while you’re finishing the voyage.
• Allowing you to avoid ALL combat. This emissary is the ONLY emissary that requires zero combat whatsoever. It’s great for anyone that hates fighting. Also, if people notice that you’re a merchant emissary, they might leave you alone (it’s common etiquette to do so).
• Making sure you don’t spend too much time on the game. If you complete one cargo run and go back to the outpost where you bought the voyage, if you buy another one, it will tell you to pick up crates from an NPC on the other side of the map - immediately making you leave the game and start working on whatever else.
• Allowing you to be prepared for any voyage. The Merchant Alliance is very unique, as you can also buy cannon crates, food crates, or storage crates from their locations. These can be lifesavers for anyone trying to grab some supplies and get going.
• Getting you to Pirate Legend. Gaining reputation in the Merchant Alliance is extremely easy, so you’ll have no problem getting to Rep level 50!

Pick the Merchant Alliance if…

• You are usually low on time
• You’re speedrunning Pirate Legend
• You want quick coin.

3. Gold Hoarders

Ah, the good ol’ Gold Hoarders - everyone’s favourite starter emissary. I don’t doubt that every single person reading this who actually plays Sea Of Thieves started off their piracy with Gold Hoarders. It’s BY FAR THE BEST emissary to start.

The Gold Hoarders are a greedy bunch - their only goal is to, well… hoard gold. They accept treasure chests, artifacts, mermaid gems, and more for gold.  Created by Rathbone - the former friend of the Pirate Lord, this emissary has deep and rich lore sprinkled throughout the game.  The Gold Hoarders emissary is great for beginners, as it allows them to get quick and easy gold while making their first strides towards Pirate Legend.  Gold Hoarders was the first emissary that I levelled up to reputation level 50. Through vaults or X Marks the spot voyages, you can make a LOT of gold doing this faction’s quests.

What The Gold Hoarders Emissary Excels In: 

• Providing consistent (and high) in-game income and profits. Through the many voyages available, as well as obtaining treasure through other means, you will be able to make great money with this trading company.
• Giving THE BEST beginner-friendly experience of any trading company. This emissary equips beginners with all the gold they need to customize their character, buy emissary licenses, and purchase voyages.
• Being insanely easy to level up with (to get Pirate Legend). In my experience, Gold Hoarders level 50 is not a difficult goal to reach - quite the opposite, actually. Level up the Gold Hoarder’s emissary quickly to get one step closer to Pirate Legend!
• Having a variety of items available to sell. Almost every treasure you find can be sold to the gold hoarders, EXCEPT for treasure that has the logo of a different trading company.
• Giving extreme value from forts. Most items in fort vaults are treasure chests or artifacts, making the Gold Hoarders emissary one of the best emissaries for forts.

Pick The Gold Hoarders if... 

• You need quick cash
• You want to make it to Pirate Legend as soon as possible
• You want an easy experience sailing through the Sea Of Thieves

2. Athena’s Fortune

Being THE MOST exclusive trading company in the game, Athena’s Fortune requires you to become a Pirate Legend before being able to purchase their emissary license.  Founded by the Pirate Lord himself, it’s no wonder why this trading company is so difficult to represent. This trading company ONLY accepts Athena’ Fortune Treasures, which include the Chest Of Legends, Keg of Ancient Black Powder, Villainous Skull of Ancient Fortune, etc.

Unlike other trading companies, unless you are completing a FoF or FoTD, the chance of you finding treasure sellable to this trading company is extremely slim. Raise this emissary sparingly when you are completing high-level forts or Athena’s Fortune voyages.

What Athena’s Fortune Excels In: 

• Being THE most prestigious trading company in the Sea of Thieves. Since this trading company was founded by the Pirate Lord himself (and you buy your voyages from him, too!), it’s no secret that this trading company is very prestigious.
• Giving you access to treasures of extremely high value. Check out my ranking of the best chests in Sea Of Thieves - you’ll find that the Chest of Legends (Athena’s Chest) is number 2 on the list!
• Having THE BEST hideout/location out of any trading company. To access the Athena’s Fortune Hideout, you must play the shanty “We Shall Sail Together,” which is only accessible to Pirate Legends inside of the Tavern. Doing so will activate a staircase leading you down into the hideout, which has the Pirate Lord and his entire crew, a tavern, and the Pirate Lord’s old ship. 
• Having THE BEST voyages (money-wise). Athena’s Fortune voyages are, BY FAR, the best voyages for getting gold.
• Being THE BEST trading company (lore-wise). Because of its founder, this trading company is the by far the best when it comes to in-game lore.

Pick Athena’s Fortune if... 

• You are already Pirate Legend
• You don’t like PvP or prefer regular pirate gameplay(otherwise, choose Reaper’s Bones)
• You want access to high-level loot and don’t have time constraints

1. Reaper’s Bones

Ah, finally - my favourite trading company. 

The emissary that advocates for TRUE piracy.

The Reaper’s Bones Trading Company does not have voyages, requiring players representing this emissary to contribute in their own way. 

The Reaper’s Bones is my favourite emissary for multiple reasons.

First of all, you can hand in ANY treasure you find. If you can pick it up, you can hand it in. 

Also, this is THE BEST trading company for anyone who enjoys PvP. The Reaper’s Bones gives you substantial coin for all other Emissary flags you turn in, which are obtainable by sinking ships that have raised an emissary flag.

Additionally, this trading company ONLY accepts treasure at the Reaper’s Hideout, which is an island on the map (although you can raise this emissary at any outpost). This makes the hideout a hotspot for PvP and makes games even more fun.

Here’s some advice for anyone brave enough to raise Reaper’s Emissary:

Make sure you’re experienced in PvP, and know what you’re doing to a degree. Make sure that you’re not alone (you have a crew), and make sure that you and your crew are very well coordinated.

What the Reaper’s Bones Excels In: 

• ONLY giving you what you’re worth. There are no voyages, so you’re forced into PvP and PvE to progress and get gold in this trading company. Only the victors get the spoils - everyone else gets a broken keyboard and anger issues.
• Staying true to REAL piracy. Through an emphasis on combat, this emissary stays true to actual piracy as we know it.
• Allowing you to sell ANYTHING you find. If you can pick it up, you can sell it to the Reapers - that’s the beauty of this trading company.
• Being THE EASIEST company to level up in (if you’re not trash). Since you can sell anything, you can get LOADS of rep in very short times. 
• Giving you applicable game experience. By throwing you into the deep end of PvP and PvE combat, this trading company gives you the skills you need to further your piracy and become the next Pirate Lord.

Pick the Reaper’s Bones if... 

• You enjoy PvP
• You want TRUE piracy
• You think that other emissaries are for bozos