Corsair Cove Ship Tier List (Demo Focus)
Hull rankings by role for Steam demo content and early Seafaring compass unlocks.
Corsair Cove ships are not RPG characters with linear levels—they are hull platforms whose stats interact with crew quality, captain bonuses, and card-based naval combat. This tier list ranks hulls for demo and early full-release content, using published stat lines and preview encounter notes. Always pair rankings with captain specialties and Seafaring compass builds.
Stat columns referenced below follow early access datatables: Health, Crew, Supply, Gun DMG, Boarding DMG, Speed. Hideout tier must support crew counts or effective stats collapse.
Tier summary (demo relevance)
| Tier | Ships | Role |
|---|---|---|
| S (demo) | Moonlight | First Seafaring prowler upgrade; durable, maneuverable |
| A | Azimuth, Iron Fist | Azimuth balanced mid-tier; Iron Fist gun destroyer for scripted duels |
| B | Landlubber, Nightshade, Steel Edge | Starter or niche mid-game |
| C | Tide Runner, Huracan, Goldseeker | Speed or boarding specialists before crew scale |
| S+ (launch) | Tempest, Wolfhound, Yoke Breaker | Tier-three endgame; limited demo access |
S-tier — Moonlight (Prowler)
Moonlight is the demo’s pivotal upgrade from Landlubber—roughly 70 health versus 20 on the starter, improved supply pool, modest gun/boarding splits, and prowler maneuver identity. Preview creators unlock it via Technology Compass Seafaring deeds mixed with economy steps like sawmill upgrades.
Why S-tier in demo: Level-two map targets outstat Landlubber; Moonlight survives learning encounters while you master supply cards and dice pools from Getting Started.
Pairings: Honorata or Charlie for maneuver events; Teach when gun damage tutorials remain the win condition.
Downside: Low raw gun damage versus destroyers—do not bring Moonlight to heavy armor scripts without stat buffs.
A-tier — Azimuth
Azimuth (82 health, 18 crew, 32 supply, 9 gun / 5 boarding, speed 4) sits as a flexible mid hull once demo scope expands or full release opens deeper Seafaring nodes. Stronger broadside than Moonlight with still-reasonable speed.
Why A-tier: Generalist profile for players who dislike swapping hulls per node.
Pairings: Teach amplifies gun side; Kanja helps supply-heavy long events.
A-tier — Iron Fist (Destroyer)
Iron Fist (82 health, 13 gun / 2 boarding, speed 2) is the early destroyer preview tied to Empire compass deeds. excels in direct gun confrontations like preview Noose for Enrique recommendations.
Why A-tier not S: Empire cross-branch cost and low speed make it wrong for chase or boarding scripts. Unlock when journal telegraphs destroyer requirement.
Pairings: Teach doubles down on guns; avoid Enrique if speed penalties stack poorly—verify captain page for current modifiers.
B-tier — Landlubber (Starter)
Landlubber (20 health, 15 crew, 20 supply, 2/2 damage, speed 2) is tutorial-tier. Functional for first cargo missions; actively harmful against level-two Crown targets if upgraded compass ships are available.
Why B not F: Free at pier launch; still fine for cohesion farming near home.
Retire once Moonlight deed chain completes—see compass priorities.
B-tier — Nightshade & Steel Edge
Nightshade (105 health, 40 crew, heavy boarding bias) and Steel Edge (94 health, hybrid gun/boarding) appear deeper in trees. Demo may not unlock them; rank B pending crew infrastructure from Wealth builds.
C-tier — Speed specialists (Tide Runner, Huracan)
High speed (13+) with lighter armor suits chase events and Night Trade-style nodes over Moonlight. Demo players lacking hideout tier to crew 20+ pirates should not force these hulls early—hence C until economy catches up.
S+ tier — Launch powerhouses (limited demo)
Full-release datatables include:
- Tempest — 105 health, 60 crew, speed 20; fast battleship profile
- Wolfhound — 123 health, 20 boarding damage focus
- Yoke Breaker — 123 health, 20 gun damage focus
Treat as S+ for Crown forts and kraken-tier content on Steam page; unavailable or impractical in demo saves.
Boarding line — Sharktooth & Goldseeker
Sharktooth and Goldseeker skew boarding damage for Scarlet-style captains. S-tier in boarding scripts, C-tier in gun duels—list them mentally as role specialists, not overall ranks.
Practical demo upgrade path
- Landlubber — tutorial only
- Moonlight — first Seafaring compass priority
- Iron Fist or Azimuth — after Empire/Seafaring split per journal script
- Specialists — when demo layout feeds pier tier upgrades
Common mistakes
- Keeping Landlubber for nostalgia — Wastes supply cards in DPS checks.
- Iron Fist on chase nodes — Speed 2 cannot pursue fleeing targets.
- Moonlight on boarding-only scripts — Swap to boarding hull + Scarlet when enemy telegraphs crew kills over hull damage.
Related pages
- Tier list hub — all rankings
- Captain tier list — pairings
- Seafaring build — unlock order
- Controls keybindings — pause before selling wrong hull at pier UI
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
What is the best first upgrade from Landlubber?
Moonlight via Seafaring compass deeds—it is the standard demo progression ship with much higher survivability.
When should I build Iron Fist?
When journal encounters recommend destroyer-class gun platforms, usually after Empire-linked compass unlocks.
Are tier-three ships in the demo?
Generally no. Tempest, Wolfhound, and similar hulls target full release Crown and kraken content.
Do crew counts affect tier placement?
Yes. High-crew hulls drop effective tier if your hideout cannot staff them at matching quality.