Lost Ark is filled with a dizzying amount of systems and currencies to wrap your head around, among them Pirate Coins. It’s just one of Lost Ark’s many currencies, and unlike the more up-front currencies like gold or silver, it’s not entirely clear how to earn more Pirate Coins or what you should even be using them for.
Like many things in Lost Ark, figuring out how to earn Pirate Coins can feel obtuse until you do a little digging. The coins aren’t all that difficult to earn once you know how, but it’s more difficult to track down what exactly you should be spending them on. This guide will break down what, exactly, you should be spending your Pirate Coins on, as well as the best ways to earn Pirate Coins as you adventure through Arkesia.
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What Pirate Coins Are Used For
Pirate Coins are primarily used to purchase upgrade materials and recruit crew mates for your ship from various merchants found on Arkesia’s seas, making it easier to navigate the world. The better upgrades you have, the easier it will be to sail the high seas without needing to worry about something going wrong. While you will unlock a variety of ships over the course of your adventure, the starter ship, the Estoque, is more than enough to carry you through the entire game. Focus on upgrading it to around level 5 before dedicating resources to the other ships in your collection.
Pirate Coins can also be used to buy a few unique items from various sea merchants. Chief among these are the Song of Resonance, which is needed to unlock hidden areas and new islands for a few different quests. You’ll find the Song of Resonance for sale from Treasure Hunter Igran for 16,500 Pirate Coins near Peyto, an island located west of Annika. You can also use Pirate Coins to purchase a Giant’s Heart for 33,000, which can be used to unlock important items like stat increase and skill increase potions that you’ll definitely want to get your hands on.
How To Earn Pirate Coins
The amount of coins needed for items like the Song of Resonance may seem large, but don’t actually take all that long to earn if you know what you’re doing. The simplest and most effective way to earn Pirate Coins is to complete Island quests. These are quest chains you’ll find on many of the game’s various islands, and they can reward you with a lot of coins for not too much time investment. Giant Mushroom island, for example, will reward you 2,000 coins for completing a single quest there, while you can earn 15,000 coins from quests on Freedom Island. That is more than enough to buy the Song of Resonance, and it shouldn’t take longer than 30 minutes. You can also earn coins on Golden Wave Island, Runaways Island, Peyto and Glacier Island, Sublime Island, Blackfang’s Den, Lullaby Island, and more. You’ll generally start at islands that reward smaller amounts of coins, use those to upgrade your ship, and work towards islands that reward larger amounts of coins.
It should be noted that completing these quests are a one-time per account. Pirate Coins are an account-wide currency, meaning you won’t be able to complete these quests on multiple characters and earn the rewards multiple times. Once you’ve completed most of the more lucrative Island Quests, you’ll want to complete daily and weekly Una’s Tasks that reward Pirate Coins. You can also complete various Marine events as well as activities found with the Procyron’s Compass, like Ghost Ships, to earn additional Pirate Coins. If you find yourself earning other types of coins, like Sun Coins, Gienah’s Coins, or Ancient Coins, you can exchange these for Pirate Coins at the Tea and Libra Guild Vessel found docked outside all major ports. The exchange rates for these coins vary, but you’ll be earning at least 10 Pirate Coins per whichever coin you decide to swap for, which can fill up your coffers in a pinch.
If you’ve just reached Lost Ark’s endgame, be sure to read up on what you should be doing after you hit level 50. For those still leveling through Smilegate and Amazon’s MMORPG, check out our beginner’s tips guide, as well as learn how to get two free Powerpass character boosts.
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