Need a hand figuring out how BDO sea monster hunting works in 2021? Follow our guide to get the down-low on everything you’ll need to know about hunting sea monsters in Black Desert Online.
It’s no secret that Sailing is one of the coolest aspects of modern-day BDO, especially with the Great Expedition update being out and about.
And among all of the activities that sailing enables you to do, such as remote fishing, harpooning, underwater gathering, sailor management, and more – BDO sea monster hunting is possibly the most fun.
However, most players never really venture into those territories of the game, even as Pearl Abyss throws down update after update (including the most recent October 2019 Sailing Life Skill overhaul) to make the mechanic more approachable and fruitful to take part in.
So today, we’ll be taking a look at sea monsters in Black Desert Online. Keep reading to get the inside scoop on how BDO sea monster hunting works, and learn everything you’ll need to know in order to secure your own big catch.
Let’s dive right in!
What Are Sea Monsters In BDO?
As the name may imply, sea monsters are simply monsters that you’d find at sea.
Here’s a quick list of some of the sea monsters you’ll find in BDO:
- Hekaru
- Ocean Stalker
- Candidum
- Nineshark
- Black Rust
Each of these monsters drops a few guild drops on kill – typically a Sea Monster’s Neidan crafting materials for high-end gear.
At the same time, there are also a few pirate ships out and about that you can fight for more guild loot.
Namely, you can encounter the following pirate ships:
- Small Goldmont Battleship.
- Medium Goldmont Battleship.
- Large Goldmont Battleship.
Where To Get Knowledge On Sea Monsters
Just as with most things in BDO, the easiest way to get knowledge on sea monsters is to talk to certain NPC’s that you’ll find scattered across various points of the Black Desert world.
Here’s a quick list of the NPCs and corresponding sea monster knowledge they offer:
- Sihuram – gives you knowledge about Hekaru and Small Goldmont Battleships.
- Bindo – gives you knowledge about the Ocean Stalker.
- Gintabam – gives you knowledge about Candidum.
- Moran – gives you knowledge about Nineshark and Large Goldmont Battleships.
- Siyunchae – gives you knowledge about Black Rust.
- Haeran – gives you knowledge about Medium Goldmont Battleships.
BDO Sea Monster Hunting & Farming
Now that you know what you’re up against – let’s get back to the meat and bones of our BDO sea monster hunting guide – how to find, hunt, and farm sea monsters for a decent profit.
Where To Find Sea Monsters
Outlined in red you’ve got the zone where Hekaru will spawn and roam. White corresponds to Nineshark, Candidum, and Pirate Ship spawn zones. On the other hand, blue marks the zone where you’ll find Ocean Stalker. And purple highlights the area where Black Rust will spawn.
In addition to the fully grown versions of the sea monsters in the areas outlined above – there are also easier “young” versions too. Young Nineshark, Candidum, and Black Rust can be found on the outskirts of the Ross and Margoria seas.
These young monster versions drop slightly reduced loot (young monster neidan, young candidum’s shell, and so forth).
But the loot is still quite decent. So it makes them worthwhile for players that wish to venture out into the seas but aren’t able to go toe-to-toe with the real thing just yet.
How To Hunt Sea Monsters – Step By Step
At the moment, the most efficient way to hunt sea monsters is to roll in a duo (2 ships) and ram them to death.
Sea Monster Hunting Prerequisites
As with all things, it’s never a good idea to just jump into something willy nilly. There are a few things that you should have set up first before you set sail for battle.
The prerequisites to hunting sea monsters are:
- Ship Gear – at least green-tier.
- Ship Repair Materials – at least green-tier, generally you’ll only need around 50 or so.
- Origin Of Wind – 3 will be enough fuel for a 2-hour trip without having to dock at any harbors.
How To Kill Sea Monsters In 4 Easy Steps
So, once you’ve got the pre-requisites in place, it’s finally time to hunt. Currently, there’s really only one strategy that’s actually efficient enough to make sea monsters farmable.
Typically, the way the hunt would go is:
- Ship 1 with Professional Sailing spots the monster on the edge of detection range and pulls aggro, luring it back towards Ship 2.
- Ship 2 forms a straight line with Ship 1.
- Both ships sandwich the sea monster between them.
- Both ships ram the life out of the sea monster or pirate ship.
While this simple 4-step approach (inspired by Featherfield’s mini-guide) may not sound like much, it’s pretty tough to get the hang of, so don’t be surprised if your first few hunts don’t go as planned.
Does The AP From Cannons Affect Ramming Damage?
The short answer to this question is that it definitely does, so it’s worthwhile to stack up on high AP bonus cannons for your hunt.
Video Demo Of The 4-Step Method
Pro Tip: Most sea monsters (aside from Whales) don’t actually have collision, which creates the need for a second ship.
How Does Looting Work & What’s Most Profitable?
When it comes to looting sea monsters in BDO, it’s really no different from your good old grind looting. Your pets can pick up all of the loot the sea monsters drop.
All of the sea monsters that you’ll be killing can easily drop pieces worth over 100 Million silver.
Generally, across dozens of tests – we’ve found that Small Goldmont Battleships were the most effective to farm since they were very quick to kill, and they respawn quickly as well.
You can expect 100-200 million silver per hour depending on whether or not you’re using a loot scroll.
What Are The Benefits Of SMH In BDO?
While it’s no secret that sailing in itself is a hugely rewarding activity – many players are left wondering, loot aside, what does hunting sea monsters actually offer in terms of benefits?
Below, we’ll cover some of the benefits that SMH offers in Black Desert Online.
Sailing Experience
First and foremost, hunting sea monsters will have you running your sailing daily quests, which gives you an insane amount of exp all in all.
Easier Hotspot Fishing
The sailing exp you’ll be gaining through the activity translates to a higher level, which is a huge help when it comes to active fishing in hotspots.
More Guild Cashflow
The activity is highly profitable, and since most of the drops are guild drops that could translate to a bigger payout, depending on how your guild is managed.
A Breath Of Fresh Air (Respite From Grinding)
As the name would suggest – grinding is, well, grindy… And sometimes, taking a fresh breath of air is just a necessity.
SMH allows you to get away from the rinse and repeat routine of grinding in favor of something a bit more dynamic and engaging that you can do together with guildmates or friends.
Lots Of Exploration
The sea features a lot of hidden treasure, underwater locations, and plenty of spots to explore. While you’re on the move and hunting, you’ll naturally come across these spots, which adds even more diversity and fun to what you’re doing.
BDO Sea Monster Hunting FAQ
Inevitably, some players will have burning questions about BDO sea monster hunting – let’s take a minute to go through a few of the ones we’ve come across below.
How Do Guilds Factor Into Hunting Sea Monsters?
Guilds, on their own, play little role in this endeavor. However, the management of your guild will determine the payout and how profitable of an activity this will be for you.
How Do You Get Sea Monster Ooze In BDO?
Put simply, the easiest (and only) way to get Sea Monster ooze in BDO is to kill sea monsters such as the ones we’ve covered in our guide above.
How Do I Get To Margoria BDO?
To get into Margoria, you’ll need to sail through the Ross Sea, which lies adjacent to the zone.
How Do I Get A Boat In BDO?
There are two key ways to cop a solid boat in Black Desert Online. One is to just put up your cash and buy a boat license on the marketplace. Or you can go about building it, which is far more complex – but a much more reliable way of getting the boat you want.
Our advice? If you’re a high-level player that has somehow avoided sea content like the plague – go grind. Grinding is a very reliable cashflow activity that will give you all the resources you’ll need to buy the boat you want on the marketplace.
But if you’re looking for that sense of achievement – building your own boat may just be the way to go.
How To Get A Free Boat
If buying a boat on the market, or building your own just don’t suit your boat there is one more quick option to get a boat, for free at that.
As you can see in the video guide above – the whole process takes literally 5 minutes, making it the easiest way to get your hands on a starting boat in BDO.
How Can I Recover My Sailor In BDO?
If you need to recover your sailor status – the only place that you can accomplish this is going to be the Wharf Manager. Once you open the dialogue, hit the Manage Sailors option and then find the Sailor you’d like to restore, or simply push the “Restore All” button in that same menu.
Does Sailing Exist In Black Desert Mobile?
Surprisingly, we actually get this question quite frequently. Whether you’re a fan of both titles, or found your way to this guide from our Black Desert Mobile best class guide – at the moment, sailing isn’t a part of BDO’s mobile counterpart. But knowing Pearl Abyss and how closely they’ve stuck with porting over the key elements of BDO’s expansive in-game feature set to its mobile iteration, we wouldn’t be surprised to see it on a development to-do list for the near future.
Closing Thoughts
And there you have it – your comprehensive guide on BDO sea monster hunting. We’ve covered all the essentials that you’ll need to know in order to start hunting sea monsters while covering a few basic tips and tricks to help you with other seafaring and sailing activities in-game.
If we’ve missed anything, or you’ve got a farming method of your own that you’d like to share – give us a shout in the comments below!
