The Royal Crest Fortress Heist (Act 2): Stealth Paths, Best Loadouts & Crew Roles

Quiet Knives, Quieter Oars: Beat the guard, the clock, and the server at J‑6.

TL;DR (Pin this to your capstan)

What it is: Act 2’s limited‑time Smugglers’ Heist sends you to Royal Crest Fortress (Shores of Plenty, J‑6) to steal a Flameheart painting guarded by the Order of Bone and Blade. It’s worth 175,000 gold—and every other crew wants it, too.
High‑level plan: Hide your ship, insert by rowboat, tuck and sprint only when safe, extract via harpoon/rowboat to an off‑site rendezvous.
Best team shape: One Helm/Scout, one Shore Infiltrator, optional Overwatch and Cut‑Off roles (for 3‑4 crews).
Core loadouts: Blunderbuss + Cutlass (close‑quarters burst), Eye of Reach for Overwatch, Firebombs/Blunderbombs sparingly (noise control).
Key wrinkle: You’ll acquire a Royal Crest Fortress Key from a Smuggler as part of the Heist flow; decoy paintings exist (there’s even a deed for stealing a non‑target Collector’s Painting). Don’t grab the wrong canvas.

1) Know the score: What, where, who’s defending

The event. Act 2’s headliner—Smugglers’ Heist—tasks you with slipping into Royal Crest Fortress and removing a Flameheart painting from under the bony noses of the Order of Bone and Blade. The payout? 175k gold. The event window runs Sep 18 – Oct 16 (local timezones apply).

The location. Royal Crest Fortress is one of the six Sea Forts and sits in Shores of Plenty at grid J‑6. Expect the clean, high‑visibility look typical of that region—great for defenders, bad for thieves.

The guards. Order of Bone and Blade are elite skeleton forces aligned with Flameheart. They’re sturdier than standard skellies, use varied weapons, and will gleefully man cannons if your ship strays into view. Treat line‑of‑sight like a tripwire.

Why stealth matters: Sea Forts bristle with cannons and chokepoints. If your ship is seen, cannon fire advertises your presence to the server and invites third parties. Silence is survival.

2) Pre‑sail checklist: Gear, ship, and mindset

Dismiss pets. Adorable, but a dead giveaway in tight quarters.
Set emotes on hotkeys. Sleep, Hide, and Sit are your tuck toolkit.
Lantern discipline. Lights out on ship and shore team; use scoped Eye of Reach for “dark sight.”
Food priority. Bring cooked meat (health regen buffer) and a few pineapples if you’ve got ‘em; fruits fill gaps between fights.
Throwables. Blunderbombs (peel enemies, stagger chasers) and a couple Firebombs (area denial during exfil).
Rowboat ready. Ideal for a silent, cannon‑proof insert and the cleanest extraction—especially if you harpoon the target from a safe angle behind cover.
Supply sweep (optional). On the way to staging, you can quickly raid any inactive Sea Forts for ammo/food and the Fortress Store Room Key (top‑floor loot room) if you’re passing through; it often spawns in cupboards/crates.

3) The approach: Park like a professional thief

Ship placement (golden rule): Do not park in cannon line‑of‑sight. Shadow the fort so only stone—not turrets—faces you. Use island rocks and elevation to mask the hull. Leave one crewmate aboard only if visibility is poor or server feels “hot.”

Insert method hierarchy:

Rowboat Insertion (Best): Detach 400–600 meters out, oars in the troughs between swells, approach the lee side. Dock the boat in a recess where it’s invisible from the sea lanes.
Swim + Ladder (Riskier): Swim the last 80–100m, climb interior stairs ASAP; you’re exposed to patrols and players.
Cannon‑shot to Ramparts (Flashy): Fast but loud; reserve for chaotic lobbies or when racing a rival sloop—you’ll announce yourselves.

4) Heist flow in Act 2: Keys, decoys, and the real prize

Opt in & key retrieval. Act 2’s Heist flow has you opt in, collect a Royal Crest Fortress Key from a Smuggler, and then unlock doors within Royal Crest. Smugglers are found in Hideouts on large islands (Smugglers’ League contacts like Sea‑Cloak Solomon, Low‑Tide Lottie, etc.). Plan your route to pick up the key on the way in.

Inside the fort. Expect decoy paintings (there’s a deed to nab a painting that isn’t the target). Confirm you’ve got the objective canvas before committing to a risky carry.

Tip: If rivals are sniffing around, stow a decoy in a visible spot and tuck nearby. Let greed pull them off the true objective while your carrier slides out the side.

5) Stealth paths that work (consistently)

Sea Fort interiors share a readable flow—dock → lower halls → stairs → mid‑levels → roof—with multiple side rooms, cupboards, and corner cover. Use these three routes depending on lobby pressure and crew size.

Path A — Low‑Tide Quiet Walk (2‑player friendly)

Use when: Server seems calm; you’ve hidden the ship well.
Route: Rowboat to a shadowed recess → slip through the lower hall → hug the interior walls, pausing at door frames to watch patrol routes → climb central stairs only when the landing is clear → sweep rooms methodically for the painting (and any locks the Heist key can open).
Why it works: Minimal silhouette exposure and natural cover. You’ll hear patrols before they see you.
Fail states: Over‑looting and opening every cupboard; remember you’re thieves, not cleaners.

Path B — Rampart Slip (3–4 player crews)

Use when: You have an Overwatch and want top‑down control.
Route: One Overwatch cannon‑shots onto a parapet or perches on an outcropping with an Eye of Reach; the Shore Team inserts by rowboat and moves via outer walkways to mid‑levels, avoiding the central hall.
Why it works: Overwatch calls patrols and rival sails, keeps the Shore Team from blundering into crossfires.
Fail states: Overwatch taking a shot “just because.” Don’t pull aggro unless it protects the carrier.

Path C — Chaos Mask (race conditions)

Use when: Multiple ships are converging.
Route: Fireworks or a feint broadside at maximum range to draw eyes → Boarder cannon‑shots to an upper level during the distraction → straight‑line to target, drop off the far side to the rowboat.
Why it works: In noisy servers, subtlety brings more hunters—controlled noise focused away from your extraction line buys seconds.
Fail states: Feint becomes a fight; stick to the clock.

6) Best loadouts (by role)

Shore Infiltrator / Carrier

Weapons: Blunderbuss + Cutlass. Blunderbuss deletes melee threats at kissing range; Sword lunge clears corridors and gives mobility.
Throwables: 2× Blunderbomb (peel), 1–2× Firebomb (doorway denial).
Support: Cooked meat, Wood planks (for emergency ship patch if you must re‑board under fire).

Overwatch / Counter‑Boarder

Weapons: Eye of Reach + Pistol (or Cutlass). Eye for recon and sail‑tagging; sidearm to finish.
Consumables: Chainshots if you must interdict pursuers during extraction; otherwise keep noise down.
Notes: Don’t snipe skeletons unless your carrier is pinned; every gunshot is a lighthouse ping.

Helm / Scout

Role: Keep the ship masked, sails pre‑trimmed for a silent slide‑away, angle to harpoon the rowboat without exposing the broadside.
Kit: Spyglass, spare blunderbombs (to fence boarders), bucket muscle memory.

General Sea Fort combat reminder: Forts are stuffed with ammo crates and recoverables; if stealth breaks, resupply on the move and keep pushes short and decisive.

7) Crew roles (solo → galleon)

Solo Sloop

You: Helm + Infiltrator. Park deep, row in, Path A, grab canvas, row wide to the ship’s dark side, harpoon aboard, full‑sail escape.
Mindset: If a brig arrives, accept that your win condition is being unseen, not winning a brawl.

Duo (Sloop)

Helm/Scout: Ship concealment, perimeter watch, harpoon handoff.
Shore Infiltrator: Goes light, moves fast, calls for scoop only when the carry is clear.

Trio (Brig)

Helm/Scout
Shore Infiltrator/Carrier
Overwatch/Cut‑Off: Eye of Reach angles on ramparts/nearby rock to interdict rival carriers, not to farm kills.

Four‑Stack (Galleon)

Helm (silent running + extraction line)
Infiltrator
Overwatch (high ground)
Cut‑Off / Rowboat Driver: Loiters wide to intercept pursuers; swaps to rowboat as soon as carrier calls “clear.”

8) A 10‑minute steal: The disciplined timeline

T‑10:00 — Spot server traffic on the horizon; pick a blind anchorage that masks the hull.
T‑08:30 — Row out with Infiltrator + Rowboat Driver (or solo).
T‑07:30 — Slip into the lower hall; watch patrol patterns from door frames.
T‑06:00 — Key doors first; confirm target canvas (ignore shiny decoys).
T‑04:00 — Carrier calls a quiet extract. If spotted, use a single blunderbomb to peel, then disappear—don’t start a war.
T‑02:30 — Row off the opposite side of your ship’s approach path.
T‑01:30 — Ship drifts forward with sails pre‑trimmed; harpoon the painting aboard from 15–25m; no anchor.
T‑00:30 — Turn down‑wind and go. Repair or rechow only once you’re hull‑safe.

9) If stealth breaks (and it will): PvP micro‑plays that save runs

Don’t trade broadside. Fort cannons third‑party every brawl. Kite away from the fort, then either hard‑turn for a stagger volley or disengage outright.
Rowboat feint. Leave the rowboat “obviously” tucked by a ladder; carry the painting out the backside on foot to a pre‑marked swim point.
Deadman’s package. If downed, throw the painting off the parapet away from line‑of‑sight before you die; deny the instant pickup.

10) Fort IQ: What the space offers you

Ammo & resupplies scattered room‑to‑room—rearm on the fly.
Storeroom (roof) loot behind a Fortress Store Room Key; good to know if you need a quick “why we came” deception when you’re being shadowed.
Cannon arcs are excellent for Overwatch to “tap sails,” but remember: every boom calls the server. Use sparingly.

11) Smuggler logistics

Where to meet Smugglers: Smugglers’ League Hideouts are tucked into caves and chambers on major islands like Smugglers’ Bay (Sea‑Cloak Solomon), Crescent Isle (Low‑Tide Lottie), Plunder Valley (Wily Wei‑Lin), etc. Plot a course to grab your Royal Crest Fortress Key on the way in.
Act 2 deeds & cosmetics: Completing the month’s Heist deeds nets themed trinkets like the Royal Crest Fortress Blueprints/Plans—nice mantle pieces for thieves with taste.

12) Common mistakes (and quick fixes)

Parking in view of turrets. Fix: If you can see a cannon, a cannon can see you. Reposition until only walls are visible.
Loot greed. Fix: Secure the painting first; raid afterwards if and only if the horizon is empty.
Over‑communicating on VOIP. Fix: Whisper or use quick phrases; you never know who’s listening.
Decoy tunnel vision. Fix: Verify the target objective before you shoulder the canvas.

13) Solo & duo stealth drills you can practice in 15 minutes

Door‑frame peeking: Move room to room without ever center‑screening a doorway.
Sword‑lunge exit: Charge, lunge through open space, block‑cancel on landing; repeat until it’s a reflex.
Silent harpoon: Practice catching a carried item from a rowboat at 15–25m; no anchor, sails trimmed.

14) Suggested route planner (example)

Outpost → Smuggler Hideout (pick up Royal Crest Fortress Key).
Wide sail to J‑6, approaching from a low‑traffic cardinal (north or east, server‑dependent).
Shadow‑side park, rowboat insert via Path A or B.
Key doors, confirm target, move on a two‑call cadence (“clear”, “moving”).
Extract opposite approach, harpoon aboard, sails already angled.
Delivery per event prompt, then split server or mask in a fog bank.

Final word

The Royal Crest job is not about winning the server; it’s about not letting the server know you’ve already won. Keep it quiet, keep it quick, and treat every decision like it either buys you 10 seconds—or loses you the painting.