There are four Windrose factions to build reputation with, but not all of them provide the same goods or accept the same smuggled wares in exchange for your friendship. With limited insignias to trade for their favor, choosing which pirate crew to woo can be a little overwhelming—but that's where I come in. I've been sailing the high seas between Tortuga and its neighboring islands nonstop since launch, and I've got some thoughts on which crew you should rank up first and how to spend both your favor and piastre.

So here's everything you should know about the Windrose factions, including their related quests, where to sell your valuables, and a list of goods each faction offers. Windrose faction basicsYou can find representatives from every Windrose faction in Tortuga, each with a Bounty Agent to trade reputational goods with and a Provisioner to buy various supplies and crafting recipes from. If you want to sell to a faction's buyer, you'll have to travel elsewhere, but don't worry about running out of Fast Travel Bells.

Windrose makes it easy by offering a free teleport to Tortuga and all four of the other faction islands, so you won't have to waste your fast travel resources. Types of faction representativesThe buyer and 'leader' NPCs are located on islands separate from Tortuga. The easiest way to spot them is by sailing around and checking your map for waters highlighted in green.

That means they're occupied by an allied faction, and the island they operate out of should be somewhere nearby. Faction NPCs and their locationsNPCDescriptionAvailable on Tortuga?Bounty AgentImproves your reputation by trading insignias and Letters of Favor✅ProvisionerSells various resources, ship improvements, crafting recipes, etc. ✅BuyerNPC for selling your smuggled goods and valuables in exchange for Piastre and Guinea❌LeaderMain point of contact for faction quests❌Recruitable NPCWorkers for your crafting stations that offer talents for managing resourcesTwo are located on faction islands; one is available in TortugaImproving your reputation with factionsYou'll improve your rank with each Windrose faction by trading insignia or Letters of Favor.

Enemy pirates are a good source of reputation-building goodies, but you can also find insignia in ship caches or hidden in chests. Items for improving faction ranksItemFavor ValueNewhand Insignia1Deckhand Insignia4Letter of Favor10Veteran Insignia20Old Sat Insignia80Rank requirementsRankFavor RequiredLevel 10Level 2100Level 3300Level 4600Quick tips for ranking up and buying provisions(Image credit: Kraken Express)You can't sell items in Tortuga, so try to find all four faction islands as soon as possible to offload your valuables and start saving for upgradesPrioritize upgrading your ship first by reaching Rank 2 with the BrethrenNext, reach Rank 2 with the Smugglers for hull upgrades and naval tacticsInvest in more ship upgrades with Rank 2 or 3 cannons from the BuccaneersDon't be afraid to spend extra piastre on Shipwright's Tools, Smithing Flux, Master's Tools, and Sewing Tools for upgrading gear and naval equipment you plan to keepBrethren of the CoastQuest: Brethren of The CoastFind the survivorsTell Captain Hornigold Destroy two pirate boatsSpeak to Hornigold Gather resources for the Ranger repairsSpeak to HornigoldDefeat Stede Bonnet's fleetReturn to tell Hornigold of your victoryAbout the BrethrenLeader: Benjamin HornigoldIsland Recruit: Mortar Joe (Powderman)The Brethren offer new ship designs as your reputation improves with them, making them one of the most important factions in the game.

I recommend upgrading to the Brig as soon as possible, then using upgrades from the Smugglers to beef up your new ride. Brethren of the Coast Buyer(Image credit: Kraken Express)ItemSell PriceNaval Supplies150 PiastreSpecialized Tools250 PiastreCombat Repair Kit10 PiastreMaster Combat Repair Kit30 PiastreBrethren of the Coast ProvisionerItemCostReputation RankShipwright's Tools10 Piastre1Steel Nails10 Piastre2Salt2 Piastre2Coffee Beans3 Piastre3Whiskey10 Piastre3Madeira10 Piastre3Brandy10 Piastre3Ship Design: Brig1,000 Piastre2Ship Design: Frigate3,000 Piastre4Style Book: Privateer Flag Designs10 Guinea3Style Book: Stock Hull Colors30 Guinea3Style Book: Stock Sails Colors30 Guinea3Style Book: Brethren Flag Designs10 Guinea4Style Book: Brethren Hull Colors10 Guinea4Style Book: Brethren Sails Colors10 Guinea4Smugglers of Port RoyalQuest: SmugglersTalk to the leader of the SmugglersFind and search for Marita's missing shipReturn to MaritaRecover the stolen cargoReturn the wine to MaritaAbout the SmugglersLeader: Marita SuarezAfter you score a new ship from your reputation with the Brethren, go for a hull upgrade from the Smugglers and a set of Naval Tactics.

The Naval Tactics 5: Silence the Guns upgrade was my favorite of the bunch, delivering a 20% reload speed and damage reduction penalty to your enemies for 30 seconds after every hit. Smugglers of Port Royal Buyer(Image credit: Kraken