Allegiance

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**Factions** are two PvP based groups that player crews can choose to represent in on demand factional PvP. The factional system allows for player crews to opt in to on demand ship versus ship PvP battles. Players can choose to represent either faction each time they play.

## Joining and leaving factions

To join a faction, your crew must turn the Hourglass of Fate on your ship's Captain's Table to select the faction in which you would like to fight for. When joined a faction, ships of the opposing faction can invade you, emerging from the water and beginning the battle.

As you amass treasure, your Hourglass of Fate will increase its grade. The higher your Hourglass of Fate grade, the more Allegiance you will earn when successfully defending your ship from invading crews.

If you wish to leave your faction, opting out from factional play, you can do so at least 15 minutes after having joined it, from an Emissary Table of the respective company.

### Invading

To invade another opted-in crew on their server, your crew must vote on the War Map on your ship's Captain's Table as a member of either faction. Once your ship reaches open water, it will dive beneath the waves to enter the underwater invasion tunnel as your crew is placed into the queue.

When a matchmaking with an opposing player faction ship of a similar skill level is made, your ship will emerge from the depths into an enclosed area of a regular gameplay server where the battle will take place.

## The battle

When two crews of opposing factions are matched against each other, the invading ship or ships will leave the invasion tunnel and emerge from the water into a new server, facing each other.

Although the battle takes place in a regular Adventure Mode server, meaning the crews are still exposed to emergent encounters, there will be a circular battle bounds area to stay within. Leaving this area will cause the Hourglass of Fate to crack and eventually explode, sinking the ship and winning the battle for the other crew.

The crew that defeats their rival will remain on the server as a member of their faction and will earn a large quantity of Allegiance. The crew who loses the battle will be migrated to a new server and will earn a small quantity of Allegiance. The losing crew must rejoin a faction if they wish to try again against new rivals.

## Streaks

For every battle won without losing, sinking or leaving your faction, your streak increases. The higher your streak, the more Sands of Fate and Allegiance you will earn for sinking an enemy faction ship.

If your streak reaches 4 or higher, your ship will become a faction champion ship, marking its location on the Map Table for all to see. Sinking a faction champion ship rewards a larger quantity of Sands of Fate and Allegiance. Additionally, faction champions have a new option on the War Map to battle with ships larger than own.

## Allegiance

Allegiance is the reputation system for factions, but has no cap on lifetime quantity a player can earn. Players can earn Allegiance for either faction by taking part in on demand factional PvP battles while representing them.

For every battle won without losing, sinking or leaving your faction, your streak increases. The higher your streak, the more Allegiance you will earn for sinking an enemy faction ship.

As players increase through the Allegiance levels, they can unlock faction specific rewards for purchase from that faction's hideout. A player can gain access to either faction lair by reaching level 100 Allegiance with that faction. Players can earn Allegiance and rewards for both factions, as they can choose to represent either faction each time they play.

### Earning Allegiance

Allegiance can be earned for either faction in the following ways:

* Winning factional PvP battles - Large amount
* Losing factional PvP battles - Small amount
* Earning gold by cashing in Sands of Fate - Small amount
* Selling specific Broken Emissary Flags to a faction. - Amount is based upon flag grade.
	+ Selling Broken Reaper's Bones Flags to the Mysterious Stranger while representing Guardians of Fortune.
	+ Selling Broken Athena's Fortune Flags to the Servant of the Flame or at the skeleton at every Reaper's Bones Emissary Tables on each outpost while representing Servants of the Flame.

*The faction you earn allegiance for depends on the faction you are representing at the time.*

## Sands of Fate

When a crew joins the battle for their chosen side, their Hourglass of Fate will have a gold value associated with it, initially 0.

When a crew sinks an enemy ship in a factional PvP battle, they will earn Sands of Fate. Sands of Fate can be cached in for an equivalent gold value by leaving the faction at its respective Emissary Table.

For every battle won without losing, sinking or leaving your faction, your streak increases. The higher your streak, the more Sands of Fate you will earn for sinking an enemy faction ship.

## Patch history

* **2.8.3 (June 15, 2023)**
	+ Crews losing a battle should now consistently be sent to the sinking wreck sequence and moved to a new location.

* **2.8.2 (May 18, 2023)**
	+ Crews defeated during the Battle for the Sea of Thieves are now free to purchase Captain’s Supplies or Merchant Supplies upon arrival at the Outpost, even if one in-game day has not yet passed – allowing them to stock up and get back in the fight.

* **2.7.2 (January 19, 2023)**
	+ Crews can now be matched against others crews representing the same Faction. This change has been made to reduce matchmaking times.
		- * Crews will vote on the War Map and begin searching for an opponent in a rival Faction as before. However, the search will expand to rivals of the same Faction after enough time has passed.
			* These battles will play out in the exact same way as a battle against a member of the rival Faction, with Allegiance, Hourglass Value and Streaks all continuing to be earned. Most Commendations and Captaincy Milestones will also continue to progress, omitting those that specifically involve the opposing Faction.
			* Approximately 50 new locations have been added where crews who have matched against each other can be placed.
			* Crews who are defeated in a Faction battle will now receive a slight increase to their Allegiance as compensation for their loss.
			* Crews fighting for the Servants of the Flame and flying a Reaper’s Emissary Flag will now earn increased reputation for The Reaper’s Bones upon winning a battle.
			* Crews who lose by being run out of the battle area will now receive a small amount of Allegiance as compensation for their loss.
			* In rare circumstances, crews may find they are not moved away from a server after sinking while in a Faction. In this scenario, crews will no longer receive Allegiance for repeatedly sinking the same ship in a server, preventing opportunities for crews to progress faster than intended.
			* Improvements have been made to matchmaking rules to reduce the chance of crews encountering a battle with multiple opposing ships.
			* Crews who discover two Faction ships in a battle will no longer be rewarded with Allegiance, Streak increases or Hourglass value for joining the fight and sinking the Faction ships, as they are not part of the battle.

* **2.7.0.1 (December 9, 2022)**
	+ The amount of **Allegiance** required to progress beyond level 100 with the Guardians of Fortune and Servants of the Flame has been increased.

* **2.7.0 (November 22, 2022)**
	+ Introduced.