Revision 4

BlackbeardTreasure Maps are a multi-stage side-treasure chain in Windrose. Each map is looted from a Blackbeard Pirate Camp chest or dropped by a named Edward Teach lieutenant, leads the player to a buried cache on a specific island, and rewards the weapon-ascension materials required to push Rare gear up to Epic.

Structure of the Chain

The live launch build supports a multi-map chain (community sources consistently describe at least three maps). Each map is a single-use item that adds a dig marker to the world map. The dig uses a crafted Shovel (3 Copper Ingots plus 10 Wood at the Workbench); switch the Shovel to dig mode (X, then Z to cycle modes). Each buried chest typically contains 3 Tumbaga Ingots (the material used at the Weaponsmith Workshop to ascend Rare weapons to Epic) plus at least one Epic-tier item.

How to Acquire the Maps

• Blackbeard Pirate Camp chests. Hidden chests at larger Blackbeard-aligned camps carry the maps. Camps respawn on a daily cadence, so missed maps can be farmed on return visits.

• Boss-tier lieutenants. Named enemy lieutenants encountered during main-quest bosses and elite patrols drop maps as guaranteed loot. Israel Hands and the lieutenants around the Foothills approach are the most consistent mid-game sources.

• Ship boarding loot. Boarding Blackbeard's Pirates' Ketch and larger named ships sometimes rolls a map as an extra drop, in addition to standard Insignias and Naval Supplies.

Dig Site Execution

The map's text describes landmark features (a cliff overlook, a specific island shoreline, or a ruined tower). When the player arrives in the right area, the map marker drops a crosshair on the dig site. Unlike Alexandre Exquemelin journal sites, which are marked by a leaning dead white tree with a red rag, Blackbeard map sites do not always have a visual tree marker. Use the map's written description plus the minimap crosshair to pinpoint the exact square, then dig.

Why the Chain Matters

Tumbaga Ingots are the bottleneck for rarity ascension in the Early Access build. Without them, a Rare weapon stops at level 8 (and cannot become Epic). The Blackbeard chain is the most reliable non-dungeon source of Tumbaga in the launch build, so players who want to ascend the Rapier of a Thousand Cuts, Soul Eater Greatsword, or other named Rare drops typically push the Blackbeard maps alongside their main quest progression.

Prep Notes

• Craft the Shovel early (before heading to the Foothills), so maps looted on the starting island can be dug without a detour home.

• Pack healing and a Bonfire kit; Blackbeard map chests frequently spawn a small ambush wave when opened.

• Read the map text before setting sail. Several maps point back to starting-island locations rather than forward into a new biome.

• Ascending a Rare weapon to Epic is permanent for that weapon; the Disassembly Table does not refund Tumbaga Ingots, so commit carefully.

See Also

• Edward Teach the antagonist whose lieutenants drop the maps

• Buried Treasure the dig mechanic shared with Exquemelin journals

• Tumbaga Ingot the ascension material in every Blackbeard chest

• Alexandre Exquemelin the parallel non-hostile journal trail

• Soul Eater one of the most common ascension targets