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Overview

Mortar Joe is a hireable crew member whose talent grants a 30% chance to craft an additional bag of Gunpowder each craft. He is found at the Brethren of the Coast main base. Community guides consistently advise waiting to recruit him until Gunpowder crafting is a regular activity (mid-game).

Recruitment

Why Mortar Joe Matters

Gunpowder is the backbone of Naval Combat and a bottleneck in faction quests such as the Buccaneers chain, which requires 50 bags. Mortar Joe's passive effectively reduces Sulfur and Charcoal consumption for the same output, meaning more broadsides per raid and fewer Millstone runs.

See Also

• NPC Crew

• Recruitment Vendor

• Jasper Crow

• Rosalinda Mercer

• Black Axel

Recruit Comparison

Mortar Joe is one of four hireable named crew members on the People of Tortuga, Brethren of the Coast, and Smugglers of Port Royal faction circuit. Every named crew member costs 500 Piastre flat, regardless of role.

When To Recruit

Both the Gamers Heroes and AllThings.how crew-hiring guides list Mortar Joe as the latest-value hire of the four. Gunpowder does not become a meaningful bottleneck until the player is running Naval Combat on a regular basis, typically once the Ketch is upgraded to a Brethren variant or the player sails a Brig. Factions like the Rogue Buccaneers also demand large Gunpowder bundles for their quest chains (the Buccaneers quest requires 50 bags), at which point Mortar Joe's 30 percent proc starts paying for his 500 Piastre fee in a single crafting session.

Location Detail

The Brethren of the Coast main base is a fortified island separate from Tortuga. Mortar Joe is stationed at a dedicated workstation on the base rather than walking a patrol route; once the player reaches the hub and talks to him, he remains fixed for subsequent visits. Do not confuse this location with the Rogue Buccaneers Main Base, which is a separate faction's island home and hosts different NPCs entirely.