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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Recruit Mates at a city’s Inn, either by spending Blue Gems for direct hiring or by negotiating with Ducats. To improve negotiation odds, raise the candidate’s friendship first; then promote and train the Mate and assign them to a compatible Cabin so their Expertise and abilities can help your ship or fleet. Costs, rosters, and progression limits can change, so check the current in-game interface for patch-sensitive details.
Where to hire Mates
Mates are companions who aid your Admiral while sailing. Visit a city’s Inn to review available candidates, whose grades range from C to S. Hiring and growth costs vary by grade. The game’s official Mate guide describes two Inn recruitment routes:
- Direct hiring: Spend Blue Gems to hire the Mate.
- Negotiation: Use Ducats to negotiate. Success depends on the candidate’s friendship, and a Mate hired this way begins with 60 Loyalty according to LINE Games’ 2023 guide.
The guide does not give current prices or guaranteed success rates, so compare the displayed cost and negotiation chance in the Inn rather than assuming one route is always cheaper.
Raise friendship before negotiating
You can improve friendship by giving a gift or sponsoring the candidate with Ducats. Both options require a Mate in your fleet who speaks the candidate’s language. Learning additional languages can also open access to cities of other nations and improve trade and negotiation options.
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Other ways to recruit
Some Mates join through Admiral Chronicles, sometimes with additional requirements; others become available after a Chronicle ending. Availability and recruitment locations can change. For example, LINE Games’ September 2026 notice says Antonio Malatesta joins while progressing Helen Raspberry’s Chronicle, while Louise de Beaujoyeulx can be hired at Santo Domingo after completing it. The notice also lists party ports for Melati and James Lancaster; treat these as dated examples, not a complete or permanent roster. Check the current Mate list and game notices for availability.
What Skills, Effects, and Expertise do
A Mate can contribute three kinds of capability, which affect how you should choose and develop them:
Rank #2
- Skills are active abilities.
- Effects are passive abilities.
- Expertise is a job-related stat that supports ship or fleet activities.
Expertise categories serve different goals. For combat, consider the ship Expertise relevant to your approach, such as Artillery, Ramming, Support, or Melee. For adventure or trade, focus on the corresponding Fleet Expertise. Check each Mate’s Skills and Effects as well: a high Expertise number alone does not tell you whether their abilities suit your build.
How to promote Mates
Level a Mate and promote them when eligible. Promotion uses materials that include Contracts, Astrolabes, and Certificates of Appointment. It raises Expertise, teaches Effects, and increases the number of Effects available for activation.
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LINE Games’ Basic Growth Guide, last updated in May 2023, says Mates can be promoted up to four times and that the number of activatable Effects depends on promotion status, reaching up to four in that guide. Exact requirements and limits may have changed; use the current in-game growth screen to confirm materials and eligibility.
How to train fully promoted Mates
For Mates at maximum promotion rank, the official guide describes a training system of up to four rounds. Training points can be allocated among Combat, Adventure, and Trade Expertise. Training takes time and requires promotion materials and training books.
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- The guide lists tasks and palace or guild contribution stores as sources of training books.
- Used training points can be reset with Blue Gems, according to the guide.
- Because these limits and requirements come from the 2023 guide, check the current training screen before committing materials or Gems.
Newer progression beyond promotion and training
LINE Games’ September 2026 update notice says Stage 3 Transcendence was then available only to S Grade Mates. It uses Sacred Stones of Transcendence and grants a new Transcendence Effect; a Mate completing it could reach Company Level +60. The same notice raised the general Mate level maximum to 175. The notice describes Stage 3 Transcendence for A, B, and C Grade Mates as a possible future addition, not an available feature at that time. Consult later notices for changes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which Cabin should you assign a Mate to?
Open Menu > Ship > Cabins and match the Mate’s Expertise and abilities to a compatible Cabin. Cabin options differ by ship type and grade. A compatible assignment can apply a Mate’s Skills, Effects, and Expertise to the ship or fleet; an incompatible assignment reduces Expertise by 50%, according to LINE Games’ 2023 guide. Repeated Skills or Effects on the same ship can strengthen the applied ability.
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Choose based on the fleet job you want to improve:
- Combat: Prioritize a compatible Cabin and relevant ship Expertise, such as Artillery, Ramming, Support, or Melee, alongside useful Skills and Effects.
- Adventure or trade: Favor the appropriate Fleet Expertise and abilities that support that activity.
Auto Assign can provide a starting arrangement, but the guide says it selects by highest usable Expertise and handles a Captain’s Cabin by highest Combat Level. Review its choices if you are building for a particular strategy.
Keep Loyalty high enough for assignments
Loyalty falls while sailing, and a Slacking Mate cannot be assigned to a Cabin. The 2023 guide says a conversation can raise one Mate’s Loyalty every four hours and a speech can raise all Mates’ Loyalty every 24 hours. These intervals are patch-sensitive; confirm the current interaction options and timing in-game.
Make the recruitment and growth decision
Before spending resources, weigh the candidate’s role and the route to getting them ready:
Quick Recap
- Compare the Inn’s Blue Gem hiring option with the Ducat negotiation option and the displayed friendship-dependent chance. The official guide establishes the methods but not current prices or guaranteed odds.
- Consider the effort needed to raise friendship and the negotiated hire’s 60 starting Loyalty figure from the 2023 guide.
- Check the Mate’s language, Expertise, Skills, and Effects against your intended Cabin and ship or fleet goal.
- Review current promotion, training, and Transcendence requirements in the game before allocating materials, training points, or Blue Gems.
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