Smuggling

Smuggling
Category	Hidden
Type	Smuggling
Data ID	139068

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Smuggling is considered a Hidden Quality Smuggling in Sunless Skies.

Hidden description[ | ]

"You may now take advantage of illicit prospects and bargains."

Obtaining[ | ]

You need to visit London with either Veils at least 40, or Affiliation: Villainy at least 3 to trigger A Visit from a Gloomy Middleman or An Approach from a Gloomy Middleman. He will give you a mission to Titania, after completing which you can become a smuggler.

Locations and Travel Costs[ | ]

The Gentlemen (near Pan, Eleutheria) sells Starshine for 200, which can be sold for 250 or 350 via Prospect.
- Eleutheria to Reach costs 180 worth of Munitions.
Titania (Reach) sells Red Honey for 100, which can be sold for 115 or 200 via Prospect.
- Reach to Albion costs 1 Permit or 160 worth of Hours.
- Reach to Eleutheria cost 180 worth of Tea or 1 Savage Secret.
Wit & Vinegar (near London, Albion) sells Literature for 150, which can be sold for 180 or 275 via Prospect.
- Albion to Reach costs 1 Permit or 160 worth of Hours.

*Note that travel through the Albion-Eleutheria Transit Relay is free after you spend the time and 10,000 worth of Bronzewood to build it.

Strategy[ | ]

Smuggling can be very profitable - but done badly it can also be time-consuming, dangerous and loss-making. Or even fatal. The key to making a profit is to fulfill smuggling Prospects quickly, safely, and without getting caught.

A smuggling Prospect is worth a fair bit more than a regular prospect - not only are you making a good markup on a valuable cargo, but there is a completion bonus of at least £1000 and often double that for larger Prospects.

However, smuggling Prospects are also more demanding to fill, because your destination port will always be in another realm, and require you to go through a relay where you will be searched.

The best Prospects are those in adjacent realms, which you can fulfill in one trip. There's no point taking a prospect that requires you to truck from Eleutheria to Albion or vice versa. Instead go from Eleutheria to the Reach, and then pick up another prospect from the Reach to Albion. This means you spend less time, fuel and supplies on each prospect.

Hidden Compartments are very important for smuggling. Ideally you'll want 7+ hidden compartments. Because the Hidden Hold occupies a Plating slot in your locomotive, you should try to have more than one of those. Both the Pellinore and Bedivere can get you to 7 hidden compartments and still have a bridge or aux slot open. The Altani or Agravain will have 2 slots open. The Medea is the queen of smuggling and can have 9 hidden compartments and still have 3 open slots.

You should also aim to pick a Prospect that can be fulfilled in one go, without multiple trips. This means judging the amount of contraband you can carry given your Cargo Space and Hidden Compartments and then selecting opportunities that need you to take 5, 7 or 9 units depending on what you can fit in. It's usually best to research the prospects on offer, and then equip your ship with the right equipment to get you the cargo space and compartments that you need.

Unless you have very high Veils you should try not to have more Contraband than you have Hidden Compartments, because this makes the skill checks to avoid detection much more difficult. You never know exactly how difficult a Veils check you'll be faced with, as there is a random element; but with all your contraband hidden the maximum Veils you can need is 50, while with 3 unhidden contraband the maximum is 100. Of course you can always rely on your luck - but if you're caught, at very least you are likely to lose all the contraband you've paid for. A clever smuggler is a cautious smuggler.

Don't let the focus on hidden compartments make you forget boring things like fuel and supplies! Particularly when travelling Reach-Eleutheria or vice versa, don't forget that the Transit Relay is stuck out beyond Hybras and is a long journey to your destination.

If you've correctly judged what you're carrying then the customs check at the relays will be very simple. However, you still need to watch out for the hazards of the skies! If you encounter any hostile creatures while smuggling - run away. Stay focused on your smuggling task. You will usually have less Hull than usual, because Hidden Compartments often go in your Plating slots where you would normally have armour.

Finally - make sure you have surplus Crew. You'll find that if you go a long distance with contraband, your own crew will try to consume it. Don't let this undermine your ability to fulfill the Prospect; shoot the offending crew instead.

Interactions[ | ]

Interactions in Brief[ | ]

Click Expand on the right for more.

Interaction	Action	Result Type	Change
Explore London	'Return to the Gloomy Middleman at the Benbow Inn'	Default / Challenge Fail	= 1
The Gentlemen	'Look around'	Requirement	≤ 0
The Gentlemen	'Take your ease'	Requirement	≥ 1
The Wit & Vinegar Loading Dock	'Take your leave'	Requirement	≤ 0
The Wit & Vinegar Loading Dock	'Greet the workers'	Requirement	≥ 1

Interactions in Detail[ | ]