Complete Guide to Boats and Airships in Soulmask

Alexa Hunter

Jun 2, 2026

Boats and airships in Soulmask completely change the way you explore and survive the game. They turn the vast Shifting Sands map from a slow desert grind into something alive and exciting, letting you sail rivers, skim across sand, and eventually soar through the sky with your whole tribe and base in tow. Once you get these vehicles running, travel, resource runs, and even big fights feel totally different.

This guide teaches how to unlock, build, customize, and master boats and airships in Soulmask step by step, based on what actually works in the Shifting Sands DLC.

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Unlocking Your First Boats in Soulmask

The process starts simple but requires steady progression through the tech tree. Head to your Knowledge and Technology tab at the bonfire or tribe altar.

First, unlock the Basic Ship node. This gives you the Thatch Boat—a quick starter made mostly from thatch and thick rope. It's perfect for crossing small rivers or channels but won't handle serious travel or combat.
Next, research the Shipbuilding Technique node. This is your real gateway to proper Soulmask boats. It unlocks the Small Wooden Boat hull and all the parts needed to make it seaworthy. You will need a Building Workbench (or shipyard once available) to craft everything.

I recommend sending tribe members to gather wood, rope, and hides early. Stockpiling these basics saves hours later when you want to experiment with deck layouts.

Building and Customizing Soulmask Boats

Once you have the Shipbuilding Technique, gather these core parts for your first real vessel:

Small Wooden Boat frame
Small Wooden Boat Stern Rudder
Small Speed Sail
Small Airship Helm (yes, even water boats use this for steering)

Place the frame first, then add the rudder, sails, and helm. From there, you can snap on Wooden Deck Flooring, platforms, and extra storage. Keep the build light at the beginning because overloaded boats handle poorly in currents or when beaching on sand.

You can also claim pre-built Soulmask Tribe Boats from certain River Delta or coastal camps. These are handy early-game options that already move on both water and land, though they lack heavy customization until you add your own pieces.

However, the real fun begins when you start adding wings and skids even before full flight. These small upgrades make your boat skim across shallow sand more smoothly and prepare you for the next stage.

How to Get Soulmask Airships – Beating the Sobek Crocodile

Soulmask Airships are not just an upgrade; they are the next chapter. To unlock the Airship Technique node properly, you must defeat the Sobek Crocodile boss at the pyramid in the Barren Sandland region.

Bring Bronze-tier gear and a few well-armed tribesmen. The fight is tough, and your followers might not all survive, but you can revive or replace them afterward. After the victory, skin the crocodile to open the pyramid chests. Inside you will find premade Soulmask airship parts and valuable Power Crystals.

Even if your Awareness Strength is not yet at 30, you can still use any parts you loot right away. This shortcut helped me get airborne faster than the tech tree alone suggested.

Assembling and Flying Your First Soulmask Airships

With the right pieces, turning your boat into a Soulmask airship is straightforward. At Bronze tier, craft or install these three key components on your Small Wooden hull:

Marine Sand Skids Anti-Gravity Skid (S)
Small Wings
Small Anti-Gravity Engine

Load the engine with Power Crystals—usually six small ones give you roughly 10 to 12 real-world hours of flight time. You find these crystals by exploring airship camps, Holy Ruins, and certain dungeons scattered across the desert.

Hop on the helm, use the jump key to ascend and crouch to descend, and steer like a normal boat but now in three dimensions. The first liftoff feels incredible after grinding through the early game. Suddenly the whole map is yours.

Tips for Effective Use of Soulmask Boats and Airships

Here are some practical lessons I picked up after many hours piloting these vehicles:

Fuel management matters. Always carry extra Power Crystals. Running out mid-flight forces an emergency landing that can strand you far from base.
Build smart. Add retractable gangways for easy boarding, storage chests, and defensive weapons like ballistas or cannons on larger hulls.
Tribe roles help. Assign followers to specific jobs on board—some gather while the ship is docked, others defend during raids.
Docking system. Later updates added ground docking that automatically shuts off the engine when you moor properly, saving fuel.
Weight and balance. Too many heavy modules slow you down. Test small changes before committing to a full redesign.

Moreover, boats remain useful even after you unlock flight. Some areas have narrow rivers or shallow waters where traditional sailing is still faster or safer than hovering.

Falcon and Shark Class Airships in Soulmask

As you reach the Iron Age, unlock Premium Shipbuilding Technique for the Falcon-class hull. This medium-sized ship supports more parts (around 60), better engines, and faster airspeed, though it feels slightly slower on water.

Push further to the Steel Age and the Advanced Shipbuilding Technique opens the Shark-class. These larger vessels can handle 100+ building pieces, heavy weapons, shields, and massive storage. They truly become flying fortresses.

Each step requires more rare materials like Gravity Cores and Medium Energy Cores, so keep exploring ruins and higher-tier camps. The payoff is worth it when your custom airship becomes a self-sufficient mobile base that follows you across the entire Shifting Sands map.

Conclusion:

Boats and airships in Soulmask add incredible depth to the survival experience. They reward smart planning, resource gathering, and boss fights while giving you freedom that ground travel simply cannot match.

As you finish tweaking your dream boats and airships in Soulmask, the full adventure awaits with every new region and mask you unlock. If you want the complete Soulmask Steam Key to experience everything without restrictions, Lootbar offers a convenient way to pick one up and keep playing seamlessly.