Flags

"Want to sink and plunder, or seek allies to adventure with? Let your intentions be known with new flags which can be raised high above your ship! Climb up to the crow's nest and decide which to raise."

Flags are one of the possible Ship Customizations in Sea of Thieves.

Mechanics
The main purpose of a Flag is to show the intentions or colours of your Crew to every passing Ship, however true Pirates know not to trust everything they see. Flags can be purchased at a Shipwright Shop, but not equipped at the Ship Customization Chest. Instead, Flags are placed on the ship from the Ship Flag Box on each Ship's Crow's Nest atop the main mast, which is accessed by climbing a Ladder.

There are currently three types of Flags in-game: Regular Flags (rectangular), Alliance Flags (Triangular pennants) and Emissary Flags. Regular Flags and Alliance Flags can be raised and lowered at will from the Ship Flag Box. Emissary Flags can only be raised and lowered at Emissary Tables with a Crew vote. All three types of Flags can be raised at the same time and do not cancel each other out.

All regular Flags serve a purely visual purpose with the exception of the Flag Of The Reaper’s Mark, which is a cursed Flag that Shows your Ship's position for all Ships on their Map Tables.

All Alliance Flags serve the purpose of forming Player Alliances, where Ships can form Fleets that work together and share their Reward and Reputation gains.

All Emissary Flags serve the purpose of representing a single chosen Trading Company as an Emissary on the seas. Emissaries get increased Reward and Reputation gains for their Company. High Grade Emissaries can receive special powers or Emissary Quests.

There are various Commendations rewarded for sailing with a Reaper's Mark, Alliance and Emissary Flag.

Variants
The following list includes all the different cosmetic Flag variants in Sea of Thieves:

Bandera