Part of the Sea of Conquest Mechanics Series:

Combat Mechanics Hub: Damage types and rage (Start Here).

Attack vs Damage: Which multiplier gear feeds.

Trinkets Guide: Assigning trinkets by hero role.

Ship Parts: The ship-side equivalent.

Quick Answer

Hero gear in Sea of Conquest comes in two layers, both unlocking from Season 2:

Trinkets — obtained from conches, giving attack, defense, healing and armour bonuses. Some heroes have exclusive trinkets (Bones and Onimusha among them) which grant critical rate.

Gems — colour-coded, and this is where most players waste resources:

Gem	Effect
Yellow	Boosts a single damage type
Green	Critical Resistance
Red	Critical rate up to 100%, then critical damage

The rule that saves the most resources: a yellow gem must match the damage type your ship actually deals. A yellow gem for Blazing on a Cutthroat ship contributes exactly nothing. Not a reduced benefit — nothing.

Gems in Detail

Gems become meaningful in Season 2 and deepen considerably through Seasons 4 and 5.

Yellow — damage type

Each yellow gem boosts one damage type. Before slotting one:

Check what damage type the ship deals
Check what type the captain's skills deal
Match the gem to that type

Yellow gems feed Damage Bonus, the final per-type multiplier — see attack vs damage. Because Damage Bonus and Attack multiply against each other, the marginal value rule applies: if your Attack is proportionally weaker, a yellow gem does less for you than a Captain's Quarters upgrade would.

Red — critical rate, then critical damage

Red gems raise critical rate up to 100%, after which further investment converts into critical damage.

That 100% threshold is a genuine breakpoint. Below it, red gems buy you consistency; above it, they buy raw multiplier. Getting a damage carry to 100% crit rate before adding crit damage is the correct order, and stopping halfway is the common error.

Green — Critical Resistance

Green gems reduce the impact of incoming critical hits.

Prioritise Critical Resistance over armour at higher levels. Once opposing fleets crit consistently, the crit multiplier is doing more damage to you than base hits, and armour does nothing about a multiplier. This is the defensive stat most players discover too late.

Green gems belong on your flagship and your front-line hulls.

Trinkets

Trinkets come from conches and provide attack, defense, healing and armour bonuses. They are the main source of Damage Bonus alongside gems.

Exclusive trinkets are hero-specific — Bones and Onimusha each have one — and grant critical rate. If you have invested in a hero with an exclusive trinket, that trinket is usually their single best gear slot, because it is designed around their kit rather than being generic.

Assignment by hero role is covered in the trinkets guide. The short version: match the trinket's effect to the hero's job, fix weaknesses before amplifying strengths, and equip your promoted core first — gear on a benched hero does nothing.

Gear vs Ship Parts

Two systems, two different stats, and confusing them is why builds stall:

Layer	Mainly supplies
Ship parts	Attack
Trinkets and gems	Damage Bonus

So if your Damage Bonus is lagging, the fix is hero gear. If your Attack is lagging, the fix is ship parts, ship level and the Captain's Quarters. Diagnosing which one is behind — and investing in the weaker — beats stacking whichever upgrade you happen to have materials for.

Investment Priority

Correct hero-to-ship placement. Free +20% attribute bonus, costs nothing.
Green gems on your flagship and front-line. Critical Resistance is undervalued.
Type-matched yellow gems on damage ships. Check the type first.
Red gems to 100% crit rate on your primary damage carry, then crit damage.
Exclusive trinkets for any hero who has one.
Generic trinkets on your promoted core.

Do not: spread gems across every hero, slot yellow gems without checking the damage type, or gear heroes you do not field.

FAQ

What do the gem colours do in Sea of Conquest?

Yellow boosts a single damage type, green gives Critical Resistance, red raises critical rate to 100% and then critical damage.

Why is my yellow gem doing nothing?

It is boosting a damage type your ship does not deal. Yellow gems are per-type and give zero benefit when mismatched.

Should I build critical rate or critical damage?

Critical rate first, to 100%. Crit damage only becomes the better buy once your rate is capped.

What are exclusive trinkets?

Hero-specific trinkets — Bones and Onimusha have them — that grant critical rate. Usually the best slot for that hero.

Is armour or Critical Resistance better?

Critical Resistance at higher levels. Armour does not reduce the crit multiplier, and crits are where high-level damage comes from.

When does gear unlock?

Trinkets and gems both become available in Season 2, with gems deepening through Seasons 4 and 5.

Key Takeaways

Yellow gems must match your ship's damage type or they do nothing.
Red gems: 100% crit rate first, then crit damage.
Green gems / Critical Resistance beat armour at higher levels.
Parts give Attack; trinkets and gems give Damage Bonus. Fix the weaker one.
Exclusive trinkets are usually their hero's best slot.

Sea of Conquest Trinkets and Gems: Captain Equipment Guide