Windrose Ship Guide: All Vessels, Stats, and Best Variants
You cannot rule the ocean if you are sailing around in a wooden bathtub.
The progression of your pirate empire is entirely dictated by the size of your hull ( I guess size does matter…). You start with a miserable little raft, upgrade to a modest Ketch, and eventually start eyeing the massive, multi-deck warships patrolling the deep water.
Windrose does not just hand you a bigger boat. You have to buy the blueprints from specific factions, grind an absurd amount of raw materials, and make a permanent choice regarding which specific variant of the ship you want to construct. I wasted an enormous amount of time and copper building the wrong ship because I did not understand how the cannon slots worked.
If you do not even have a Wharf built yet, or if you have absolutely no idea how to actually aim a cannon once it is mounted, you need to step back and read my naval combat and fleet management guide first. Here is the complete breakdown of every ship currently available in the game.
The Ketch (Early Game)
This is your introduction to actual naval combat. You naturally unlock the ability to build a Ketch by completing the "Need A Bigger Boat" main questline. Once your Wharf is established, you have three variations to choose from.
Which Ketch Should You Build?
Stick with the Stock Ketch.
While the Blackbeard variant technically allows you to mount heavier 24-pound cannons, its health pool is dangerously low. You are going to upgrade to a Brigantine relatively quickly anyway. Wasting precious mid-game resources trying to outfit a fragile Ketch with heavy artillery is a terrible investment.
To build any variant of the Ketch, you need 150 Wood, 40 Coarse Fabric, 30 Rope, and 100 Nails. Those nails require smelting a decent chunk of copper, so make sure you read my copper mining guide to find the best caves.
The Brigantine (Mid Game)
The Brigantine is where naval combat actually gets interesting. It is a massive step up in both firepower and durability, but it requires serious economic investment.
You cannot unlock this ship through the main story. You have to visit the Tortuga market and buy the blueprints from the Brethren of the Coast faction for 1,000 Piastre. Crucially, they will not even sell you the plans until you reach Reputation Level 2 with them. If you do not know how to earn their respect or where their merchant stall is, check my faction traders and reputation guide.
Which Brigantine Should You Build?
You absolutely want the Blackbeard Brigantine.
Yes, the hit points are lower, but 22 Knots is incredibly fast, allowing you to easily outmaneuver enemy fire. More importantly, being able to mount six 24-pound cannons transforms this ship into an absolute monster.
Brigantine Crafting Costs
The resource jump here is massive. To build a Brig, you need:
200 Wooden Planks
120 Coarse Fabric
40 Linen Fabric
40 Rope
40 Timber
80 Copper Ingots
200 Nails
30 Shipwright's Tools (Bought from the Brethren vendor for another 300 Piastre)
You will be spending a lot of time chopping trees to fund this. Read my wood farming guide to speed up that miserable process.
The Frigate (End Game)
The Frigate is the current apex predator of the Windrose archipelago. It is a massive, floating fortress that requires an absurd amount of dedication to unlock.
You buy the plans from the exact same Brethren of the Coast vendor in Tortuga, but the price tag is staggering. The blueprints cost 3,000 Piastre, and you must achieve a grueling Reputation Level 4 with the faction before they even let you look at the schematics.
Which Frigate Should You Build?
Once again, the Blackbeard Frigate is the optimal choice.
Even with the lowest health pool in its class, 110,000 hit points is more than enough to survive sustained combat. The real draw here is the ability to mount twelve 36-pound cannons. If you manage to catch an enemy ship in a full broadside volley from a dozen 36-pounders, they will simply cease to exist.
Farm your reputation, hoard your Piastre, and keep checking the Windrose Hub for more ways to dominate the high seas.
