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Naval Combat - Version 31 vs Version 32
May 23, 2026, 08:00 AM
Removed an out-of-scope game comparison from the intro, added wikilinks across cannons, ammo, tactics, ships, factions and materials throughout the guide.
May 23, 2026, 08:29 PM
Corrected wikilink existence flags
11Naval combat is one of Windrose's core systems. Ship battles centre on broadside cannon volleys, boarding actions, and wind-based maneuvering. Transitions between ship and shore are seamless, with no loading screens.33Ship Controls55ActionKeySteer left / rightA / DRaise sails (increase speed)WLower sails (decrease speed)SAim cannonsRight Mouse Button (hold)Fire cannonsLeft Mouse ButtonBoard enemy shipSpace (when prompt appears)Summon ship to shoreKToggle zoomed-out cameraFOpen ship management (near wheel)Q77The faster you move, the harder it is to turn. Lowering speed to roughly three-quarters sail noticeably reduces your turning circle, making it easier to bring cannons to bear on the enemy. Use the F key to zoom out for better situational awareness during combat.88Ammo Types1010Ships carry two types of ammunition, and players can switch between them during combat:1212Ammo TypeEffectBest Used ForRegular cannonballsDirect hull damage to enemy shipsSinking or weakening ships for boardingBar shot (chained shots)Targets enemy sails and rigging to slow ships downOpening a fight to reduce enemy maneuverability1515The recommended strategy is to start a fight with bar shot. Fire five to six good shots into the enemy's rigging to slow them down, then switch to regular cannonballs and pound their hull. Once the enemy ship is slowed, you can get on their broadside and maintain a sustained barrage.1616Wave Mechanics1818Waves physically block cannon shots. When large waves rise between your ship and the enemy, cannonballs can hit the wave crest instead of the target. Greater distance and higher tides make this worse. Players need to time shots for moments when they have a clear line of sight over the water. This adds a positioning element to combat where closing distance reduces the chance of waves interfering with your volleys.2020Ship Classes2222Several ship types are available, each filling a different role:2424ImageShip ClassDescriptionKetchNimble mid-size vessel with good maneuverabilityBrigVersatile workhorse balancing speed, durability, and firepowerFrigateMassive warship with heavy cannon capacity but slow turning2626Each class differs in speed, durability, maneuverability, and the number of cannons it can mount. Choosing the right ship for a situation matters, since a frigate can overpower anything in a straight fight but struggles in tight island channels.2727Ship Equipment2929Ship equipment is crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop and equipped via the Wharf's ship management interface (drag items into Ship Gear slots):3131EquipmentPurposeRecipeShip CannonsFire at enemy ships. Windrose ships carry 12-Pounder, 24-Pounder, and 36-Pounder calibers. Each caliber has a baseline Uncommon cannon plus Tempered, Devastating, and Perfectly Ordered modifier lines at Rare and Epic.Baseline 12-Pounder: 10 Copper Ingots + 10 Wood at Shipwright's Workshop Level 1. Heavier calibers and modifier variants require higher-tier stations plus plan papers from the Rogue Buccaneers.Hull BracingReduces damage taken, makes your ship more durable5 Copper Ingots + 30 Wood + 5 NailsBoarding EquipmentImproves NPC crew effectiveness during boarding actionsRecipe varies3333All three equipment types can be upgraded at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab with additional materials to increase their effectiveness. Fully upgraded boarding equipment makes your NPC crew significantly tankier and more effective in fights.3434Boarding3636After damaging an enemy ship enough, you can board it. The boarding process follows specific steps:3838Weaken the enemy ship. Fire cannons until the enemy health bar drops low enough to trigger the boarding option.Position alongside. Sail close to the enemy ship, keeping it on your left or right side.Wait for the boarding prompt. Do NOT jump onto the enemy ship before the prompt appears. Doing so is likely fatal.Press Space to board. Your NPC crew will board alongside you and fight enemy sailors together.Fight the enemy crew. Defeat all enemies on the deck. In the Seafarer quest, this means defeating 7 enemies.Loot the ship. Successful boarding lets you collect the ship's cargo.4040Boarding tips from experienced players:4242Use ranged attacks (musket or blunderbuss) before closing to melee distanceSupport your NPC crew from behind rather than charging into the front lineEnemies cannot attack you on high ground, so climb elevated positions for ranged advantageUpgrade boarding equipment at the Shipwright's Workshop so your crew becomes more effectiveBlock and parry to tire enemies and reduce armor damageEat damage-boosting food before initiating the boarding actionDo not board ships higher level than you4444Enemy Ships4646ShipLevelNotesBlackbeard Transport Ship1Starter/practice enemy. Recommended as first naval target.Blackbeard's Pirates' KetchVariesEncountered during the Seafarer quest. Drops Insignia of a Blackbeard Lieutenant, Naval Supplies, Piastres, and Contraband.Transport Ship4Significantly higher health than level 1 ships.Interceptor4Second high-level variant. Tougher combat encounter.4848Engaging ships two or more levels above your current rank is strongly discouraged. The level difference makes combat extremely punishing.4949Ship Repair5151Three methods exist for repairing ships:5353MethodWhen to UseCostCombat Repair KitsMid-battle emergency repairs while under fireConsumable item (crafted)Wharf RepairAfter your ship is destroyed; rebuilds the vessel20 Wood at the Wharf, then press K to respawnShipwreck RepairQuest-specific; repairing a found shipwreck100 Wood, 20 Nails, 20 Coarse Fabric, 10 Ropes5656Ship destruction is not permanent. If your ship is sunk, rebuild it at a Wharf for just 20 Wood, which is roughly three palm trees worth of materials.5757Key Infrastructure5959Two buildings are required for naval combat:6161BuildingCostPlacementShipwright's Workshop15 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric + 5 Copper IngotsWithin bonfire range; requires a roofWharf10 Wood + 10 Coarse FabricOn the shoreline, within bonfire range6363The Seafarer Quest6464The Seafarer is the second tutorial quest, unlocked after completing "I Need a Bigger Boat." It teaches naval combat through a structured sequence: building the Shipwright's Workshop, crafting 12-Pounder Cannons, constructing a Wharf, equipping cannons on your ship, and sailing to engage Blackbeard's fleet. The February 2026 demo ended here with a "To be continued..." screen, but the live Early Access build continues far beyond this point into Tortuga, faction progression, and the rest of Chapter 1.6666Co-Op Naval Combat6868Currently, one player commands one ship. Official FAQ messaging still frames the system around one player commanding one ship, and Kraken Express describes fuller multi-crew roles as future work rather than a settled launch feature. In co-op multiplayer (up to 8 players total, though official sources recommend closer to 4 for smoother late-game performance), each player commands their own separate ship during naval combat. Multiple players cannot crew a single ship with divided roles. NPC crew members automatically man the cannons and participate in boarding actions.7070Naval Combat Strategy Summary7272Open with bar shot into enemy sails (5 to 6 volleys) to slow them downSwitch to regular cannonballs and maintain broadside positioningSail in circles around the enemy, firing on each passReduce speed for tighter turns when bringing cannons to bearWatch the waves and time shots for clear line of sightKeep combat repair kits on hand for emergenciesWhen the enemy is weakened, position alongside and wait for the boarding promptBoard with full gear, food buffs, and ranged weapons ready7474Faction-Locked Naval Tactics7676Once you reach Tortuga, the Smugglers of Port Royal unlock a new type of ship equipment called Naval Tactics at reputation rank 3. Tactics are expensive but slot directly into your ship alongside cannons and hull bracing, giving persistent combat passives. The Brethren of the Coast sell the higher-tier ship designs (Brig and Frig) at high rep, although actually crafting those hulls still requires Foothills resources. The Buccaneers provisioner sells faction variants of the 12-pounder at rank 2.7878Examples of Naval Tactics confirmed from the Smugglers' provisioner inventory:8080Tactic EffectTriggerRestore 3% chip health every 3 secondsWhile out of combatApply Broken Rhythm: reload speed -20%, damage -20% for 30 secondsOn hitting an enemy shipNext volley deals +130% damageIf you neither deal nor take damage for 2 minutes8282Because tactics cost piastres in the hundreds per slot, plan your reputation grind around which one suits your playstyle before spending. The +130% sleeper volley tactic favors careful snipers; the Broken Rhythm debuff is strongest in 1v1 trading fights; the out-of-combat chip regen pairs well with the hit-and-run ketch style of play.8383Fighting Outnumbered8585Quest chains and faction patrols routinely surround you with 2 to 5 hostile ships at once. A raw unupgraded 12-pounder loadout will not survive a 1v3. Three preparation steps close the gap. First, upgrade every single cannon at the Shipwright's Workshop using Copper Ingots and Wooden Planks; upgrades apply per-cannon and stack into a meaningful damage jump across a full broadside. Second, buy or earn a variant cannon from the Buccaneers provisioner at rep 2, such as the Perfectly Ordered 12-Pounder Roost. Third, slot at least one Naval Tactic from the Smugglers once you hit their rep 3.8787Tactically, kite rather than brawl. Use bar shot to slow one target, peel away behind an island or wave crest to break line of sight on the other two, then circle back to finish the slowed ship before the rest catch up. Keep several Combat Repair Kits in your hold at all times and never engage multiple ships without at least average-item-level-4 hull bracing, which usually means upgrading blue-tier bracing a few times with copper.8989Bounty Barrels in Open Water9191White, blue, and yellow lights visible in the ocean mark floating bounty barrels. The color encodes rarity. White gives basic loot like wood, repair kits, and steel nails. Blue is uncommon and can include lost goods, piastres, and crafting materials such as nails and silver. Yellow is the rare tier and can hand out epic gear pieces. Sailing a regular trade route between your base and Tortuga lets you gather 100 to 200 wood in a single trip just by scooping barrels along the way, which is dramatically faster than chopping forests by hand.9393Approach with your small boat, dismount briefly to pick up the barrel, and keep moving. Some barrels spawn inside patrol routes where pirate ships will engage if you linger. If you do not yet have a fast travel bell placed on the nearest island, either drop one before engaging or accept that a sunk ship means rowing back.9595Ship Summon and Wharf Respawn9797The K-key ship summon has no cooldown and works with every ship class, including the Brig and Frig, rather than only the starter boat. Whenever you reach a shoreline you can recall your current vessel to that exact spot, which removes most of the pain of exploring on foot and remembering where you docked.9999If your ship sinks, the Wharf restore option rebuilds it for 20 Wood (roughly three palm trees worth of farming) and you respawn the ship at your location with K. Ship loss is therefore effectively a small wood tax rather than a catastrophic setback, but any cargo that was in the hold is lost. Offload trade goods at a merchant or into a base chest before every risky fleet engagement.101101Pre-Sail Checklist103103Experienced captains run through a short preparation ritual before casting off. Most Early Access players rank these steps as the minimum preparation for a serious fight.105105Step 1: Build the Shipwright's Workshop first. Once you have a ship you can sail, the Shipwright's Workshop is the single most important next craft. It lets you build cannons, hull armor, boarding equipment, and upgrade every one of them. Nothing else on land matters as much until this station is placed and stocked.107107Step 2: Stockpile materials. Expect to burn through a lot of wood, plant fibers (for Coarse Fabric), and copper ore. Keep upgrading each ship piece until the required materials change. That swap is the game's way of telling you the current equipment tier is topped out and you need to progress further in the story before more upgrades unlock.109109Step 3: Craft Repair Kits and Grogs. Before you leave, visit the Crafting Table. Combat Repair Kits are your ship's health potions, used mid-battle to patch the hull while under fire. Grogs are drinks that buff you and your crew. Common effects are increased damage, faster reload speed, or reduced incoming damage. Pick the grog that suits the fight you are about to start.111111Step 4: Visit the Wharf. Head to the Wharf and actually equip the cannons, hull armor, and boarding gear onto your ship by dragging them into the Ship Gear slots. Upgrades and ownership alone do nothing; the gear has to sit in the ship slot to apply. Then assign consumables (repair kits and grog) to your hotbar hotkeys so you can trigger them without fumbling through menus mid-combat.113113Step 5: Pop the grog before the first cannon flash. Activate the grog buff right before the fighting starts, not after you take your first hit. The buff runs on a timer, so triggering it early wastes seconds, but triggering it late means the opening broadside lands without it. The sweet spot is the moment the enemy comes into firing range.115115Cannon Side Rhythm117117Every ship has three cannon banks: front, left (port), and right (starboard). Each bank has its own independent cooldown, so firing the front battery does not slow the reload on the port broadside. This is the foundation of the shoot-and-move rhythm that keeps your ship dealing damage every second instead of waiting for one global reload.119119The early-game approach is to use only two sides, typically front + left, and simply alternate. Line up the front cannons on an approach, fire, turn left to expose the port broadside, fire again while the front bank reloads, then swing back around. Turning in the starter Ketch is slow, and in a 1v1 you usually cannot swing fully around to also bring the right side to bear before the left has finished reloading. So alternating two banks is the sustainable rhythm.121121In crowded engagements with three or more enemies arranged around you, expose all three sides in sequence: front at whatever is in front, then peel left to hit one flank with the port battery, then peel right to hit another flank with the starboard battery. This only works if there are distinct targets on each arc. In a pure 1v1 against a faster-turning opponent, forcing a three-side engagement usually eats more time than it saves.123123ScenarioSide RotationWhy1v1, starter KetchFront + left, alternateTurning circle is too wide to get the starboard side aligned before the port battery finishes reloading1v2 or 1v3 with enemies on different arcsFront, port, starboard as each enters a bank's arcIndependent cooldowns mean each bank resets while you aim the next one, so full rotation keeps constant damage going out1v2 trading on the same sideFront + one broadside, treat the second enemy as a follow-up target on the next passStacking both enemies on one side lets a single broadside volley hit both; the other bank is already primed for the next pass125125Chainshot Debuff126126Bar shot, also called chainshot, is the secondary ammo type. On PC it is bound to 2. Aim it high at the enemy's sails (the big fabric sheets hanging from the masts), not the hull. Landing enough bar shot hits applies a visible Hindered debuff icon on the enemy ship, after which the target moves significantly slower and struggles to turn. Once Hindered, the enemy either becomes easy to stay broadside against or easy to leave behind if you want to disengage.128128The numerical guideline from community testing is 5 to 6 clean bar shot volleys into the sails for the debuff to land reliably, then switch to regular cannonballs for the hull damage phase. A partial bar shot barrage still slows the enemy, but the Hindered icon is what confirms the full debuff is applied.130130Sink for Loot in Group Fights132132In fleet engagements, not every enemy ship is worth boarding. Ships that will drop a pirate chest display a small chest icon above them once they are at boarding threshold. Ships without the chest icon drop generic cargo if sunk rather than boarded, and they frequently drop Combat Repair Kits. In a drawn-out 1v3 or larger fight, deliberately sinking the non-chest ships for their repair kit drops is often more useful than trying to board them, because the kits restore hull HP mid-engagement and let you survive long enough to board the chest-carrying flagship.134134This flips the usual priority: the chest-icon ship is always the primary boarding target, but the escorts are farming fuel for the rest of the fight. Sink them fast, scoop the floating crates, and keep pressure on the flagship.136136Repair Kits Are Health Potions138138The single most common mistake from new captains is hoarding repair kits for a rainy day. Use them. Combat Repair Kits restore hull HP while you remain under fire, and they stack in the ship hold. Sail with at least four or five in the hold before any serious fight, drop one the instant hull HP dips below about 60%, and keep dropping them on cooldown for the rest of the engagement. A ship that sits at 30% HP the whole fight takes every unlucky volley a lot worse than one that gets topped back up to 80% every thirty seconds.140140Ship Controls Reference142142Naval combat runs on a different control scheme than land combat. The baseline keys and mouse inputs:144144ActionInputSteer left / rightA / DIncrease / decrease speedW / SAim cannonsRight Mouse Button (hold)Fire cannonsLeft Mouse ButtonSwitch ammo typeInventory swap to chained shot, round shot, etc.Board adjacent shipSpace (when prompt appears)146146Chained Shot for Sail Targeting147147Cannon ammo can swap mid-fight. The default round shot tears into hulls, but chained shot is purpose-built to shred sails and slow a fleeing enemy. Switching to chained shot for the first volley can pin a faster ship long enough for your crew to close the boarding distance. Once the enemy is boarded-pending, swap back to round shot to keep pressure on the hull.149149Swimming and Drowning151151Falling into the water during or after a naval fight is recoverable but dangerous. Swimming back to the ship is possible, but it costs stamina continuously. If stamina hits zero while still in the water, the character begins to submerge and drowns. The safe sequence is: swim straight toward the ship hull, avoid detours, and climb the boarding rope or ladder as soon as it is reachable. Avoid trying to swim to a distant island from open water; the stamina cost is almost always lethal over that distance.153153Three-Side Broadside System and Aiming Rules155155Three independent firing sides: ships in Windrose fire from three separate arcs: port (left), starboard (right), and bow (front). Each arc runs its own reload cooldown, so a broadside hit from port does not lock out the bow chasers or the starboard battery. During a turning fight, the efficient rhythm is to fire port broadsides, swing the wheel to present starboard while the port crew reloads, fire again, then close the distance on the bow chasers once both broadside sides are spent. Used well, this triple-arc pattern roughly triples effective damage output over a fight that only uses one side.157157Base cannon reload: standard cannons take at least 11 seconds to reload a full broadside. Missed shots therefore cost both damage and positioning because the next volley is 11 seconds of sailing away. Stack that against the player ship taking incoming fire during reload and it becomes clear why hit rate matters more than raw cannon count.159159Aiming Rules161161Two aiming rules apply consistently and fix the majority of whiffed volleys:163163Aim lower than instinct suggests. Cannonballs arc upward over range, so aiming at the enemy's center mass usually sends the shot over the hull. Drop the crosshair toward the waterline to land hits consistently.Watch for ocean waves between the player and the target. A rising swell physically blocks projectiles in both directions. Firing into a visible wave wastes a full 11-second reload cycle with no damage to show for it. Hold the shot until the wave passes or reposition to an angle where the wave line is not in the firing lane.165165Stern-Lock Tactic167167Most ships in Windrose carry no rear-facing cannons. If the player can hold position directly behind an enemy's stern, the front guns fire freely while the enemy has no clean angle to retaliate. Maintaining the stern lock is one of the highest-value positioning habits in naval combat, and it is most easily achieved at 1/4 throttle so the player ship slides in behind the enemy as they push forward.169169Cargo Hold Preservation on Ship Loss171171If the flagship sinks during combat, the ship's cargo hold is preserved automatically. When the ship is later restored at the Wharf recovery menu, all cargo hold contents return intact. Personal inventory is a separate matter: if the player also dies during the sinking, personal inventory drops at the death location and requires a corpse run. The distinction means a captain outmatched in combat is almost always better off abandoning the fight (losing cargo-safe ship, personal inventory intact) than fighting to the last (losing ship plus character inventory to a corpse run).173173Stern Hits Are Critical Strikes175175Enemy ship hulls take critical damage from hits to the stern, the rear panel of the ship. When a cannonball lands on the stern, the damage number that floats above the hit appears in a yellow-gold color rather than the usual white, visually confirming the critical hit. The stern crit multiplier is substantially larger than a standard broadside hull hit, which makes chasing an enemy ship from behind one of the highest-value positions in naval combat.177177The mechanic compounds with the stern-lock tactic already covered above. A player who holds position directly behind a target gets two overlapping advantages: the enemy has no rear-facing cannons to return fire, and every cannonball that connects lands on the critical panel. For Blackbeard Ketch captains whose 35,000 hull HP cannot survive a long broadside trade, the stern-chase crit loop is usually the fastest kill pattern available. Open with chain shot into the sails to slow the target below your own top speed, then pull in behind at roughly 1/4 throttle and keep the front cannons firing until the enemy either sinks or reaches boarding threshold.179179Reading the crit number color matters. A volley that lands entirely in broadside color has drifted out of the crit panel; a volley that mixes gold and white numbers has partially connected with the stern and partially with the flank. Tightening the approach angle until every hit flashes gold is the same kind of feedback loop that aiming-for-the-waterline already provides on broadside trades. During long chase sequences, lock the camera slightly to one side so the stern panel stays in the firing arc through the target's turning.181181Dinghy as Stealth Transport183183The player's rowed dinghy is effectively invisible to enemy ship cannons in the current build. Pirate ships, naval patrols, and Blackbeard fleet ships track the dinghy with their targeting reticles and fire cannons toward it, but the shots do not connect in practice. This makes the dinghy the reliable option for sneaking past a hostile fleet to reach an island objective without trading a broadside first.185185The tactic is most useful when the objective is a quest interaction on a defended island rather than combat with the fleet itself. Instead of pushing the flagship through a blockade and repairing on the other side, anchor the flagship out of engagement range, drop into the dinghy, and row straight through the patrol line to the beach. Row back out the same way once the objective is complete.187187Tightening Cannon Spread with Held Aim189189Cannon spread in Windrose visibly tightens the longer the aim button is held on the same target. Releasing early from an aimed position sends shots on a wider cone that often splits across the hull and the water next to the ship, while holding the aim until the crosshair dots visibly converge sends a tighter volley that can land every cannonball in the same hull panel. The difference is especially important for stern-lock chase fights, where every miss is another eleven seconds of reload while the target widens the gap.191191Hold, do not snap: tapping the fire input without a hold on the aim button produces the widest pattern.Watch the reticle: cannon indicators narrow into a tighter arc on the HUD as the aim window matures.Combine with stern-lock: the tighter spread compounds the stern-hit critical bonus because more cannonballs land on the critical panel.193193Side-Rear Stern Critical195195The stern critical bonus does not require the firing ship to be directly behind the target. Cannonballs that connect with the rear of the target from a side angle still register as critical damage, as long as the impact point lands on the rear hull panel rather than the broadside flank. In practice, this extends the viable stern-lock zone into a wedge behind the target rather than a narrow cone, which is forgiving for slower-turning hulls such as the Frigate. Angling into a quartering position off the target's port or starboard aft corner still triggers the yellow critical damage numbers and is often easier to hold than a perfect dead-astern chase.197197Emergency Wharf Restore199199Keep enough wood and coarse fabric aboard the flagship to drop a fresh Wharf on any nearby coastline during a fight. Interacting with the new Wharf restores the ship to full hull for a flat twenty wood, regardless of the vessel size or how much damage was inbound. The tactic is repeatable across the same engagement and is often cheaper than burning through a full stack of Combat Repair Kits during a drawn-out fleet chase.201201Combat Tactics and Component Strategy203203Three pieces of practical advice make a measurable difference in mid-to-late game naval engagements: where to aim, what to upgrade, and how to convert kills into faction standing. The stern weak point is covered in detail in earlier sections; the notes below add component-tier prioritization and the insignia farming loop that pays for the upgrades.205205Stern weak point reminder: when an enemy vessel turns to flee or repositions, hold your firing line behind it. Cannon volleys into the rear arc deal critical-strike damage and most enemy ship classes carry no rear-facing guns, so the position is a free-damage window.Skip green-tier component upgrades. Do not pour copper, ingots, or insignias into uncommon (green) cannons or hull bracing. Faction provisioners eventually stock blue (rare) versions for sale, and ascending a blue component to purple (epic) produces a far stronger result than fully maxing a green. Save materials for blue-or-higher gear.Sink ships for insignia loot crates. Hulls that go under leave floating crates that drop insignias, which donate at the faction representative for faction reputation. Sinking is the fastest reputation grind in the game; a session of sinking white-text patrols can clear a reputation tier in one sitting.Golden nameplates first when boarding. Freighters with golden-text labels carry silver and sellable cargo; they are the priority target for any silver-focused run. Reserve white-text patrols for insignia farming runs where reputation is the goal.
