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22 Windrose's Early Access launch build is built around boss progression across its three launch biomes. The live Steam store description says the game ships with three biomes, each with its own quests, enemies, and bosses, and the current live wiki coverage consistently points to one major story boss for each of those biomes.
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44 Documented Launch-Build Bosses
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66 BossWhere You Meet ThemWhy They MatterThomas RichardsCoastal Jungle, through Revenge Is Best Served ColdFirst major boss and the opening step beyond the starter-island survival arcGhost CaptainMajor dungeon encounter; community coverage places it as an early major bossFirst major dungeon boss; drops the Soul Eater greatswordIsrael HandsFoothills, through Needle in a HaystackBlackbeard's lieutenant and the central mid-game story boss of the launch buildHigh PriestessCursed SwampsThe late-launch-biome boss tied to the plague and supernatural side of the story
77 How Boss Progression Works
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99 The opening tutorial and early story get you through the shipwreck, the first base, and your first real ship.The Coastal Jungle boss path introduces the first major dungeon-scale boss fight.The Foothills boss path escalates into a broader hunt for Israel Hands and pushes the story deeper into Blackbeard's organization.The Cursed Swamps cap the current launch-biome progression with a more supernatural confrontation.
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1111 What Bosses Gate
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1313 Story progression across Chapter 1Access to later-biome content and better crafting laddersNamed loot, higher-stakes quest rewards, and the next stretch of the world map
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1515 Boss Prep That Consistently Matters
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1717 Bring food buffs and enough healing to survive multiple attempts.Place a tent or Fast Travel Bell outside the approach if the area allows it.Do not treat the fights as pure damage races. Windrose boss encounters reward stamina control, spacing, and reading committed attacks.If you are struggling solo, co-op remains a valid option. The launch build supports up to 8 players, though the developers recommend smaller groups for smoother play.
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1919 What About Blackbeard
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2121 Blackbeard is the game's main antagonist, but the current Chapter 1 live build frames him as the long-term threat rather than a clearly documented early resolved boss page. It is safer to treat Thomas Richards, Ghost Captain, Israel Hands, and the High Priestess as the current documented launch-build boss ladder, with Blackbeard remaining the larger story goal.
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2323 See Also
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2525 Quests - where the boss encounters fit into the story pathDungeons - the hand-crafted spaces that lead into many major fightsPoints of Interest - how boss spaces fit into Windrose's wider world structureEnemies - broader enemy families around the boss fights
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2727 All Launch Bosses at a Glance
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2929 BossBiomeQuestRecommended LevelThomas RichardsCoastal JungleRevenge Is Best Served Cold5 to 6Israel HandsFoothillsNeedle in a Haystack8 to 10Ghost CaptainTemple dungeonNeedle in a Haystack / side10 to 12High PriestessCursed SwampsSwamp boss encounter12 to 15
3030 Boss Progression Order
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3232 Thomas Richards unlocks the Foothills.Israel Hands completes the Needle in a Haystack main quest and unlocks the Cursed Swamps.Ghost Captain is an optional fight with major loot payouts (see the boss article for details).High Priestess is the deepest Cursed Swamps boss; most demanding at launch.
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3434 Preparation Checklist (Applies to Every Boss)
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3636 Two cooked food buffs active. See Cooking Recipes for build-matched meta dishes.15 to 20 healing-tier potions or food, plus Bandages on hotbar.Set a tent or Fast Travel Bell near the arena entrance.Review Perfect Block mechanics; parry windows are tight but save stamina.Match weapon to boss: fast weapons for phase-heavy bosses; heavy hitters for poise breaks. See Weapons.
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3838 Boss-by-Boss Reference
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4040 The table below summarizes the three confirmed main-story bosses of the launch build at a glance. Detailed strategy, attack patterns, and phase notes live on each boss's individual article.
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4242 BossBiome / QuestRecommended LevelKey RewardUnlocksThomas RichardsCoastal Jungle via Revenge Is Best Served Cold5 to 6, gear tier 5Gear tier cap raised to 10; iron-tier crafting accessFoothillsIsrael HandsFoothills via Needle in a Haystack8 to 10, gear tier 10Soul Eater greatsword, 30x Undead Essence, Charon's ObolCursed SwampsHigh PriestessCursed Swamps12 to 15, gear tier 15Second Charon's Obol; ends Chapter 1 launch progressionEnd of currently available main story
4343 Universal Prep Checklist
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4545 Every boss in the launch build rewards the same preparation pattern. The specific items below are not flavor recommendations but the practical baseline used in community-verified clears:
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4747 Item TypeRecommended SetupFood buffs (two slots)One stat-matching meal (Meaty Croc Kebab for Strength, Swamp Pie for Precision, Banana Coffee for Agility, Coffee for Endurance) plus one Vitality or HP-restoring dish.Rested buffStand inside the bonfire plot at your most decorated base before leaving so the Well-Rested timer ticks at maximum duration. See Comfort System.Healing supply10 to 20 Healing Potions of the highest tier you can craft, plus 10 Bandages on the hotbar for emergency stops.ElixirMatch the elixir to the boss's pressure profile. Elixir of Pain Relief for damage reduction; Elixir of Cruelty or Concentration for offensive scaling.Tent or Fast Travel BellPlace a tent or Fast Travel Bell near the arena entrance so a death does not reset the approach.Weapon matchCrude damage (clubs, halberds, maces) is consistently effective against undead and supernatural enemies including the High Priestess. Pierce-heavy ranged loadouts (Pistol, Musket) handle ranged-pressure phases on every boss.
4848 Recommended Armor by Boss Phase
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5050 Armor set selection meaningfully changes how survivable each fight is. The community-tested recommendations below are the most-cited combinations across launch-week clears:
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5252 Boss2-Piece Combo4-Piece AlternativeThomas Richards2x Conquistador Set (15% Damage Resistance) + 2x Pikeman Set (+160 Max Health)4x Pikeman Set if running a halberd build for the +15% two-handed damage bonusIsrael Hands2x Conquistador Set + 2x Tracker Set for stacked DR plus healing efficiency4x Flibustier's Attire for one-handed Rapier-of-a-Thousand-Cuts buildsHigh Priestess2x Conquistador Set + 2x Privateer Set for crit-stack pustule windows4x Pikeman Set for halberd burst during stun phases
5353 Why You Cannot Skip Ranged
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5555 All three main-story bosses gate damage windows behind ranged pressure at some point in the encounter. Thomas Richards rewards Blunderbuss bursts during his cooldown windows; Israel Hands forces lateral movement while spectral projectiles fire and a Musket or Pistol turns those windows into damage; the High Priestess's pustule shield only breaks under firearm damage and cannot be popped by melee. A pure-melee loadout will clear the first two with effort, but the High Priestess is functionally unwinnable without a firearm in the secondary slot. Plan for at least one Pistol-class weapon in every boss-prep loadout, and stock a minimum of 30 to 40 bullets and the matching gunpowder stack before leaving base.