Cannons are the primary weapon system in naval combat in Windrose. They are crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop and equipped to ships via the Wharf. The current demo features one cannon type with two ammunition options.
12-Pounder Cannon
The 12-Pounder is the standard (and currently only) cannon type available in the game.
Detail | Value |
|---|---|
Crafted At | Shipwright's Workshop (Create tab) |
Recipe | 10 Copper Ingots + 10 Wood |
Equipped At | Wharf (Manage Ship interface; drag into Ship Gear slots) |
Upgradeable | Yes, at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab |
The Shipwright's Workshop costs 15 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric + 5 Copper Ingots to build and requires a roof. The Wharf costs 10 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric and must be placed in water at the shoreline within Bonfire range.
Ammunition Types
Players can switch between two ammo types during naval combat:
Ammo Type | Target | Effect | Best Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
Regular cannonballs | Enemy hull | Direct damage to ship health | Weakening ships for boarding or sinking |
Bar shot / Chain shot | Enemy sails and rigging | Slows the enemy ship down | Opening a fight to reduce enemy maneuverability |
The terms "bar shot" and "chain shot" (or "chained-shots") appear to be used interchangeably across community sources for the same anti-sail ammunition type.
Recommended Strategy
Open with bar shot. Fire 5 to 6 volleys into the enemy's rigging to slow them down.
Switch to regular cannonballs. Once the enemy is slowed, maintain broadside positioning and pound their hull.
Watch the waves. Large waves physically block cannonballs. Time shots for clear line of sight over the water. Greater distance and higher tides make this worse.
Reduce speed for positioning. Sail at roughly 3/4 speed for tighter turns when bringing cannons to bear.
Board when health is low. Position alongside the weakened enemy and wait for the boarding prompt (press Space).
Cannon Upgrades
Cannons can be upgraded at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab. Upgrading increases cannon effectiveness. The Workshop also crafts and upgrades two other ship components: Hull Bracing (reduces damage taken) and Boarding Party Gear (improves NPC crew combat performance). Ship equipment is shared across the Workshop's Create and Upgrade tabs, with the Anvil and Bellows as station attachments that unlock additional upgrade tiers.
Controls
Action | Key |
|---|---|
Aim cannons | Right Mouse Button (hold) |
Fire cannons | Left Mouse Button |
Steer ship | A / D |
Ship speed | W (raise sails) / S (lower sails) |
Zoom out camera | F |
Ship management (near wheel) | Q |
Future Cannon Types
The developers have expressed openness to introducing additional cannon types. In a Steam Community discussion about building on ships, a player asked about swapping between carronades and long cannons. Developer Yar_master responded: "We'll see about that, matey, it's pretty early to be 100% specific here. But what you are describing sounds more or less in the direction we want to go."
This suggests different cannon types with distinct characteristics (range, damage, reload speed) are a planned future feature but not yet committed to. The current 12-Pounder is the only cannon type available.
Related Systems
Naval Combat: Full guide to ship-to-ship combat including ammo strategy, positioning, and boarding
Ship Types: All confirmed ship classes and their characteristics
Boarding: Step-by-step boarding guide including crew behavior and loot