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11 Windrose's naval combat is built around broadside cannon volleys. The April 14, 2026 Early Access launch ships with three base cannon weight classes (12-Pounder, 24-Pounder, 36-Pounder) and three variant modifiers (Tempered, Devastating, Perfectly Ordered) across Uncommon, Rare, and Epic rarities, totaling 29 ship weapons in the in-game weapons database. All cannons are crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop and equipped via the Wharf's ship management interface.
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33 Cannon Weight Classes
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55 The base classes determine cannon size, damage, recoil, and which ships can mount them. Heavier classes deal more damage per shot but reload slower and add weight to the ship.
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88 Cannon Variants (Rare and Epic Modifiers)
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1010 Each base class has three variant modifiers that appear at Rare and Epic rarities. Variants change the cannon's behavior beyond raw damage.
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1313 Combining a class and variant yields the full named cannon: e.g., "Tempered 24-Pounder (Rare)" or "Devastating 36-Pounder (Epic)." Higher rarity within the same class+variant combo carries higher base damage and longer effect durations.
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1515 Recipe (12-Pounder, Uncommon Baseline)
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1717 Shipwright's Workshop
1818 Higher-tier cannons (24-Pounder, 36-Pounder, and the variant modifiers) require additional materials including Iron Ingots, Tumbaga, and faction-locked components from the Smugglers of Port Royal. Build out reputation with the Smugglers to unlock the higher-tier cannon plans.
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2020 Ammunition Types
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2222 All cannon classes can fire two ammo types, switched mid-combat:
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2525 The recommended naval combat opener is 5 to 6 bar shot volleys into the enemy's rigging to slow them, then switching to regular cannonballs for sustained hull damage. Bar shot does little hull damage on its own; its value is forcing the enemy out of the chase phase into a slow-trade phase.
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2727 Cannon Slot Counts by Ship
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2929 Each ship class mounts a different number of cannons. Estimates per community sources (treat the exact numbers as community-reported until cross-verified in-game):
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3131 KetchBrigFrigate
3232 Hull Bracing and Companion Equipment
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3434 Cannons are one of three core ship equipment categories. The other two are Hull Bracing (5 Copper Ingots + 30 Wood + 5 Nails; reduces incoming damage) and Boarding Equipment (improves NPC crew effectiveness during boarding actions). All three slot types can be upgraded at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab. Hull Bracing plans at higher tiers come from the Smugglers of Port Royal.
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3636 Combat Repair Kits
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3838 Combat Repair Kits are consumable items crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop. They restore hull HP mid-battle while you remain under fire. Always carry several when engaging multiple enemy ships or boarding higher-tier vessels.
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4040 Fire Strategy
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4242 Effective cannon use combines positioning, ammo selection, and timing:
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4444 Reduce sail to roughly 3/4 to tighten your turn radius and bring cannons to bearOpen with bar shot into the enemy's sails (5 to 6 volleys)Switch to regular cannonballs once the enemy is slowed; aim for the waterline for maximum hull damageWatch the wave pattern: large waves can block cannonballs at long range. Close distance reduces this issueUse the F key zoomed-out camera for situational awareness when surroundedTime "Perfectly Ordered" cannon variants by hitting consecutive shots within 4 seconds for the +30% reload buff
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4646 Future Cannon Types
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4848 The roadmap mentions additional cannon variants (carronades, long cannons) planned for Early Access updates. Carronades are short-barreled close-range cannons in real history; long cannons trade rate of fire for range. Whether these will be variants of the existing classes or entirely new categories has not been formally announced.
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5050 See Also
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5252 Naval Combat - full naval combat guide including ship controls, ammo strategy, and boardingShip Types - Ketch, Brig, Frigate stats and rolesBoarding - the boarding mechanic that follows successful cannon engagementsShipwright's Workshop - the crafting station for cannons and ship gearWharf - the equipment management station required to fit cannons to a ship
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54+The Perfectly Ordered 12-Pounder Roost
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56+The Perfectly Ordered 12-Pounder Roost is a named Rare variant of the 12-pounder sold by the Buccaneers provisioner at reputation rank 2. Its effect triggers on a hit: landing a cannonball within 4 seconds of the previous reload grants +30% reload speed for 22 seconds.
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58+In practice, an average 12-pounder reload cycle runs around 10 to 11 seconds. A 30% reload bonus drops that to roughly 7 to 8 seconds, and the 22-second buff window easily overlaps into the next shot, keeping the buff refreshed so long as you continue landing hits. Against a single target it is a straightforward sustained-fire upgrade. Against multiple targets it requires discipline: switching fire to a second ship mid-rotation can let the buff lapse if you miss.
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60+To reach Buccaneers rep 2, turn in Deckhand insignias (dropped by Blackbeard's sailors during boarding) and ship-sinking insignias at the Bounty Agent in the Buccaneers hideout. Completing the Buccaneers' side quest lines, including the 50-bag gunpowder delivery, grants 50 silver plus five letters of favor, which can be traded at any other Tortuga-archipelago faction for additional reputation.
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62+Fitment Rules
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64+Not every ship can mount every cannon weight. The 24-pounder fits the Brig and above, but only Blackbeard variant hulls can carry a full 24-pounder broadside without overweight penalties. A standard Brig fitted with 24-pounders becomes sluggish in turns and risks being out-maneuvered in the same situations where its heavier firepower would shine.
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66+The 36-pounder is reserved for the Frig (Frigate), and the Frig's top-tier loadout supports up to 36 cannons total across the broadside, which is where the nickname 36-gunship comes from. The Frig design itself is sold by the Brethren of the Coast at their highest reputation tier, and both Brig and Frig hulls require Foothills-tier crafting resources.
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68+Upgrading Each Cannon Individually
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70+Cannon upgrades are applied at the Shipwright's Workshop's Upgrade tab and, critically, they apply per cannon rather than per ship. A Ketch with 6 installed cannons takes 6 trips through the upgrade flow. Each upgrade costs Copper Ingots and Wooden Planks, with costs scaling by upgrade tier.
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72+If you are short on copper, fast travel between every island that has known copper deposits and mine at each pass. You can place up to around 9 or 10 fast travel bells across the world, so set one on every island you expect to farm routinely. As you exhaust the starter region's copper, pull your old bells down with the disassembly function (refunds full materials) and re-plant them in the Foothills and beyond.
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74+Assign the Master Salvager NPC Jasper Crow (500 piastres to hire in Tortuga) to the disassembly or upgrade stations for a 30% chance to refund resources on each upgrade. The refund is applied during armor upgrades most reliably, but the total resource savings across a full cannon-and-armor upgrade session are substantial.
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76+Bar Shot Opener Timing
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78+Regardless of cannon class, the optimal opening of a naval engagement uses 5 to 6 bar shot volleys into the enemy sails. Bar shot does almost no hull damage; its job is to reduce the enemy's speed enough that you can position for a full broadside and stay there. Once the enemy is slowed, switch ammo to regular cannonballs and rake the hull along the waterline for maximum damage.
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80+Lowering sails to roughly 3/4 speed tightens your own turning circle noticeably, making it much easier to keep your broadside aligned. Use the F-key zoomed camera to track multiple targets simultaneously; it also helps spot bounty barrels along the engagement line, which can be looted between volleys if an escort breaks off.