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Cannon Types
April 14, 2026 at 09:25 PM
Expand with bar shot detail, cannon upgrade tiers, related ship equipment, developer quotes on future types
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 Early Access build features one cannon type with two ammunition options.
The 12-Pounder is the standard (and currently only) cannon type available in the game. The name refers to the historical cannon classification by shot weight; a 12-pounder fires a roughly 12-pound iron ball.
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. Both are unlocked during the Seafarer tutorial quest.
Players can switch between two ammo types during naval combat via the ship management interface (Q key near the wheel):
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. Historically they were different: bar shot is two round shots connected by a bar, while chain shot is two round shots connected by a length of chain. Both are designed to tumble through air and shred sails and rigging.
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).
Cannons can be upgraded at the Shipwright's Workshop Upgrade tab. Upgrading increases cannon effectiveness (damage and range improvements). The Workshop shares Anvil (10 Wood + 1 Anvil from 30 Iron Ingot) and Bellows (20 Mire Metal + 15 Crocodile Hide + 5 Hewn Stone) station upgrades with the Weaponsmith Workshop, and these upgrades raise the effective level of cannon crafting and upgrading.
The Shipwright's Workshop also crafts and upgrades two other ship components alongside cannons:
Component | Recipe | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Hull Bracing | 5 Copper Ingots + 30 Wood + 5 Nails | Reduces damage taken |
Boarding Party Gear / Boarding Rack | Recipe varies | Improves NPC crew combat performance during boarding actions |
Combat Repair Kits | Crafted consumables | Mid-battle ship repair while under fire |
Community consensus is to prioritize Hull Bracing upgrades before cannon upgrades. Surviving a fight matters more than dealing damage, and an upgraded hull lets you sustain the broadside exchanges that an upgraded cannon delivers. Boarding Party Gear pays off dramatically once NPC crew are consistently on enemy decks.
Action | Key |
|---|---|
Aim cannons | Right Mouse Button (hold) |
Fire cannons | Left Mouse Button |
Steer ship | A / D (at wheel) |
Ship speed | W (raise sails) / S (lower sails) |
Zoom out camera | F (while on ship) |
Ship management (near wheel) | Q |
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. Candidates discussed on community forums include:
Carronades - short-range, heavy damage, stubby barrel
Long cannons - extended range, lower damage per shot, slower reload
Heavier pounders (24-pounder, 36-pounder) - scaling damage with larger ship classes
Specialty ammunition - grape shot for crew-killing, heated shot for fire damage, etc.
None of these are confirmed at Early Access launch. The 12-Pounder remains the only cannon type, and the two ammunition options (regular and bar shot) are the only tactical choices for ship-to-ship combat. Expect these to expand across the Early Access window.
Naval Combat - full naval combat guide
Ship Types - Ketch, Brig, Frigate detail
Boarding - boarding mechanic
Seafarer Quest - naval tutorial
Shipwright's Workshop - crafting station
Wharf - ship management station
