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Cannonballs
April 27, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Added Game Data section with build cost, recipes, and trade info
Cannonballs are the standard ship Ammunition type in Windrose. Every cannon in the live build fires cannonballs as the default round, selectable by pressing 1 during ship combat. The other ammunition in the launch build is Chain Shot, selected with 2, which targets sails and applies a speed debuff rather than raw hull damage.
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Type | Ship ammunition (standard) |
Selection key | 1 during ship combat |
Purpose | Raw hull damage |
Consumed? | No. Ammunition is not consumable during combat; cannonballs fire indefinitely. |
Paired with | Chain Shot on key 2 |
Press 1 to select standard cannonballs. All cannons on the ship, regardless of caliber, switch to cannonball rounds.
Fire at the enemy hull, not at the sails, for maximum damage per broadside. Broadside alignment matters more than aim precision at most engagement ranges.
Stop firing cannonballs once the target drops into the disabled state and a Boarding Combat prompt appears. Continuing to fire cannonballs after the prompt risks sinking the ship and losing the cargo.
Cannonballs are fired from cannons, which come in three caliber tiers in the live build:
12-Pounders: starter caliber for every stock ship. Plans sold by the Rogue Buccaneers Provisioner at Rep 2.
24-Pounders: mid-caliber, fits most Brig-class secondary batteries and Frigate main batteries. Plans at Rep 3 from the same Provisioner.
36-Pounders: heavy-caliber, exclusive to the Blackbeard Frigate. Plans at Rep 4.
The decision during combat is almost always a function of the target's state, not personal preference:
Scenario | Pick |
|---|---|
Target is healthy and you want to sink it | Cannonballs |
Target is fleeing or nearly out of range | Chain Shot first, then cannonballs once it is slowed |
Target is reaching boarding-prompt health and you want to board | Stop firing; switch to Chain Shot if you need to slow re-engagement from escorts |
Escort ships trying to cut you off from the hauler | Chain Shot to slow the escorts; cannonballs once they are disabled |
Unlike ground-combat firearms, which consume Gunpowder and Cartridges, ship ammunition is not drained during combat. Cannonball availability is effectively infinite. The finite cost is the cannon itself (unlocked via plans from the Rogue Buccaneers Provisioner) and the reload timing, which is reduced by Gunroom Grog by 15% for 30 minutes per brew.
Ammunition the ammunition overview page
Chain Shot sail-targeting ammunition
Cannons the weapon that fires cannonballs
Boarding Combat the alternative to sinking
Gunroom Grog reload-speed buff
Rogue Buccaneers Provisioner cannon plan vendor
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Max Health | 7,500 |
Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
x10 | |
x10 |
Plan |
|---|
Category | Bonus |
|---|---|
Military | +1 |
