Hull Bracing is a ship component in Windrose that reduces damage taken by the ship hull. A base Hull Bracing is craftable from the earliest Shipwright's Workshop, and several higher-tier variants are sold by the Smugglers of Port Royal Provisioner at Reputation Rank 2.
Base Hull Bracing
Property | Value |
|---|---|
Recipe | 5 Copper Ingots + 30 Wood + 5 Nails |
Station | Shipwright's Workshop |
Equipped via | Wharf interface |
Effect | Reduces ship damage taken |
The base recipe is the first ship-survivability upgrade most players craft, typically right after their first cannon-equipped hull. Because the recipe uses copper rather than iron, it is accessible from the Coastal Jungle tier without any Foothills detour.
Smuggler-Sold Variants
Reaching Reputation Rank 2 with the Smugglers of Port Royal unlocks a set of more advanced Hull Bracing plans at the Provisioner, typically priced around 300 Piastres each:
Variant | Confirmed Effect |
|---|---|
Keelhold Hull Bracing | Taking damage no longer affects the duration of repair kits (repair kits continue to tick even under fire) |
Iron Resolve Hull Bracing | Effect not documented in public guides; name confirmed on the Smuggler inventory table |
Standfast Hull Bracing | Effect not documented in public guides; name confirmed on the Smuggler inventory table |
Keelhold is the most commonly recommended of the three because it addresses one of naval combat's most frustrating interactions: a repair kit being effectively cancelled because the ship keeps taking hits. With Keelhold equipped, the repair still completes on its normal timer, which lets you hold a line longer in 1v2 and 1v3 fleet engagements.
Equipping Hull Bracing
Each ship hull has a dedicated Hull Bracing slot. Swap plates at the Wharf interface when your ship is docked. Swapping is free (no materials lost), so you can carry two plates and switch between them for different mission types: Keelhold for siege-style engagements where repair kits matter, and a base Hull Bracing for cheap hull defense on early scouting runs.
How Hull Bracing Interacts With Other Upgrades
Hull Bracing stacks multiplicatively with Windrose Naval Tactics like Naval Tactics IV: Shipshape (the out-of-combat hull regeneration passive), and with Boarding Party Gear (which improves crew survivability during boarding rather than ship-hull durability). A fully geared mid-game ship typically runs one Hull Bracing, one Naval Tactic, and a set of cannon upgrades together rather than stacking multiple bracings.
What Is Not Confirmed
Earlier community writeups mentioned "Tempered Hull Bracing" and "Reinforced Hull Bracing" as named variants. Neither name is confirmed in any primary source (Steam guides, Windrose databases, or dev posts), so they are not listed on this page. If the variant names appear in the in-game Smuggler Provisioner inventory as patches roll out, the table above will be updated; for now, treat them as unconfirmed.
See Also
Shipwright's Workshop — where the base Hull Bracing is crafted
Wharf — where Hull Bracing is equipped
Smugglers of Port Royal — the vendor faction for advanced variants
Ship Customization — the full ship-loadout system
Naval Combat — why Hull Bracing matters in fights