Revision - hull bracing keelhold - Windrose Wiki

Hull Bracing: Keelhold is a Rare-rarity modded Ship Hull Modification item. It ascends to an Epic tier that layers an extra bonus on top of the Rare effect. Bracing intended to steady the ship during repairs, keeping the keel true while the worst damage is brought under control.

They said she wouldn't make it. She did. (overheard in a tavern)

Overview

Property	Value
Category	Ship Hull Modification
Rarity	Rare
Slot	Hull Modification
DEF (Max)	380
Max Item Level	15
Stack Size	1
Bracing Variant	Keelhold
Available Rarities	Rare, Epic (via Ascend)
Fits Hulls	All 9 hull classes

In-Game Effect

Rare tier: Taking damage no longer affects the duration of repair kits.

Epic tier: Taking damage no longer affects the duration of repair kits. Repair Kit effect duration is increased by 30%.

Fits Ships

Hull Bracing: Keelhold fits every ship class, so choosing this bracing never restricts your hull options. Compatible hulls:

How to Unlock

Crafting Hull Bracing: Keelhold requires learning Plans: Keelhold Hull Bracing, a Rare recipe paper bought from the Smugglers of Port Royal Provisioner once your Smugglers of Port Royal reputation reaches Level 2. The plan costs Piastre x300 and is consumed on use; one copy unlocks the recipe permanently.

Crafting Recipes

Hull Bracing: Keelhold is crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop. Station tiers unlock better material pipelines for the same finished bracing:

Station Tier	Ingredients	Output	Craft Time
Level 1 (Item Lvl 1-5)	Wooden Plank x10, Copper Ingot x5, Nails x5	Hull Bracing: Keelhold x1	1s (60/min)
Level 2 (Item Lvl 6)	Timber x5, Foothills Iron Ingot x3, Nails x3, Shipwright's Tools x3	Hull Bracing: Keelhold x1	1s (60/min)
Level 2 (Item Lvl 7-10)	Timber x10, Foothills Iron Ingot x5, Nails x5, Shipwright's Tools x3	Hull Bracing: Keelhold x1	1s (60/min)
Level 3 (Item Lvl 11)	Tarred Planks x8, Mire Metal Ingot x3, Nails x3, Shipwright's Tools x3	Hull Bracing: Keelhold x1	1s (60/min)
Level 3 (Item Lvl 12-15)	Tarred Planks x15, Mire Metal Ingot x5, Nails x5, Shipwright's Tools x3	Hull Bracing: Keelhold x1	1s (60/min)

Ascend to Epic

The Rare Hull Bracing: Keelhold can be ascended to Epic rarity at the Shipwright's Workshop by combining the base Rare bracing with Tumbaga Ingot. The ascension keeps the Rare-tier effect and layers the Epic-only bonus on top, so the Epic bracing is strictly better once the Tumbaga cost is acceptable.

Ascend recipe: Tumbaga Ingot x7 + Hull Bracing: Keelhold (Rare) x1 → Hull Bracing: Keelhold (Epic) x1

Epic-only bonus: Repair Kit effect duration is increased by 30%.

When to Use

Keelhold shines whenever repair uptime is the limiting factor on your survivability. In sustained 1v2 and 1v3 fleet fights where return fire keeps interrupting the effects of your Repair Kits, the Rare tier protects the kit duration from combat damage and the Epic tier adds a 30% duration bonus on top. Less useful in 1v1 skirmishes that end before repair kits run out.

Rare vs Epic Comparison

Stat	Rare	Epic
DEF (Max)	380	380
Max Item Level	15	15
Base Effect	Taking damage no longer affects the duration of repair kits.	Taking damage no longer affects the duration of repair kits.
Extra Epic Bonus	None	Repair Kit effect duration is increased by 30%.

The raw DEF value does not change on ascension; the only difference is the layered Epic-only bonus that stacks with the retained Rare-tier effect.

When the Upgrade Is Worth It

Keelhold Epic is the clearest quality-of-life upgrade of the three. The extra 30% Repair Kit duration compounds with the protected duration from the Rare tier, so kits that would have burned out mid-fight now cover the whole engagement. Strong on Frigates running long patrol routes where you cannot always retreat between fights.

When to Skip the Ascension

Ascending burns Tumbaga Ingot x7 per hull slot. If your Shipwright's Workshop is not yet at Level 3, if your current Rare bracing is well below Item Level 15, or if you are still deciding between the three bracing variants, hold the Tumbaga for later. The Rare tier is already strong in isolation, and the Epic is a one-way commitment on that specific variant.

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