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11 Windrose Naval Tactics are ship-passive unlocks sold exclusively by the Smugglers of Port Royal Provisioner at Rank 3 reputation. They slot into a ship's dedicated Naval Tactics inventory slot (each ship has a fixed number of slots) and provide persistent naval-combat effects that no other faction offers.
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33 How They Unlock
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55 Reach Rank 3 reputation with the Smugglers of Port Royal via the hidden-base Bounty Agent after completing the Underground Network quest lineEach tactic is a one-time purchase and a permanent unlock on the purchasing characterTactics are priced in Guineas, not Piastres; expect several hundred Guineas per tactic
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7-Confirmed Tactics in the Launch Build
7+In-Game Naming Convention
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9-TacticEffectBest Use CaseOut-of-Combat Chip HealWhile out of combat, restore 3% ship hull health every 3 secondsLong exploration runs between engagementsBroken RhythmHitting an enemy ship applies the Broken Rhythm effect for 30 seconds, reducing the target's reload speed by 20% and damage by 20%1v2 and 1v3 engagements where you want to suppress one ship while focusing the otherStored VolleyIf you neither deal nor take damage for 2 minutes, the next volley deals +130% damageAmbush openings against isolated Blackbeard ships
9+Naval Tactics in Windrose are numbered with Roman numerals and subtitled. Two of the tactics have been documented in public community databases:
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11+In-Game NameEffectBest Use CaseNaval Tactics IV: ShipshapeWhile out of combat, restore 3% ship hull health every 3 secondsLong exploration runs between battlesNaval Tactics V: Silence the GunsHitting an enemy ship reduces their reload speed by 20% for 30 seconds1v2 and 1v3 engagements where you want to suppress one ship while focusing another
12+Additional tactics exist in the game's Rank 3 Smuggler inventory (the Roman-numeral sequence implies at least V tactics, suggesting tactics I, II, and III are also in the inventory rotation). Their in-game names and effects have not been fully published in community databases; verify at the Smuggler Provisioner interface when you reach Rank 3.
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14+Community Descriptive Names
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16+In-community discussion, players sometimes refer to tactics by descriptive nicknames based on what the tactic does. Three commonly used community names:
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18+"Out-of-Combat Chip Heal" refers to Naval Tactics IV: Shipshape"Broken Rhythm" is a descriptive name used for a reload-debuff tactic; appears to correspond to Naval Tactics V: Silence the Guns based on effect overlap"Stored Volley" references a tactic where standing outside combat for 2 minutes grants a +130% damage volley; the numbered in-game name for this effect has not been documented in primary sources. The effect is confirmed in community playthroughs, but the authoritative numbered name to use in wiki content should be verified in-game before being written here
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1020 Why They Are Worth the Grind
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12-These passives are strong enough that Smuggler Rank 3 is often treated as the most important mid-game reputation unlock in the entire faction system. Broken Rhythm in particular swings 1v2 ship fights from risky to winnable, and Out-of-Combat Chip Heal removes the need to sail back to a Wharf between engagements for minor hull repairs. Stored Volley is the tactic that rewards patient play: sitting outside cannon range for two minutes before opening a fight is not always possible, but when it is, the volley is a near-one-shot on most non-frigate Blackbeard vessels.
22+These passives are strong enough that Smuggler Rank 3 is often treated as the most important mid-game reputation unlock in the entire faction system. Naval Tactics V: Silence the Guns in particular swings 1v2 ship fights from risky to winnable, and Naval Tactics IV: Shipshape removes the need to sail back to a Wharf between engagements for minor hull repairs.
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1424 Currency and Grind Path
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16-Each tactic costs several hundred Guineas. The only reliable sources of Guineas in the launch build are the Smuggler archipelago buyer (who pays Guineas for Ancient Chalices, Wooden Talismans, Talismans, and other contraband-tier relics), Buried Treasure chests, and the unfavorable Smuggler Piastre-to-Guinea exchange. Most players alternate between the buyer turn-ins and the exchange until they can afford the two or three tactics their build actually uses.
26+Each tactic costs several hundred Guineas. The only reliable sources of Guineas in the launch build are the Smuggler archipelago buyer (who pays Guineas for Ancient Chalices, Ancient Incense Burners, Pots with Golden Horns, Gold Masks of the Priest, Gold Temple Jugs, and Gold Vases of the Chief), Buried Treasure chests, and the unfavorable Smuggler Piastre-to-Guinea exchange. Most players alternate between the buyer turn-ins and the exchange until they can afford the two or three tactics their build actually uses.
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1828 Planning Around Slot Counts
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2030 Each ship class has a fixed number of Naval Tactics slots. The Ketch gets fewer slots than the Brigantine, and the Frigate gets more. Plan which two or three tactics matter most for your preferred ship before converting Piastres to Guineas; the Smugglers do not refund or reset tactic unlocks, so buying a tactic you cannot slot is a sunk cost.
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2232 See Also
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24-Smugglers of Port Royal — the vendor factionNaval Combat — how tactics fit into ship fightsShip Types — slot counts per hullShip Customization — the broader ship loadout systemFaction Reputation — how to reach Rank 3
34+Naval Tactics IV: Shipshape — regen tacticNaval Tactics V: Silence the Guns — suppression tacticSmugglers of Port Royal — the vendor factionNaval Combat — how tactics fit into ship fightsShip Types — slot counts per hullShip Customization — the broader ship loadout systemFaction Reputation — how to reach Rank 3