The best boats in Windrose: from Ketch to Frigate (2026 guide)

Windrose gives you a little sailboat at the beginning and drops you in the Caribbean. Nice. Except that very quickly, you get smashed by the first enemy ship that passes by. The problem isn't you — it's your old tub.

The game offers three types of ships: the Ketch , the Brigantine and the Frigate Each exists in three variants — Stock, Brethren, and Blackbeard — with very different stats. And the choice of variant really changes the way you play. A Blackbeard Ketch with 35,000 HP is not at all the same experience as a Stock with 50,000.

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This guide covers everything: the stats of each variant, the materials to build them, which boat to take at each stage, and above all how to equip it correctly with cannons, hulls, and naval tactics. We won't beat around the bush.

You unlock the Ketch by following the main quest "Need A Bigger Boat". It's automatic, no need to search. The game asks you to build a Dock (10 wood, nothing crazy) and repair the stranded ship. A few minutes later, you have your first real boat with 3 cannon slots.

The Ketch, it's the boat of the Coastal Jungle It will get you through the first zones without too much trouble, as long as you upgrade it at the Wharf. But let's not kid ourselves: as soon as you get to the Foothills, it starts to show its limitations. Three cannons against ships that have six, you feel it quickly.

The Stock Ketch is the safe choice. 50,000 HP, 19 knots - you take hits well and move correctly. This is the boat that everyone should use to start.

The Blackbeard Ketch tempts many players thanks to its 21 knots and especially its compatibility with 24-pound cannons. But 35,000 HP, it's fragile. Really fragile. A poorly managed naval battle and you sink in two salvos. The community calls it the "floating coffin" — it's not for nothing.

The Brethren Ketch ? 65,000 HP but only 17 knots. You can take a hit better but you're dragging. Honestly, for the short time you're going to stay on the Ketch before moving on to the Brigantine, the Stock does the job perfectly.

It's given. All variants cost the same:

• 100 Nails (20 Copper Ingots = 80 Copper Ore)
• 150 Wood
• 40 Coarse Fabric (120 Plant Fibers)
• 30 Rope (90 Plant Fibers)

The Brigantine is the power leap that changes everything. You go from 3 cannons to 6, the HP pool doubles or even triples, and you can finally stand up to the ships of the Foothills and beyond. But you have to earn it.

Direction Tortuga. You must reach the level 2 reputation with the Brethren of the Coast , then buy the ship's plans from their Provisioner for 1,000 Piastres Reputation is earned through faction quests and naval combat in the Tortuga area.

Building the Brigantine, on the other hand, is another story. Seriously need to farm:

• 200 Nails (40 Copper Ingots + 20 Iron Ingots)
• 80 Copper Ingots (240 Copper Ore, 80 Charcoal)
• 40 Timber (120 Hardwood)
• 200 Wooden Planks (400 Wood)
• 40 Linen Fabric (120 Flax Fiber)
• 120 Coarse Fabric (360 Plant Fiber)
• 40 Rope (120 Plant Fiber)
• 30 Shipwright's Tools (300 Piastres at the Provisioner)

Total: 1,300 Piastres minimum between plans and tools. Start saving early.

There, it's less obvious than for the Ketch. The choice really depends on your style.

The Blackbeard Brigantine is our recommendation. 22 knots, 6 cannons of 24 pounds - this is the most offensive config for mid-game. Yes, 50,000 HP is low for a Brig. But the speed allows you to choose your battles, to reposition yourself, and the 24 pounds make bad If you know how to play positioning and upgrade your hull quickly, it's the best power/mobility ratio in the game at this stage.

The Brethren Brigantine (90,000 HP, 18 knots) is the ultimate mid-game tank. Almost impossible to sink when you combine it with a good Hull Bracing. However, the 12-pound cannons limit your firepower - you win wars of attrition, not quick duels.

The Stock Brigantine (70,000 HP, 20 knots) strikes a compromise between the two. Correct everywhere, excellent nowhere. Useful if you don't want to bother.

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160,000 base HP. 18 cannons. The Frigate is the ship everyone wants and no one builds in a weekend. It's the naval endgame of Windrose — the thing that makes other boats clear out when you arrive in the area.

Same principle as the Brigantine, but more expensive. It must be Level 4 of reputation Brethren of the Coast — which takes a good moment — and 3,000 Piastres for the plans. And that's just for the blueprint. The construction itself is a resource nightmare.

Here is what is needed to build a Frigate:

• 300 Nails (60 Copper Ingots + 30 Iron Ingots)
• 120 Foothills Iron Ingots (360 Iron Ore, 120 Charcoal)
• 320 Wooden Planks (600 Wood)
• 160 Timber (480 Hardwood)
• 80 Tarred Planks (80 Wooden Planks + 80 Tar)
• 240 Linen Fabric (720 Flax Fiber)
• 80 Tarred Fabric (80 Linen Fabric + 80 Tar)
• 80 Rope (240 Plant Fiber)
• 50 Shipwright's Tools (500 Piastres)

Tip: use the Merchant Contracts after beating Hands in the Foothills. You unlock contracts for Hardwood and Flax Fiber, which greatly speeds up farming. And don't forget that you recover all resources when you dismantle a ship — dismantle your old Ketch and Brig to fuel the Frigate.

We're going to be direct: the Blackbeard Frigate is the best ship in the game. Period.

110,000 HP, 20 knots, and above all: this is the only ship that can equip 36-pound cannons . Twelve 36-pound cannons on the main deck plus six secondary 24-pound cannons — when you release a full broadside, the enemy loses half of its hull in one volley. It's devastating.

"Yes but 110,000 HP against 200,000 on the Brethren, isn't that risky?" No. By combining the Hull Bracing: Keelhold (non-interruptible repairs) with the Naval Tactics III: Stretch The Supply (+60% longer repair kit duration), you become almost unkillable. Master Combat Repair Kits more than make up for the raw HP deficit.

The Brethren Frigate (200,000 HP) is a floating fortress. But 16 knots is slow. You endure engagements instead of choosing them. And without 36-pound cannons, your firepower remains limited to 24 pounds like a Brig.

The Frigate Stock (160,000 HP, 18 knots) is the classic compromise. Solid, respectable, but not exciting. If you just want to move forward quietly without optimizing, it will do the job.

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Having the right ship is good. Equipping it correctly is what makes the difference between sinking and ruling the Caribbean. Everything is managed at the Wharf via the "Manage Ship" menu, and upgrades are crafted at the Shipwright's Workshop (the evolution of the Weaponsmith Workshop).

Three calibers: 12, 24, and 36 pounds. The basic blueprints are crafted directly, but the named variants are purchased from the Buccaneers (level 2 for the 12lb, level 3 for the 24lb, level 4 for the 36lb). Three types of variants:

• Perfectly Ordered — +30% faster reload speed if you hit within 4 seconds after reloading. Almost permanent in combat. That's our recommendation.
• Devastating — applies the Raked effect (+10% damage, stackable 3 times) if you hit with 50%+ of your volley. Best in Epic thanks to the +15% reload speed.
• Tempered — +40% damage if you wait 6 seconds before shooting. Situational, requires more discipline.

Important point: only the Blackbeard Ketch, the Blackbeard Brig, and all The frigates support 24-pound cannons. And the 36-pound cannons, it's only Blackbeard's frigate.

The plans are purchased from the Smugglers of Port Royal from reputation level 2, for 300 Piastres each. Three options:

• Keelhold (S-tier) — damages no longer interrupt your repairs. In Epic, +30% kit duration. Combined with Naval Tactics III, it's the combo that makes the Blackbeard Frigate almost immortal.
• Standfast — 5 stacks that reduce damage by 25% for 3 seconds each. Good at the beginning of combat, depletes quickly.
• Iron Resolve — the more your ship is damaged, the more your resistance increases (up to 25% to 30% HP). Interesting in theory, dangerous in practice.

Prioritize Hull Bracing before cannons at the beginning of the game. Surviving allows you to counterattack — cannons on a wreck are useless.

Passives that buff your ship, purchased from the Smugglers (level 3, 500 Piastres). The essentials:

• Naval Tactics III: Stretch The Supply — the best naval passive in the game. Perfect synergy with Keelhold.
• Naval Tactics V: Silence The Guns — reduces reload speed and enemy damage after each hit. Very strong in overtime.
• Naval Tactics IV: Shipshape — regeneration of HP out of combat. Convenient for chaining fights without wasting kits.

If you don't want to read 15 paragraphs and just want to know what to do:

1. Coastal Jungle — Stock Ketch. Upgrade the 12lb cannons and Hull Bracing as soon as possible.
2. Foothills — Monte Brethren rep 2. Buy the plans of the Brigantine. Build the Blackbeard Brig with Perfectly Ordered 24lb.
3. Late game — Brethren rep 4. Blackbeard Frigate. Keelhold + Stretch The Supply + Perfectly Ordered 36lb. Domine tout.

And dismantle your old ships before building a new one - you recover all the resources.

No. You can recall your ship at the Wharf. It comes back with HP at max. You also keep your small rescue sailboat to quickly return to base - besides, always recall the small sailboat rather than your main ship for fast travel, it spawns closer to the coast.

Yes, clearly. The Brethren unlock ship plans (Brigantine and Frigate). This is your number one faction priority. Buccaneers come in second for cannons, and Smugglers in third for hull and tactics.

Blackbeard = less HP, more speed, access to higher calibers. Brethren = a lot of HP, slow, standard cannons. In summary: Blackbeard for offensive players who move well, Brethren for those who want to absorb without thinking.

No official date. The devs have confirmed that new ships are coming to Early Access, and rumors speak of a Galleon. Since the game plans for 1.5 to 2.5 years of Early Access with 50% more content, it's probably a matter of months.

The Blackbeard Frigate is a priority - its 18 cannons allow for more coverage angles with multiple players at the helm. If you play with 2-3, the Blackbeard Brigantine also does the job very well. Avoid groups of more than 4 players, servers lag beyond.

Yes, especially for boarding. Chain Shots slow down enemy sails, allowing you to get closer to launch the boarding. Essential if you play a melee combat-oriented build on the deck.