Out of the many video games that have tried to sell the perfect pirate fantasy, only one came close, and it was Assassin's Creed IV. That was the case until the release of Windrose, which seamlessly blends the survival crafting genre with being a pirate. It takes the ship combat of ACIV and adds a whole survival sandbox, giving players unprecedented freedom to live out their pirate fantasies.
ACIV gives players a chance to be at the helm of a brig, a modestly sized ship that balances mobility and firepower. But Windrose gives you access to a much larger and more famous class of ship, frigates. With that said, here are all the ships in Windrose and how to unlock them.
List of Ships in Windrose
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Name |
Ship Stats |
Building Cost |
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Ketch | Stock Variant |
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Ketch | Brethren Variant |
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Ketch | Blackbeard Variant |
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Brig | Stock Variant |
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Brig | Brethren Variant |
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Brig | Blackbeard Variant |
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Frigate | Stock Variant |
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Frigate | Brethren Variant |
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Frigate | Blackbeard Variant |
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Which is the Best Ship Variant
Among the 3 available ship variants, many consider the Stock Variant the best. It is because of how balanced the ship is built. Stock ships have a great balance of mobility, cargo, and cannonry. However, the other variants also have their place.
Brethren ships lean towards a tankier build. It sacrifices mobility for a significantly larger health pool and cargo space, a massive boon for people who like to hoard their loot. On the flip side, Blackbeard variants trade health and cargo space for larger guns. Only the Blackbeard Frigate has access to the monstrous 36-pounder cannon, turning ship combat into a one-sided massacre.
How to Unlock the Ketch
The Ketch is the first real ship players will have access to. It's relatively small compared to the other 2 ships available. As a starter ship, investing too much into it is highly discouraged, as players can quickly unlock the Brig, which offers much more versatility. This ship is unlocked with the quest Need a Bigger Boat and is essentially free other than needing to provide the materials to build it.
How to Unlock the Brig
Getting access to the Brig is easy. Once Tortuga has been unlocked, proceed to the Provisioner NPC. You can then purchase the plans from him for 1,000 Piastres, but before you can purchase the item, you must first reach Rank 2 with the Brethren of the Coast. Once the plan has been purchased, the ship can be built at any shipyard, provided you have the necessary materials.
How to Unlock the Frigate
The Frigate, being the biggest and meanest ship on the high seas, is definitely going to take a bit more legwork to unlock. Just like the Brig, the same merchant will provide the plans for building your very own frigate. However, unlike the Brig, you must be Rank 4 with the Brethren of the Coast. It's also rather costly to obtain, so get ready to hand over a whopping 3,000 Piastres for the blueprints.
Getting the Variants
Once the initial blueprint has been purchased, you will immediately have access to all 3 variants of the ship. You do not need to purchase each variant individually, although you will have to purchase individual ship upgrade blueprints later on.
