Windrose Ship Building Guide — Ketch, Brig and Frigate

This Windrose ship building guide covers every ship class, what you actually need to build each one, and the one station mistake that trips up most new players. Short version: ships are built at the Wharf, not the Shipwright's Workshop. If you've been confused about why construction options aren't appearing, that's likely why.

Key Takeaways

• Build ships at the Wharf (shoreline station), not the Shipwright's Workshop
• Three ship classes: Ketch (early), Brigantine/Brig (mid), Frigate (late)
• Each class has three variants: Stock (balanced), Brethren (tank/cargo), Blackbeard (speed/combat)
• Brig blueprint requires Brethren of the Coast Level 2 + defeating boss Richards first
• Frigate requires second biome materials (Tarred Planks, Tarred Fabric) — can't rush it
• Community pick for combat: Blackbeard Brig mid-game, Blackbeard Frigate late-game

The Two Ship Stations — and What Each Does

Players regularly confuse these. They serve completely different functions:

Wharf — Where you BUILD new ships. Build it at the shoreline using 10 Wood + 10 Coarse Fabric. Functions: construct ships from blueprints, manage your fleet, repair damaged hulls, swap active ships.

Shipwright's Workshop — Where you UPGRADE ships already built. Manages the four gear slots: cannons, hull bracing, naval tactics, and boarding party gear. Cannot build new ships here.

Build the Wharf first. Then build the Workshop to install upgrades after your ship is constructed.

Step-by-Step: Ship Progression

Stage 1 — The Ketch

Your first real ship. You get a Ketch by finding a wrecked one during the early story quest "I Need A Bigger Boat," repairing it, and recruiting 7 sailors.

Repair costs:

• 100 Wood
• 20 Nails
• 20 Coarse Fabric
• 10 Rope

All of these are first-hour materials. The Ketch repair is designed to be achievable before the player has any advanced crafting set up.

Ketch Variants

The Stock Ketch is what you repair from the wreck. The Brethren and Blackbeard variants require building from scratch at the Wharf — same materials, different stats.

For most players, the Ketch is a transitional ship. You'll replace it with a Brig as soon as the blueprint is accessible, so investing heavily in Ketch upgrades isn't necessary.

Stage 2 — The Brigantine (Brig)

The mid-game ship and the most important upgrade in the progression. Getting the Brig unlocked is the primary goal of early faction play.

How to unlock:

1. Reach Brethren of the Coast Reputation Level 2 (100 reputation points)
2. Defeat the pirate boss Richards (quest prerequisite — buy nothing until this is done)
3. Purchase the Brigantine blueprint from the Brethren vendor: 1,000 Piastre
4. Purchase Shipwright's Tools from Brethren: ~300 Piastre
5. Build at the Wharf

Brigantine Crafting Materials

The Nails are the bottleneck. You need 200 of them, which requires around 40 Copper Ingots and 20 Iron Ingots through the smelting chain. Set up the Charcoal Oven and Foundry early to get this pipeline running before you need the Brig.

Brigantine Variants

Recommended: Blackbeard Brigantine for most players. The speed advantage (22 kn vs 20 kn stock) lets you close on targets and disengage from bad fights. The Blackbeard variant also supports 12lb/24lb mixed cannons, giving you cannon flexibility as you progress through Buccaneers faction levels.

The Brethren Brig suits players focused on trading routes — 32 cargo and 90,000 hull HP at the cost of a 2-knot speed penalty.

Stage 3 — The Frigate

The late-game ship. Powerful, but locked behind second-biome progression regardless of how much Piastre you have.

How to unlock:

1. Reach Brethren of the Coast Reputation Level 4 (600+ reputation points)
2. Purchase Frigate blueprint: 3,000 Piastre
3. Reach the second biome (swamp) to gather Tarred materials
4. Build at the Wharf

Frigate Crafting Materials

Tarred Planks and Tarred Fabric block early Frigate construction completely. There is no workaround — these materials only exist in the swamp biome. Plan for the Frigate as a second-biome project, not a first-biome goal.

Frigate Variants

Recommended: Blackbeard Frigate for combat — 20 kn speed and 36-Pounder cannon support make it the most dangerous ship in the game. The hull HP reduction (110,000 vs 160,000 stock) is offset by Hull Bracing from the Smugglers faction.

The Brethren Frigate at 200,000 hull HP and 52 cargo is the top choice for boss fights and long trading runs where survivability matters more than speed.

Ship Gear System (4 Slots)

Managed at the Shipwright's Workshop — applied to whatever ship is currently active.

Cannons fire from three positions: left broadside, right broadside, and bow. Each has independent reload cooldowns. "Perfectly Ordered Cannons" is the community's recommended setup for Frigate builds — fire in rotation to maintain continuous damage output rather than volley-firing all three at once.

Hull Bracing: Keelhold is the late-game hull pick. Naval Tactics: Stretch The Supply pairs with it as the passive buff that holds up across the longest fights.

Required Crafting Stations by Ship Tier

Set up the Charcoal Oven → Foundry → Spinning Wheel chain before committing to Brig construction. Without smelting running, you'll hit a wall waiting for Ingots.

Tips: Common Mistakes to Avoid

Building at the Shipwright's Workshop instead of the Wharf. This is by far the most common early mistake. The Workshop handles upgrades only — cannons, hull bracing, naval tactics, boarding gear. New ships are built at the Wharf. If the construction option isn't appearing, check your station.

Buying the Brig blueprint before defeating Richards. The boss is a quest prerequisite. Blueprint ownership doesn't skip it. Spend the 1,000 Piastre after the fight, not before — the vendor will still be there.

Skipping the Charcoal Oven and Foundry before committing to the Brig. The Brig needs 200 Nails, which requires Iron and Copper Ingots through the smelting chain. Players who rush Wooden Planks and Fabric first hit a wall at Nails every time. Set up the full smelting pipeline before the build, not during it.

Choosing a ship variant based on stats alone. The Brethren Brig's 90,000 hull HP looks good on paper, but hull HP matters less when you're retreating at 18 kn. The Blackbeard Brig's 22 kn lets you dictate the terms of every fight — engage when ready, disengage when not. Stat sheets don't capture that. Pick the variant that matches your playstyle, not the one with the biggest number.

Trying to build the Frigate in the first biome. Tarred Planks and Tarred Fabric do not exist in the first biome. No workaround exists. The Frigate is a second-biome project and always will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do you build ships in Windrose? At the Wharf — built near the shoreline using 10 Wood and 10 Coarse Fabric. The Shipwright's Workshop is a separate station used only for ship upgrades like cannons, hull bracing, and naval tactics. A common mistake is trying to build new ships at the Workshop — it doesn't work there.

How do you unlock the Brigantine in Windrose? Reach Brethren of the Coast Reputation Level 2 (100 points), defeat the pirate boss Richards first, then buy the Brigantine blueprint from the Brethren vendor for 1,000 Piastre. You also need Shipwright's Tools (~300 Piastre from the same vendor). Do not buy the blueprint before the Richards boss — the quest prerequisite blocks construction regardless.

What materials do you need to build a Brigantine in Windrose? 200 Wooden Planks, 200 Nails, 120 Coarse Fabric, 80 Copper Ingots, 40 Timber, 40 Linen Fabric, 40 Rope, and 30 Shipwright's Tools. The Nails require around 40 Copper Ingots and 20 Iron Ingots to craft. All materials are processable in the first biome.

What is the best ship variant in Windrose? Blackbeard variant for combat-focused playstyles — higher speed and cannon capacity at the cost of hull HP and cargo. Brethren variant for tanking and trading — maximum hull HP and cargo, lower speed. Stock is the safest choice for beginners who haven't decided their role yet. Most experienced players recommend the Blackbeard Brigantine for mid-game and Blackbeard Frigate for late-game.

Can you build a Frigate in the first biome in Windrose? No. The Frigate requires Tarred Planks and Tarred Fabric, which are swamp-biome materials from the second biome. You need to progress to the second biome before Frigate construction is possible, regardless of your faction level or Piastre count.

What crafting stations do you need to build a Brigantine in Windrose? Workbench (for Wooden Planks, Rope, Nails), Charcoal Oven (for Charcoal used in smelting), Foundry (for Copper and Iron Ingots), and Spinning Wheel (for Linen Fabric and Coarse Fabric). You build the ship itself at the Wharf — not at any of these stations.

References

• Windrose on Steam
• Windrose community on Reddit — ship build discussions and variant tier debates
• Windrose faction tier list — which factions to level for ship blueprints and cannon upgrades
• Windrose resources guide — ore farming to keep your crafting pipeline full
• Windrose combat guide — cannon setups, boarding tactics, and gear builds once your ship is built