Windrose: How To Add Cannons To Your Ship
Cannons in Windrose are not something you just equip anywhere, and that is where most of the confusion comes from. You can have the cannons crafted and still not be able to use them if a couple key things are missing.
How To Equip Cannons In Windrose
To add cannons to your ship in Windrose, you must be near a Wharf, open the ship equipment menu, and equip compatible cannons that match your ship’s size and type.
The Wharf is what makes it all work. Without it nearby, the game simply will not let you equip or change ship gear. Once you are close enough, you can open the ship menu and slot cannons just like any other ship component.
If the cannons are not showing or cannot be equipped, it is almost always a compatibility issue, not a bug.
Why You Can’t Equip Certain Cannons
This is the part that trips people up. Not every ship can use every cannon. Ships are locked to specific cannon types based on their size and class. Smaller ships are limited to lighter cannons, while larger ships can handle heavier ones.
So even if you craft stronger cannons, they will not show as usable unless your ship supports them.
A simple example:
Early ships can only use lighter cannons like 12 pounders
Heavier cannons like 24 or 36 pounders require larger ships
If you try to equip something outside that range, the game just blocks it.
Why Cannons Don’t Show Up In The Equip Menu
Sometimes the cannon just does not appear at all, which makes it feel like it disappeared. This usually happens when the cannon is not compatible with your current ship. The game filters out anything your ship cannot use, so instead of showing it greyed out it removes it from the list entirely.
That is why it can look like your cannons are gone after switching ships, even though they are still in your inventory.
Why Cannons Suddenly Stop Working
This usually happens when switching ships. You might have had cannons equipped on one ship, then build a new one and try to move them over. If the new ship uses a different cannon class, those cannons will no longer be valid for it.
It can also go the other way. If you crafted stronger cannons and replaced your old ones, you might not be able to re-equip the originals if your current setup changed or you are trying to use them on a different ship type.
It feels like something broke, but it is really just the system enforcing limits.
Where To Actually Equip Cannons
You have two valid ways to do it:
At the Wharf menu
While on your ship near a Wharf
Both routes lead to the same equipment screen. If you are too far from a Wharf, the option disappears entirely, which makes it seem like cannons cannot be equipped at all.
The Wharf is basically your ship’s upgrade hub.
What To Check If Cannons Won’t Equip
If something is not working, it usually comes down to one of these:
You are not near a Wharf
The cannon type does not match your ship
You are trying to equip a heavier cannon than your ship supports
Once you check those, the issue almost always resolves.
How Cannons Tie Into Ship Progression
Cannons are tied directly to ships getting stronger.
As you move into better ships, you unlock access to stronger cannon types. That is when heavier options start making sense and actually become usable. Until then, you are meant to stick with what your current ship supports rather than jumping ahead early.
Can You Move Cannons Between Ships
You can move cannons between ships, but only if both ships support that cannon type.
If the cannon fits one ship but not the other, it will not transfer over as an equippable option. You are not losing the cannon, it just cannot be used on that ship.
This is where most of the confusion comes from when upgrading ships, since stronger cannons do not automatically carry forward unless the new ship supports them.
Final Blurb
Adding cannons in Windrose comes down to two things, being near a Wharf and using cannons your ship can actually support. If either of those is off, the system just blocks you without much explanation. Once you understand that limitation, equipping and upgrading cannons becomes straightforward and lines up naturally with your ship progression.
