Windrose Ships List: All Ships in the Game Explained
Windrose ships define how you move, fight, and carry resources across the map, and the differences between them show up immediately once you start upgrading. Each ship type and faction shifts how travel feels, from fast scouting runs to heavy cargo hauling or full combat control. Once you understand how ships are grouped and what each one is built for, it becomes much easier to choose the right one instead of just upgrading blindly.
Below we go over ship types and list out every ship in the game.
Ship Types Explained
Ship types in Windrose matter more than the name itself, because most factions reuse the same base classes with different strengths.
Raft and Boat are your starting options. They get you moving but don’t support long trips or heavy hauling.
Cutters are fast and light. You’ll feel how quickly they move between islands, which makes them great for scouting and short runs, but they don’t carry much.
Ketches are the first real balanced ships. They handle travel, cargo, and basic encounters without forcing tradeoffs every time you leave.
Brigs sit in the middle as hybrid ships. You can carry a solid amount while still handling fights, which makes them one of the most flexible options.
Frigates lean heavily into combat. They feel slower, but you gain much more control in fights, especially against multiple enemies.
Galleons and Merchant ships are built for cargo. You’ll notice the difference immediately when transporting large amounts, but they’re not as agile or responsive.
Best Ships To Use Early
Early on, you want ships that support movement and flexibility instead of raw power.
Cutters are strong for quickly moving between islands and scouting new locations. You’ll notice how much faster your routes feel compared to starting ships.
Ketches are usually the best early upgrade overall. They give you enough cargo space to make trips worthwhile while still being easy to handle.
Heavier ships like Brigs and Frigates can feel strong, but early progression doesn’t really support their downsides yet. You’ll spend more time managing them than benefiting from them.
Windrose Ships Listed by Faction
Default Player Ships
These are your main progression ships and what you’ll actually use most of the time.
Raft
Boat
Cutter
Ketch
Brig
Brigantine
Frigate
Galleon
Big Merchant
Battleship Royal
Blackbeard Ships
Blackbeard ships are lighter, faster, and more cargo-friendly, but you give up durability.
Blackbeard Brig
Blackbeard Frigate
Blackbeard Ketch
Blackbeard Interceptor
Blackbeard Cutter
Brethren Ships
Brethren ships are built for combat, with stronger hulls and heavier cannon potential, but slower and less efficient for transport.
Brethren Brig
Brethren Frigate
Brethren Ketch
Brethren Interceptor
Brethren Scout
Brethren Transport Ship
Brethren Warship
Buccaneer Ships
Buccaneer ships are more balanced, usually showing up as standard variants without extreme strengths.
Buccaneer Interceptor
Buccaneer Scout
Buccaneer Transport Ship
Buccaneer Warship
Smuggler Ships
Smuggler ships focus on movement and transport, often lighter setups with balanced stats.
Smuggler Interceptor
Smuggler Scout
Smuggler Transport Ship
Smuggler Warship
Civilian Ships
Civilian ships are standard non-combat variants you’ll see around the world.
Interceptor
Scout
Transport Ship
Warship
Best Ships To Use Early
Early on, you want ships that support movement and flexibility instead of raw power.
Cutters are strong for quickly moving between islands and scouting new locations. You’ll notice how much faster your routes feel compared to starting ships.
Ketches are usually the best early upgrade overall. They give you enough cargo space to make trips worthwhile while still being easy to handle.
Heavier ships like Brigs and Frigates can feel strong, but early progression doesn’t really support their downsides yet. You’ll spend more time managing them than benefiting from them.
Player Ships Versus AI Ships
Not every ship you see is meant to be used the same way.
Player ships are your progression path. These are the ships you build, upgrade, and rely on for exploration, transport, and combat.
AI ships are what you encounter in the world. They often follow the same ship types, but their purpose is tied to factions, encounters, and world activity rather than long-term use.
You’ll notice similar ship names between the two, but how they’re used is completely different depending on whether it’s yours or not.
Final Blurb
Windrose ships follow a clear pattern once you break them down by faction. Most factions reuse the same core ship types, but tweak them toward speed, combat, or cargo.
Once you recognize the ship type first, the faction tells you how it behaves, which makes reading encounters and choosing upgrades much easier as you progress.
