7 Beginner Tips In Windrose To Become A True Pirate Captain

Windrose has finally been released into early access after a highly successful demo on Steam earlier this year. It looks to be a hit right out of the gate, as the pirate survival theme mixed with the RPG elements and story is resonating with the PC community so far. While Windrose looks like your run-of-the-mill survival game at the start, you'll quickly learn that the pirate world isn't easy to live in. Between dealing with survival, enemies that deal huge chunks of damage, and exploring the land and sea, you could wind up seeing the death screen a few more times than you'd like. To try and help with avoiding that altogether, we have put together a list of 7 beginner tips in Windrose to get you started on your journey to become a true pirate captain.

These tips should make your first few hours much more tolerable and set you up nicely for what's to come down the line. Whether you are grappling with the combat system or managing a tight inventory, mastering these mechanics is essential if you want to survive the unforgiving seas.

Mastering Combat: The Art of Blocking

You're immediately introduced to the combat system in Windrose, and it relies heavily on a blocking mechanic. This is the main way you can avoid taking damage from enemies, which is crucial given how much health enemies can take from you with just a single hit. Unfortunately, you can't just infinitely block an enemy's attacks during combat, as you have a set number of blocks you can do before the mechanic goes on a cooldown.

This limitation is indicated by the tan shield icons that appear in the lower middle part of your screen during combat. You start a fight with multiple of these shields, and it's important to learn when to block and how to use the mechanic in conjunction with attacking and your stamina meter. Basically, though, you should:

  • Block enemies only when you know an attack is coming.
  • Don't be afraid to run away for a second so you can recoup some of your blocks.
  • Manage your stamina carefully to ensure you have the energy to dodge or counter-attack.

Unlocking Your Potential: Stats and Talents

Don't forget about your Stat Points and Talents, as it can be easy to overlook that Windrose is actually an RPG as well as a survival game. While the RPG elements are limited compared to dedicated role-playing titles, your character does have a set of Stat Points that you can increase as you level up. You also have a Talents menu, which allows you to unlock various upgrades that help customize the kind of pirate you want to be.

Every time you level up, you'll earn a set of rewards including a certain number of Stat Points and Talent Points. To use them, just go into your inventory and then use "D" to scroll to different menus. The second one you'll see is called "Progression," which shows you your Stat Points, and then you'll see the "Talents" menu. Windrose allows you to reset your Stat Points, but it requires a rare resource to do so. Here are the Stat Points you have access to:

  • Strength
  • Agility
  • Precision
  • Mastery
  • Vitalty
  • Endurance

Guns: High Risk, High Reward

As soon as you crash onto the starting island in Windrose, you'll have a sword and a gun at your disposal. While it might be tempting to keep the gun in your hands at all times, that's not an efficient decision for survival. Guns in Windrose are very accurate for the time period in which the game is set, but they are extremely difficult to use effectively in a fight.

Pistols and blunderbusses can deal a significant amount of damage at close range, but after firing, they take several seconds to reload. More often than not, those extra seconds is all it takes for an enemy to hit you once or twice, lowering your HP to dangerous levels. Ideally, you should use guns to finish off enemies instead of trying to use them to initiate fights where a missed shot could be fatal.

Smart Looting and Map Navigation

Only loot the essentials when exploring, as Windrose features a slew of resources that you can pick up within the first five minutes of the game starting. Of course, you want to grab as much as possible so you can get your base started and begin making early game tools and gear. However, once your base is set up and you have an early inventory of items, you want to be a little more selective about what you're looting.

Windrose doesn't give your character a sizable inventory whatsoever to start out, meaning you'll be fighting for space if you pick up every item you find. This can be quite annoying if you're far away from your base and have to start making decisions about what items to leave behind. Fortunately, you can store all resources in storage containers around your base and still be able to access them while crafting or in building mode. This strategy can save several slots of space in your inventory for rarer items that you find while out exploring.

Always follow your map as well, since it sounds a little cliché to say so while playing a pirate game but it's something you might overlook. The map, by default, features plenty of helpful markers that guide you along during the early game. There is a difficulty setting to turn these markers off, but if you have them enabled, you can look at your map to see where certain resources are located, where your next quest objective is, and the areas you've already explored.

Prioritizing Healing and Base Management

Healing items should be a priority as combat can be unforgiving in Windrose, especially before you're able to craft effective weapons and armor. A few hits from a boar or drowned enemy can mean death, and things get even more challenging when there are multiple foes to deal with. You'll still have to muster through the early game combat, but to make your life easier, take as many healing items with you as possible at all times.

You can either craft your own bandages with Coarse Fabric or loot some Healing Potions from chests out on the island, specifically at Ancient Ruins. You can stack Bandages and Potions to give you more healing options, but there's a cooldown after using them, so you can't use the same item in succession to restore your entire HP bar quickly. Regardless, having multiple healing items gives you a much stronger chance at surviving multiple combat engagements and getting back to your base in one piece.

Finally, remember that you can destroy objects in building mode to move them, which is an important tip for managing your base layout. It's important to remember that Windrose is still in early access, so there are bound to be some missing features that might be added in later down the road. By following these 7 beginner tips in Windrose, you will be better prepared to navigate the dangers of the sea and rise through the ranks to become a legendary pirate captain.