Windrose Ship Upgrade Guide: Ketch to Frigate Progression

The Ship Upgrade Path Overview

Progressing from a Ketch to a Frigate in Windrose is a journey that spans approximately 40 to 60 hours of gameplay, depending on your focus and efficiency. The upgrade path is not linear; you do not simply convert one ship into the next. Instead, each ship class represents a new construction project at your shipyard, and your previous ship can be dismantled to recover roughly half its materials.

The progression follows three stages. Stage 1 is the Ketch phase, lasting roughly the first 10 hours of gameplay, during which you complete the starter questline and establish your resource gathering infrastructure. Stage 2 is the Brig phase, lasting 20 to 30 hours, during which you build faction reputation and accumulate mid-game resources. Stage 3 is the Frigate phase, lasting 15 to 20 hours of focused endgame preparation.

The critical bottleneck at each stage is not materials but blueprints and reputation. The Ketch blueprint is free, but the Brig blueprint requires faction reputation rank 2, and the Frigate blueprint requires rank 4. Reputation grinding is the gating mechanism that prevents players from rushing to a Frigate, so you should start faction quests early and consistently.

This guide walks you through each stage in detail, with specific resource targets, reputation strategies, and time-saving tips. By following this path, you can reach a Frigate in approximately 45 hours of focused play, compared to the 70-plus hours it takes most players who approach the upgrade process without a plan.

Stage 1: Maximizing Your Ketch Phase

The Ketch phase is about more than just building your first ship; it is about laying the groundwork for efficient resource gathering that will serve you through the Brig and Frigate stages. During your first 10 hours, focus on three objectives: completing the main questline, establishing a resource outpost, and starting faction reputation grinding.

Complete the starter island questline up to Set Sail to get your Ketch blueprint and starter materials. Build your Ketch immediately, as having a ship dramatically increases your mobility and access to resources. Do not invest heavily in Ketch upgrades at this stage, as you will be moving to a Brig soon and those materials are better saved.

While sailing your Ketch, identify a resource-rich island for your outpost. The ideal outpost location has hardwood trees, iron deposits, and a protected bay for your shipyard. The island east of Castellan Bay, known locally as Shipwright's Rest, is a popular choice because it has all three resource types and is centrally located on the map.

At your outpost, build a sawmill, a smelter, and a storage chest. The sawmill converts raw hardwood logs into planks at a 2:1 ratio, and the smelter converts iron ore into ingots at a 2:1 ratio. These crafting stations are essential because raw materials cannot be used directly in ship construction; they must be refined first. Build two storage chests to hold your refined materials, as the Brig requires 400 planks and 100 ingots.

Begin faction reputation grinding immediately. Choose one faction based on your intended playstyle: the Merchant Guild for trading bonuses, the Navy for combat bonuses, or the Pirate Brotherhood for stealth and speed bonuses. Complete delivery quests for your chosen faction, which reward 50 reputation points each. You need 500 points for rank 2, so complete 10 deliveries during your Ketch phase to have the Brig blueprint ready when you have enough materials.

• Complete starter questline for Ketch blueprint
• Build Ketch immediately for mobility
• Establish resource outpost on Shipwright's Rest
• Build sawmill, smelter, and storage chests
• Complete 10 faction delivery quests for rank 2

Stage 2: Building and Optimizing Your Brig

Once you have faction reputation rank 2 and the Brig blueprint, you are ready to build your mid-game workhorse. Before constructing the Brig, dismantle your Ketch at the shipyard to recover approximately 100 hardwood planks, 25 iron ingots, and 15 rope. This recovered material significantly reduces the gathering needed for your Brig.

The Brig requires 400 hardwood planks, 100 iron ingots, 60 rope, 40 sailcloth, and 20 tar. With your outpost sawmill and smelter operational, the planks and ingots are straightforward: chop 800 hardwood logs and smelt 200 iron ore. Rope is crafted from hemp fiber, which grows along coastlines; gather 300 hemp fibers and craft 60 rope at a ropeworks station. Sailcloth requires cotton, found on tropical islands to the south.

While gathering Brig materials, continue faction reputation grinding. You need 3,000 reputation points for rank 4 and the Frigate blueprint, and you currently have 500. The most efficient reputation source at this stage is faction naval patrols, which reward 150 reputation points each and can be completed once per day. A daily patrol plus continued delivery quests yields about 400 reputation per day, meaning you need approximately 7 days of play to reach rank 4.

Build your Brig at the shipyard once all materials are gathered. The construction takes about 30 minutes. Equip it with a balanced loadout initially: reinforced hull, 8 standard cannons, standard cargo hold, and repair module. This gives you a versatile ship that can handle mid-game PvE encounters, trade runs, and faction patrols simultaneously.

Use your Brig to explore the mid-game map and gather the rare materials needed for Frigate construction. The advanced smelter blueprint, required to produce refined steel, is found in shipwrecks in the Cursed Swamps. Spend several Brig expeditions to the swamps to locate and retrieve this blueprint, as it is the gating item for Frigate construction.

• Dismantle Ketch to recover materials
• Gather 400 planks, 100 iron, 60 rope, 40 sailcloth, 20 tar
• Complete daily faction patrols for 150 rep each
• Build Brig with balanced loadout
• Explore Cursed Swamps for advanced smelter blueprint

Stage 3: Preparing and Building Your Frigate

Reaching the Frigate stage means you have faction reputation rank 4, the Frigate blueprint, and the advanced smelter blueprint. The Frigate requires 800 hardwood planks, 200 iron ingots, 120 rope, 80 sailcloth, 40 tar, and 50 refined steel. This is a massive resource commitment, and careful planning is essential to avoid wasting time.

Refined steel is the most time-consuming material. Each refined steel ingot requires 2 iron ingots and 1 coal, smelted at the advanced smelter. You need 50 refined steel, which means 100 iron ingots and 50 coal. Coal is found in mountainous regions, particularly on the volcanic island northwest of Ironport. Plan a dedicated mining expedition to gather all 50 coal in one trip, as the volcanic island is dangerous and not worth repeated visits.

For the 800 planks, you need 1,600 hardwood logs. If your outpost sawmill has been running continuously during your Brig phase, you may already have 300 to 400 planks stockpiled. Top up the remainder by chopping hardwood on Shipwright's Rest and neighboring islands. Consider hiring 2 NPC lumberjacks at your outpost, each of whom gathers 50 logs per hour automatically for a wage of 100 gold per week.

Before building the Frigate, upgrade your shipyard to Tier 3, which is required for Frigate construction. The Tier 3 upgrade requires 100 hardwood planks, 50 iron ingots, and 20 refined steel, plus the shipyard upgrade blueprint from faction reputation rank 3. Complete this upgrade before gathering Frigate materials, as the upgraded shipyard also speeds up construction by 20 percent.

Once all materials and the upgraded shipyard are ready, begin Frigate construction. The build takes approximately 90 minutes of real time. Install the components in the order prompted by the shipyard interface: hull frame, three decks, four masts, sails, 16 cannons, and interior modules. After completion, hire a crew of 8 to 12 NPCs, outfit your Frigate with an S-tier or A-tier loadout, and set sail as the most powerful captain on the seas.