Ship cannons in Windrose fire two ammo types, and switching between them is the difference between a clean kill and a frustrated chase. Standard cannonballs handle hull damage. Chain Shot cripples sails. Both are available on every cannon caliber from the moment you build a Shipwright's Workshop, and you swap between them mid-fight using the number row.
The two ammo types
Every cannon in the game, regardless of caliber or modification line, fires the same two ammunition types. There are no separate ammo crafting recipes, no consumable counts, and no magazines to manage. The selection is purely a toggle on the cannon itself.
| Ammo | Hotkey | Effect | Primary use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard cannonball | 1 | Raw hull damage, no special effect | Sinking ships, pushing targets to the disabled state for boarding |
| Chain Shot | 2 | Targets sails and rigging, applies a stacking speed debuff | Slowing fleeing ships, immobilizing elites and bosses, controlling multi-ship fights |
Switching is instant. The next volley your cannons fire after you press the key uses the selected ammo, and reload timers are unaffected by which ammo is loaded. The per-cannon reload stat is the only thing that gates how often you can fire.
Standard cannonballs (key 1)
This is the default, the workhorse, and what your cannons load automatically when combat starts. Standard cannonballs deal flat hull damage scaled by caliber: 1,500 per volley on 12-Pounders, 2,000 on 24-Pounders, and 2,500 on 36-Pounders. They have no debuff, no proc, and no special interaction beyond raw damage.
Use them when the goal is to sink a ship outright, or to drop an enemy hull to the disabled state so you can grapple over and board. Aim slightly below the visible center of mass. Cannonballs travel in an arc, and shooting at what looks like the middle of the target tends to sail clean over the deck. Large swells can also block projectiles physically, so close the gap if you keep losing volleys to wave geometry.
Chain Shot (key 2)
Chain Shot is two cannonballs joined by a chain, and it targets sails rather than hull. Hits accumulate a speed debuff. Land enough of them and the enemy ship slows dramatically, turns sluggishly, and effectively becomes a stationary target. Hull damage from Chain Shot is minimal, so it is not a sinking tool.
The two situations where Chain Shot is essentially mandatory:
- Multi-ship engagements. Slow the closest threat with Chain Shot, then switch to cannonballs and burn down a different target. The slowed ship cannot reposition fast enough to bring its broadside on you while you finish the other.
- Elite ships and naval bosses. These targets have hull pools you cannot burst through cleanly. Slow them, circle, and chip away from arcs they cannot return fire from.
The standard opener against anything tougher than a basic patrol is five or six Chain Shot volleys into the rigging, then swap to cannonballs once the target is visibly slowed and aim for the waterline.
How ammo interacts with cannon modifications
Modded cannons (Tempered, Devastating, Perfectly Ordered) keep their effects regardless of which ammo is loaded. The interactions worth knowing:
| Modification | Behavior with ammo types |
|---|---|
| Tempered | The +40% next-volley damage bonus after a 6-second hold applies to whatever ammo is loaded, but pays off most with standard cannonballs since Chain Shot's hull damage is negligible. |
| Devastating | The Raked debuff (+10% damage taken, stacks x3) procs on volleys that land 50% or more of their shots. It can be applied with either ammo and increases all incoming damage to the target, so opening with Chain Shot to apply Raked, then switching to cannonballs, is a clean combo. |
| Perfectly Ordered | The +30% reload buff after a hit within 4 seconds triggers on either ammo. Chain Shot opens are a reliable way to kick the buff online before swapping to cannonballs. |
Each ship has three independent batteries (front, port, starboard) with separate reload timers, so you can stagger ammo use across them. A common rhythm on a Brig or Frigate is one side firing Chain Shot to maintain the slow, while the opposite side reloads cannonballs for the kill volley.
When to skip Chain Shot
Against a single weak patrol, Chain Shot is wasted time. The target dies faster than the slow matters, and every volley spent on rigging is a volley not spent on hull. Stick to standard cannonballs for one-on-one fights against early-zone enemies and basic Blackbeard sailors in the starter regions.
Anything with elite tags, anything escorted, or anything you specifically want to board rather than sink is where Chain Shot earns its slot.
Verifying the ammo swap
The HUD shows which ammo is currently loaded near the cannon reticle. If the next volley does heavy hull damage and triggers a hit number, you fired cannonballs. If the volley produces a visible speed reduction icon on the enemy ship and minimal hull damage, you fired Chain Shot. There is no separate ammo counter to track because neither type is consumable.
That is the full ammunition system at launch. Two types, one hotkey each, no resource cost, and a clean tactical loop: slow with Chain Shot, sink with cannonballs, board what is left.