You start Windrose with a gun in your hand, but that weapon becomes useless without Gunpowder. Whether you want to hunt boars, fight Drowned creatures, or clear out pirate camps, you need a steady supply of this explosive resource. This guide covers every way to get Gunpowder in Windrose , from looting your first chest to crafting your own supply in the Foothills.
Windrose Gunpowder Sources Overview
| Source | Reliability | Availability |
| Blackbeard Pirate Camp chests & Old Packages | High | Second and third islands |
| Killing enemy pirates | Medium | Second and third islands |
| Caves and ruins chests | Low | All three islands |
| Crafting at Millstones | Consistent (once unlocked) | After reaching the Foothills |
| Ship battles and random sea loot | Medium | While sailing between islands |
How to Find Gunpowder Early in Windrose
You cannot craft Gunpowder on the first island. Therefore, exploration becomes your only reliable method during the opening hours. Loot is randomized in the Early Access version of Windrose , so no single chest guarantees Gunpowder every time. However, you can still build a small stockpile by following these steps.
Clear Every Point of Interest on the Starter Island
Work through the tutorial quest and visit every Point of Interest (POI) you find. Open every chest, container, and crate along the way. This approach typically gives you a small supply of Gunpowder to prepare for the second and third islands.
Target Blackbeard Pirate Camps
Once you sail to the next islands during the Rescuing Your Crew quest, look for Blackbeard Pirate Camps. These camps offer the best return on your time for two reasons:
- Kill every pirate – Each defeated pirate has a chance to drop Homemade Gunpowder.
- Search for Old Packages – These large square bundles sparkle just like resources and chests. Each Old Package grants you between 9 and 15 Gunpowder.
- Loot all chests and sacks – Standard storage items inside these camps also hold Gunpowder regularly.
Check Caves and Ruins
Caves and ruins scattered across all three islands contain chests with Gunpowder. However, the drop chance is much lower than what you get from pirate camps. Treat these locations as a bonus rather than your main farming method.
How to Craft Gunpowder in Windrose
Crafting your own Gunpowder becomes available only after you reach the Foothills region. You cannot complete this process on the first island or before clearing the Coastal Jungle. Here is the full step-by-step breakdown.
Step 1: Unlock the Millstones Workstation
You need a Millstones to craft Gunpowder. Follow this chain to unlock and build it:
| Action | Requirement |
| Obtain Corn from any island | Triggers the Millstone Parts recipe |
| Craft Millstone Parts at the Workbench | 15 Stone |
| Build Millstones in Build Mode | 1 Millstone Parts + 15 Wood |
Step 2: Gather Ash
Ash comes from burning Wood in a Charcoal Kiln. It is a byproduct of making Charcoal, so you will accumulate Ash naturally while running the kiln regularly.
Step 3: Mine Sulfur
Sulfur is the harder ingredient to obtain. Mining Sulfur requires an Iron Pickaxe , and Iron Ore only appears in the Foothills region. You must clear the Coastal Jungle first to access this area. Sulfur nodes then spawn randomly in the coastal jungles.
Important note: Iron Ore is also necessary for crafting Millstone Parts. Therefore, both the workstation and the crafting ingredient share the same gating requirement.
Step 4: Craft at the Millstones
Once you have gathered Ash and Sulfur, return to your Millstones and use this recipe:
| Ingredient | Amount |
| Ash | 25 |
| Sulfur | 25 |
| Produces | Homemade Gunpowder |
Do not rush the crafting route before clearing the Coastal Jungle. You cannot mine Sulfur without an Iron Pickaxe, and Iron Ore is locked behind the Foothills. Focus on looting Blackbeard Camps in the meantime.
How to Use Gunpowder in Windrose
Gunpowder works alongside bullets to fire ranged weapons such as Pistols and Blunderbusses. When you pick up Gunpowder, the game automatically slots it into the Ammo slot in your inventory next to your bullets.
Turn on auto-refill in your settings. This feature reloads your weapon automatically during combat, saving you from manual inputs while enemies attack.
Pro tip: Pearls found along beaches can substitute for bullets in a pinch. Keep an eye out for them when you run low on crafted ammunition.
Farming Tips for Early Access
Because loot is randomized in the current Early Access build, you cannot rely on fixed chest locations. Use this efficient loop instead:
- Clear every POI on the starter island during the tutorial for a base supply.
- Prioritise Blackbeard Camps on islands two and three during the crew rescue quest.
- Kill every pirate in each camp before looting – enemy drops add up quickly.
- Collect every Old Package you spot, as these consistently contain Gunpowder.
- Start building toward the Millstones setup as soon as you reach the Foothills.
- Engage in ship battles – sea combat and random sea loot can supplement your supply while you sail.
The Millstones crafting route becomes the most consistent long-term source once you have it running. Therefore, obtaining the Iron Pickaxe and unlocking Foothills access should be a priority after you finish the crew rescue quests.
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