Resources are the backbone of Windrose. Every upgrade path eventually comes back to gathering, processing, and storing the right materials, whether you are building your first base, crafting better weapons, cooking food buffs, upgrading your ship, or preparing for later biomes.
The game does not always make it obvious which resources are raw materials, which ones are processed components, and which ones only become useful after you unlock the right crafting station. If you’re just getting started, check out our beginner tips to get a head start.
This guide breaks down the main resources in Windrose, where to get them, what tool or station they need, and their uses. The tables are split by resource type, so you can quickly check what you need without digging through every crafting station manually.
1. Basic Resources You Need First
Wood
The first resources you should learn are the basic island materials. These are used constantly for tools, camp structures, crafting stations, storage, food prep, and early upgrades. Even later in the game, you still need large amounts of Wood, Stone, Plant Fiber, and Clay, so never treat them as throwaway materials. Clay deserves special attention because it is easy to miss.
| Resource | How to Get It | Tool / Requirement | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Chop trees or pick up loose wood from the ground | Axe recommended | Workbench, bonfire, buildings, tools, planks, timber, crafting stations |
| Stone | Mine rocks or collect loose stones near shorelines | Pickaxe recommended | Workbench, cooking fire, hewn stone, early structures, tools |
| Plant Fiber | Harvest shrubs, bushes, shore plants, and algae | Axe or harvesting tool | Rope, Coarse Fabric, bags, bandages, tents, early crafting |
| Clay | Mine muddy ground deposits, usually near coastal grass and shoreline transition areas | Pickaxe | Clay Bottles, Charcoal Kiln, Smelting Furnace, potion crafting |
| Planks | Chop shipwreck debris found along beaches | Axe | Early building, ship-related crafting, repairs |
| Tree Bark | Chop trees, especially hardwood trees later | Axe | Tannin, leather processing, alchemy-related crafting |
| Animal Fat | Kill animals and loot their bodies | Weapon | Lamp fuel and light-related crafting |
| Healing Herbs | Gather wild herb plants | Hand gathering | Healing items and alchemy recipes |
2. Early Processed Materials
Coarse Fabric
Processed materials are created by turning raw resources into usable crafting components. These are the items that slow down early progression if you do not keep production running at your base. Your Workbench, Spinning Wheel, Charcoal Kiln, and Smelting Furnace are the first major stations that control this part of the game.
| Resource | How to Get It | Crafting Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rope | Crafted from Plant Fiber | Workbench | Bags, tools, buildings, ship parts, early gear recipes |
| Coarse Fabric | Crafted from Plant Fiber | Spinning Wheel | Bandages, early bags, clothing, crafting components |
| Bandage | Crafted from Coarse Fabric | Workbench | Early healing over time |
| Hewn Stone | Processed from Stone | Workbench | Building pieces, crafting stations, structural upgrades |
| Wooden Plank | Processed from Wood | Workbench | Buildings, crafting stations, ship work |
| Timber | Crafted from multiple Wood | Workbench | Heavier construction and advanced building recipes |
| Clay Bottle | Crafted from Clay | Smelting Furnace | Potions and alchemy recipes |
| Charcoal | Burn Wood | Charcoal Kiln | Fuel, crafting, gunpowder chain |
| Ash | Produced while burning wood in the Charcoal Kiln | Charcoal Kiln | Gunpowder crafting with Sulfur |
| Nails | Crafted from metal components | Workbench | Buildings, ship upgrades, station construction |
| Ironware | Crafted from Iron Ingots | Workbench | Mid-game gear, tools, and building recipes |
| Millstone Parts | Found or crafted for the Millstone | Workbench / exploration | Required to build the Millstone |
3. Ores, Ingots, and Metal Materials
Copper Ingot
Metal resources are what move your character from basic survival into real progression. You need ores for tools, weapons, armor, ship upgrades, nails, gun-related crafting, jewellery, and higher-tier stations. The important thing is to separate raw ore from ingots, because ores must be processed before most recipes can use them.
Copper is your first major metal target, while Iron becomes the key step once you move into the Foothills. Foothills resources matter because enemies and gear requirements jump up in that tier, and Iron works alongside Hardwood, Flax Fiber, and other mid-game materials.
| Resource | How to Get It | Tool / Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper Ore | Mine deposits in Copper Caves and early mining areas | Pickaxe | Smelt into Copper Ingots |
| Copper Ingot | Smelt Copper Ore | Smelting Furnace | Early tools, weapons, armor, upgrades, crafting parts |
| Iron Ore | Mine in the Foothills biome | Pickaxe | Smelt into Iron Ingots / Foothills Iron Ingots |
| Foothills Iron Ingot | Smelt Foothills Iron Ore | Smelting Furnace | Mid-tier tools, weapons, armor, ship upgrades |
| Gold Ingot | Smelt gold ore | Smelting Furnace | Jewellery, advanced crafting, valuable items |
| Silver Ingot | Smelt silver ore | Smelting Furnace | Jewellery and higher-value crafting |
| Tumbaga Ingot | Crafted from metal materials | Smelting Furnace | Advanced gear and upgrade crafting |
| Mire Metal Ingot | Process Tier 3 swamp metal materials | Large Smelting Furnace | Late-game gear and advanced equipment |
| Sapphire | Found as a rare gem resource | Mining / loot | Jewellery and rare crafting |
| Pearl | Collected from scallop shells along coastlines and underwater areas | Gathering | Jewellery and rare crafting |
| Anvil | Resource/component tied to crafting progression | Loot / crafting source | Station and gear-related crafting |
4. Wood, Fiber, and Textile Resources
Plant Fiber
Textiles and wood materials control a lot of early and mid-game progression. You need them for bags, bandages, armor, ship upgrades, tools, decorations, faction crafting, and later waterproof fabrics. These resources often look simple, but they become major bottlenecks if you do not farm them in bulk.
| Resource | How to Get It | Tool / Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Fiber | Gather shrubs, bushes, algae, and small plants | Axe / harvesting | Rope, Coarse Fabric, bags, bandages |
| Coarse Fabric | Process Plant Fiber | Spinning Wheel | Bandages, early bags, clothing, recipes |
| Flax Fiber | Gather purple-flowered flax plants in Foothills grasslands | Gathering | Linen Fabric |
| Linen Fabric | Process Flax Fiber | Spinning Wheel | Mid-tier gear, decorations, ship upgrades |
| Hardwood | Chop Divi-Divi trees in the Foothills | Axe | Mid-tier building, ship upgrades, tools, recipes |
| Tree Bark | Chop trees, especially Foothills trees | Axe | Tannin, leatherworking |
| Plague Wood | Harvest corrupted trees in swamp biomes | Axe | Late-game swamp crafting |
| Tarred Fabric | Combine Linen Fabric with Tar | Tanning Rig | Waterproof and advanced textile recipes |
5. Animal Drops and Hunting Resources
Rough Hide
Animal resources come from killing wildlife and looting the body afterward. These materials are used for food, leatherworking, alchemy, gear crafting, light sources, and some faction or progression recipes. Early animals like crabs and boars are especially useful because they provide food and crafting resources at the same time.
| Resource | How to Get It | Best Source | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crab Meat | Kill crabs along beaches | Coastal crabs | Boiled Crab and early food buffs |
| Meat | Kill wildlife | Boars, Dodos, other animals | Cooked meals and food buffs |
| Rough Hide | Kill boars and sows | Boars / sows | Tanned Leather and armor crafting |
| Boar Tusk | Kill boars | Boars | Crafting and gear recipes |
| Feather | Kill birds or bird-like wildlife | Dodos / birds | Crafting and recipes |
| Wolf Fang | Kill wolves | Foothills wolves | Crafting and combat-related recipes |
| Mountain Goat Horn | Kill mountain goats | Rocky elevated regions | Crafting and gear-related recipes |
| Animal Fat | Kill animals | Wildlife | Lamp fuel and utility crafting |
6. Food, Crops, and Cooking Resources
Cayenne Pepper
Food resources are important because Windrose uses food buffs as a major part of survival and combat preparation. You can have food buffs active before fights, and many meals give stat boosts or extra health value. Some ingredients are found in the wild, while others become farmable once you unlock farming systems.
| Resource | How to Get It | Type | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banana | Gather from palm trees along beaches and coastal areas | Wild food | Early food buff and cooking |
| Sweet Potato / Batata | Found in jungle areas or grow in a farm | Crop / wild food | Cooking recipes |
| Corn | Grown from Corn Seeds on farm plots | Crop | Cornmeal and cooking |
| Cornmeal | Grind Corn | Millstone | Food recipes |
| Beans | Farmable crop | Seedbed crop | Soups and cooked meals |
| Leek | Farmable crop | Seedbed crop | Cooking |
| Tomato | Farmable crop | Seedbed crop | Cooking |
| Peppers | Farmable crop | Seedbed crop | Spicy recipes |
| Cocoplum | Farmable crop | Seedbed crop | Cooking and drinks |
| Coffee Beans | Found in ship cargo holds, farming, or trade | Ingredient | Coffee and cooking recipes |
| Salt | Found in cargo holds and loot sources | Seasoning | Cooking |
| Lobster Mushroom | Found in the wild | Ingredient | Cooking |
| Cayenne Pepper | Found in the wild | Ingredient | Spicy foods |
| Crab Meat | Kill crabs | Seafood | Boiled Crab and seafood meals |
| Meat | Hunt animals | Meat | Cooked meat dishes |
| Eggs | Gather from nests / wildlife sources | Food ingredient | Egg-based meals |
7. Alchemy, Leather, and Potion Materials
Healing Herbs
Alchemy and leatherworking start to matter once you move beyond basic survival. These resources feed into potions, healing, tanned leather, waterproof fabric, and late-game crafting chains. Clay remains important here because it turns into bottles, and bottles are consumed when making potions.
| Resource | How to Get It | Tool / Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clay Bottle | Bake Clay into bottles | Smelting Furnace | Potions and alchemy |
| Healing Herbs | Gather wild herbs | Gathering | Healing potions |
| Tannin | Craft from Clay Bottle + Tree Bark | Alchemy Table | Tanned Leather |
| Tanned Leather | Combine Rough Hide with Tannin | Tanning Rig | Armor, gear, crafting |
| Tar | Produced through swamp resource processing | Charcoal Kiln | Tarred Fabric and waterproofing |
| Tarred Fabric | Combine Linen Fabric with Tar | Tanning Rig | Advanced textile crafting |
| Firefly | Gather in the wild | Gathering | Alchemy or special recipes |
| Misty Orchid | Found on mid-tier islands | Gathering | Alchemy and advanced recipes |
| Lobster Mushroom | Found in the wild | Gathering | Cooking / alchemy-related recipes |
8. Gunpowder and Firearm Resources
Homemade Gunpowder
Firearms need more than the weapon itself. You need Homemade Gunpowder, which requires a short production chain. This means keeping your Charcoal Kiln and Millstone active matters if you use pistols, muskets, or blunderbusses often.
| Resource | How to Get It | Tool / Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ash | Burn Wood in Charcoal Kiln | Charcoal Kiln | Homemade Gunpowder |
| Sulfur | Mine Sulfur Nodes with yellow cracks | Iron Pickaxe or cannonfire | Homemade Gunpowder |
| Homemade Gunpowder | Combine Ash and Sulfur | Millstone | Firearms ammunition chain |
| Millstone Parts | Crafted / found after unlocking Millstone progression | Workbench | Build Millstone |
9. Foothills Resources
Divi-Divi tree for Hardwood
The Foothills biome marks the first major resource jump. Enemies get stronger, recipes become more demanding, and you need better materials for ships, gear, tools, and crafting stations. This is where Hardwood, Foothills Iron Ore, Flax Fiber, and several wildlife resources become priorities.
| Resource | How to Get It | Location / Biome | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foothills Iron Ore | Mine ore deposits | Foothills islands | Iron ingots, tools, weapons, armor |
| Hardwood | Chop Divi-Divi trees | Foothills | Ship upgrades, buildings, advanced crafting |
| Tree Bark | Chop trees | Foothills and other wooded areas | Tannin and leatherworking |
| Flax Fiber | Gather purple-flowered flax plants | Foothills grasslands | Linen Fabric |
| Linen Fabric | Process Flax Fiber | Spinning Wheel | Gear, decorations, ship upgrades |
| Fertile Soil | Mine ground at Ancient Farms | Foothills islands | Seedbeds and farming |
| Mountain Goat Horn | Hunt mountain goats | Rocky elevated regions | Crafting |
| Wolf Fang | Hunt wolves | Foothills wildlife areas | Crafting |
| Misty Orchid | Gather wild flowers | Mid-tier islands | Alchemy / advanced crafting |
10. Swamp and Late-Game Resources
Tar recipes
Swamp and late-game resources feed advanced stations, stronger gear, special materials, and endgame crafting. These are not your first-hour priorities, but knowing what they are helps you understand why early production chains matter.
| Resource | How to Get It | Location / Station | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quagmire Powder | Found in the Swamp biome | Swamp | Mire Metal and advanced crafting |
| Plague Wood | Chop plague-infected trees | Swamp biome | Corrupted wood recipes |
| Tar | Process swamp resources | Charcoal Kiln | Tarred Fabric and waterproof crafting |
| Tear of Sorrow | Found in the wild | Swamp biome | Rare mystical crafting |
| Undead Essence | Dropped by undead enemies | Swamp / undead areas | Advanced crafting |
| Mire Metal Ingot | Process swamp metal materials | Large Smelting Furnace | Tier 3 gear and tools |
| Essence Arborum | Advanced magical material | Late-game crafting | High-tier recipes |
| Ingot Arborum | Crafted at Enchanting Table | Enchanting Table | Endgame gear crafting |
11. Faction, Loot, and Special Resources
Opening Closed Scallop Shell for Pearls
Some resources do not come from simple gathering. They are tied to factions, cargo holds, enemies, rare loot, or special points of interest. These materials are often easy to forget because they are not part of the basic chopping and mining loop.
| Resource | How to Get It | Main Source | Main Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sewing Tools | Buy from the People of Tortuga faction | Faction vendor | Clothing and textile crafting |
| Coffee Beans | Cargo holds, farming, or trade | Ships / trade | Coffee and recipes |
| Salt | Cargo holds and loot sources | Ships / containers | Cooking |
| Pearl | Scallop shells | Coastlines / underwater | Jewellery |
| Sapphire | Rare mining or loot | Gem source | Jewellery and high-value crafting |
| Undead Essence | Defeat undead enemies | Undead areas | Advanced crafting |
| Firefly | Gather in the wild | Night / wild areas | Alchemy or special recipes |
| Tear of Sorrow | Found in the wild | Swamp / rare areas | Mystical recipes |
12. Best Resource Farming Tips
- Always carry a Stone Pickaxe and Stone Axe when exploring new islands.
- Mine every Clay deposit you see early, because potion bottles consume it quickly.
- Use your ship storage as overflow during long resource runs.
- Build storage containers at base and separate raw materials from processed components.
- Keep Charcoal Kilns active so you always have Charcoal and Ash.
- Process Plant Fiber into Coarse Fabric before you need emergency bandages.
- Farm Crab Meat and Bananas early so you can stack food buffs before fights.
- Mark or remember Clay, Copper, and Sulfur deposits so you can revisit them after respawns.
- Place temporary outposts or Fast Travel Bells near high-value resource areas.
- Move into Foothills resource farming once you need Iron, Hardwood, and Linen Fabric.
