A pirate without money is just someone standing on a ship looking worried. Windrose runs on a layered currency economy, and if you want to build top-tier gear, unlock new ship blueprints, and actually do business in Tortuga, you need a serious and consistent supply of Piastres and Guineas.
This guide covers every major farming method available in Early Access, from boarding enemy ships and hunting buried treasure to grinding faction reputation and clearing dungeons.
1. All Currencies in Windrose
Windrose uses four distinct currencies, and not all of them work the same way. Some are spent directly with merchants, while others function as crafting materials tied to progression.
1.1. Piastres
Piastre
Piastres are the primary trade currency. You spend them with merchants across the map, and most importantly, in Tortuga, the central trading hub where vendors, commodity buyers, and NPC workers operate.
Building faction reputation is the most reliable source of steady income, since it progressively unlocks better trade options and higher vendor tiers. The main ways to earn Piastres are:
- Faction quests: completing missions for factions like the Brethren of the Coast and Rogue Buccaneers
- Selling loot and contraband: trading commodities with Faction Buyers
- World content: story missions and side quests that pay out directly
1.2. Guineas
Guinea
Guineas are a reward-based currency that accumulate more slowly than Piastres. They come primarily from buried treasure chests and world quest completions, and are spent on cosmetic items, decorations, building sets, and style books from Faction Provisioners.
They are not used for gear or progression purchases. The exchange options available at the Smuggler Provisioner run in both directions:
- Sell Guineas: 1 Guinea = 20 Piastres. A reliable way to convert surplus cosmetic currency into spendable Piastres.
- Buy Guineas: 50 Piastres = 1 Guinea. Expensive, but available when you need them for a specific building or cosmetic purchase.
If you are not actively pursuing decorations or building sets, selling spare Guineas to the Smuggler Provisioner is one of the more efficient passive Piastre sources in the mid-to-late game.
1.3. Silver Ingots and Gold Ingots
Silver Ingots and Gold Ingots are not standard vendor currency. Their main function is crafting and upgrading jewelry, such as Amulets and Rings, that boost character stats. Both types drop from the same sources:
- Treasure chests across islands
- Dungeons, temples, and ruins
- Enemy encounters, especially in higher-risk zones
2. Board Enemy Ships for Maximum Piastres
Naval combat
Boarding enemy ships is the single most profitable activity available in Windrose. Sinking a ship yields little more than a few Combat Repair Kits and the occasional Insignia, while the bulk of the cargo sinks with the hull.
To make serious money, you need to take ships intact, which means investing in the right gear and executing the boarding process correctly.
2.1. Which Ships to Target
Blackbeard Transport Ship
Not every ship is worth your time. Look specifically for hostile vessels with a chest symbol above their nametag, typically transport ships like Blackbeard Haulers. When you spot one, keep these priorities in mind:
- Chest symbol: the clearest indicator of a high-value cargo hold
- Ship level: higher-level ships carry significantly better loot
- Ship type: prioritize Haulers over standard combat vessels when both are visible
2.2. How to Disable and Board a Ship
Boarding Ship
Successfully seizing a ship requires a specific sequence. Approaching carelessly leads to a sinking target and wasted effort.
- Equip Boarding Gear on your vessel before leaving port. Higher-level Boarding Gear directly increases your crewmates’ combat strength once they cross over.
- Aim for the stern. Hitting the rear of a ship guarantees critical hits, stripping health quickly without requiring complex maneuvering.
- Stop firing the moment a cross-shaped symbol appears below the enemy ship’s health bar. This signals that the ship is disabled and ready for boarding.
- Pull alongside the disabled vessel, then press the Spacebar to initiate the boarding action. Your crew will throw grappling hooks and begin crossing over.
2.3. How to Win the Deck Fight
Successful shipboarding
Once the hooks are secured, the fight breaks out on the enemy deck. For the best results, stay on your own ship and fire from the railing rather than jumping across.
Completing the Glorious Hunters side quest rewards the Buccaneer’s Friend Musket, which has zero aim spread when standing still, making it ideal for covering your crew from a distance.
If all your crewmates fall, you fight alone until the encounter ends. Your crew respawns automatically afterward, so there is no need to recruit replacements.
Where to Sell Your Loot
Once combat ends, take your trade goods to the relevant Faction Buyer at their main base and sell them. Each faction buys different items at different prices:
- Smugglers of Port Royal: Contraband (150 Piastres), Luxuries (250 Piastres)
- Rogue Buccaneers: Spirits (50 Piastres), Munitions (100 Piastres)
- People of Tortuga: Provisions (50 Piastres), Medicine (100 Piastres)
- Brethren of the Coast: Naval Supplies (150 Piastres), Specialized Tools (250 Piastres)
Note that Faction Buyers do not operate in Tortuga. You must travel to each faction’s dedicated main base to sell. Some faction bases, including the Brethren of the Coast, only become available later in the game.
3. Hunt Buried Treasure for Guineas
Digging for a Treasure Chest
Buried treasure hunting is the most direct dedicated source of Guineas outside of world quests. It requires a small upfront investment, some attention to environmental detail, and a tolerance for a game that does not highlight anything for you.
The rewards, particularly early in a run, are consistently worth it.
3.1. How the Treasure System Works
The buried treasure system runs entirely on environmental clues. Nothing is highlighted, and nothing is marked on your map. To find a buried chest, follow these steps:
- Explore an island until you locate a Traveler’s Camp or similar point of interest.
- Find a note or letter on the ground and read it fully.
- The note directs you to a specific environmental object, such as a tree stump, a wooden stake, or a landmark with cloth tied to it.
- Dig at that exact location.
Island regions also display a chest counter, such as “0/3,” showing how many undiscovered caches remain nearby. Search elevated terrain first, as the game frequently places chests on higher ground rather than at eye level.
3.2. How to Use the Shovel
To dig up buried chests, you need a Shovel crafted at a Workbench. The Shovel has multiple functions, so make sure you are using the correct one:
- Open the Shovel tool wheel and select the Dig command.
- Dig at the marked location. Most chests sit two digs deep.
- If nothing appears after two attempts, shift your angle and try the adjacent ground.
- Prepare for a fight before opening any chest. Buried caches frequently spawn enemies when interacted with.
The Fifteen Men on a Dead Man’s Chest quest on the starting island is an early example of this, as opening the chest spawns four Drowned enemies, but the experience and loot reward the effort, giving you Silver Ingots from the early game.
4. Do World Quests and Build Faction Reputation
Underground Network Quest
World quests and faction work are not as dramatic as boarding ships, but they provide the most consistent and reliable currency income you can sustain across a full session. Ignoring them means leaving a steady stream of Guineas, Piastres, and Ingots uncollected every time you log in.
4.1. Complete World Quests for Guineas
Main story missions and side quests distribute direct currency rewards across all three biomes in Early Access. Always keep your journal open and tracked. The quest types and what they pay out:
- Main story missions: consistent Guineas and Ingot rewards tied to progression
- Side quests: often outperform the same amount of time spent searching for buried chests
- All quest types: can reward Silver Ingots and Gold Ingots alongside Guineas
4.2. Build Faction Reputation for Better Trade
Insignias
Faction reputation is the backbone of the Piastre economy. Completing quests for the Brethren of the Coast and Rogue Buccaneers builds standing that unlocks stronger trade options, NPC workers, and better sell prices across the board.
As you raid ships and clear camps, your inventory will fill with trade commodities. These are not consumables and have no function other than being sold:
- Contraband
- Naval Supplies
- Medical Crates
Store them and bring them to the relevant Faction Buyer at their main base to convert them into Piastres. Do not travel to Tortuga expecting to offload these items there since Faction Buyers are not present in Tortuga.
5. Piastre and Guinea Farming Tips in Windrose
Smugglers of Port Royal Base
Small adjustments to how you move through the world add up quickly in Windrose. A few consistent habits can meaningfully increase the amount of currency you bring back per session.
- Sell trade goods at Faction main bases regularly: Provisions, Spirits, Contraband, and similar items have no use sitting in your inventory. Each faction buys different commodities, so check which base accepts what before sailing.
- Sell spare Guineas to the Smuggler Provisioner: At 20 Piastres per Guinea, surplus cosmetic currency converts directly into spendable income. Skip this only if you are actively building or decorating.
- Run faction quests in sequence: Each completed quest builds reputation and pays out directly, making it more efficient than grinding combat zones for random drops.
- Read every note and letter you find: The buried treasure system relies entirely on environmental objects. Skipping notes means skipping Guineas.
- Check chest counters on island maps: The “0/X” counter shows remaining undiscovered caches in a region. Search elevated terrain first.
- Upgrade base Comfort: Higher base comfort increases stamina and stamina recovery, which directly improves performance during long farming sessions and boss encounters.
