How to complete Needle in a Haystack in Windrose

The Needle in a Haystack is the first main story quest that feels like a challenge in Windrose. It has several tasks, and one of them involves completing a grueling fight in the oceans. While the locations for most of the tasks will be marked on the map, the tasks themselves are quite difficult.Table of contentsWindrose Needle in a Haystack quest walkthroughSearch the Pirate camps in the FoothillsBoard the UnsinkableSearch the camp near the ruinsCollect the temple keysSpeak with the surviving captiveWindrose Needle in a Haystack quest walkthrough The Needle in a Haystack quest can be broken down into five important parts.Search the Pirate camps in the FoothillsBoard the UnsinkableSearch the camp near the ruinsCollect the temple keysDefeat HandsSearch the Pirate camps in the Foothills For the first task, head to the Foothills location and go all the way to the western part of the map. You'll find a camp and deal with the enemies nearby. Head inside and loot everything you can find. This will complete the first task. Screenshot by Destructoid Board the Unsinkable The second task is a hard one to complete, as you'll need the help of your ship. Head east, and you'll soon come across four Blackbeard's ships. Shoot cannonballs at them to destroy and sink them in the ocean. Once the initial ships are cleared, you'll find the Unsinkable approaching towards you. Focus your fire on the Unsinkable, and steer your ship properly to avoid getting hit. Screenshot by Destructoid While you can narrow down your distance with Unsinkable, keep some gap so that you can dodge the incoming shots. Make sure to be on the move to make it harder for the AI to target your ship. Once the Unsinkable has taken sufficient damage, take your ship close. This will allow your allies to board the ship and finish the remaining enemies.Search the camp near the ruins Once the Unsinkable is dealt with, you'll need to head to the camp near the ruins. Go to the northwestern part of the map, and head towards the foothills (there will be a quest marker, so it won't be much trouble). Since you'll be traveling through the forest, you'll encounter wolves along the way. Kill all the enemies you can find at the camp, and keep a distance from the grenades that they will throw at you. Explore the camp after killing the enemies, and you'll find a desk to your left. Interact with the desk to get the next task. There will be a few more enemies that you'll need to clear before you can collect the temple keys.Collect the temple keys The next quest marker will take you to another camp in the Foothills area. Located at the northern side of the map, you'll need to examine a dead pirate's pocket to collect the temple keys. Getting the keys will set up the fight where you'll need to defeat Hands. Image via Kraken Express I am currently working on a dedicated guide about how to defeat Hands. In short, finding his location isn't a worry (again, use the marker). The ideal way to defeat Hands is to land counter hits. Watch out for his attacks, and perform your attacks at the same moment. If you time them right, this will parry the incoming attacks and damage Hands instead.Speak with the surviving captive Image via Kraken Express Once you defeat Hands, you'll find a survivor named John chained to the wall. Speak with him, and rescue him from the trap. To finish the quest, you'll need to speak with the cartographer. This part is simple: just travel back to your home base, and you'll find John along with Doctor Galen. This will finish the Needle in a Haystack quest. The post How to complete Needle in a Haystack in Windrose appeared first on Destructoid.

Apr 16, 2026 - 05:05

How to complete Needle in a Haystack in Windrose

The Needle in a Haystack is the first main story quest that feels like a challenge in Windrose. It has several tasks, and one of them involves completing a grueling fight in the oceans. While the locations for most of the tasks will be marked on the map, the tasks themselves are quite difficult.

Table of contents

Windrose Needle in a Haystack quest walkthrough

Windrose Needle in a Haystack quest walkthrough

The Needle in a Haystack quest can be broken down into five important parts.

Search the Pirate camps in the Foothills
Board the Unsinkable
Search the camp near the ruins
Collect the temple keys
Defeat Hands

Search the Pirate camps in the Foothills

For the first task, head to the Foothills location and go all the way to the western part of the map. You'll find a camp and deal with the enemies nearby. Head inside and loot everything you can find. This will complete the first task.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Board the Unsinkable

The second task is a hard one to complete, as you'll need the help of your ship. Head east, and you'll soon come across four Blackbeard's ships. Shoot cannonballs at them to destroy and sink them in the ocean. Once the initial ships are cleared, you'll find the Unsinkable approaching towards you. Focus your fire on the Unsinkable, and steer your ship properly to avoid getting hit.

Screenshot by Destructoid While you can narrow down your distance with Unsinkable, keep some gap so that you can dodge the incoming shots. Make sure to be on the move to make it harder for the AI to target your ship. Once the Unsinkable has taken sufficient damage, take your ship close. This will allow your allies to board the ship and finish the remaining enemies.

Search the camp near the ruins

Once the Unsinkable is dealt with, you'll need to head to the camp near the ruins. Go to the northwestern part of the map, and head towards the foothills (there will be a quest marker, so it won't be much trouble). Since you'll be traveling through the forest, you'll encounter wolves along the way.

Kill all the enemies you can find at the camp, and keep a distance from the grenades that they will throw at you. Explore the camp after killing the enemies, and you'll find a desk to your left. Interact with the desk to get the next task. There will be a few more enemies that you'll need to clear before you can collect the temple keys.

Collect the temple keys

The next quest marker will take you to another camp in the Foothills area. Located at the northern side of the map, you'll need to examine a dead pirate's pocket to collect the temple keys. Getting the keys will set up the fight where you'll need to defeat Hands.

Image via Kraken Express I am currently working on a dedicated guide about how to defeat Hands. In short, finding his location isn't a worry (again, use the marker). The ideal way to defeat Hands is to land counter hits. Watch out for his attacks, and perform your attacks at the same moment. If you time them right, this will parry the incoming attacks and damage Hands instead.

Speak with the surviving captive

Image via Kraken Express Once you defeat Hands, you'll find a survivor named John chained to the wall. Speak with him, and rescue him from the trap. To finish the quest, you'll need to speak with the cartographer. This part is simple: just travel back to your home base, and you'll find John along with Doctor Galen. This will finish the Needle in a Haystack quest.

The post How to complete Needle in a Haystack in Windrose appeared first on Destructoid.

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