Windrose drops plenty of weapons as you progress, but most of them remain basic stat sticks until you engage with the ascension system. Special abilities transform a decent weapon into something that fundamentally alters combat dynamics, and they're gated behind a specific upgrade sequence that the game leaves mostly unexplained. Here's the full breakdown.
What weapons can get special abilities?
Not all weapons qualify for special abilities. Only Rare-tier and Epic-tier weapons can carry them. Common and Uncommon weapons can be upgraded to boost base stats, but they'll never gain a special ability no matter how many resources you pour into them.
Epic-tier weapons offer the best value. Weapons like the Plague Halberd and Rapier of Devastation feature two distinct special abilities instead of one. That dual-ability configuration is almost entirely exclusive to Epic-tier gear, and it becomes crucial during the endgame when enemy difficulty ramps up significantly.
Epic weapons hold two abilities
How do you unlock a weapon's special ability?
The unlock process works through a mechanic called ascension, which requires upgrading your Weaponsmith first. There's no way around that prerequisite.
Step 1: Upgrade the Weaponsmith
Upgrading the Weaponsmith demands two components: an Anvil and Bellows. Both must be crafted.
The Bellows presents the bigger challenge. Mire Metal Ingots especially require dedicated farming runs, so factor that time into your planning before committing to this upgrade.
Step 2: Access the Ascend tab
After upgrading the Weaponsmith, an Ascend tab becomes available in the Weaponsmith menu. Open it and select the Rare or Epic weapon whose ability you want to activate.
Step 3: Spend Tumbaga Ingots
Ascension requires Tumbaga Ingots. Epic weapons with dual abilities demand more ingots than single-ability Rare weapons, which tracks given the power difference.
Ascend tab in Weaponsmith
When should you actually start ascending weapons?
The practical answer: not immediately. Ascension costs are steep, and the benefits only become apparent once you're far enough into the game that enemy encounters pose genuine threats. Special abilities shift from useful to borderline mandatory during late-game content, which reflects how aggressively the difficulty scales.
Use your early and mid-game time to identify the strongest weapons you can acquire. Once you've secured something like the Plague Halberd or another Epic-tier weapon you're certain you'll use through endgame, that's the right moment to invest Tumbaga Ingots.
Resource checklist before you ascend
Before starting the ascension process at the Weaponsmith, confirm you have:
- A Rare or Epic-tier weapon with at least one inactive special ability
- Weaponsmith upgraded with both Anvil and Bellows components installed
- Sufficient Tumbaga Ingots to cover the ascension cost
- Certainty that the weapon will remain viable through endgame content
The system rewards deliberate planning. Players who ascend mid-tier weapons prematurely often reach endgame short on materials precisely when abilities become critical. Check out browse more guides on games.gg for detailed weapon farming strategies once you've completed the Weaponsmith upgrade.
Ascending a Plague Halberd or Rapier of Devastation with both abilities active converts them into fundamentally different combat tools. The resource commitment is significant, but the performance gain matches it.