How to Unlock Windrose’s Weirdest Weapon: The Smasher Fish Mace Guide

If there’s one thing I absolutely love in RPGs, it’s when developers sneak ridiculous weapons into otherwise serious worlds. You know the type: absurd enough to make you laugh, but secretly strong enough to carry you through a huge chunk of the game.

That’s exactly what the Smasher is in Windrose.

At first glance, it looks like a joke item—a giant dead fish strapped into the weapon category for laughs. I honestly thought it was just another novelty drop the first time I heard about it. Then I actually got one, upgraded it, and started launching enemies off cliffs with it.

Yeah… this thing is legit.

For players hunting hidden gear, meme weapons, or simply trying to break up the usual sword-and-axe routine, the Smasher is one of the coolest secret finds in the game. The catch? You’ll need patience, a fishing rod, and a healthy tolerance for RNG.

Here’s everything you need to know to get it.

Why the Smasher Is Actually Worth Farming

Most “funny” weapons in RPGs are garbage after the novelty wears off.

The Smasher is different.

It’s classified as a Rare one-handed mace, and while it won’t outclass high-end Epic gear later, it absolutely dominates the early-to-mid game if your build leans into Strength.

What makes it special is its absurd knockback. This thing doesn’t just damage enemies—it bullies them.

I’ve cleared cramped Foothills camps just by repeatedly slapping enemies backward until they fell off ledges. It’s stupid, hilarious, and surprisingly effective.

Smasher Stats Overview

The knockdown proc scales better as your Strength increases, which means dedicated bruiser builds get the most mileage.

If you enjoy stagger-heavy combat, this weapon feels fantastic.

First Step: Unlock Fishing

Before you can start your fish-weapon grind, you need access to fishing itself.

This isn’t available right from the start, which confused me during my first run because I kept seeing dock spots I couldn’t interact with.

Fishing unlocks once you reach the Foothills biome, which opens after progressing through the main questline.

Usually, this happens after completing “Revenge is Best Served Cold.”

Once there, gather Hardwood from larger trees or loot stacks in enemy encampments.

That automatically unlocks the Simple Fishing Rod recipe.

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Crafting Requirements

You’ll need a Level 2 Workbench plus:

• 5 Hardwood
• 3 Rope
• 2 Iron Ingots

Nothing too expensive, but if you rushed story progression without gathering materials, you might need to backtrack a little.

Trust me—it’s worth crafting immediately.

Fishing unlocks several hidden rewards beyond the Smasher.

Where to Catch the Smasher

This is the part people overcomplicate.

I’ve seen players swear there’s some magical secret fishing spot in the middle of nowhere.

From everything tested by the community—and my own painfully long grind—that’s mostly superstition.

The Smasher appears as a random bonus catch and can drop from:

• Shallow Water
• Deep Water
• Base docks
• Foothills coastlines
• Offshore fishing points

I personally got mine from the starter dock after around 230 casts.

A friend caught his offshore in under 40.

That’s RNG for you.

There is no confirmed “best” fishing location.

Pick somewhere quiet and commit.

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How Fishing Works (And What to Watch For)

Fishing in Windrose is refreshingly simple.

No weird stamina bars. No frustrating mini-game.

Just:

1. Equip your rod
2. Cast with left-click
3. Wait for movement
4. Ignore small dips
5. React to the big splash
6. Reel in immediately

The key mistake new players make is reacting too early.

Small bobber twitches are fake-outs.

Wait for the big splash animation and distinct water sound.

Once you learn the rhythm, it becomes muscle memory.

Honestly, I ended up semi-AFK farming while watching YouTube.

The Drop Rate: Prepare Yourself

Let’s be real.

This is where things get rough.

The Smasher is rare enough to be annoying but common enough to keep you hopeful—which is almost worse.

Community reports are all over the place:

This isn’t bugged.

It’s just luck.

If you’re farming for it, expect a grind and treat every cast as progress.

That mindset helps a lot.

Catching It Isn’t Enough

This tripped me up the first time.

When you catch the Smasher fish, you don’t automatically own the weapon.

Instead, catching it unlocks the crafting blueprint.

Then you must forge it at a Weaponsmith Workshop.

Crafting Recipe

• 10 Wood
• 5 Copper Ingots

That’s it.

Cheap enough that if you’ve reached Foothills, you probably already have the materials sitting in storage.

Craft it immediately and test it out—you’ll understand the hype fast.

Best Ways to Speed Up the Grind

Get the Fisherman’s Ring

This is huge.

Collect one of each standard fish species to unlock the Minor Fisherman’s Ring, which grants +15% chance to catch an extra fish.

Later, upgrading to the Major version boosts that to 30%.

More fish means more Smasher chances.

Simple math.

Use Storage Smartly

Keep a dockside storage basket with:

• Rod
• Ring
• Spare repair materials

This saves inventory headaches and makes quick fishing sessions painless.

Fish With Audio On

You don’t need to stare at the screen.

The splash cue is loud and distinct enough to hear while multitasking.

This makes long sessions way less exhausting.

I farmed mine while listening to podcasts.

Highly recommended.

Is the Smasher Better Than Meta Weapons?

Short answer: No, not at endgame.

Compared to optimized Epic weapons like the Dueling Greatsword, raw DPS falls behind.

But that misses the point.

The Smasher excels because it offers:

• Incredible crowd control
• Reliable knockdown chains
• Funny visual design
• Unique Strength synergy
• High collector value

And honestly?

Half the fun of Windrose is discovering weird gear that changes how combat feels.

The Smasher absolutely delivers on that.

Final Thoughts

The Smasher is one of those rare secret weapons that perfectly captures what makes hidden RPG loot memorable.

It’s goofy, effective, and just obscure enough to feel special when you finally get it.

Sure, later weapons will hit harder.

But very few will let you defeat armored enemies by smacking them across the map with a giant fish.

And really, isn’t that what gaming is all about?