If you’ve spent any amount of time wandering the lush, war-torn open world of Where Winds Meet, you’ve probably stumbled across locked chests, reinforced enemy outpost walls, or hidden cave entrances that you can’t access with regular tools. That’s where where winds meet explosive device plans come into play: these rare schematics let you craft everything from simple breaching charges to smoke bombs that turn the tide of almost any encounter. I’ve spent over 120 hours scouring every corner of the map to track down every available plan, and I’ve put together all the info you need to stop missing out on these game-changing items.
Where Winds Meet Explosive Device Plans: Core Types and Their Uses
Not all explosive plans are created equal, and you don’t want to waste time hunting down a plan for a device you’ll never actually use. The three most common types you’ll find are breaching charges, fragment grenades, and distraction smoke bombs, each with a very specific use case that makes them worth picking up. Breaching charges are the most useful for casual players, as they let you blow open locked metal doors, cracked cave walls, and sealed supply crates that hold rare crafting materials and exclusive armor sets. Fragment grenades deal massive area-of-effect damage to groups of enemies, making them perfect for clearing out bandit camps without risking close-quarters combat. Smoke bombs are underrated for stealth players, as they let you slip past high-level guards or escape a losing fight without taking extra damage. You can also find niche plans for things like incendiary rounds and distraction flashbangs, but those are far rarer and only useful for very specific playstyles.
Top Locations to Find Rare Explosive Device Plans
Most plans aren’t just lying out in the open, and you’ll have to do a little bit of digging (or fighting) to get your hands on the best ones. I’ve marked dozens of spawn points over my playthroughs, and these three locations have the highest drop rate for rare, high-tier plans that you can’t get from regular vendors.
- Northern Bandit Fortress Armory: The locked chest in the back of the main armory has a 70% chance to drop a legendary breaching charge plan that can blow through reinforced castle walls, which you’ll need for the endgame main quest. You’ll have to defeat the fort’s level 32 boss to get the armory key, but it’s well worth the effort if you want to access all the hidden endgame areas.
- Abandoned Mine Shaft in the Western Forest: Look for a cracked wall near the mine’s entrance, use a basic explosive to break it open, and you’ll find a hidden chest with two common fragment grenade plans and one rare smoke bomb plan. You can access this area as early as level 8, so it’s a great spot for new players to pick up useful plans before they tackle harder content.
- Sunken Merchant Ship off the Southern Coast: You’ll need a boat to reach this spot, which you can unlock by completing the small fishing village side quest near the coast, but the locked crate in the ship’s hold has a unique explosive arrow plan that lets you fire explosive rounds from your bow without carrying heavy grenades. This is easily one of the most versatile plans in the entire game, and it works for both stealth and combat playstyles.
You can also find random low-tier plans in regular chests scattered across the map, but the rare, high-impact plans almost always spawn in these fixed locations, so it’s worth prioritizing these spots first if you want to build up your explosive arsenal quickly.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Explosive Device Plans
It’s easy to get overexcited when you first unlock a stack of explosive plans, but I’ve made enough mistakes with them to know what not to do. First, don’t waste rare high-tier plans on low-level crafting materials. You’ll need rare sulfur and high-grade cloth to craft the best explosives, so save those plans for when you have a steady supply of those materials, not when you’re just starting out with basic resources. Never use explosive devices near friendly NPCs or civilian areas, as this will lower your reputation with local factions and lock you out of exclusive side quests and vendor discounts. I learned this the hard way when I accidentally blew up a farmer’s cart while testing a new grenade, and I had to complete three boring fetch quests to get back in their good graces. You also don’t want to hoard all your plans for later use. If you have a plan for a device that fits your playstyle, craft it as soon as you can. You’ll find more plans as you explore, so there’s no point in letting them collect dust in your inventory when they could be helping you access better loot or beat tough enemies.
How to Unlock Hidden Explosive Device Plans via Faction Quests
You won’t find all the best plans just lying around in chests. A lot of the most powerful, exclusive plans are locked behind faction quest lines, and you’ll have to build up reputation with specific groups to get access to them. The Iron Hammer Mercenary faction sells a variety of high-damage grenade plans once you reach trusted reputation, and they also give you a free incendiary explosive plan for completing their final main faction quest. If you’re more of a stealth player, the Hidden Blades assassin faction has exclusive silent explosive plans that don’t alert nearby enemies when they detonate, which is perfect for stealth runs of high-level outposts without triggering alarms. You don’t have to commit to one faction to get all the plans, either. You can build reputation with multiple groups at the same time as long as you don’t complete quests that hurt their interests, so you can collect every available plan in a single playthrough if you plan ahead. Just make sure to check each faction’s vendor regularly, as they restock new plans every time you raise your reputation level with them.
At the end of the day, taking the time to track down and use where winds meet explosive device plans will make your entire playthrough far smoother, whether you’re focused on combat, exploration, or stealth. You don’t have to hunt down every single plan right away, but even picking up a few basic ones early on will help you access hidden areas and beat tough enemies that would otherwise take hours to get past. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different devices to see what fits your playstyle best, and keep an eye out for hidden chests and faction quests as you wander the map—you never know when you’ll stumble on a new plan that changes how you play the game entirely.
