Windmill

The Windmill is a late-game processing building used to turn Barley into Flour. It becomes available after defeating Moder, since that unlocks the materials needed to build an Artisan Table. The Windmill must be placed on dirt or stone and within the radius of an Artisan table, but it does not need to remain in range to operate after it has been built.

A Windmill can hold up to 50 Barley in its input storage and produces Flour in stacks of 50. Flour can also be taken out by hand before the output reaches the stack limit. Its operating speed depends on wind strength and on how much of the top is covered by the blades. Wind strength ranges from 10% to 100%, and the blades always cover roughly 24% to 29% of the Windmill depending on wind angle, which raises the base production time from 10 seconds per product to about 13 seconds per product even before weaker wind or extra obstruction is taken into account.

Because wind is inconsistent, it is often worthwhile to build several Windmills so you can benefit when the wind is strong. They should be placed in an open, unobstructed area, since structures, terrain, and natural objects can reduce wind flow and slow production. Windmills are especially effective in the Plains, where the biome’s wind is strong. Fog also significantly reduces their efficiency.

When spinning, the blades deal 20 blunt damage every 2 seconds to players and creatures. This makes Windmills dangerous to approach while they are running, but also useful as a defensive hazard against enemies such as Deathsquitos.

• Place them on flat dirt or stone near an Artisan table when first building them, then they can continue working even if the table is later removed or out of range.
• Keep the area around them open to maximize wind exposure.
• If you want steady production, build more than one so they can compensate for changing wind conditions.
• Do not stand near the blades while they are turning, as they can inflict serious damage.
• The best location for long-term use is the Plains, especially on clear, open ground.