15 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

Becoming a pirate legend in the Caribbean requires a lot more than just a sharp sword and a fancy hat.

I spent hours getting blown to pieces by Man o' Wars before I finally figured out the rhythm of Edward Kenway's newly rebuilt adventure. Since the game is a complete overhaul of the original classic, even veteran sea dogs need a refresher. The combat is heavily reworked, the naval systems have new quirks, and you no longer rely on RPG levels to stay alive. Before you waste precious hours dying to brutes or struggling to find upgrade materials, I mapped out exactly what you need to know to rule the high seas.

Tweak Your Settings Immediately

Don’t just hit "New Game" and start swinging your swords. A quick trip to the menus will save you a massive headache later.

Turn On Advanced Parkour And Area Loot

Before doing anything else, go to your Accessibility Presets and turn on Area Loot. This allows you to grab resources from an entire pile of incapacitated enemies with a single button press instead of checking them individually. You also need to toggle on Advanced Parkour. This simple setting allows you to press the dodge button right before hitting the ground to roll and completely negate fatal fall damage.

Remember Edward Can Crouch Now

Unlike the original game, Kenway can actually crouch. You are no longer forced to aimlessly walk around looking for a convenient bush to hide in. Use the crouch button to hide behind short walls or stay completely unseen on rooftops while stalking a target.

Mastering The Sea And Sword

Combat is completely different this time around. You can’t just mash the attack button and expect to walk away without a scratch.

Fish For Executions

Fighting is all about securing Executions, which are one-hit kill moves on enemies with a broken guard. To break an enemy's guard, you can perform a perfect parry right when you see a blue glow. You can also kick enemies into walls, use a rope dart sweep, or just shoot a captain straight in the face with your pistol to immediately shatter their defenses.

Exploit The Rope Dart And Smoke Bombs

When dealing with a mob, your gadgets are lifesavers. Use the quickfire option with your rope dart to pull the closest enemy toward you, breaking their guard for a heavy strike. If an enemy is aiming a rifle or holding a grenade, a quick rope dart will interrupt them. If you completely mess up a stealth approach, drop a smoke bomb. You can easily chain assassinations on blinded enemies before they even know what hit them.

Grab 21,000 Reales Early

Money is incredibly tight early on. Do every Assassination Contract you see to earn quick cash. Your goal is to hit 21,000 Reales as soon as possible. Take that money straight to a general store and buy the Officer's Rapiers and Spanish Officer Pistols. Having top-tier gear in Sequence 3 will carry you through the entire mid-game.

Surviving Naval Warfare

The Jackdaw is an extension of Edward. If you treat her poorly, you will spend a lot of time swimming with sharks. Make sure you check out my Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Guide: Every Jackdaw Ship Upgrade And Cost to plan your build.

Always Board, Never Sink

When you deplete a ship's morale, you usually get the option to board or sink it. Always board. Boarding pauses time, which means if you are fighting three ships at once, you can board the weakest one, take it over, and use the materials to completely repair the Jackdaw mid-fight. Leave incapacitated ships floating around the battlefield to act as massive health kits for when you get in trouble.

Use Swivel Guns During Boarding

Before you enthusiastically swing across the ropes to board a ship, grab the swivel gun next to your helm. You get a few free shots to thin out the enemy crew from total safety. Always aim for powder kegs, captains, and brutes. Once the deck is softened up, then you can swing over for a stylish air assassination.

Scuttle Ships To Hide Your Wanted Level

If you want precious cargo but don’t want Hunter ships chasing you down, swim over to an enemy vessel entirely on your own. Climb aboard, eliminate the crew with your hidden blades, and the game will prompt you to Scuttle the ship. You get all the loot, the ship sinks, and your wanted level never moves.

Ignore Forts Early On

Naval forts are heavily armed and will absolutely shred a starter ship. Avoid them until you unlock the mortar. Once your Jackdaw is upgraded, start fights by raining mortar fire from a safe distance before moving in close with your broadside cannons.

Upgrading Edward And The Jackdaw

Since there are no skill trees, gathering materials is your only path forward. You need to know exactly how to game the crafting system. To see where all this fresh content is hidden, read my Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag Resynced Complete New Content Unlock Guide.

Use Bones To Buy Specific Animal Parts

Hunting fast prey or killer whales is tedious. Instead of doing it the hard way, use sleep darts on small animals like monkeys or deer to easily harvest bones. You can then take those generic bones to a general store and trade them for the exact shark skin or ocelot pelt you need.

Craft Extra Pistol Holsters First

Having four pistols completely changes the flow of combat. Prioritize hunting or trading for the specific pelts required to unlock all three extra holsters before the end of Sequence 4.

Recruit Officers For Ship Abilities

After you complete the "This Old Cove" mission in Sequence 4, you unlock the new Officer recruitment system. Do these quests immediately. Recruiting Lucy Baldwin gives you the Perfect Brace ability to negate massive damage, and bringing the Padre aboard unlocks a deadly Ram Dash.

Upgrade Great Inagua Quickly

Upgrading your pirate hideout provides a steady stream of passive income. More importantly, upgrading the Great Inagua Harbourmaster to level 3 is the only way to unlock the absolute highest tier of Jackdaw upgrades.

Exploration And Managing The Fleet

You have the entire Caribbean at your fingertips, but you need to navigate it smartly to maximize your profits.

Synchronize Viewpoints Immediately

Whenever you hit a new town, climb the nearest tower and synchronize it. This reveals treasure chests and animal locations, but more importantly, it unlocks your fast travel points.

Build A Massive Fleet Strategically

When capturing ships for Kenway's Fleet, don’t just hoard Man o' Wars. You want a healthy mix of Brigs and Schooners for basic trade routes. Once your fleet is established, let your wanted level rise to spawn high tier Hunter ships. Board those massive Frigates and Man o' Wars and add them to your fleet to clear hazardous, high risk routes.

Lure Enemies To Captured Forts

Once you capture a fort in a zone like Gibara or Dry Tortuga, it permanently belongs to you. If you get into a fight with a legendary ship or a massive Hunter patrol, just turn around and sail toward your fort. Your mortars will actively fire on the enemy ships, providing massive damage support while you safely broadside them.