Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag: Complete Guide

A player's guide to the original 2013 Black Flag on PC: how to grow the Jackdaw, which upgrades to buy first, naval combat, legendary ships, collectibles and 100% sync, money-making, Freedom Cry, and how the 2026 remake (Black Flag Resynced) differs.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag (Steam app 242050), alongside Black Flag Resynced, which launched July 9, 2026. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Original vs. Resynced: Both are on Steam as separate products. Black Flag Resynced (July 9, 2026) is a ground-up remake with parry-based combat, new Jackdaw Officers, a stealth overhaul and extra missions, but it removes the modern-day storyline, multiplayer, and the Freedom Cry DLC. This guide covers the original; most of the naval, upgrade and exploration advice applies to both, and a comparison is near the end.

Quick Start

Upgrade the Jackdaw's hull early. Hull Armor is the upgrade that keeps you alive at sea; everything else comes second.
Plunder everything. Disabling and boarding ships gives Metal, Wood, Cloth and cash — the raw materials for every ship upgrade.
Check a ship's level before you engage. The spyglass shows each vessel's level and cargo; stay within a few levels of your Jackdaw.
Sync viewpoints as you go. They reveal the map, collectibles and fast travel points.
Hunt and harpoon for crafting. Animal skins and bones craft health upgrades, extra pouches and bigger ammo capacity at the shopkeepers.
Develop your hideout on Great Inagua. Once it's yours, it generates income — collect it regularly.
Capture forts to clear the sea of hostile coverage, unlock naval contracts, and reveal the map around them.
Don't chase legendary ships early. They're endgame fights for a nearly maxed Jackdaw.
Optional objectives in each memory are required for 100% synchronization; replay missions from the menu later if you miss them.

Core Systems

Resources and money

Resource	Main source	Used for
Reales	Plundering, looting, chests, hideout income, Kenway's Fleet	Buying upgrades, outfits, weapons
Metal	Plundering (especially Brigs/Frigates carrying metal), wrecks	Jackdaw upgrades
Wood	Plundering, especially gunboats and schooners	Jackdaw upgrades
Cloth	Plundering and cargo	Jackdaw upgrades
Sugar / Rum	Cargo	Sold automatically for money
Animal parts	Land hunting and harpoon hunting	Crafting Edward's upgrades and outfits

Where money comes from: early on, plunder ships and loot chests; mid-game, your hideout income and Kenway's Fleet (sending captured ships on trade routes) take over.

Kenway's Fleet

Ships you capture can be sent to your Fleet instead of repairing the Jackdaw.
In the Fleet screen (captain's cabin or harbormaster), you clear naval routes of enemy ships in a mini-game and then run trade missions for money.
It's a strong passive income, and you can check on it periodically between story missions.

Crafting (hunting)

Craft health upgrades, extra dart/pouch capacity, extra bullet pouches, and outfits from animal skins and bones.
Harpoon hunting (from a rowboat) gives rarer materials used for upper-tier crafts, including the Hunter outfit (achievement Redingote Up!). Harpooning a killer whale gives Killer Killer.

Naval Combat

Weapons and when to use them

Weapon	Direction	Best use
Broadside cannons	Sides	Main damage at medium range
Heavy Shot	Aim-dependent (follow the on-screen prompt)	Burst damage; great for finishing
Chain Shot	Aim-dependent (follow the on-screen prompt)	Damage rigging to slow a ship down
Swivel guns	Forward	Hit weak points (glowing red) for bonus damage
Mortars	Long range	Hitting forts and slow targets from outside cannon range
Fire barrels	Behind	Drop when being chased
Ram	Forward	Finishes disabled ships and small boats

Fighting tips

Stay at half sail during fights to turn tightly and keep cannons lined up.
Brace (hold the brace button) when an enemy broadside is about to hit.
Rogue waves and storms are dangerous and useful: position so waves hit enemies, not you.
To take a ship: disable it, then pull alongside and board. On board, complete the listed objectives (kill X, flag, captain) to capture. All Aboard! wants a boarding without losing crew.
After a capture: Repair the Jackdaw, Lower wanted level, or Send to Kenway's Fleet.

Upgrade priority

Hull Armor — survivability; get tiers as soon as you have the Metal.
Broadside cannons (and ammo) — your main damage.
Heavy Shot — excellent for finishing and chasing.
Mortars — needed for comfortable fort sieges.
Ram and Fire Barrels — nice-to-have.

Elite upgrades require plans found in chests around the Caribbean (treasure locations, underwater wrecks, and forts). A fully upgraded Jackdaw unlocks Destroyer.

Forts

Destroy the defenses with broadsides and mortars, then dock and fight to the fort commander.
Capturing forts clears nearby waters, reveals map info, and unlocks naval contracts from the fort's harbormaster. Capture them all for King of the Castle.

Legendary ships

Four legendary ships sit in the corners of the map: El Impoluto, La Dama Negra, HMS Fearless, and HMS Prince (the last two fight together). Defeating all four gives Devil of the Caribbean.

Come with maxed hull, elite broadsides and heavy shot.
Circle constantly, use chain shot to slow them, and brace every time they fire.
Fight near the edge of their area so you can escape to repair if things go wrong.

Land Combat and Stealth

Counter (the counter button when an enemy's attack indicator shows) is the backbone of melee. Counter-kills end fights fast.
Pistols (up to four in a holster) break guard and kill quickly; chain them for Wild West Indies.
Blowpipe darts: Sleep darts for stealth, Berserk darts to make guards fight each other — one of the best tools in the game.
Rope dart: Hang enemies from above or pull them into cover.
Stealth: Use tall grass, hiding spots and whistling to lure guards. Kill bell ringers first (Silence, Fool!) and disable alarm bells before you start.
Brute and Captain enemy types need guard breaks (or pistols) before you can counter-kill.

Story Outline

The campaign runs across 13 memory sequences plus present-day Abstergo Entertainment sections.

Sequences 1–3: Edward's shipwreck and early piracy; you get the Jackdaw and the open sea.
Sequences 4–6: Nassau and the Pirate Republic, Blackbeard, Hornigold, Mary Read and the Templar conspiracy around the Observatory.
Sequences 7–10: The Sage, betrayals, and Edward's lowest point.
Sequences 11–13: Edward's redemption as an Assassin and the finale.

Present-day sections have you hack computers in the Abstergo office (15 for Ghost in the Machine).

Collectibles and 100%

Collectible	What it gives
Viewpoints	Map reveal and fast travel
Animus Fragments	Completion; visible on the map after syncing viewpoints
Chests	Money and resources; some hold elite plans
Sea Shanties	New songs for your crew to sing at sea
Mayan Stelae	Puzzle-like carvings; completing them unlocks a special outfit
Templar Keys	Earned mainly through Templar Hunt side missions; open the vault in Tulum (Vault Raider) containing Templar armor
Treasure Maps	Lead to buried treasure (Excavator for your first dig)
Underwater shipwrecks	Diving bell exploration with plans and money (Seven Deadly Seas)
Taverns	Unlock by clearing the area (Barfly)

Other side activities: Assassin Contracts, Naval Contracts, Templar Hunts (Help A Brother Out), Legendary Ships, and Kenway's Fleet. Completing everything in a location gives Owned, and visiting every location gives Cartographer.

Freedom Cry (DLC)

A standalone-length story starring Adéwalé, Edward's former quartermaster, set years later in Saint-Domingue. You liberate enslaved people from plantations, markets and slave ships to recruit Maroons. It has its own achievements (Liberation Day, Seeds of Independence for 500 liberated, His Word Was "Perhaps", His Full Attention). The machete and blunderbuss make combat more direct than the base game. Freedom Cry is included in the Gold Edition; it is not part of Resynced.

Multiplayer

The original includes land-based multiplayer (modes like Wolfpack, Domination and Game Lab, with its own achievements up to level 55). Population on PC has been minimal for years and older Ubisoft titles have had online services retired over time — treat multiplayer achievements as uncertain and check Ubisoft's service status before trying. Resynced does not include multiplayer.

Original vs. Resynced (2026)

	Original (2013)	Resynced (2026)
Combat	Counter-based	New parry system, visceral takedowns, quick-fire rope dart and pistol moves, new Demolitionist enemy
Stealth	Hiding spots, grass	Crouch-anywhere, dive-anywhere, light/shadow visibility, Observe mode extending Eagle Vision
Naval	Classic Jackdaw upgrades	Adds recruitable Officers with special naval abilities, shrapnel barrels, 8-pounders, ship's pets
World	Static weather cycle	Dynamic weather, reworked Playas, new missions and scenes
Modern day	Abstergo Entertainment	Removed; replaced by new sequences inside Edward's memories
Multiplayer	Yes	Not included (single-player only)
Freedom Cry	DLC	Not included
Price (at launch)	Often heavily discounted	$59.99 Standard / $69.99 Deluxe

Pick the original if you want the full story package cheap (including Freedom Cry); pick Resynced for modern combat, stealth and visuals.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Attacking higher-level ships early — check with the spyglass first.
Ignoring Hull Armor in favor of damage upgrades.
Running into forts without mortars. Siege from long range.
Not collecting hideout income. It's free money.
Spending on outfits before ship upgrades. Jackdaw upgrades unlock the rest of the game.
Leaving legendary ships until you're underleveled. Wait for elite upgrades.
Missing optional objectives and then assuming 100% is impossible — replay memories from the DNA track.

Advanced Tips

Berserk darts on a group in a restricted area solve almost any stealth problem.
Harpoon the rarest prey (great white sharks, killer whales, white whale) for the top crafting tier early; it massively improves Edward's survivability.
Farm Kenway's Fleet routes as soon as they unlock — steady money with no risk.
Use storms: waterspouts and rogue waves can wreck enemy fleets for you.
Swivel gun weak points do big damage during chases; line them up before firing broadsides.
Stock up on mortars and heavy shot before legendary fights — running dry mid-fight is how most attempts fail.

PC Notes

The original requires Ubisoft Connect (launched through Steam).
Heavy settings: anti-aliasing (MSAA/TXAA) and NVIDIA-specific effects. Lower AA first if frame rates drop.
Resynced is fully playable offline after installation and Steam Deck Verified, per Ubisoft's launch post.

FAQ

Should I buy Black Flag or Black Flag Resynced? The original if you want the whole package cheaply (modern day, Freedom Cry, multiplayer achievements); Resynced if you want modernized combat, stealth and visuals and don't mind losing modern day and Freedom Cry.

How do I get money fast? Plunder ships early, then develop the Great Inagua hideout and run Kenway's Fleet trade routes.

What should I upgrade first on the Jackdaw? Hull Armor, then broadside cannons, then Heavy Shot and Mortars.

How many sequences are there? 13 memory sequences, plus present-day missions.

Where are the Templar keys used? In the vault at Tulum, which unlocks Templar armor (Vault Raider).

Do I need to play AC III first? No. Black Flag is a prequel to AC III's Kenway story and stands on its own; it leads into Rogue and AC III thematically.