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Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced: 10 tips and tricks for beginners
Navigating the waters of the Bahamas requires stealth, naval strategy and resource management. These tips will help new and returning players master Edward Kenway’s high-seas adventure.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is the remake series fans have long been asking for. Taking the iconic pirate adventure from 2013, the Resynced version has given it a fresh lick of paint, added a swath of new content, and shifted the experience onto the Anvil engine to give the gameplay a more modern feel. Here are the best tips and mechanics you'll want to master throughout your adventure
01
Stealth and parrying are your best friends
Stealth is a powerful tool
© Ubisoft
As both an Assassin and a pirate, Edward Kenway is at his strongest when enemies never know he’s there. Although open combat is an option, using stealth first makes encounters far more manageable. Bushes, hay bales, and rooftops provide excellent cover while sneaking through restricted areas. Whistling can lure guards away from patrol routes, allowing them to be eliminated quietly before they alert anyone nearby.
When combat is unavoidable, watch for the blue flash before an enemy swings their weapon. Parrying as this happens with LB/L1 leaves an enemy vulnerable to a counterattack or instant kill.
02
Keep Remedies stocked in case of emergency
Players who prefer direct combat should always carry a full supply of Remedies. They can be used at any point to restore health and provide a bit of breathing room during extended encounters.
Enemies often attack in groups once Edward has been spotted, making it easy to become overwhelmed once combat begins. Keeping Remedies available can help out in a pinch, saving you from Black Flag Resynced’s stingy checkpoint system.
03
Eagle Vision helps keep track of every enemy
Be sure to assess an area with Eagle Vision before moving in
© Ubisoft
Eagle Vision has been a staple of the Assassin’s Creed series from the beginning, but it’s easy to overlook during the first few hours.
Activating Eagle Vision highlights enemies in red, objects of interest in yellow and objectives in green, making it much easier to assess an area before moving in.
Enemies can also be marked using the aim trigger (RT/R2) while in Eagle Vision, allowing their movements to remain visible even after exiting the view. It’s one of the most useful tools for clearing enemy camps without being detected.
04
Regularly upgrade your ship to conquer the waters
The Jackdaw is far more than a means of travelling from quest to quest. Naval battles, fort assaults, harpooning expeditions and fleet management all rely on a well-equipped ship.
It can be easy amidst all the island hopping across the Bahamas to forget about upgrading your ship, but it should be a priority whenever enough resources become available. Storage is particularly important, as it allows you to carry more ammo for your arsenal of weapons.
Look after the Jackdaw and it'll look after you
© Ubisoft
Regular upgrades to your ship make tougher naval encounters far more manageable while unlocking access to other activities such as deep sea diving and harpooning even bigger creatures.
Unlocking further ship upgrades will require you to upgrade the harbormaster on Great Inagua, so make sure to invest in this regularly, too.
05
Better weapons help keep pace with tougher enemies
Although Black Flag Resynced is a more streamlined RPG experience compared to more recent Assassin’s Creed games, upgrading Edward’s weapons still provides a noticeable advantage.
Improved weapons reduce the difficulty of later encounters and make larger groups of enemies quicker to dispatch. It can be easy to overlook these as there are far fewer upgraded weapons to purchase, but that doesn’t make them any less beneficial in the long run.
This helps to curb the combat challenge as you progress through the game, especially with new and improved enemy types such as blunderbuss and grenade elites.
06
Capture ships instead of destroying them
After winning a naval battle, there are several choices: destroy the ship, use it to repair the Jackdaw, or add it to the fleet.
Capturing enemy vessels generally provides the greatest long-term reward. It yields more resources than simply sinking a ship and expands the player’s fleet. These ships can then be used in fleet management missions that generate additional income and materials without you having to be directly involved.
07
Hunt animals for valuable upgrade materials
It pays to hunt in this game
© Ubisoft
Wildlife both on land and at specific harpooning expedition spots at sea can be hunted to aid you on your adventure.
Animal skins and other materials are used to improve Edward’s health, ammunition capacity, and equipment. While many of these resources can eventually be purchased from shops, they’re typically expensive to buy, and that money is better spent upgrading your ship or other gear.
08
Complete contract missions for easy money
After reaching the Manor of Great Inagua, you’ll unlock the ability to complete assassin and naval contracts across the map. Assassin contracts task you with eliminating a target on land, while naval contracts take the action onto the open sea.
While entirely optional, both provide a reliable source of money and, in the case of some naval contracts, useful upgrade materials for your ship. Before accepting Naval Contracts, it’s worth checking their recommended difficulty. Higher-level missions can feature Man-o’-War ships that are capable of overwhelming an underpowered Jackdaw.
09
Explore the smaller islands
A little exploration can reap rewards
© Ubisoft
It can be easy to get tunnel vision and make a beeline through the main questline and only visit the major islands and locations as you go. While nothing is stopping you from doing that, some of the best gear can only be found on small islands tucked out of the way.
These can include hidden chests, the Mayan Stelae required to unlock the special Mayan Armor, Animus Fragments, and rare crafting materials needed to fully upgrade your gear.
Taking the time to explore between story missions not only helps to prevent the gameplay from feeling repetitive but often pays off with upgrades that would otherwise take much longer to get.
Discover more handy tips and tricks
10
Save legendary ship battles until the Jackdaw’s ready
The four legendary ships in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced are the toughest challenges in the game and can each be found patrolling a corner of the map.
They have a lethal barrage of powerful cannons and other weaponry at their disposal, combined with huge health bars that take a serious amount of firepower to take down. Fully upgrading the Jackdaw is strongly advised before taking them on, otherwise your precious ship may be very quickly turned into a heap of splinters and shrapnel.
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