The four legendary ships in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced are endgame content in every sense of the word. Among them, HMS Prince stands out as the most aggravating to actually finish. It's not the most powerful on paper, but the fog and its habit of bolting at one-third health can turn what should be a clean fight into a frustrating loop of chasing shadows and eating mortar fire. Here's exactly how to find it, prepare for it, and put it down for good.
Where is HMS Prince in AC Black Flag Resynced?
HMS Prince sits in the Navassa region, tucked into the bottom right corner of the map. The exact coordinates are (854,55). You won't stumble into this fight by accident, so sail there deliberately once your Jackdaw is ready.
HMS Prince map coordinates
How do you prepare for the HMS Prince fight?
This is an endgame encounter, and the game means it. Heading in with a half-upgraded Jackdaw is a fast way to lose a lot of Reales and time.
Jackdaw upgrades you need
Bring everything except Fire Barrels to their final upgrade level before engaging. Hull armor, broadside cannons, and mortars all need to be maxed. For a full breakdown of which upgrades to prioritize with your Reales, the best Jackdaw ship upgrades guide covers the spending order in detail.
The Cohort Mortar is worth getting first
Before sailing to Navassa, complete Deadman's officer quest to unlock the Cohort Mortar. HMS Prince moves constantly, which makes standard mortars awkward to land. The Cohort Mortar fires fast enough that you can lead the ship and connect reliably. It's one of the best tools in this specific fight.
Also refill all Jackdaw weapons and health before engaging. Running dry mid-fight with a retreating boss in the fog is not a recoverable situation.
How to beat HMS Prince
Phase 1: The opening broadside exchange
HMS Prince emerges from the fog and starts circling at full speed, trying to keep a broadside angle on the Jackdaw. You have two viable approaches here.
The first is to match its movement and trade broadsides directly. Close the distance so your Heated Shot connects efficiently, and fire the Cohort Mortar a few meters ahead of the ship's path so it drives straight into the blast. Because the Cohort Mortar launches quickly, you can land hits consistently without the timing risk of slower mortar types.
The second option is to maneuver behind HMS Prince and chase its stern, using bow chasers to chip away at the rear. This avoids the broadside exchange entirely but requires good speed management.
Heated Shot broadside exchange
Phase 2: The fog retreat (don't chase it)
At roughly one-third health, HMS Prince breaks off and retreats into the fog at speed. The instinct is to chase it. Resist that instinct completely.
The ship is faster than the Jackdaw during this phase and continuously fires mortars while hidden. Chasing it means sailing blind into a mortar pattern you can't predict. Instead, stop and sail in a tight circle. The constant turning keeps you moving at angles that naturally avoid most incoming mortar fire. If a mortar is still tracking you, press B on Xbox or Circle on PlayStation to kill speed and execute a sharp turn.
HMS Prince will return on its own. Patience here is the actual strategy, not a fallback.
Phase 3: Second engagement and final push
When HMS Prince returns from the fog, it resumes its broadside circling behavior. Continue the same mix of Heated Shot broadsides and Cohort Mortar strikes. There's a chance it retreats again before losing another full third of health. If it does, repeat the circling strategy without deviation.
Once only one-third of its health remains, HMS Prince retreats into the fog one final time with a heavy mortar barrage. Circle again, watch for it to re-emerge, and finish the fight. The Master at Arms' ram ability deals significant damage in this closing phase, but you need to lead the ship heavily given its speed.
Bracing against mortar barrage
What rewards do you get for defeating HMS Prince?
Destroying HMS Prince clears the fog from the Navassa region permanently, which alone makes navigation around those coordinates much less painful. The cosmetic rewards unlock in the appearance tab at any Harbourmaster.
- HMS Prince Sails Jackdaw appearance
- HMS Prince Hull Jackdaw appearance
- HMS Prince Wheel Jackdaw appearance
- HMS Prince Figurehead Jackdaw appearance
- HMS Prince Manor Decoration
- 12,000 Reales (plus potential additional Reales)
Tips for all legendary ship fights
HMS Prince follows the same general rules as the other three legendary ships. A few habits apply across all of them:
- Use Mortar fire combined with other weapons for maximum damage output rather than relying on a single weapon type
- Brace every incoming attack without exception. These ships hit hard enough that absorbing unbraced damage is rarely survivable
- Stay behind the ship whenever possible to limit the attack angles you need to manage to rear barrels and mortars only
- Use the Swivel Gun to destroy enemy barrels in the water and hit any weak spots you open up on the hull
For a deeper look at the underlying naval mechanics that make all of this work, the naval combat guide for AC Black Flag Resynced covers bracing, U-turns, and boarding in full detail. If you want to keep the Jackdaw in fighting shape between encounters, the ship repair guide walks through every repair method available.
For everything else the game has to offer, the full AC Black Flag Resynced guide collection has you covered.