The Jackdaw is only as strong as the crew running it, and in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, Ubisoft added three brand-new Naval Officers to recruit, each one bringing a distinct upgrade to your ship. The Shipwright, Lucy Baldwin, is arguably the most defensively useful of the three. Her ability turns a basic Brace command into something that can genuinely change how naval fights play out. Here's exactly how to get her.
What is the Shipwright Officer in Black Flag Resynced?
Lucy Baldwin is one of three new Naval Officers exclusive to Black Flag Resynced. Unlike the original 2013 game, which had no officer system of this kind, Resynced lets you assign crew specialists to the Jackdaw who each provide a passive or active buff during ship combat. The Shipwright slot is focused entirely on defense, and Lucy fills it well.
Lucy Baldwin officer recruit screen
How to unlock the Shipwright
The unlock path is gated behind a specific story milestone, so you can't rush it on a fresh save.
Step 1: Complete Sequence 04 — This Old Cove
Before the Shipwright quest appears anywhere on your map, you need to finish Sequence 04: This Old Cove. This is a main campaign sequence, so play through the story normally and it will come up. There's no side content shortcut.
Step 2: Find and start Officer Quest — A Proper Shipwright
Once Sequence 04 is done, open your map and look for the new Officer Quest marker. The quest is called A Proper Shipwright. You can also track it directly through your Quest Log if the map feels cluttered.
Step 3: Complete the quest
The quest kicks off with an infiltration of a Man o' War to rescue Lucy herself. After that, you'll support her on a personal mission before she agrees to join the Jackdaw's crew. The quest doesn't overstay its welcome, and the payoff is immediate once it wraps.
Man o' War boarding sequence
What does the Shipwright actually do?
Once Lucy is on the crew, the Jackdaw gains access to Perfect Brace.
Here's how it works: the standard Brace command already reduces incoming damage when you trigger it before an enemy volley lands. Perfect Brace takes that further. If you time the Brace command precisely, just before the cannonballs or mortar shell actually connects, you take significantly less damage than a standard Brace would provide. A subtle metallic clang sound effect confirms when you've nailed the timing.
There is no cooldown on Perfect Brace. Every attack the Jackdaw faces is an opportunity to use it, which means skilled timing rewards you continuously across the entire fight.
How does the Shipwright compare to the other Naval Officers?
Black Flag Resynced has three new officers total. Each one targets a different aspect of the Jackdaw's performance.
The Shipwright is the standout pick for players who struggle with attrition during extended naval fights or when taking on Man o' War class vessels. Perfect Brace has no cooldown, so its value scales with how often you're under fire.
For a complete rundown of every mechanical change in this release, including how the reworked combat and tailing missions compare to the 2013 original, the full changes guide is worth reading before you start.
Is the Shipwright worth unlocking early?
Yes. The quest becomes available after Sequence 04, which puts it squarely in the mid-game. Naval combat ramps up significantly from that point forward, and having Perfect Brace active before you start engaging fleets of larger ships makes a real difference. The timing mechanic has no cooldown penalty for missing, so there's no downside to attempting it on every incoming hit.
After testing the ability across several Man o' War encounters, the health bar difference between a standard Brace and a well-timed Perfect Brace is visible and meaningful. It won't make the Jackdaw invincible, but it extends fights in your favor.
If you're tracking down every unlock and want to check your progress against the full achievement list, the complete trophy and achievement guide covers all 49 trophies including any tied to officer recruitment.
For everything else you need across the full game, the Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced guides hub has you covered.