The Jackdaw is not just a ship in Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, she's your home, your primary weapon, and the reason you can afford anything worth having in the Caribbean. The problem is that she starts out fragile, and the game does not spend much time warning you about that. Get into a fight with an under-upgraded hull and you'll be limping back to the nearest Harbourmaster with barely enough wood to patch a rowboat. This guide covers everything you need to rule the seas, from the moment you take the wheel to the choices you make after a victorious boarding.
What weapons does the Jackdaw have?
The Jackdaw's arsenal is directional, meaning each side of the ship fires something different. Understanding this is the foundation of every good naval fight.
- Chain Shot (forward): Fired from the bow, this long-range projectile slows enemy ships down. It does minimal damage on its own, but it sets up cleaner cannon runs and easier rams by cutting the target's speed.
- Broadside Cannons (sides): Your primary damage dealers. Fire from either flank to send volleys into enemy hulls. These are the weapons you'll spend the most time using, and the first you should prioritize upgrading. Once you unlock fiery ammunition for them early in the main story, you can switch between standard and incendiary rounds using Triangle on PlayStation or Y on Xbox.
- Fire Barrels (rear): Dropped behind the ship to punish anyone chasing you. If a pursuer sails directly into them, the barrels detonate and deal heavy damage. Less flashy than cannons, but essential when you're being tailed.
- Mortars: These don't fire from a fixed direction — they arc overhead and land on targets from long range. Unlock them as soon as they become available at the Harbourmaster. The game won't prompt you to do this, but they're accessible right away.
- Swivel Gun: A crew-operated gun used to blast open red weak points that appear on enemy ships after sustained cannon fire. Hold R1 on PlayStation or RB on Xbox to aim it. You can also use it to detonate enemy Fire Barrels before they reach you.
Broadside cannons in action
How does bracing work in AC Black Flag Resynced?
Bracing is the single most important defensive mechanic in naval combat. When an enemy ship is about to fire, hold Square on PlayStation or X on Xbox to have your crew take cover. This significantly reduces incoming damage and keeps the Jackdaw in the fight longer.
The timing window is generous if you watch for the right cues. Enemy ships glow orange around their weapon ports just before they fire, and there's an accompanying audio cue as well. Watching for that orange glow rather than waiting for the cannonballs to actually leave the barrel gives you plenty of time to react.
During storms, bracing becomes even more important. Tornadoes can destroy the Jackdaw outright if you're not careful, and rogue waves should always be faced head-on to minimize damage. Avoid engaging enemy ships during storms when possible — fighting both the weather and a hostile fleet at the same time is a fast way to lose everything.
Boarding for maximum loot
How to do a U-turn in the Jackdaw
This sounds like a joke until the first time you desperately need to switch from your broadside cannons to a ramming run and have no idea how to pull it off. The Jackdaw is more nimble than she looks, but only if you know the trick.
To execute a fast pivot, drop your sails completely to kill your speed, then make a sharp turn. At full sail this maneuver is nearly impossible, but with sails down it happens quickly and cleanly. Once you've repositioned, raise the sails again and accelerate back into the fight with whichever weapon angle you need.
This matters most when you're side-by-side with a ship and want to ram it, or when you've overshot a target and need to bring your forward Chain Shot to bear. Mastering the speed-drop pivot separates players who feel in control from players who feel like they're fighting the ship as much as the enemy.
Sea shanties on the open water
How to upgrade the Jackdaw effectively
The Jackdaw's starting stats are low enough that even a single enemy vessel can strip most of your hull health. Visit the Harbourmaster as soon as possible after the game opens up and spend your Reales on hull armor and cannon damage first. Those two upgrades change the feel of combat more than anything else in the early game.
Reales come from selling plunder — Wine, Sugar, and other trade goods you collect from defeated ships. Don't sit on these. Sell them off and convert that money into ship upgrades. Wood and Metal from boarded ships also feed directly into upgrade costs, which is one more reason boarding is almost always more profitable than sinking.
For a full breakdown of what to build and in what order, check out the AC Black Flag Resynced hideout upgrades guide for additional context on how your land-based investments connect to your overall progression.
How to board a ship properly
Boarding rewards you with far more resources than sinking does. When you sink a ship, you collect only a fraction of what's on board. Board it, and you get everything the spyglass showed you when you scouted it beforehand — always use the spyglass to mark targets before engaging so you know what you're fighting for.
Before you close the distance for boarding, work the enemy ship with your Swivel Gun. It deals direct damage to crew members on deck and can detonate explosive barrels sitting in the open. On larger ships, you can ride the elevator to the top of the mast and cut the enemy flag, which drains crew morale faster.
Once you've taken the ship, you get three options:
- Repair the Jackdaw — Use materials from the captured ship to patch your hull without paying the Harbourmaster. This is often the best choice after a tough fight. For a full breakdown of all repair methods, see the AC Black Flag Resynced ship repair guide.
- Lower Wanted Level — Reduces heat if you've been causing trouble. Rarely the optimal pick unless things are genuinely out of hand.
- Send to Kenway's Fleet — Adds the ship as a passive income source. Strong long-term value, especially from larger vessels.
On ships with Captains, you'll sometimes get a fourth option to claim the Captain's lockbox, which tends to contain a meaningful haul of extra resources. Always take it.
What's the best strategy against tough enemies?
Hard targets need a different approach than the standard broadside-and-ram routine. Start at maximum range with your Mortars to chip away at their hull before they can respond effectively. Keep moving to avoid getting rammed, and brace every time you see that orange weapon glow.
Once their health is low enough, switch to Heavy Shot or close-range broadside cannons to finish the job. Use Chain Shot from the bow to slow them first if they're trying to keep distance. If they start dropping Fire Barrels to slow you down, use the Swivel Gun to detonate those barrels before you sail into them.
If a fight is genuinely going badly, the Jackdaw at full sail is faster than most enemy ships. Running is a valid option, and it beats losing all your plunder and having to repair at full cost.
Sea Shanties and morale
This won't win you any fights, but it's worth knowing. Press Up on the D-Pad to start a shanty, Right to cycle through available songs, and hold Right to stop. You can find additional shanties as collectibles across the map to expand what your crew can sing. It's a small thing, but the Caribbean feels emptier without it.
For everything else you need while sailing the Caribbean, the full AC Black Flag Resynced strategy guide collection has you covered — from treasure map locations to collectible hunts across every island.