AC Black Flag Resynced: Best ship upgrades to get first

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced has dozens of upgrades for you to earn and purchase, and some of the most important are the Jackdaw upgrades.

Your ship, The Jackdaw, needs to be able to rule the Caribbean seas, and it won’t be able to do that by default. It’s quite an expensive process.

In this guide, we’re breaking down the best ship upgrades you need ASAP, the ship upgrades you shouldn’t ignore, and the ship upgrades that you can ignore entirely until you have spare cash. Just read through our breakdown below to know where to focus your Gold in Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag’s new remake.

Best ship upgrades – Black Flag Resynced

These are the ship upgrades you should buy ASAP to make The Jackdaw noticeably more powerful.

Ram

The Ram is incredibly powerful, allowing you to simply sail and smash into an enemy ship to deal massive amounts of damage. This is actually even more powerful in Black Flag Resynced, thanks to one of the new Officer Quests. Earning the new Master-at-Arms Officer allows you to use the Ram Dash ability, speeding your ship up and dealing even more damage to anything that crosses its path.

Armored Hull

The Armored Hull does exactly what you think it does. This simply improves the defensive capabilities of your hull, allowing you to survive for longer. Essential as you encounter tougher naval battles.

Broadside Cannons

The Broadside Cannons should be seen as your primary damage dealer in battle, especially when ships sail alongside you. As a result, upgrading them will naturally increase the damage you deal to enemy ships.

Mortar, Mortar Storage

The Mortar is your longest-range weapon, and it can also deal huge amounts of damage when aimed right. Its massive firepower is offset by its low ammo count and difficulty aiming, so make sure to also upgrade your Mortar Storage.

Round and Heated Shot

Similar to the Broadside Cannon upgrades, the damage of each shot will be increased if you also upgrade the Round and Heated Shot categories, as they will be the shots you use most commonly.

Decent ship upgrades – Black Flag Resynced

These Jackdaw upgrades are worth buying, but not prioritizing.

Swivel Guns

The Swivel Guns in Black Flag Resynced have been upgraded, getting the same manual control that they boast in games like AC: Rogue. As a result, they’re more useful in battle and shouldn’t be ignored.

Bow Chasers, Front Cannons

The Bow Chasers are fired from the Front Cannons, and thus, upgrading both will enhance the capabilities of the only cannon you have that faces toward the front. Great for chasing down enemy ships or firing as you go for a ram.

Crew Quarters

Finally, you shouldn’t ignore the Crew Quarters. Having more crew available makes it easier to board enemy ships and operate everything else on the ship. You’ll rarely have to worry about recruiting crew, but you should ensure you have plenty of space for them on The Jackdaw.

Worst ship upgrades – Black Flag Resynced

These Jackdaw upgrades can be ignored until you’ve got spare Gold burning a hole in your pocket.

Harpoon, Rowboat Armor

There’s really no reason to upgrade the Harpoons and the Rowboat on The Jackdaw. Yes, they’re necessary to harpoon sea life, and yes, you’ll need more harpoons if you intend to catch anything bigger than a Bull Shark. But the harpooning minigame is difficult, and when all you can catch is that aforementioned Bull Shark, it feels like a bit of a waste. We break down how you can buy the animal parts you get through harpooning in a guide, meaning this minigame is fairly pointless in the remake.