Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Beginners Guide: Things You Should Know Before Playing This Game
By I once sailed for a king. I obeyed men of privilege and wealth. Now, I bend my knee to no man.
The Golden Age of Piracy was probably one of the most exciting eras in human history. With so many ships bombarding each other to smithereens and looting the corpses and their treasures, it was an era of decadence, and a lot of rum and drunken sea shanties.
However, being a pirate and an assassin in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is what made this game so popular when it first launched in 2013. Straying away from the story of Desmond Miles that no one car5ed about, you can live your life as a pirate, with unbridled freedom and lots of naval battles.
However, if you are playing this decade-old (almost) game now, it’s still a great time, Give this guide a read and learn some tips that the game doesn’t want you to know.
Pirates That You Should Care About
The main Assassin’s Creed Black Flag characters that you should care about in this game are:
Edward Kenway
I want food that don’t make me sick. I want walls that hold back the wind. I want a decent life.
Edward Kenway is the primary protagonist of the game. He is the father of Hatham Kenway and grandfather of Connor Kenway (Ratonhnhaké:ton) – two of the main characters in Assassin’s Creed III.
Edward was born in Wales in 1693. Weeheioem growing up, he had the wish of becoming a rich privateer. To do fulfill this, he joined the Royal Navy and was stationed in West Indies. Soon, he turned to piracy after realizing the riches he could gain by doing so.
During his time in the Caribbean (in this game), he gets embroiled in the age-old conflict between the Assassin’s Order and the Templar’s Order. Towards the end of this game, he becomes a full-fledged assassin (and dawns the assassin robes in all their glory).
Edward Thatch / Blackbeard
If a man plays the fool, then it’s only fools he’ll persuade. But appear to be the devil… and all men will submit.
If you have seen Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, then you definitely know who Blackbeard is.
One of the most infamous pirates of all time, Edward Thatch, and other real-life famous pirates of that era – Benjamin Hornigold, Charles Vane, and James Kidd – all met Haytham in Assassins Creed Black Flag PS4.
Their aim was to take over the town of Nassau from British rule and turn it into a pirate nation.
Bartholomew Roberts
A merry life and a short one, as promised. How well I know myself. And what of you, Edward? Have you found the peace you seek?
If you thought that a machiavellian person will be super cunning and deceptive, then you were right.
The primary antagonist of Assassins Creed 4, is a Templar and a sage – a person with the power to monitor other humans. This makes him one of the most central characters in the game that we all love to hate.
James Kidd
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.’ This is the world’s only certainty.
One of their best friends of Edward and also one of the four founders of the pirate nation of Nassau, Secretly being an assassin in disguise, she is the one who guides Edward through his troubled times to become the Master Assassin that he was destined to become.
7 Things To Keep In Mind When You Start Playing (That The Game won’t Tell You)
The best Assassin’s Creed Black Flag tips and tricks are:
1. Sail The Seas A Lot…
The most important objective of this game is to sail towards whatever horizon your eyes can see. Since this is part Assassin’s Creed and part a pirate simulator, you will be spending a ton of time sailing the seas.
Therefore, try to explore as much as possible. Bombard other ships, loot their treasure, explore uninhabited islands, and meet other famous faces on the Caribbean seas. The more you explore, the more loot and money you will get to become a rich pirate (cum assassin).
2. …And Become The Most Wanted Man
If you want to be an infamous pirate like Blackbeard and have the cool swagger of Jack Sparrow, you have to get your hands dirty first.
To make your ship, the Jackdaw, the greatest in the seven seas, you have to buy a ton of metals and upgrade the ship. However, this is hard to come by early on.
Therefore, sail then seas and bombard other ships to hijack them and loot them dry. Not only should you do this to other pirate ships in your way, but do it to British Naval ships as well.
After taking down a few of them, you will get a wanted level and a bounty on your head.
Similar to Grand Theft Auto games, you will need to escape from the Royal Navy and pirate bounty hunters (like Roronoa Zoro from the anime One Piece). All their ships contain a lot of metal and loot, that you can use to make your Jackdaw the strongest.
3. Invest Time (And Money) In Naval Warfare
Since you will be exploring the seas and hunting down other ships and looting them, it’s best to do so with no mercy.
Apart from sneaking and stabbing people from bushes and ledges like Assassin’s Creed Revelations, you will also be chasing down ships and bombarding them with cannons. Therefore, invest all your hard-earned money in upgrading your ship and its cannons.
Upgrade your swivel guns early on for maximum damage. These guns can automatically track and target the weak points of an enemy ship after they have been hit with your cannons. Then, upgrade your mortar for dealing with the final breach in the hull.
4. Go On Templar Hunts
Similar to finding the Master Assassin armor in Assassin’s Creed II and the Armor Of Brutus in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, there is a separate questline to get a shining armor in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Xbox One too.
Called the Templar Armor, this is the best armor in the game and looks badass with its darker color palette. You have to hunt this armor down by visiting four different islands and doing their respective quests.
5. Sneak And Tag
Stealth saw a vast improvement compared to the previous games in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag.
Now, while sneaking from bushes to hays, you can mark and tag enemies. This helps you to see them through walls using your Eagle Vision. This lets you clear out a group of enemies one by one as you sneak up behind them and stab them with your hidden blades.
6. Who Doesn’t Want To Hear Sea Shanties?
Sea shanties are tales of decadence and glory sung by pirates all over the seven seas. Your crew aboard the Jackdaw will frequently sing these shanties when you are sailing through calmer waters.
However, hearing the same tunes over and over again can become pretty boring after a while. Therefore, chase down these collectible sea shanties sprinkled all over the Assassin’s Creed Black Flag map.
7. Don’t Forget To Forget About Your Hideout
Once you have progressed enough, you will have an entire hideout to yourself. The town of Great Inagua is your new home here, filled with denizens who all praise your name publicly.
As a good citizen, you must upgrade this town like a pirate Robin Hood. But, since you are a pirate assassin, you could care less and keep the riches to yourself. Apparently, this is the best decision since upgrading your town gives you nothing – it’s purely cosmetic.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Many still consider Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag to be the best game in the entire series. The game offered a level of freedom and open seas to sail and plunder – concepts never explored in the previous games of the series.
Playing Assassins Creed Black Flag main story will take you atleast 30 hours to complete. However, to complete all side quests and plunder all treasure chests, will take you around 80 hours to complete.
Yes, you can play AC4 offline. However, it is always recommended to play online since it gives you access to many randomized side quests like treasure hunts. These missions are great missions that will net you a lot of money.
Even though this game was released in 20123, AC4 Black Flag is still a fun game to sink lots of hours in 2022. It has got a great story, great gameplay, and lots of loot to satisfy your gaming needs.
Welcome To Pirates Creed: Assassin’s Flag
If you wanted to sail the seas as a pirate (only to later turn into an assassin), then give Assasin’s Creed Black Flag a try.
Follow the story of Edward Kenway, a man who dreams of riches like no other man. However, his life takes a turn when he gets embroiled in a secret war between Assassins and Templars.
With a huge open-world map with many seas and islands to explore, treasure chests to loot targets to tail (and stab), and Navy shops to sink to the bottom of the seas, this game will keep you entertained for hours if you don’t mind a bit of piracy.
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