Achievements / Trophies

Ahoy, aspiring pirate legend! To truly earn your stripes and prove your mastery of the Caribbean, you'll want to chase down every last Achievement or Trophy in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the treacherous waters of completion, offering specific strategies, locations, and tips to ensure you don't miss a single one.

Story-Related Achievements / Trophies

These are generally unmissable as they are tied directly to progressing through the main narrative. Simply complete the game's sequences and these will unlock naturally. However, some have specific conditions for 100% synchronization that you might want to keep in mind for other achievements.

Sailor's Grave: Complete Sequence 1.
A New Recruit: Complete Sequence 2.
The End of a Tyranny: Complete Sequence 3.
Death of a Salesman: Complete Sequence 4.
The Brine King: Complete Sequence 5.
A Man of Many Flags: Complete Sequence 6.
The Prize of a King: Complete Sequence 7.
The End of the Templars: Complete Sequence 8.
The Assassin's Apprentice: Complete Sequence 9.
The Devil's Due: Complete Sequence 10.
The True Templar: Complete Sequence 11.
The Sage's Legacy: Complete Sequence 12.
King of the Caribbean: Complete the main story.

Exploration & Collection Achievements / Trophies

These achievements require you to scour every island and ocean tile, uncovering secrets and gathering valuable items. Patience and a keen eye are your best allies here.

All Aboard!

Board 20 ships.

This will come naturally as you progress and upgrade the Jackdaw. Focus on boarding smaller schooners and brigs in the early game for easy victories. Later, you'll board larger frigates and Man O' Wars. Remember, you need to damage the enemy ship, then pull alongside and initiate the boarding sequence. Successfully complete the objectives (killing crew, destroying sails, etc.) to count it as a board.

Hunter Killer

Harpoon and kill a Great White Shark, a Humpback Whale, and a Killer Whale.

Harpooning is a mini-game accessed from the Jackdaw. Look for the distinct whale and shark icons on your world map.

Great White Shark: Often found in the waters around Punta Guarico (276, 412) and Andreas Island (579, 720). They are aggressive and will attack your harpooning boat.
Humpback Whale: Commonly sighted near Arroyos (192, 565) and Grand Cayman (397, 324). These are generally docile until provoked.
Killer Whale: Look for them in the colder waters of the northern map, particularly around Devil's Eye Cave (487, 357) and Anotto Bay (621, 277). They are fast and can be challenging.

Upgrade your harpoon strength and boat armor at the Jackdaw's Captain's Cabin as soon as possible to make these hunts easier.

Siren Song

Rescue 50 castaways.

Castaways appear as small, distressed figures on floating debris in the open ocean. They are often found after naval battles or near shipwrecks. Simply sail close to them and press the interaction button to pick them up. Keep an eye on your minimap for their distinctive icon (a small person in the water) while sailing between locations. This will accumulate over time, but actively seeking out naval engagements can speed up the process.

Excavator

Find all buried treasures.

Buried treasures are unlocked by finding Treasure Maps. These maps are typically found in chests, looted from defeated enemies, or as rewards for completing certain missions. Once you have a map, open your inventory to view it. The map will show a small drawing of the location and a set of coordinates. Sail to the general area, then use the drawing to pinpoint the exact digging spot. The digging spot will glow faintly when you are close. There are 22 buried treasures in total. Some notable early locations for maps include:

Havana (240, 607): A map can be found in a chest near the docks.
Nassau (633, 784): Several maps are scattered throughout the city.
Abaco Island (606, 835): A map can be found in a chest on the island.

check every chest you encounter and loot every enemy you defeat to maximize your chances of finding maps.

Sharing is Caring

Share a White Whale, a Social Chest, and a Royal Convoy event.

This achievement requires an online connection and for these events to appear in your game world. These are rare, time-sensitive events that pop up randomly.

White Whale: A massive, elusive whale that appears in specific hunting grounds. When one appears, its location will be marked on your map and shared with your friends list.
Social Chest: A unique chest that appears in various locations (often cities like Havana or Nassau). Its location is also shared.
Royal Convoy: A heavily guarded convoy of ships carrying valuable cargo. These are also shared events.

The key is to be online and actively playing. If you see one of these events pop up, prioritize it immediately. If you have friends playing, coordinate with them to increase your chances of encountering and sharing these events.

Combat & Naval Achievements / Trophies

These focus on your prowess as a pirate and assassin, both on land and at sea.

Armed to the Teeth

Craft all available upgrades for the Jackdaw.

This is a significant undertaking that requires a lot of resources. You'll need to hunt animals for their skins and bones, and sink or board countless ships for wood, metal, and cloth. Prioritize upgrading your hull armor, broadside cannons, swivel guns, and heavy shot. Regularly check the Captain's Cabin on the Jackdaw to see what upgrades are available and what resources are needed. Focus on hunting specific animals (e.g., Jaguar, Crocodile, Bull Shark) for their rare materials. For ship resources, target larger frigates and Man O' Wars, as they yield more valuable loot.

Killer Instinct

Fully upgrade all of Edward's equipment.

Similar to the Jackdaw upgrades, this requires crafting. You'll need to hunt animals for their pelts to craft Edward's health upgrades, weapon holsters, and pouches. Visit any general store or tailor to view the crafting menu. Prioritize health upgrades first, then focus on increasing your ammunition capacity for pistols, darts, and bombs. You'll need to hunt specific animals like the Red Howler Monkey, Ocelot, and White Jaguar for their unique materials.

Owned and Operated

Conquer every Fort.

Forts are heavily defended naval strongholds marked by a castle icon on your map. To conquer a fort, you must first destroy its defenses from the sea, then land and eliminate the fort's commander.

Naval Assault: Use your broadside cannons, heavy shot, and mortar to destroy the fort's towers and walls. Watch out for their powerful cannon fire.
Land Assault: Once the naval defenses are down, land on the fort and eliminate the captain. Be prepared for heavy resistance from guards.

Conquering forts not only earns you this achievement but also reveals collectibles and activities in the surrounding area. Upgrade the Jackdaw significantly before attempting the larger, more heavily defended forts.

Devil of the Caribbean

Defeat all 4 Legendary Ships.

These are the ultimate naval challenges in Black Flag. Each Legendary Ship is incredibly powerful and requires a fully upgraded Jackdaw and expert naval combat skills. Their locations are fixed:

El Impoluto: Found in the northwest corner of the map, near Kingston (623, 172). This ship is incredibly fast and rams relentlessly. Focus on hitting its broadside when it passes.
La Dama Negra: Located in the southwest, near Serranilla (347, 140). This Man O' War is heavily armored and has powerful mortars. Stay close to avoid its mortar fire and target its weak spots.
HMS Prince: Found in the southeast, near Eleuthera (742, 695). This ship is accompanied by two smaller escorts. Sink the escorts first, then focus on the Prince.
The Brothers-in-Arms (Fearless and Courageous): These two frigates operate together in the northeast, near New Bone (442, 118). The key here is to keep them separated and focus fire on one at a time. Using chain shot to disable one's sails can help.

Stock up on heavy shot, mortar, and ram upgrades. Learn each ship's attack patterns and exploit their weaknesses. Don't be afraid to retreat and repair if necessary.

Miscellaneous Achievements / Trophies

These cover a variety of activities, from mini-games to specific combat maneuvers.

Prizes and Plunder

Loot 30 ships.

This is distinct from boarding. To loot a ship, you simply need to sink it without boarding. Use your cannons to destroy enemy vessels. This will come naturally as you engage in naval combat and pursue other achievements like "Armed to the Teeth."

Thief's Wit

Pickpocket 50 people.

In any major city (Havana, Nassau, Kingston), approach civilians from behind and press the pickpocket button. This is a stealth action, so ensure you are not detected. Repeat this 50 times. You can easily farm this by running through crowded areas, pickpocketing, then blending into a crowd or hiding until your notoriety resets, then repeating.

Disarmed

Disarm 50 enemies.

During combat, when an enemy attacks, press the counter-attack button (usually Circle/B) and then the disarm button (usually X/A). This will take their weapon and use it against them. Focus on enemies with swords or axes, as they are easier to disarm than brutes or pistoliers. You can easily farm this by initiating fights with groups of guards and repeatedly disarming them.

Silent Hunter

Perform 50 stealth kills.

Stealth kills are performed when you are undetected. This includes air assassinations, corner assassinations, hay bale assassinations, and hidden blade assassinations from behind. Focus on using your environment to your advantage and approaching enemies from cover. This will come naturally as you play through the story, especially if you favor a stealthy approach.

Man Overboard!

Perform 5 'Leap of Faith' dives.

Leaps of Faith are iconic Assassin's Creed moves. Find a tall viewpoint (synchronization points are ideal) and jump into a haystack, water, or other soft landing spot below. There are numerous viewpoints throughout the game, and you'll perform many more than 5 throughout your playthrough. Simply synchronize a few viewpoints and take the plunge.

Game Changer

Win 3 games of Fanorona, 3 games of Checkers, and 3 games of Nine Men's Morris.

These mini-games can be found in taverns across the Caribbean.

Fanorona: A strategic board game. It can be quite challenging. Look for opponents in Havana (240, 607) or Kingston (623, 172). There are online guides and strategies available if you struggle.
Checkers: A classic board game. Opponents are common in most taverns, such as those in Nassau (633, 784).
Nine Men's Morris: Another strategic board game. Find opponents in taverns in Great Inagua (845, 468) or Crooked Island (808, 545).

If you're having trouble, try to find the easiest opponents (often indicated by their dialogue or appearance) and save before each game so you can reload if you lose.

Personal Disappearance

Escape from a level 3 notoriety.

To reach level 3 notoriety, engage in repeated acts of piracy, sink multiple ships, or kill civilians in plain sight. Once at level 3, you'll have multiple Hunter ships pursuing you. To escape, you need to break line of sight and remain undetected for a period.

Land: Find a hiding spot (haystack, bush, crowd) and wait it out.
Sea: Use smoke bombs, sail into heavy fog, or hide in a designated hiding zone (marked on your map).

Alternatively, you can bribe a herald in any major city to instantly reduce your notoriety, which also counts as escaping.