Jackdaw Upgrades — Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Guide

Jackdaw Upgrades

The Jackdaw is more than just Edward Kenway's ship; it's your most crucial weapon and sanctuary on the treacherous Caribbean seas. Mastering its upgrades is paramount to surviving naval combat, plundering lucrative convoys, and ultimately, completing your journey as a pirate assassin. This section provides a comprehensive guide to every upgrade type, how to acquire the necessary resources, and strategic advice for prioritizing your investments.

Upgrades are purchased from the Captain's Cabin aboard the Jackdaw, or from any Harbormaster found in major ports like Havana, Nassau, or Kingston. Each upgrade requires a combination of Reales (the game's currency) and specific raw materials: Wood, Metal, and Cloth. Fully upgrading the Jackdaw transforms it into an unstoppable force, capable of sinking even the most formidable Legendary Ships.

Understanding Upgrade Types & Benefits

The Jackdaw's upgrades fall into several categories, each enhancing a different aspect of its performance or combat capabilities. Prioritizing certain upgrades early can significantly ease your progress through the main story and side activities.

Hull & Armor

The hull represents your ship's health. Upgrading it increases the amount of damage the Jackdaw can sustain before being crippled or sunk. This is arguably the most critical early-game upgrade, as it directly impacts your survivability in naval engagements.

• Hull Armor: Increases the Jackdaw's overall health pool. Higher levels allow you to endure more cannon fire, ramming attacks, and mortar strikes. Essential for prolonged battles and facing multiple enemies.
• Reinforced Hull: Further enhances durability, often providing a percentage reduction in damage taken.

Cannons & Weaponry

Your offensive capabilities are defined by your cannons and specialized ammunition. Investing in these allows you to deal more damage, disable enemy ships more effectively, and take on larger foes.

• Broadside Cannons: Increases the number of cannons on each side of the Jackdaw, allowing for a devastating volley. More cannons mean more damage per shot.
• Heavy Shot: A powerful, short-range attack that deals massive damage to an enemy's hull. Ideal for finishing off crippled ships or quickly sinking smaller vessels. Upgrading increases damage and potentially the number of heavy shot available.
• Chain Shot: Specialized ammunition designed to shred enemy sails, slowing them down and making them easier to board or maneuver around. Upgrading increases the effectiveness and range of sail damage. Crucial for boarding actions.
• Swivel Guns: Small, rapid-fire cannons used to target weak points on enemy ships (marked with red circles) after a broadside or heavy shot attack. Upgrading increases damage and reload speed, making it easier to quickly destroy masts, gunports, and crew.
• Mortar: A long-range, high-arc weapon capable of striking enemies from a distance. Excellent for initiating engagements or bombarding stationary targets like forts. Upgrading increases damage, blast radius, and reload speed.
• Fire Barrels: Dropped from the stern of the Jackdaw, these barrels explode when hit by cannon fire, creating a fiery hazard for pursuing ships. Upgrading increases damage and the number of barrels you can deploy.

Ship Performance

These upgrades affect the Jackdaw's speed, maneuverability, and ramming power, giving you an edge in chases and close-quarters combat.

• Ram: Enhances the damage dealt when ramming enemy ships. A fully upgraded ram can cripple or sink smaller vessels in a single hit. Also provides defensive benefits by reducing damage taken when ramming.
• Wheel: Improves the Jackdaw's turning speed and overall maneuverability, making it easier to line up broadsides or evade enemy fire.
• Sail Speed: Increases the Jackdaw's top speed, essential for chasing down fast convoys, escaping overwhelming odds, or reaching destinations quicker.

Storage & Utility

These upgrades improve your capacity for resources and ammunition, allowing for longer voyages and more sustained combat.

• Cargo Storage: Increases the amount of raw materials (Wood, Metal, Cloth) you can carry. Essential for extended plundering runs.
• Mortar Storage: Increases the maximum number of mortar rounds you can carry.
• Heavy Shot Storage: Increases the maximum number of heavy shot rounds you can carry.
• Swivel Gun Storage: Increases the maximum number of swivel gun rounds you can carry.

Cosmetic Upgrades

While not affecting performance, cosmetic upgrades allow you to personalize the Jackdaw's appearance. These include different sails, figureheads, and wheel designs. Many cosmetic items are unlocked through treasure maps, diving, or completing specific missions.

Acquiring Resources: Reales, Wood, Metal, Cloth

The core challenge of upgrading the Jackdaw lies in gathering the necessary resources. Here's how to efficiently stock your hold:

1. Plundering Enemy Ships

This is your primary source of raw materials. Engage and defeat enemy vessels, then choose to "Board" them. Successfully boarding a ship allows you to plunder its cargo. The type and quantity of resources gained depend on the enemy ship's class and nationality.

• Schooners & Brigs: Often carry Cloth and smaller amounts of Wood/Metal. Easy to sink or board early on.
• Frigates & Man o' Wars: Carry significant amounts of Wood, Metal, and some Cloth. These are tougher fights but yield the best rewards. Man o' Wars are particularly valuable for Wood and Metal.
• Convoys: Look for convoys marked on your map (often with a gold ship icon). These consist of multiple ships, including a heavily laden merchant vessel escorted by warships. Sinking or boarding the merchant ship yields large quantities of all resources.

Strategy Tip: Early in the game, focus on boarding ships rather than sinking them, as boarding yields more resources. Use Chain Shot to disable sails, then Heavy Shot to quickly reduce their health for boarding.

2. Raiding Warehouses

Warehouses are land-based locations found in various islands and towns. They are marked on your map with a chest icon. To raid a warehouse:

1. Locate the Warehouse: Use your spyglass from the Jackdaw or explore on foot.
2. Identify the Key Holder: A specific guard (often marked with a key icon above their head) carries the key to the warehouse. Stealthily take them down to acquire the key.
3. Open the Warehouse: Once you have the key, approach the warehouse door and interact with it to open.
4. Loot the Chests: Inside, you'll find multiple chests containing Wood, Metal, Cloth, and Reales.

Strategy Tip: Warehouses are excellent for quick resource boosts, especially early on when your Jackdaw isn't strong enough to take on larger ships. Use Eagle Vision to easily spot the key holder.

3. Diving for Shipwrecks

As you progress, diving bells become available, allowing you to explore underwater shipwrecks. These sites often contain valuable resources, treasure chests, and unique cosmetic items.

• Diving Bell Locations: Marked on your map with a diving bell icon.
• Hazards: Be wary of sharks, moray eels, and strong currents. Use hiding spots (seaweed, barrels) to avoid predators.
• Loot: Shipwrecks provide a good mix of all resources, Reales, and sometimes rare crafting ingredients.

4. Completing Missions & Activities

Many main story missions, side quests, and Templar Hunt missions reward you with Reales and sometimes raw materials. Naval Contracts are particularly good for earning money and experience.

5. Treasure Maps

Finding and deciphering treasure maps often leads to buried chests containing significant amounts of Reales and occasionally resources.

Prioritization Strategy for Upgrades

While a fully upgraded Jackdaw is the ultimate goal, smart prioritization can make your journey much smoother. Here's a recommended upgrade path:

1. Early Game (Sequence 3-5): Survivability & Basic Offense
   • Hull Armor (Level 1-3): Your top priority. More health means you can survive more engagements.
   • Broadside Cannons (Level 1-2): Increase your damage output.
   • Heavy Shot (Level 1): Essential for quickly damaging enemy hulls.
   • Chain Shot (Level 1): Crucial for disabling sails for boarding.
   • Cargo Storage (Level 1-2): Allows you to carry more resources from plundered ships.

   Focus on plundering schooners and brigs, and raiding nearby warehouses. Avoid larger frigates unless absolutely necessary.

2. Mid Game (Sequence 6-9): Balanced Offense & Defense
   • Hull Armor (Max): Max out your hull as soon as possible.
   • Broadside Cannons (Max): Maximize your primary damage source.
   • Heavy Shot (Level 2-3): Significantly boosts your burst damage.
   • Swivel Guns (Level 1-2): Improves your ability to quickly finish off ships.
   • Ram (Level 1-2): Useful for quickly dispatching smaller ships or dealing extra damage to larger ones.
   • Mortar (Level 1): Provides a long-range option for attacking forts or distant ships.
   • Sail Speed & Wheel (Level 1-2): Improves maneuverability and chase capabilities.

   Start taking on frigates and smaller convoys. Utilize diving bell locations for additional resources.

3. Late Game (Sequence 10+ & Post-Game): Specialization & Dominance
   • All Remaining Weapon Upgrades (Max): Max out Heavy Shot, Chain Shot, Swivel Guns, Mortar, and Fire Barrels.
   • Ram (Max): Become a terror in close quarters.
   • Sail Speed & Wheel (Max): Achieve maximum agility and pursuit capabilities.
   • All Storage Upgrades (Max): Carry maximum ammunition and resources for any challenge.
   • Reinforced Hull (Max): Further enhance your durability for Legendary Ship battles.

   At this stage, you should be able to take on Man o' Wars and large convoys with ease. Prepare for the Legendary Ships!

Common Pitfalls & Tips

• Don't Neglect Hull Armor: It's tempting to go for flashy weapons, but a strong hull is your foundation for survival.
• Boarding vs. Sinking: Always board ships if you need resources. Sinking only yields half the cargo.
• Use Your Spyglass: Before engaging, use your spyglass to identify a ship's cargo and level. This helps you prioritize targets.
• Forts are Resource Hubs: Conquering forts not only opens up new areas but also reveals all activities (including warehouses and shipwrecks) in their sector. They also reduce the naval patrol presence, making plundering easier.
• Legendary Ships: These are the ultimate test of your Jackdaw. Ensure your ship is fully upgraded before attempting to challenge them. Focus on specific strategies for each one.
• Naval Contracts: Complete these for extra Reales and sometimes unique rewards. They often involve sinking specific types of ships, which can also provide resources.

By following this comprehensive guide, you'll transform the Jackdaw from a humble brig into the most feared vessel in the Caribbean, ready to face any challenge the open seas throw your way.