Every pirate captain needs a crew. In Sequence 03 of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, our hero sets off to recruit the right men for the job in our latest walkthrough.
Memory 01: This Tyro Captain
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Shoot an iguana
– Air assassinate an ocelot
Sail to Abaco Island. When you get close, get off the ship and swim to land. Kill and skin two iguanas and two ocelots, then craft the resulting items into a pistol holster II and a health upgrade I. Ocelots are found all over the island, while iguanas are mainly found along the northwest portion. Use your gun to kill the animals to make it easier and obtain one of the optional objectives. If you slowly move toward a group of ocelots, you can climb a tree to get the aerial kill for the second optional objective.
Once you’ve crafted the two items, meet up with Adéwalé back on the ship. You can use one of the two row boats to return quickly. Speak to Adéwalé to complete the mission.
Memory 02: Now Hiring
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Disarm and kill guards (3)
– Shoot the rope to save the pirate
Travel to Nassau and speak to Adéwalé to begin the next mission. You need to recruit crew members, which means freeing pirates from captivity. With small numbers of guards scattered around Nassau, watching over the captives is fairly easy to contend with. When you reach the larger facility on the northeast side of the city, head around to the north side of the building, then climb up and take out the guard. You can also obtain a fragment and synchronize from this section of the building.
When you reach the middle of town and have to free the captain, you have a very limited time to do so. Run at the hanging plank as quickly as possible and take down the guards, then free the captain before he hangs for too long.
Once you have at least 18 recruits, head back to the tavern to complete the mission.
Memory 03: Prizes and Plunder
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Use a swivel to kill sailors (3)
– Plunder 20 rum
Head back toward the ship and meet up with Edward’s friends on the beach to begin the next mission. Use the spyglass to find a schooner, then once you’re within 300 meters, fire the hook from the front of the ship a couple of times to incapacitate it. Do not sink the ship.
Once the schooner is flaming and incapacitated, sail close to it and begin the boarding process. Use the swivel gun to dwindle the numbers of the surviving crew and earn the optional objective, then swing over to properly board the ship. Kill a few more of the crew to complete the looting process, then fix your ship.
You’ll need to take down at least two schooners, but make sure you fix the Jackdaw after every encounter. When you zoom in with the eyeglass to determine the type of ship you’re looking at, you’ll also see the cargo. Select a ship that’s holding rum to complete the other optional objective.
Sail to Salt Key, dock the ship and buy an Intermediate hull from the shop at the dock for 1000R. This completes the mission.
Memory 04: Raise the Black Flag
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Plunder a hunter ship
– Plunder 30 sugar
Your next objective is to take down one of the level 17 brigs. When you do so, come up behind them at a slow speed and use your frontal hook guns to inflict moderate damage until the brig begins to turn. When then happens, speed up one notch and turn to the side to get your main guns into position. Once in position, slow down again and fire at will. Always use the frontal guns as much as possible because few brigs have guns to fire back at you.
Once the ship is damaged enough, move alongside to board. Take down as many enemies as possible with the swivel gun before you jump over to the brig. If you can take out enough of the crew with the swivel, you don’t have to personally board the brig. However, if you do need to board, try to avoid engaging the larger crew wielding axes. They put up a much harder fight than the normal crew members. You only need to take down a few normal crew members before the rest surrender, so taking on the axe-wielders is not necessary.
You’ll need to take out at least two brigs to get enough metal. If you take out one or two brigs, a hunter ship appears. If you take it down, you complete one of the optional objectives. Hunter ships are generally easier to defeat than brigs, so it shouldn’t be a great deal of trouble.
When you’re done plundering dock at Salt Key again, talk to the local officer on the beach to offer him a bribe of 200R to reset your wanted level. Head back to the ship and into the captain’s cabin. Walk over to the model of the ship and get the free broadside cannon upgrade. Exit the cabin to complete the mission.
Memory 05: Sugarcane And Its Yields
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Sabotage alarm bells (2)
– Stay out of combat
Head to Andreas Island and speak to James Kidd on the beach to begin the next mission. Follow Kidd, then locate and tail Beckford’s agent until he reaches his ship. Mingle with the crowds (three or more people in a group) and duck into the bushes to avoid his detection. When he reaches his ship, you must make it to the wheel of the adjacent Jackdaw within 30 seconds. Run the whole way and use the wooden poles sticking up from the ground to shorten your path.
Once you’re at the wheel, follow the agent’s ship until you reach Cat Island. When you enter restricted waters, watch the yellow cones protruding from the ships. The cones indicate the detection range of the ship. If you’re spotted you’ll have to enter combat, which will not only fail an optional objective, but could cause you to lose the ship you’re tailing and start the mission over from the last checkpoint.
When you reach Cat Island, dock the ship and then run toward the agent. Take out two guards that will be in your way as you run, but don’t stop to loot them. Duck into the brush and eavesdrop on the agent’s conversation. When the two start to move, move along with them, staying hidden in the brush. You must stay close by to ensure you hear enough of the conversation. You can sabotage the first bell along the way to complete half of the optional objective.
Once the agent reaches the warehouse shed and requests the key, take out the guard in front of the shed, the use Eagle Vision and look to the left to find the guard holding the key (the key holder). Stay in the brush near the key holder and whistle to get his attention. Assassinate him and loot the body to find the key. Disable the second alarm bell on the left of the shed door (north side of the shed), to complete the optional objective. Interact with the door to the shed to complete the mission.
Memory 06: Proper Defenses
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Use one broadside to sink 2 boats
– Use heavy shot to sink ships (2)
Go back to the ship and follow the marker to Salt Lagoon to speak to your crew and begin the next mission. Return to the ship once more and locate the El Arca Del Maestro in restricted waters. You must weave in and out of enemy ship detection while staying close to the El Arca Del Maestro so you don’t lose it. Alternate your speed, using travel speed when you’re in the clear and slowing considerably to make sharp turns to avoid detection near enemy ships.
Once you’ve cleared the restricted area, you stay close to the El Arca Del Maestro, but move slowly to avoid the yellow circles in the water that indicate mortar shots. When the eight Spanish ships attack, don’t worry about losing the El Arca, and instead focus on sinking all eight ships. They’re considerably weaker than the Jackdaw, and will go down easily with a few well-placed shots. Aim low on the hull to take them down even faster. Use broadside and heavy shots to sink the ships and complete the optional objectives. When all eight ships are down, the mission is complete.
Memory 07: A Single Madman
Sidebar: Optional Objectives
– Stay out of combat
– Air assassinate Du Casse
It’s time to take your pirating skills one step further and command the galleon as your own. Sail to the newly marked point of interest to begin your next mission and enjoy an uplifting cut scene once you arrive. Jump off the ship on your way toward the next location marker, the jungle’s exit.
Run straight ahead and up the stairs as you enter another restricted area. It’s time for more high-flying acrobatics courtesy of your friendly neighborhood assassin! Run up the ramp created by the white rocks to reach the rope ladder above. Climb the ladder to the platform, then head to the left and use the wooden poles protruding from the wall to reach the next platform.
Climb up the wooden ladder ahead, then run up the wall and climb the next ladder to find a fragment. Turn around to see more wooden poles protruding from the wall, perfectly aligned to allow for more acrobatics! Run toward the poles and continue forward to reach the ladder-like ramp ahead. The ladder breaks as you begin to climb, but fear not, this assassin won’t die so easily!
Continue to climb up the ladder, then use more acrobatics to traverse the next wooden pole and maneuver to the ladder ahead. Climb the next set of ladders all the way up to the platform above. Congratulations, you can now move on from circus performer back to being an assassin.
Run toward the marker and don’t worry too much about the enemy on your radar here. He’s around the corner, so you have some time before you need to deal with him. As you round the corner, you’ll see some heavy brush just ahead. Dive into the brush and use your patented whistling trick to get the guard’s attention. You’ll want to avoid combat to complete the secondary objective, so stay hidden until you can assassinate him properly. Don’t forget to loot the body!
Continue along the path until you reach the next corner. Dive into the brush and keep a close eye on the guard across the way. When he’s not looking, move around to the path on the right. You’re blocked from the guard’s vision here, so you don’t need to worry about cover.
Head around the next corner, but it’s time to move cautiously again, as a patrolling guard waits ahead. Stop by the large tree and wait for the guard to move to the far right. As soon as he does, run down the tree branch ahead, then along the wall to the right. This should put you just behind the guard and in the perfect position to assassinate him from above.
Take down the guard, then move into the brush just ahead. The guard is not paying attention to anything behind him, so you can move slowly across the way to the brush just behind him. Whistle to get his attention, then take him out in brilliant stealth fashion. As always, don’t forget to loot the body!
As you round the next corner, be very cautious once again. There’s another patrolling guard, but no brush for you to hide in. Wait until the guard moves to the far end of his patrol, then head over to the large tree between you and the guard. Wait by the tree for the guard to get close, then whistle to get his attention. Take him down when he investigates the noise.
With the last guard removed from the scene, run forward and under the large fallen tree. Jump across to the broken ladder and use the large branch on the right to reach your location. Unfortunately, you’re not quite done yet!
Continue along the path, jumping over to the broken rope ladder. There’s another fragment piece up ahead, but you can only reach it if you go back to being a circus acrobat and take the high road here. Jump along the trees and branches to reach to ledge with the fragment, or take the path below. Either way will take you where you need to go, and there are no enemies to get in the way.
Once you reach the exit to the jungle (visualized by a rocky enclosure that serves as an opening), you’ll see several guards ahead. The closest guard is clearly drunk, so let’s use this to our advantage! Wait until the other guards are not looking in your direction and run just far enough to hide in the brush to the left.
At this point, you have two options: you can move through the brush, ignoring the guards and complete the optional objective of no combat, or you can whistle to get the guards attention. Unfortunately, doing so will cause both guards to investigate, which means you can’t assassinate one without alerting the others.
If you choose to engage the guards, there are three in the immediate area, plus one more up ahead, then a lookout just beyond that. It’s recommended to stay in the brush until you reach the fourth guard (just before the lookout), then use the tree branch to elevate yourself above the guard and out of his range of vision. Drop down into the brush below to avoid being spotted by the lookout above.
Wait until the lookout is on the other side of the tree, then move over to the brush on the left next to the hut. There are three guards in the immediate area, the lookout and two others patrolling on the ground. Wait just behind the hut until all three guards are out of sight, then move into the heavy brush ahead.
You don’t need to take out any of the guards here. There’s no way to do so without alerting the other three guards just ahead. Instead, continue moving forward, using the heavy brush along the left side as cover. There’s another guard to your right, but he never turns around, so don’t worry about him.
Continue down the path until you reach the town to initiate your next objective, locate Julien du Casse. A new optional objective is added, which is to use an air assassination to take down Du Casse.
Wait until the guards are away, then head for the brush to the left of the house just ahead. Climb up the side of the house and quickly move along the house tops until you jump down into more heavy brush. If you run along the house tops, you’ll automatically end up near the tree, so make sure you hide in the brush as quickly as possible. You’ll get a few mild alerts along the way, but nothing that will cause the guards to start looking for you or engage in combat.
There are two guards having a conversation to the right, but you don’t need to worry about them. Look around for the guard patrolling the beach to the left, the guard that walks right by your current hiding spot and the guard who walks up to the beach and then back into town.
When all three guards are at a safe distance, head for the water just ahead. Run for the left side of the pier, then stealth swim straight ahead and to the right until you reach the corner of the dock. Make sure there are no guards around before you disengage the stealth swim, then climb up the pier and make a beeline for the boat ahead.
Use the mast of the boat to reach the larger ship where Du Casse awaits. Quickly climb up the rope along the side and up to the first cross bar of the mast. From here, you’ve got a great view of the ship below, but none of the crew will be able to spot you. Use Eagle Vision to examine the crew and locate Du Casse. Once he’s close enough, take him out with an air assassination to complete the mission and the optional objective!
