The Jackdaw starts Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag as a fairly ordinary brig with an unusually ambitious captain. By the time you have finished upgrading her, she is capable of bullying warships that once made you immediately turn around and pretend you had somewhere else to be.
Upgrading the Jackdaw is one of the most important progression systems in Black Flag. Better armour keeps you alive, additional broadside cannons dramatically increase damage, mortars let you dismantle large ships before they get close, and cargo upgrades make the whole process of improving the ship considerably less irritating.
The problem is knowing where to spend your money and materials first.
This guide covers the best Jackdaw upgrades, which ones should be prioritised, how to gather resources efficiently, and how to prepare the ship for the toughest naval battles in the Caribbean.
Resynced note: Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced retains the Jackdaw as the centre of naval gameplay but expands the system with new weapons, secondary firing modes, Officers and changes to how upgrades are unlocked. A dedicated Resynced section is included further down.
Jackdaw Upgrades at a Glance
The Jackdaw can be improved across three broad areas: survivability, firepower and utility.
| Upgrade | What it improves | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Hull Armour | Jackdaw health and durability | Essential |
| Broadside Cannons | Number of cannon shots per broadside | Essential |
| Heavy Shot | Close-range broadside damage | Essential |
| Mortars | Long-range bombardment | Very High |
| Ram | Collision damage | High |
| Round Shot | Standard cannon damage | High |
| Chase Cannons | Forward chain-shot capability | Medium |
| Swivel Guns | Damage against exposed weak points | High |
| Fire Barrels | Rear defensive attack | Medium |
| Cargo Storage | Maximum material capacity | High |
| Crew Quarters | Maximum crew | Medium |
| Harpoon Storage | Hunting capacity | Low |
If you only remember three things, upgrade Hull Armour, Broadside Cannons and Heavy Shot early.
Those three improvements transform naval combat more noticeably than almost anything else.
Best Jackdaw Upgrades to Buy First
It is tempting to spread resources evenly across the ship. I wouldn’t.
A Jackdaw with mediocre everything is still mediocre. Concentrating resources on a few important systems gives Edward a much more dangerous ship much earlier.
Hull Armour
Hull Armour should be one of your first major investments.
More health gives you considerably more room for mistakes against frigates and man o’ wars. It also becomes increasingly important as enemy ships gain stronger broadsides and mortars.
This matters because naval battles can deteriorate very quickly. One badly timed turn can expose your entire side to an enemy broadside.
Better armour gives you time to recover.
Priority: Essential
Upgrade Your Broadside Cannons Early
If Hull Armour keeps you alive, Broadside Cannons make everyone else regret meeting you.
Broadside upgrades increase the number of cannons available when firing from the sides of the Jackdaw. This significantly increases the potential damage of each volley.
It also works beautifully with Heavy Shot.
Get alongside an enemy ship, fire a close-range heavy broadside and follow it with swivel-gun fire against exposed weak points. Against smaller vessels, the encounter can be over almost immediately.
There is something wonderfully unreasonable about turning a perfectly respectable naval vessel into floating firewood before its crew has properly introduced themselves.
Priority: Essential
Heavy Shot Is One of the Best Damage Upgrades
Heavy Shot is devastating at close range.
Unlike normal Round Shot, Heavy Shot is designed for aggressive close-quarter fighting. You need to manoeuvre the Jackdaw alongside an enemy vessel and fire when you are relatively close.
The risk is obvious. You are putting yourself directly beside something covered in cannons.
The reward is enormous damage.
Heavy Shot becomes particularly powerful once your Broadside Cannons have also been upgraded.
Priority: Essential
Mortars Make Large Ships Much Easier
Mortars completely change the way you can approach naval combat.
Rather than immediately sailing towards an enemy, you can bombard it from considerable distance before entering conventional cannon range.
They are particularly useful against:
- Man o’ wars
- Frigates
- Forts
- Powerful convoys
- Legendary Ships
Against slower targets, mortar fire allows you to strip away a substantial portion of their health before committing to close combat.
Mortars consume ammunition, so keep an eye on your supplies.
Priority: Very High
The Ram Rewards Aggressive Sailing
The ram turns the Jackdaw itself into a weapon.
Ramming is particularly useful against smaller ships and damaged targets. It also fits naturally into an aggressive combat sequence.
A strong approach can look something like this:
Mortar attack → ram → Heavy Shot broadside → swivel guns
Against weaker ships, that combination is frankly rude.
The ram becomes less universally useful against the strongest enemies because positioning and avoiding incoming fire become more important, but it remains one of the most entertaining upgrades on the ship.
Priority: High
Round Shot Upgrades
Round Shot is your standard broadside ammunition and remains useful throughout the game.
It has better practical range than Heavy Shot and is much easier to use when you cannot safely position the Jackdaw directly alongside an enemy.
Heavy Shot may deliver the spectacular damage, but Round Shot is your dependable everyday weapon.
Upgrade it steadily rather than ignoring it while chasing more exciting toys.
Priority: High
Chase Cannons
The forward-facing Chase Cannons fire chain shot and are primarily used to damage enemy sails.
They are useful when pursuing ships because they can slow or incapacitate a target without requiring you to manoeuvre alongside it immediately.
They become especially valuable when hunting ships you intend to board rather than destroy.
They are useful, but early resources generally produce better returns elsewhere.
Priority: Medium
Swivel Guns
Swivel Guns become extremely effective once an enemy ship has taken enough damage to expose weak points.
After landing a successful cannon volley, watch for highlighted vulnerable areas and fire the swivel guns into them.
This gives you additional damage without requiring another full broadside.
It is easy to treat swivel guns as secondary weapons. Don’t. Used properly, they significantly increase the efficiency of your attacks.
Priority: High
Fire Barrels
Fire Barrels are dropped behind the Jackdaw and explode when enemy ships sail into them.
Their usefulness depends heavily on positioning.
They are particularly effective when:
- An enemy is chasing you
- You are disengaging from combat
- Several ships are following the same route
- You can predict where an enemy vessel will turn
They are less important than broadside, armour or mortar upgrades, but can be surprisingly nasty once you learn how to lure ships into them.
Priority: Medium
Upgrade Cargo Storage Earlier Than You Think
Cargo Storage does not make the Jackdaw stronger in battle, which makes it easy to overlook.
That is a mistake.
Higher-level Jackdaw upgrades require substantial quantities of wood, metal and cloth. If your cargo capacity is too small, you will constantly hit the storage limit.
Increasing storage means longer hunting runs and fewer interruptions.
It effectively makes every future upgrade easier to obtain.
Priority: High
Crew Quarters
Crew Quarters increase the number of sailors the Jackdaw can carry.
Crew numbers matter primarily when boarding captured ships. Larger enemy vessels require more crew to overcome their defenders.
If you regularly board frigates and man o’ wars, increased crew capacity becomes useful.
If you mostly sink ships, it matters considerably less.
Priority: Medium
Harpoon Upgrades
Harpoon upgrades improve Edward’s ability to hunt marine animals.
They are useful if you are trying to complete hunting activities and crafting requirements, but they contribute very little to the Jackdaw’s effectiveness in naval combat.
Buy them when you have spare money rather than sacrificing an important combat upgrade.
Priority: Low
Best Jackdaw Upgrade Order
For a normal playthrough, I would broadly prioritise upgrades like this:
- Hull Armour
- Broadside Cannons
- Heavy Shot
- Cargo Storage
- Mortars
- Swivel Guns
- Ram
- Round Shot
- Crew Quarters
- Chase Cannons
- Fire Barrels
- Harpoon equipment
You do not need to follow this religiously. The resource requirements will sometimes make another upgrade available first.
Think of it as a priority system rather than a shopping list carved into stone.
How to Get Resources for Jackdaw Upgrades
The main materials required for ship upgrades include:
| Resource | Main use |
| Reales | Purchasing upgrades |
| Wood | Hull and structural upgrades |
| Metal | Weapons and armour |
| Cloth | Various ship improvements |
| Rum | Primarily sold for money |
| Sugar | Primarily sold for money |
Wood and metal become particularly important as you move into the higher upgrade tiers.
You can inspect enemy ships before attacking them to see what cargo they are carrying. Use the spyglass rather than attacking everything indiscriminately.
Although attacking everything indiscriminately is admittedly very pirate.
The Fastest Way to Farm Metal
Metal is one of the resources most likely to slow your Jackdaw progression.
Look for stronger military vessels carrying large quantities of it. Brigs, frigates and man o’ wars tend to become increasingly attractive targets as your Jackdaw improves.
Use the spyglass to inspect ships before engaging.
If a vessel is carrying resources you need:
- Damage it until it becomes incapacitated
- Board it successfully
- Take the cargo
- Repair the Jackdaw when necessary
- Continue hunting
As your ship becomes stronger, you can target increasingly valuable vessels.
This creates a satisfying progression loop. You upgrade the Jackdaw so you can capture stronger ships, then use resources from those stronger ships to upgrade the Jackdaw again.
Piracy, but with spreadsheets.
Should You Board or Sink Enemy Ships?
Board them whenever practical.
Sinking ships can still provide resources, but boarding offers additional advantages and gives Edward several options for dealing with the captured vessel.
Boarding also preserves the broader pirate fantasy that makes Black Flag so good in the first place.
However, there are situations where boarding is not worth the hassle.
If you are fighting several ships simultaneously, attempting to board one vessel can leave you exposed. Deal with immediate threats before starting the boarding sequence.
How Elite Jackdaw Upgrades Work
The strongest upgrades in the original Black Flag cannot simply be purchased immediately.
Elite upgrades require special design plans found throughout the Caribbean.
These plans are obtained through activities such as treasure hunting and underwater exploration. You therefore need to explore beyond the main story if you want to fully maximise the Jackdaw.
This is particularly important before attempting the Legendary Ships.
A heavily upgraded Jackdaw is strongly recommended for those encounters, with high-level hull, cannons and supporting weapons giving you a far better chance of survival.
When Should You Start Hunting Elite Plans?
You do not need Elite upgrades to enjoy most naval combat.
Start actively hunting them once:
- Frigates no longer feel particularly threatening
- You have unlocked most major naval weapons
- Your cargo capacity is reasonably high
- You want to tackle high-level forts
- You are preparing for Legendary Ships
At that point, hunting down the remaining plans becomes a natural part of completing the Jackdaw.
Preparing the Jackdaw for Legendary Ships
The Legendary Ships are the ultimate naval encounters in the original game.
Do not approach them simply because an icon has appeared on the map.
They are essentially naval boss fights and require you to understand positioning, weapon ranges and defensive manoeuvres rather than relying purely on damage.
Before challenging them, aim for extremely strong upgrades in:
- Hull Armour
- Broadside Cannons
- Heavy Shot
- Mortars
- Ram
- Swivel Guns
Other weapons become more or less valuable depending on the specific Legendary encounter.
Gamepressure’s original guide similarly recommends going into these fights with elite hull and cannon upgrades, alongside strong supporting weapon systems.
Jackdaw Upgrades in Black Flag Resynced
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced substantially expands naval progression rather than simply reproducing the original system.
Ubisoft describes enemy ships as sources of upgrade resources, with more powerful vessels providing better loot. Those materials can then be taken to Harbormasters to purchase improvements to weapons, defences and weapon capacity.
The familiar Jackdaw arsenal also receives additional firing options.
Broadside Cannons can use heated shot, Bow Chasers gain an additional double-shot option, and Shrapnel Barrels can damage enemy sails from behind the Jackdaw. The new weapon systems give you considerably more tactical choice than simply deciding which direction should receive several tonnes of iron.
There is another important progression change. Upgrading the Harbormaster at Edward’s hideout increases the number and tier of Jackdaw upgrades available for purchase. This makes hideout development directly relevant to naval progression.
Officers Change How You Build the Jackdaw in Resynced
Resynced introduces recruitable Officers who permanently provide specialist naval abilities once their quests have been completed.
This makes Jackdaw progression less linear because your combat capabilities now depend partly on who you recruit.
Ubisoft has detailed three Officers with major naval benefits:
Padre unlocks the Ram Dash, turning the Jackdaw’s bow into a much more aggressive collision weapon.
Lucy Baldwin provides a defensive ability centred around correctly timed bracing.
Deadman Tobias Smith strengthens the Jackdaw’s offensive capabilities, including an enhanced mortar option and additional broadside fire.
This makes Officer recruitment worth treating as part of your upgrade route rather than optional side content.
Original Black Flag vs Resynced Jackdaw Progression
| Feature | Original Black Flag | Black Flag Resynced |
| Hull upgrades | Yes | Yes |
| Cannon upgrades | Yes | Yes |
| Mortars | Yes | Expanded |
| Heavy Shot | Yes | Expanded arsenal |
| Ram | Yes | Ram Dash available earlier |
| Secondary firing modes | Limited | Expanded |
| Officers | No | Yes |
| Heated Shot | No | Yes |
| Shrapnel Barrels | No | Yes |
| Hideout-linked upgrades | Limited | Harbormaster affects upgrade tiers |
| Legendary Ships | Yes | Yes, reworked |
The basic philosophy remains recognisable. Fight ships, steal their resources and invest those resources into making the Jackdaw capable of fighting even nastier ships.
Resynced simply gives that loop considerably more depth.
Best Combat Strategy for an Upgraded Jackdaw
Once you have a strong collection of upgrades, naval battles become less about firing whatever happens to be available and more about chaining weapons together.
Against a powerful conventional ship, try:
Mortar bombardment → close distance → brace against incoming fire → ram → Heavy Shot broadside → target weak points with swivel guns → turn away → repeat
The important part is movement.
Do not sit alongside a man o’ war exchanging broadsides unless your Jackdaw is powerful enough to survive the trade. Keep moving, control the engagement distance and use the Jackdaw’s manoeuvrability.
The ship with the biggest guns does not necessarily win.
Although having the biggest guns certainly helps.
Common Jackdaw Upgrade Mistakes
Spending Too Much on Cosmetic Items Early
Edward can look magnificent later. Cannons first.
Ignoring Cargo Storage
Small storage capacity makes late-game resource farming unnecessarily tedious.
Fighting Powerful Ships Too Soon
If a man o’ war is removing enormous sections of your health with every volley, the solution probably isn’t courage.
Come back with better armour.
Ignoring Heavy Shot
Players who rely exclusively on standard Round Shot miss one of the Jackdaw’s most powerful close-range attacks.
Forgetting to Brace
No amount of upgrading replaces basic naval defence.
Brace when a major attack is about to hit. Preserving health is often more important than squeezing out another volley.
Is It Worth Fully Upgrading the Jackdaw?
Absolutely.
The Jackdaw is effectively Edward’s second progression system alongside his personal equipment. Fully upgrading it opens the door to the most enjoyable naval encounters in Black Flag and makes travelling around the Caribbean considerably less dangerous.
More importantly, the progression feels meaningful.
Early in the game, a large frigate can look terrifying. Later, you start examining the same ship through the spyglass because you need its metal.
Eventually you are deliberately sailing towards Legendary Ships.
That gradual shift from opportunistic pirate to floating Caribbean menace remains one of Black Flag’s best ideas.
