Starting Assassin’s Creed Black Flag is a dangerous mix of excitement and terrible financial decisions. One minute you’re following the main story, the next you’ve accidentally picked a fight with a frigate while sailing what is essentially a floating wooden shed.
Black Flag is remarkably generous once you understand its systems, but it rarely tells you what matters most. Spend your first few hours wisely and the Caribbean quickly becomes your playground. Ignore them and you’ll spend a surprising amount of time running away from ships that seem personally offended by your existence.
If you’re beginning a fresh playthrough or returning after years away, these are the smartest things to do first.
Upgrade the Jackdaw Before Anything Else
Nothing affects your experience more than improving the Jackdaw.
The ship is your transport, your strongest weapon and your biggest source of income. Almost every activity becomes easier once you’ve invested in better equipment.
Focus on unlocking:
- Hull Armour
- Heavy Shot
- Round Shot Damage
- Mortars
- Broadside Cannons
- Swivel Guns
Even the first few upgrades make a dramatic difference. Stronger armour lets you survive mistakes while improved cannons reduce battles that otherwise drag on for several minutes.
Many new players spend thousands of reales on swords and pistols before touching their ship. It feels logical until a Spanish frigate reminds you where the real power lies.
Capture a Few Easy Ships
Early naval combat is one of the fastest ways to earn money and resources.
Don’t immediately challenge massive military vessels. Instead hunt:
- Schooners
- Gunboats
- Brigs
These smaller ships provide:
- Metal
- Wood
- Cloth
- Sugar
- Rum
- Reales
Boarding ships also repairs the Jackdaw, meaning successful battles often cost you nothing.
Once you’ve become comfortable with chain shots, broadsides and boarding actions, you’ll wonder why you ever worried about money.
Unlock Fast Travel Locations
The Caribbean is enormous.
While sailing is one of the game’s greatest pleasures, repeatedly crossing the map for story missions eventually loses some of its charm.
Whenever you reach a new town or island:
- Synchronise viewpoints
- Visit harbours
- Unlock fast travel points
Doing this early saves hours across an entire playthrough.
Think of it as investing a few minutes now to avoid becoming a full time Caribbean taxi service later.
Hunt Animals Early
Hunting is more important than many players realise.
Crafting upgrades requires animal skins, and these improvements permanently increase your effectiveness.
Prioritise crafting:
- Larger health pouch
- Ammunition pouches
- Pistol holsters
- Rope dart capacity
- Berserk dart capacity
Common animals are easy to find near Havana, Nassau and Kingston.
Don’t ignore crocodiles or jaguars simply because they look intimidating. Edward has survived considerably worse career choices.
Complete Assassin Contracts
Assassin Contracts offer excellent early rewards.
These short missions improve stealth skills while providing:
- Reliable income
- Easy experience
- Additional equipment upgrades
- Variety between story chapters
Most contracts only take a few minutes, making them perfect when you want progress without committing to a long mission.
Upgrade Your Weapons Gradually
The temptation to buy the fanciest swords is understandable.
Resist it.
Edward’s starting equipment remains perfectly capable during the opening chapters.
Instead:
- Upgrade weapons when you naturally have spare money.
- Prioritise ship improvements first.
- Purchase better pistols after your ship feels comfortable.
A stronger Jackdaw wins more fights, earns more money and eventually pays for every weapon you want.
Collect Treasure Maps When You Find Them
Treasure Maps often seem like optional distractions.
They’re actually excellent investments.
Treasure locations frequently reward:
- High value crafting plans
- Rare upgrades
- Large amounts of money
- Elite ship upgrade blueprints later in the game
Even if you don’t immediately visit the treasure, always collect the map.
Future you will appreciate not having to remember which random beach contained that suspiciously important bottle.
Build Your Fleet Through Kenway’s Fleet
Kenway’s Fleet is one of Black Flag’s most overlooked systems.
Captured ships can be repaired and added to your fleet instead of sold.
The fleet generates passive rewards including:
- Money
- Gems
- Crafting materials
- Special items
Checking the fleet regularly creates a steady income stream while you’re busy exploring the main game.
It’s effectively your own pirate business that continues working while you’re out causing entirely different problems.
Visit Every Tavern
Taverns offer more than somewhere to spend your hard earned money.
They unlock useful side activities including:
- Naval Contracts
- Templar Hunts
- Tavern Challenges
- Information about collectibles
Several side quest chains begin in taverns and lead to worthwhile rewards.
They’re also great places to experience the game’s lively atmosphere, full of singing sailors who somehow always know every verse.
Collect Sea Shanties Whenever You See Them
At first they look like floating scraps of paper.
Then suddenly you’re sprinting across rooftops chasing one because you absolutely need another sea song for your crew.
Sea Shanties unlock additional music while sailing, and they genuinely make long voyages more enjoyable.
Some favourites include:
- Leave Her Johnny
- Randy Dandy-O
- Lowlands Away
- Spanish Ladies
It sounds like a tiny feature, but it adds an incredible amount of personality to every journey.
Upgrade Edward’s Health
Additional health upgrades make combat significantly more forgiving.
You can increase your survivability through crafted equipment and progression, allowing you to recover from mistakes that would otherwise end fights quickly.
This becomes particularly useful during:
- Fort infiltrations
- Legendary naval battles
- Multi enemy sword fights
- Animal encounters
The extra durability is especially valuable if you’re still mastering the combat system.
Synchronise Every Viewpoint You Pass
Synchronisation towers reveal:
- Treasure chests
- Collectibles
- Animus Fragments
- Side missions
- Shops
Even if you don’t plan on collecting everything, the information helps you decide whether an island deserves more exploration.
They’re also among the most satisfying climbing puzzles in the game, offering spectacular views across the Caribbean.
Don’t Rush the Main Story
Black Flag tells one of the strongest stories in the Assassin’s Creed series.
Ironically, it becomes even better when you slow down.
Take time between major missions to:
- Explore islands
- Hunt wildlife
- Upgrade the Jackdaw
- Capture ships
- Complete contracts
- Search for Mayan Stelae
- Discover hidden coves
Edward Kenway’s journey feels more natural when you’ve actually lived as a pirate instead of sprinting from cutscene to cutscene.
Learn When to Run Away
This may be the most valuable advice in the entire game.
Some ships are simply stronger than you.
If you encounter:
- Frigates
- Man o’ Wars
- High level hunters
…during the opening hours, there is absolutely no shame in turning around.
Pirates survived by choosing their battles wisely.
Besides, returning later with a fully upgraded Jackdaw and reducing that same warship to splinters is infinitely more satisfying.
Early Game Priorities at a Glance
| Priority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Upgrade the Jackdaw | Makes every activity easier |
| Capture small ships | Fast money and resources |
| Unlock fast travel | Saves huge amounts of time |
| Hunt animals | Craft permanent upgrades |
| Complete Assassin Contracts | Reliable income and experience |
| Build Kenway’s Fleet | Passive rewards throughout the game |
| Collect Treasure Maps | Valuable upgrades later |
| Gather Sea Shanties | Improves every voyage |
Takeaway
Black Flag rewards curiosity more than almost any other Assassin’s Creed game. The best early hours are rarely spent following a straight line. They’re spent spotting an island on the horizon, deciding to investigate, accidentally stealing three ships, discovering buried treasure and somehow ending up richer than when you started.
Prioritise your ship, invest in exploration and don’t be afraid to wander. Before long you’ll have one of the deadliest vessels in the Caribbean, a crew belting out sea shanties at full volume and enough confidence to challenge anything that appears over the horizon.
Just maybe leave that legendary Man o’ War alone for a little while. Some lessons are cheaper when learned from someone else’s mistakes.
