The Jackdaw is far more than Edward Kenway’s ship. It is your floating fortress, treasure hunter, escape vehicle and, on particularly good days, an excuse to send enemy frigates to the bottom of the Caribbean.
If you’ve just started Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the number of available upgrades can feel overwhelming. Should you buy stronger cannons first? More armour? Better mortars? Or spend all your hard-earned Reales making the crew look slightly more fashionable?
The answer is surprisingly straightforward. Some upgrades completely change the way naval combat feels, while others are useful later when legendary ships begin testing your patience.
This guide covers every important Jackdaw upgrade, the best order to unlock them, where to find the resources you need, and how to build a ship capable of taking on every challenge in the game.
Why Upgrading the Jackdaw Matters
Unlike traditional Assassin’s Creed combat, naval encounters scale dramatically as you progress.
Enemy ships become:
- Better armed
- Faster
- More heavily armoured
- Supported by escorts
- Capable of overwhelming weaker vessels
A neglected Jackdaw quickly becomes expensive to repair and frustrating to sail.
A properly upgraded Jackdaw turns difficult naval battles into controlled chaos, where entire fleets disappear beneath cannon smoke.
Jackdaw Upgrade Categories
The Jackdaw can be improved across several major systems.
| Upgrade | Priority | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hull Armour | Essential | Increases survivability |
| Broadside Cannons | Essential | Main source of damage |
| Heavy Shot | High | Massive close-range damage |
| Mortars | High | Long-range attacks |
| Round Shot Strength | High | Improves standard cannon fire |
| Swivel Guns | Medium | Boarding support |
| Fire Barrels | Medium | Area denial |
| Chain Shot | Medium | Slows enemy ships |
| Ram | Medium | Strong against weakened enemies |
| Elite Plans | Endgame | Unlock maximum potential |
Best Jackdaw Upgrade Order
Following a sensible upgrade path makes the campaign significantly easier.
Hull Armour
This should almost always be your first priority.
Extra armour allows you to survive mistakes while learning naval combat and reduces repair costs after battles.
The difference between early and late hull upgrades is enormous.
Without them, even ordinary frigates become dangerous.
Broadside Cannons
Broadside cannons remain your primary weapon from beginning to end.
Every damage increase speeds up battles and reduces incoming fire.
Most naval engagements revolve around positioning for devastating broadsides.
The sooner you improve them, the better.
Heavy Shot
Heavy Shot rewards aggressive sailing.
Getting close to an enemy and unleashing Heavy Shot can remove huge portions of their health bar instantly.
Against larger ships it becomes one of the highest damage attacks available.
Think of it as introducing your opponents to the concept of personal space, then immediately violating it.
Mortars
Mortars completely change difficult battles.
Instead of sailing directly into enemy fleets, you can bombard them from long range before closing in.
This is particularly useful against:
- Forts
- Man o’ Wars
- Legendary Ships
- Multiple enemy vessels
A fully upgraded mortar remains valuable throughout the game.
Round Shot Strength
Once you’ve upgraded your main cannons, improving Round Shot damage provides consistent improvements in every fight.
Because standard cannon fire is used constantly, these upgrades deliver excellent value.
Ram
The reinforced ram becomes surprisingly effective later in the game.
It works especially well after weakening enemy ships with broadsides.
Large vessels can lose significant health from a well-timed collision.
Just remember that charging directly into every enemy ship is less “master pirate” and more “enthusiastic insurance claim.”
Chain Shot
Chain Shot disables enemy movement.
This makes it much easier to:
- Prevent escapes
- Control positioning
- Set up boarding actions
- Separate enemy formations
Useful, though rarely the highest priority.
Fire Barrels
Fire Barrels create burning hazards behind the Jackdaw.
They’re particularly effective when fleeing larger pursuers or forcing aggressive ships into predictable routes.
They can occasionally save your life.
They can also make enemies regret following you quite so closely.
Swivel Guns
Swivel Guns become more effective during boarding actions.
They allow Edward to eliminate enemy crew quickly before climbing aboard.
Useful, but not nearly as transformative as hull or cannon upgrades.
Elite Upgrades
Elite upgrades unlock the Jackdaw’s true potential.
These require special plans scattered throughout the Caribbean.
Elite upgrades include:
- Elite Hull
- Elite Cannons
- Elite Heavy Shot
- Elite Mortars
- Elite Ram
- Elite Fire Barrels
- Elite Swivel Guns
Most are hidden inside buried treasure locations unlocked through treasure maps.
Finding them is worth the effort, particularly if you’re planning to defeat every Legendary Ship.
Where to Find Upgrade Resources
Most upgrades require a mixture of:
- Metal
- Wood
- Cloth
- Sugar
- Rum
- Reales
The fastest methods include:
Capture Merchant Ships
Merchant vessels carry valuable crafting materials with relatively light protection.
Prioritise heavily loaded cargo ships whenever possible.
Board Enemy Ships
Boarding gives significantly better rewards than sinking ships.
You’ll receive:
- Cargo
- Repair options
- Crew replenishment
- Fleet opportunities
If you can safely board, it’s usually worth doing.
Attack Naval Convoys
Convoys often contain large amounts of rare materials.
They are more heavily defended but offer excellent rewards.
Loot Warehouses
Warehouses become available after liberating regions.
These missions provide large quantities of valuable resources in relatively little time.
Treasure Maps
Treasure maps reward:
- Elite upgrade plans
- Large sums of money
- Valuable crafting resources
Never ignore them.
Best Upgrades for Early Game
Focus on:
- Hull Armour
- Broadside Cannons
- Heavy Shot
- Round Shot
- Mortars
This combination makes nearly every story mission much easier.
Best Upgrades for Mid Game
Once stronger ships begin appearing:
- Improve Mortars
- Upgrade Ram
- Increase Hull again
- Strengthen Broadside damage
At this point you’ll comfortably handle frigates and most military fleets.
Best Upgrades for Late Game
Endgame priorities include:
- Elite Hull
- Elite Cannons
- Elite Heavy Shot
- Elite Mortars
- Maximum Round Shot damage
These upgrades are practically mandatory for Legendary Ship battles.
Common Upgrade Mistakes
Many players accidentally make progression harder.
Avoid these mistakes:
- Ignoring Hull upgrades
- Spending money on cosmetic ship improvements too early
- Sinking ships instead of boarding them
- Forgetting treasure maps
- Entering Legendary Ship battles before unlocking Elite upgrades
Tips for Faster Progress
A few habits make upgrading much easier.
- Always board valuable ships.
- Repair using captured vessels instead of spending money.
- Explore every island thoroughly.
- Buy maps when available.
- Upgrade steadily instead of saving for one expensive purchase.
- Capture forts to unlock safer trading routes.
Is the Elite Jackdaw Worth It?
Absolutely.
A fully upgraded Jackdaw transforms naval combat from tense survival into complete domination.
Legendary Ships become manageable, forts crumble under sustained bombardment, and entire enemy fleets become opportunities rather than obstacles.
More importantly, sailing simply becomes more enjoyable. Black Flag’s naval gameplay remains one of Ubisoft’s finest achievements, and the Jackdaw is the reason why.
Every upgrade feels meaningful. Every improvement makes you eager to hunt a slightly bigger target. Before long you’ll find yourself actively searching for Man o’ Wars instead of avoiding them, which is either confidence or spectacular overconfidence.
Thankfully, with a fully upgraded Jackdaw, it’s usually the first one.
