Proper Defenses Mission Guide: How to Win Naval Combat in Black Flag Remastered
Proper Defenses is the thirteenth mission in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remastered. Naval combat is front and center for Thatch, who worries that if the pirates get attacked, they won’t be ready to defend themselves. The solution? Go after the biggest ship yet and secure the advantage your crew needs.
How to Start Proper Defenses
To kick off the mission, sail south from Cat Island toward the Gibara region, then keep going to Salt Lagoon. You’ll find another small island here, featuring a single Viewpoint plus a handful of Collectible items to grab while you’re in the area.
Before you move on with the main objective, it’s a smart idea to head to the island’s southwest corner and synchronize the Viewpoint located at the end of a shipwreck. Doing this unlocks a Treasure Map and reveals an Underwater Chest.
When you’re ready to begin the mission proper, travel to the east side of the island and talk to Kidd and Thatch. While Kenway is preoccupied with the Observatory, the rest of the pirate crew is focused on fortifying their position—and on how to steal a Galleon that can swing the fight in their favor.
Next, you’ll learn that the Jackdaw has received an upgrade, bringing Heated Shots to your arsenal. Before you take on anything serious, test the new ammo on nearby wrecks: aim from the broadside, use Triangle/Y to switch over to Heated Shots, and then press R2/RT to fire.
Find and Target El Arca del Maestro
With your new equipment ready, it’s time to bring down El Arca del Maestro. You can locate it in Eleuthra, which sits north of Salt Lagoon and northeast of Cat Island.
The weather in the area is rough, so if you’re relying on Pathfinder, you may lose visuals as you get closer to the ship. When that happens, bring out your Spyglass and zoom in to pinpoint the target.
El Arca del Maestro is far too dangerous to fight head-on, so switch to a pursuit plan: tail it from a safe distance. As you follow, you’ll see just how formidable it is, since it manages to eliminate a fleet of smaller ships on its own.
After that initial sequence, you’ll have your chance. Several smaller Spanish vessels will enter the area, and you’ll need to abandon the Galleon setup in favor of taking them down directly. Lean on your Heated Shots, and combine them with explosive barrels—together, they make quick work of the smaller ships.
After the Fleet: Hunters and Your Next Destination
Once you finish dismantling the small fleet, pirate hunters will come after you. At this point, you can either push straight toward the next objective or spend some time on islands you can return to in order to reduce your trouble by paying off your bounty. Options include:
- Havana
- Salt Key Bank
- Andreas Island
- Nassau
Even though taking out the fleet completes this quest, the next step is to sail south and reach Great Inagua to start A Single Madman.
Up Next: Side Quests
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