AC4: Black Flag - 100% Achievement Guide

Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag★ 5 · 156 ratings8.2k views390 favorites18 min readby McShawarmaUpdated Aug 25, 2025View on Steam ↗

Introduction

All achievements in this game can be completed in a single playthrough and none are missable. You do not have to get any of the collectables save for a few for the "Owned" achievement. Also, all DLCs are required to achieve 100% achievement completion and are provided in the Gold edition of the game.

However, note that the "Destroyer" achievement is a bit bugged so go ahead to the Miscellaneous Achievements #1 section to fix it early on (can be really helpful). Also, I highly recommend you to focus on the MP achievements as early as possible (especially "Committed To The Cause") as it can save you from hours of unnecessary grinding.

Main Storyline Achievements

These are very straightforward and can be returned to at anytime, none are missable. You’ll naturally play through these while getting other achievements.

Memory Sequences
Picture
Achievement
Description
Heroes Aren't Born
Complete memory sequence 1.
Good While It Lasted
Complete memory sequence 2.
A Pirate's Life For Me
Complete memory sequence 3.
No Apologies
Complete memory sequence 4.
Death of A Salesman
Complete memory sequence 5.
Mixing Up The Medicines
Complete memory sequence 6.
The Hammer Falls
Complete memory sequence 7.
Adrift
Complete memory sequence 8.
A New Hope
Complete memory sequence 9.
My Elusive Fortune
Complete memory sequence 10.
Been Down So Long...
Complete memory sequence 11.
Just Like Starting Over
Complete memory sequence 12.
Saw That One Coming...
Complete memory sequence 13.

Present Day Missions
Picture
Achievement
Description
Routine Hacking
Complete present day mission 2.
Getting Weird Around Here
Complete present day mission 3.
Bunker Buddies
Complete present day mission 4.
It's All Good
Complete present day mission 5.

Picture
Achievement
Description
By The Book
Complete 100% of all main mission constraints.

To achieve "By The Book" simply complete all side objectives in every main quest. Note that you can return to any mission via the progress tracker in the menu, but try to go through these in your original playthrough so you don't have to return back to them.

Side Quest Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
Notes
Vault Raider
Unlock the secret vault in Tulum.
Can only be finished after Sequence 10.
Sea Legs
Complete all naval contracts.
There are 15 in total throughout the forts.
Help A Brother Out
Complete a Templar Hunt sequence.
Available after Sequence 4.

Vault Raider
Requires you to finish all Mayan pillar puzzles and collect all Mayan stones, these puzzles are very easy and straightforward. The last pillar is available in Sequence 10.
Sea Legs
After capturing a fort, you'll be provided with new naval missions/contracts of varying difficulty depending on your location. After completing all of them, a final contract will be available in Chinchorro fort, completing it will reward you with this achievement and the pistol swords.
Help A Brother Out
You only have to complete one of the 4 Templar Hunt sequences for the achievement. However, completing all of them will grant you one of the best armours in the game (and the coolest looking).

Exploration & Collection Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
Notes
Cartographer
Visit every location in the game
Can only be completed after Sequence 10.
Seven Deadly Seas
Explore all underwater shipwrecks
Available after Sequence 6, just enter and exit.
King Of The Castle
Capture all forts.
Self-explanatory
Barfly
Unlock all taverns.
Simply complete all fights in each tavern.

There are 9 taverns in total, and can be found in Andreas Island, Arroyos, Corozal, Crooked Island, Grand Cayman, Ile à Vache, Kingston and Salt Key Bank.

Picture
Achievement
Description
Excavator
Find a buried treasure.
Owned
Complete every activity in a single location.

Easiest to do in any small island or atoll like Florida or Salt Lagoon, just get all collectables, chests, viewpoints or any secrets in an area.

Combat & Fighting Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
Devil Of The Caribbean
Defeat all 4 legendary ships.

  • This is definitely one of the hardest achievements in the game, especially if you’re not prepared. I highly recommend you to either fully upgrade the Jackdaw or nearly complete it, as some of these ships pack one hell of a punch. These ships can be found in each corner of the map and defeating them will grant you this achievement alongside a nice charge attack for the Jackdaw.
  • The main goal in all of these fights is to get behind the ships and spam chain shots to stun them, then turn slightly sideways and continuously fire heavy shots, mortars and round shots all at once. This way, you forcefully stun the ships in place and prevent them from firing or even looking at you. You can keep this up by firing more chain shots after ever round. Also, try to drop fire barrels as it can slow them down and disrupt their movements.
    1. HMS Prince: Probably the easiest out of them all, though NEVER get on its broadside, as it will absolutely destroy your ship within seconds if you do so.
    2. La Dama Negra: Somewhat easier, this ship loves to use mortars so try to get close to it as soon as possible. Also, this ship is impenetrable from its broadside, meaning you HAVE to attack only either behind or infront of it to do any damage (heavy shots most effective).
    3. El Impoluto: The scourge of the Caribbean sea, one of the hardest enemies in the game. This ship will deny all laws of gravity and physics to ram you in Mach 2 speed, so how do you beat it? By playing at it’s own game. Do not be afraid to ram it back, and when you do so, spam heavy + round shots as much as you can, including mortars. Whenever you feel you’re taking too much damage, run back whilst dropping fire barrels and firing mortars…. at some point you’ll defeat this beast.
    4. HMS Fearless & Royal Sovereign: In my opinion, this duo was the hardest fight in the game. Although they have less health than the usual legendary, they’re extremely coordinated and will always trick you into pincer manoeuvres, which can almost annihilate you if you aren’t careful. Your goal is to do the same rear chain shot tactic for each ship WITHOUT destroying them. First get both of them to very low health, then take out one to focus on the second. You’ll then notice that the second ship has become “enraged” and will ram you non-stop, dealing insane damage.

Picture
Achievement
Description
All Aboard!
Board a ship without losing any crew members.
Roped In
Perform 5 air assassinations from a swinging rope.
Wild West Indies
Kill 4 enemies in a row using multi-pistols.
Silence, Fool!
Kill a guard ringing a bell.
Thug Life
Plunder 30 ships.

All Aboard!
According to some people, this achievement cannot be triggered until in Nassau where Ben Hornigold shows you “how to board a ship”, but generally this requires you to board and capture a larger ship (minimum = Brig) without losing any crew-mates. Use your swivel gun efficiently, eliminate enemies with your pistol and perform air assassinations via a rope.
Wild West Indies
This requires you to fully max out the pistol holster upgrades (IV), then when you’re surrounded by 4 or more enemies (easiest when boarding a ship) fire all of your shots WITHOUT manually aiming (normally with the F key).
Silence, Fool!
When you’re in a restricted zone such as a warehouse, let the guards see you and wait for one of them to go to the bell to call for reinforcements. Whilst the bell is ringing, kill him with your pistol.
Roped In
You can do this when boarding ships, especially smaller ones like brigs or schooners. Wait until your ship gets very close, then run up to the rope and swing until the game lets you perform an air assassination.

Miscellaneous Achievements #1

Picture
Achievement
Description
FTFY
Fully upgrade your hideout.
Destroyer
Fully upgrade the jackdaw.

FTFY
Available after Sequence 4 and costs 90,700 Reales, do this last and focus on the Jackdaw.
Destroyer
  • To fully upgrade the Jackdaw, you are going to need a LOT of money and ingredients. Money is acquired by doing various stuff, such as opening chests, completing missions and selling rum or sugar, but the upgrade materials (metal, wood and cloth) can only be acquired by plundering ships. You can also check what materials ships carry via your telescope whilst sailing, the larger the ship and the more south-west you are, the greater the loot.
  • Note that some of the upgrades require “elite plans”, these can be found in underwater chests or in specific buried treasure chests. The locations for these plans including their maps are shown in the table below (coordinates refer to approximately the chest location).

Elite Plans
Chest Location
Treasure Map
Elite Broadside Cannons Set
The Blue Hole (476,174)
No
Elite Fire Barrel Storage
Isla Providencia (502,44)
Kenway's Fleet
Elite Fire Barrel Strength
San Juan (486,487)
Santanillas (217,250)
Elite Harpoon Strength
Andreas Island (575,727)
Mariguana Island (880,544)
Elite Heavy Shot Storage
Petite Cavern (894,260)
Cayman Sound (327,334)
Elite Heavy Shot Strength
Misteriosa (301,202)
Ambergris Key (55,178)
Elite Hull Armor
San Ignacio (373,769)
No
Elite Mortars
Antocha Wreck (633,662)
No
Elite Mortars Storage
Matanzas (343,641)
Tortuga (882,370)
Elite Ram
La Concepcion Wreck (187,295)
No
Elite Round Shot Strength
Kabah Ruins (772,149)
No
Elite Swivel Guns
Devil’s Eye Cave (484,360)
No

Kenway’s Fleet
  • Now, you might have realised that the elite fire barrel storage upgrade plan is locked in “Kenway’s Fleet”. This is a naval combat minigame where you send your captured ships to various missions around the Atlantic Ocean to earn rewards, including money, ship decorations, resources and most importantly - treasure maps.
  • It is unlocked during Sequence 4 and can be accessed via an internet connection and simply going to the map in the Captain’s quarters on the Jackdaw. The catch however… is that it doesn’t work anymore, at least normally. There are 2 ways to fix this:
  1. Download this mod: https://www.nexusmods.com/assassinscreedivblackflag/mods/426
  2. Or refer to this guide by amne3iya♥: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3007232641

  • If you’ve managed to get Kenway’s Fleet to work, you can now view all or any ships you’ve “sent to your fleet”. Try to have a mix of fast ships like schooners or brigs to send to your missions alongside some heavy-hitters like frigates or man-o-wars to clear out danger zones. The minigame plays out over real-time and some missions can last for over 10 or 20 hours!!!
  • You’ll want to work yourself towards one of three areas, which are Empty Cellar (Eastern British Colonies), Scarlatina (Eastern Canada), or Great Reputation II (Mediterranean Sea). One of these will give you the treasure map for the elite fire barrel storage, in my case it was Great Reputation II.
  • All in all, this is a good way to gather resources for future upgrades and to gain more money from selling rum, sugar or any excess resources you don’t need.

    NOTE: Personally, I used the guide and it worked, however it essentially redownloads the entire game so make sure you have enough storage space to do so.

Miscellaneous Achievements #2

Picture
Achievement
Description
Notes
Hungover
Wake up in a haystack.
Keep drinking in a tavern until you pass out.
Mer-man
Swim a total of 1 nmi.
You'll get this naturally over time.
Killer Whale
Harpoon a killer whale.
Upgrade your harpooning before attempting.
Redingote Up!
Craft the Hunter outfit.

To craft the Hunter outfit, you need to skin 2 of the rarest animals in the game, the White Jaguar and the Red Howler Monkey. Remember to use your eagle vision to see better.
  1. Red Howler Monkey: Found in Isla Providencia at the end of Sequence 8, or can be bought for 5000 Reales from the general store.
  2. White Jaguar: Usually found in Great Inagua at the end of Sequence 4, but still very rare. Can also be found in the first memory of Templar Hunt 1 (Opia Apito) in Cayman Sound, remember to skin the animal after killing it. Otherwise, can also be bought for 6000 Reales.

Picture
Achievement
Description
Business And Pleasure
Earn 50,000 reales.
Cannon Fodder
Recruit 500 crew members.
Siren Song
Rescue pirate hostages by distracting enemies with "dancers."

Cannon Fodder
Unless you have been playing very aggressively, you will most likely have to grind for this. You can get plenty of sailors through capturing + plundering ships, hiring from taverns, rescuing castaway sailors, saving pirates in cities/towns, or by replaying Sequence 3 Memory 2. Note that a fully upgraded barracks can hold 50 crew members.

Siren Song
Can be done at anytime when you see a group of pirates need saving with some dancers nearby, just hire them and send them off to the guards attacking the pirates from afar. Can be easily done in Sequence 3 Memory 2 as well.

Miscellaneous Achievements #3

Picture
Achievement
Description
Employee Of The Month
Complete 25 Abstergo challenges.
Ghost In The Machine
Hack 15 computers in Abstergo Entertainment.

Employee Of The Month
You will get this naturally as you play the game. You can check the Abstergo challenges in the menu and they’re fairly straightforward, I unlocked around 70 before finishing my play through without even trying.
Ghost In The Machine
You can do these when you are outside the Animus or during the present day missions, simply open your tablet and look for the computer icons on the map, these are the hackable computers needed for the achievement. You will have enough computers to access and hack after the 3rd present day mission.
Picture
Achievement
Description
Sharing Is Caring
Share each type of discovery with friends once.

This achievement is fairly luck-based and requires you to find 3 “discoveries” whilst being online (internet connection), you do not have to actually share anything. Supposedly, these discoveries can be found in various set locations, but it’s really random and depends on how lucky you are. You’ll know you found one if you see a notification in the bottom-right or if you see a light-blue icon on the map.
  1. Social Chest: The hardest out of the three to find, they randomly spawn in different islands or towns and require you to be very close to them to appear.
  2. Social Royal Convoy: You’ll most likely run into this at some point whilst sailing through the Caribbean Sea, they’re your usual convoys albeit slightly stronger and can drop a whopping 20,000 Reales.
  3. White Whale: Similar to the social royal convoys, you’ll likely find these whilst sailing. However, I highly recommend you upgrade your harpooning and rowboat as the white whale is pretty strong and tanky.

Freedom Cry DLC Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
His Word Was “Perhaps”
Freedom Cry - Complete all missions
His Full Attention
Freedom Cry - Achieve 100% synchronization

Story-based achievements for the DLC, simply complete all side objectives in the main story to get "His Full Attention".
Picture
Achievement
Description
Liberation Day
Free your first slave.
Seeds of Independence
Liberate 500 slaves.
Firepower
Kill 5 guards at once with a blunderbuss.
His Own Medicine
Disarm the Gouverneur and kill him with the branding iron.

Seeds of Independence
You'll start being able to free slaves after the second memory, with plantations being your best source early on (30-40 slaves). However, after the 4th memory you'll be able to liberate slave ships (>90 slaves). This is the quickest and best way to grind for this achievement, though do not forget to stock up on mortars and heavy shots since some slave ships have powerful escorts.
Firepower
You'll get the blunderbuss after the 3rd memory, though the easiest way to get this achievement is in the final mission "De Fayet's Last Stand". After the short cutscene where the governor runs away, there will be 4 guards guarding the main gate with around 5-6 behind them going your way, this is your opportunity to shoot.
His Own Medicine
This achievement is required to achieve “His Full Attention” as it is a side objective in the final mission. After the governor runs away, follow him but do not tackle him, eventually he’ll stop near some guards. Now, unequip your sword and use your fists, wait for him to swing so you can counter and disarm him, giving you the branding iron, then just kill him with it. It might be easier to kill the surrounding guards first though.

Multiplayer (BASE) Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
Committed To The Cause
Reach level 55 in Multiplayer.

  • This is without a doubt the most boring, repetitive and time-consuming achievement in this game. You will have to reach the maximum level in multiplayer with 526,000 XP, but don’t worry, if you take your time and focus on this achievement every day you’ll get this achievement in no time and with ease.
  • The easiest way to grind for this achievement is to play in Wolfpack mode by yourself, pick St Mathieu on standard difficulty and have a go until you get the hang of it. Prioritise completing the objectives in the top-left non-stop, walk slowly towards your opponent to fill up the stealth bar in the bottom-right and lock onto them when you’re nearby to fill up the focus bar. You can refer to this video by Kit Kat:
https://youtu.be/xCEUQGNaJgI?si=TUqbEeiEo1la4MSg
  • Most importantly however, is the daily 30 minute double XP boost. As you practice more and more, you’ll be able to complete a session in around 9-12 minutes, this means you can complete 2 or even 3 matches within the time limit and gain a massive XP bonus.
  • Note that some items such as the Throwing Knife and the Kill Streak bonuses are locked until you reach a certain level, so do not be undermined if you’re finding it difficult in the start.
TL;DR: Play 2 games of Wolfpack every day to take advantage of the XP bonus, then go back to playing the base game (unless this is your last achievement).
Picture
Achievement
Description
All Rounder
Play on every game mode, and use every ability and ranged weapon once in Multiplayer.

  • While all of the game modes are available as soon as you begin the Multiplayer, the abilities and ranged weapons need to be unlocked by leveling up and then you must purchase them. All abilities and ranged weapons can be used in Wolfpack mode (used then leave) except the Bodyguard ability which requires you to be chased (e.g. in Deathmatch or Wanted).
  • You will need to be at least Level 48 and have a total of 10230 Animus credits to buy all of these abilities and ranged weapons. However, you will most likely have an excess of Animus credits by the time you reach or are close to Level 55.

Name
Type
Required Level
Animus Credits
Disguise
Ability
1
Free
Money Bomb
Ability
1
Free
Time Phase
Ability
6
190
Decoy
Ability
6
190
Disruption
Ranged Weapon
4
190
Morph
Ability
12
390
Firecrackers
Ability
12
390
Throwing Knives
Ranged Weapon
12
390
Tripwire Bomb
Ability
18
390
Bodyguard
Ability
18
390
Booby Trap
Ability
26
590
Glimmer
Ability
26
590
Sabotage
Ranged Weapon
28
590
Wipe
Ability
34
790
Animus Shield
Ability
34
790
Pistol
Ranged Weapon
38
790
Teleport
Ability
42
990
Poison
Ability
42
990
Poison Dart
Ranged Weapon
48
990
Smoke Bomb
Ability
48
990

Game Modes: Manhunt, Artifact Assault, Domination, Wanted, Deathmatch, Assassinate, Wolfpack Discovery Mode (all 8 missions must be completed) & Wolfpack Mode.
Picture
Achievement
Description
Master Of The Caribbean
Complete the Discovery Mode of Wolfpack in Multiplayer.
Personal Bag Of Tricks
Finish a game session with an ability set that you customized in Multiplayer.
Lab Technician
Play and complete a game session of Game Lab in the Multiplayer Public playlist.

NOTE: “Personal Bag Of Tricks” can easily be acquired by making your own Wolfpack session when trying to get to Level 55, while the Discovery Mode serves as the tutorial for Wolfpack mode.

Multiplayer (DLC) Achievements

Picture
Achievement
Description
Sacred Land
Playing as The Jaguar, be the highest scoring player of a Domination game session.
Queen Anne's Revenge
Playing as Blackbeard, perform an acrobatic kill and a gun kill in less than 10 seconds.
Preemptive Strike
Playing as The Orchid, block 10 abilities from opponents with Sabotage.
Elevator To The Gallows
Kill a player using a lift that has been trapped with Booby Trap.

Sacred Land
Contrary to what this achievement says, you do not have to play as the Jaguar. All you have to do is be the highest scoring player AND win in a Domination game. You can earn points by capturing and holding points to win but killing or stunning enemies will give you a lot more points, try to be aggressive and cap other areas whilst also getting kills to ensure you don't lose.
Queen Anne's Revenge
Play a Wolfpack game in Saint Pierre as Blackbeard whilst equipping the Pistol (requires Level 38). Next, play on until the first chest wave and wait for both chests to be attacked. Now is your opportunity to shoot the person afar and perform an acrobatic kill (not to be confused with aerobic kill) on the person near you. You can refer to this video by 360GameTV:
https://youtu.be/JuGdSEJAUBM?si=tq0sVc4liW4kqJfF
Preemptive Strike
As the Orchid character in a random Wolfpack game, equip and use the Sabotage ability (requires Level 28) on your targets right before they detect you. If successful, you will hear a faint ringing noise in the background. Note that you need to get fairly close to your target. You can refer to this video by thanos osfp:
https://youtu.be/x9rjnwUwnCY?si=l9BykCkOsamhNT7w
Elevator To The Gallows
With the Booby Trap ability equipped (requires Level 26), enter a Manhunt or Wanted game and use/place your ability on a lift. Then you want to bait your pursuer into using the lift so climb up the building and watch as they get crushed! You can refer to this video by harrymike schmier:
https://youtu.be/NrIqeiyvZ78?si=jFzOlxTApgKk_IjT

Conclusion

This is one of my favourite games of all-time and I can still recall memories of me playing this game on my PS4 back in late 2013. Even though it's not a very good assassin game, it excels at being the best and only legitimate open-world pirate game.

If you've achieved 100% completion... then congrats! This is my first guide and hopefully I'll be making more in the future, any likes or comments will be appreciated!
🏆

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