Hunting & Harpooning in AC Black Flag Resynced: Full Guide to Resources, Crafting & Secrets

In the harsh realities of the Caribbean, a pirate’s survival depends not only on accurate cannon fire but also on the ability to scavenge resources from the wild. In Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, animal pelts and sea monster bones are not just valuable commodities, but also the basis for expanding your inventory and boosting Edward Kenway’s combat stats. And if you think you can put hunting on hold until better times, is this strategy superior to one where you confidently level up from the very first missions? Spoiler: no. Without crafting, you’ll quickly hit a ceiling—both enemies and story missions will mercilessly punish your carelessness.

Crafting personal upgrades is unlocked in the third sequence, during the mission “This Tyro Captain.” This is when the crafting section appears in your inventory, where you can improve the effectiveness of pistols, smoke bombs, and darts by using the pelts you’ve collected. But don’t rush to the nearest island empty-handed—first, figure out what exactly you need and where to find it.

All crafting recipes in AC Black Flag Resynced: table of materials and locations

The crafting system in Resynced is a rather nice addition and, at the same time, a critically important mechanism. Each of Edward’s upgrades requires specific resources, and roughly half of these are obtained by hunting on land, the other half by harpooning at sea.

Below is a complete table of all available upgrades, materials, and where to obtain them.

Important: Sleep Darts, Berserker Darts, and the Dart Pouch are only unlocked in Sequence 4, the “Overrun and Outnumbered” mission. Until then, they are unavailable, no matter how much you yearn for a quieter experience.

If you want to fully complete all upgrades, here’s a complete list of all the materials you’ll need to collect:

• Bull shark skin ×4
• Capuchin skin ×2
• Crocodile skin ×2
• Deer skin ×2
• Great white shark bone ×4
• Hammerhead shark bone ×4
• Howler monkey skin ×2
• Humpback whale skin ×4
• Hutia skin ×2
• Iguana skin ×4
• Jaguar skin ×4
• Killer whale skin ×4
• Ocelot skin ×2
• Rabbit skin ×2
• Red howler monkey skin ×2
• Wild boar skin ×2

Where to find animals: habitat map and coordinates

In the updated version of the game, the search Game tracking has become as convenient as possible. All animal habitats, including even rare species like the white jaguar, are immediately displayed with special icons on the global map. Simply select the desired prey and plot a route. However, not all animals are marked with equal accuracy—for some, you’ll need to dig around the map to find hidden corners.

Land Animals

• Crocodile — Nassau, Tulum, Isla Providencia, Long Bay
• Deer — Salt Lagoon, Santanillas, Kingston
• Iguana — Abaco, Andreas Island, Great Inagua
• Hutia — Petit Cavern, Long Bay
• Howler Monkey — Cape Bonavista, Cat Island, Tortuga, Tulum, Long Bay, Kingston
• Red Howler Monkey — Isla Providencia
• Capuchin Monkey — Misteriosa
• Jaguar — Cape Bonavista, Tulum, Long Bay
• Black Jaguar — Isla Providencia (southwest)
• White Jaguar — Marked on the map, look for it in the jungles of Great Inagua
• Ocelot — Abaco, Cumberland Bay
• Rabbit — Nassau, Kingston
• Wild Boar – Cape Bonavista, Nassau, Mariguana, Great Inagua

Tip: If you can’t find a specific animal, sync a lookout point in the region – all animals in the area will appear on the map. Activate the switch between islands, and hunting will no longer be a guessing game.

Marine Animals (Harpoon Fishing)

The opportunity to challenge the denizens of the deep becomes available during the third story sequence. Special marks of fishing spots will appear on the world map. After swimming to such a point, you need to find a volumetric marker right on the surface of the water to start the minigame.

• Bull Shark – Dry Tortuga, Gibara, Punta Guarico
• Great White Shark – Cruz (coordinates: 314, 55 – south of Fort Seranilla)
• Hammerhead Shark – Eleuthera, Gibara
• Killer Whale – Cruz; Also, the western part of the map, the Conttoyor sea zone
• Humpback Whale – Castillo de Jagua, Navassa

How to hunt effectively: tranquilizer darts, tactics, and the perfect shot

Harpooning seems easy at first glance: you need to harpoon the sea creature until its health bar is depleted. However, after the first successful hit, the animal will begin to drag the boat along at incredible speed, making aiming significantly more difficult. Predators will dive sharply and attack the boat, so reaction is paramount.

The perfect shot is your trump card. Throw the harpoon when the reticle pulses. This inflicts increased damage and makes hunting large sea creatures easier. Without this skill, a humpback whale or great white shark will be beyond your current capabilities.

Tranquilizer darts are another tool worth mastering. They unlock after the fourth sequence and allow you to tranquilize animals on land with a single, precise shot. This simplifies skin farming to the point where you can confidently gather any resources without unnecessary fuss. Those annoying predators that constantly attack when approached can be tranquilized and safely butchered.

Tactical tips:

• Always carry tranquilizer darts—they’ll save a ton of time when catching fast animals. This is the only aspect that turns hunting from a mere slash and slash into a strategic operation.
• Use the environment—lure animals into narrow passages or open spaces where they’re easier to control.
• Circular routes—don’t run chaotically. Create a route through several habitats of the desired animals and follow it in a circle. By the time you return to the first habitat, the animals will have respawned.
• Harpoon fishing: First, upgrade the boat’s armor (to avoid drowning from whale and great white shark strikes), then the harpoon’s power (a quick kill saves time and nerves), and only then the harpoons. This is based on the usual logic: a live boat + a powerful harpoon = victory.

What to Upgrade First: Upgrading Strategy

Upgrading the captain is just as important as upgrading their ship. And if you have limited resources (which you will at the start), you need to prioritize first.

Upgrading order (from most important to least):

1. Pistol Holster – A set of two additional pistols doubles your firepower. This is critical in combat. Start with Holster I (Ocelot Pelt x2), then Holster II (Rabbit Pelt x2). Put the third holster aside for now—the Bull Shark can wait.
2. Health Upgrade – Without a little extra durability, you won’t survive even a couple of serious encounters. Health Upgrade I (Iguana Skin x2) is cheap and effective. Health Upgrade II (Hammerhead Shark Bone x4) is a significant upgrade, but worth it.
3. Darts and Dart Pouch – Invest in them as soon as they unlock in Sequence 4. Sleep Darts will allow you to complete many missions quietly and without unnecessary noise. Dart Pouch I (Howler Hide x2) is a minimal investment for maximum comfort.
4. Pistol Ammo Pouch – Once the basic upgrades are complete, expand your ammo supply. It’s not urgent, but it’s nice.
5. Smoke Bombs – save them for later. They’re useful, but not critical in the early stages.

What not to upgrade first: Don’t waste resources on Berserker Darts until you’ve unlocked the basic health and holster upgrades. They’re good, but they don’t add to the overall aesthetic experience of the game and will eat up resources.

Bonus: Dice as an additional currency

In the updated game, dice act as an additional currency. When butchering dead land animals, you have a chance to get not only skins but also simple bones. These can be exchanged at any harbor shop for skins of land animals that are missing for crafting. Land animal bones can also be exchanged with merchants for massive sea predator bones. Sea resources are incredibly valuable, as they are required for the most powerful upgrades.

And if you thought bones were useless junk, you were wrong. The clue was hiding in plain sight: collect 206 bones and exchange them with a secret merchant on an unnamed island south of Andreas Island (coordinates 551, 639 or 549, 638) to receive the “Dead Crew Outfit” skin. The purchase price is 206 bones, but that’s for those who want a wide range of customization options.

Conclusion

Hunting and harpooning in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced aren’t just side activities. They’re the foundation of your progress. Without crafting, you can’t carry more pistols, you can’t increase your health, and you can’t use darts effectively. Assemble a map, prioritize your objectives, and plot routes—and after a couple of hours of play, you’ll hardly recognize your Edward. He’ll become someone even sharks fear. And if you’re still unsure, thinking you can get by without hunting is pointless. Head into the jungle. And don’t forget your sleep darts.