AC Black Flag Resynced Weapons List & Best Loadout
All documented swords and pistols in AC Black Flag Resynced, with stats, best weapon picks, unlock methods, Maximum Takedowns, and combat tips.
This launch-updated weapon tracker covers 50 documented sword and pistol sets, the strongest loadouts, key unlock methods, and the stats that actually matter in combat. Availability can vary by edition and optional character pack.
Best Weapons — Quick Answer
| Goal | Best Pick | Why | How to Get It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best sword overall | Persian Scimitars | 38 Damage, 4 Maximum Takedowns, and Brutes cannot deny Chain Takedowns | Complete the restored weathered treasure map sold by the Treasure Dealer at Great Inagua |
| Best non-Legendary sword | Ferraro's Rapiers | Rare-tier set with the maximum 38 Damage and 4 Maximum Takedowns | Buy for 16,000 Reales from the secret General Store at 550, 638 in Gibara |
| Best pistols overall | Golden Flintlock Pistols | 28 Range; pistol kills briefly slow time | Upgrade Great Inagua's General Store to Level III, then buy for 18,000 Reales |
| Best Pistol-Swords | Le Bourgeoys Blades | 38 Damage; Heavy Strikes fire a third shot | Finish the Art Lover quest after collecting 15 Art Pieces |
| Best defensive sword | Naoe's Shadowblade | Easier Perfect Parries and Perfect Dodges; 4 Maximum Takedowns | Buy from the Animus Trading Post for 1,500 Keys |
For most players, the clean endgame target is Persian Scimitars + Golden Flintlock Pistols. If you have not unlocked Legendary gear, Ferraro's Rapiers already deliver endgame-level raw stats.
Combat Overhaul: What's New
Ubisoft Singapore rebuilt combat from the ground up using technology from Assassin's Creed Shadows. The original's functional but dated sword fights have been replaced with an action-oriented system.
Dual-Wielding
Edward fights with paired swords and can weave Quick Shots, Rope Dart pulls, kicks, and tools into a combo. The Hidden Blades are not a selectable open-combat weapon; they appear in stealth assassinations and contextual takedown animations.
Perfect Parry & Takedowns
The combat system revolves around breaking enemy defense to trigger takedowns. Here are all the confirmed takedown types:
| Takedown | How to Trigger | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden Blade Takedown | Perfect Parry an enemy | Instant kill |
| Chain Takedown | Perfect Parry → chain to nearby enemies | Kill up to 4 enemies in sequence (depends on sword) |
| Wall Takedown | Kick enemy into a wall | Fatal — instant kill |
| Ground Takedown | Enemy grounded by explosion or Sweep move | Finish them on the ground |
Tip: A Quick Shot from your pistol instantly breaks the guard of any elite enemy (like Brutes), opening them for takedowns they would normally block.
Kick vs Sweep
- Kick: Staggers enemies, sends them backward — great for crowd control and setting up Wall Takedowns
- Sweep: Knocks enemies to the ground — sets up Ground Takedowns
Weapon Heavy Attacks
Each sword type has a unique Heavy Attack (hold attack button):
| Sword Type | Heavy Attack | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Rapier | Piercing strikes through foes | Single-target damage |
| Cutlass | Wide-area swings hitting multiple enemies | Crowd control |
| Pistol-Sword | Fires two shots, can focus one enemy or spread | Versatile burst damage |
New Enemy Archetypes
| Enemy | Behavior | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Brute | Blocks most attacks, requires defense break | Quick Shot from pistol → instant guard break |
| Demolitionist (NEW) | Launches grenades at Edward | Use Rope Dart to pull an enemy into the grenade AoE |
The Demolitionist is brand new to Resynced — keep your distance or use their own explosives against their allies.
Rope Dart — Combat Uses
Beyond stealth, the Rope Dart now has combat utility:
- Pull enemies toward you to close distance
- Interrupt enemy attacks from range — new to Resynced
- Pull an enemy into a Demolitionist's grenade blast zone
- Unlocked in Sequence 3 (was Sequence 11 in the original — a massive early-game buff)
All Swords — Stats and Rarity
The launch inventory uses three melee classes. Cutlasses sweep through groups, Rapiers thrust at range, and Pistol-Swords fire two ammo-free shots with a Heavy Strike. Legendary perks can matter more than a small Damage difference.
| Sword Set | Class | Rarity | Damage | Max Takedowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persian Scimitars | Cutlass | Legendary | 38 | 4 |
| Lightserver's Blades | Cutlass | Legendary | 38 | 2 |
| Naoe's Shadowblade | Cutlass | Legendary | 25 | 4 |
| Matched Golden Swords | Cutlass | Legendary | 25 | 4 |
| Masterwork Blades | Rapier | Legendary | 29 | 3 |
| Dual Cleavers | Cutlass | Legendary | 38 | 2 |
| Ezio's Swords | Cutlass | Legendary | 25 | 3 |
| Le Bourgeoys Blades | Pistol-Sword | Legendary | 38 | 2 |
| Order of Gold | Pistol-Sword | Legendary | 38 | 3 |
| The Fortune | Cutlass | Legendary | 20 | 3 |
| Spring-Steel Swords | Cutlass | Legendary | 38 | 2 |
| Blades of Toledo | Cutlass | Legendary | 25 | 3 |
| Dark Animus Corsair Pistol Swords | Pistol-Sword | Legendary | 38 | 2 |
| Altaïr's Swords | Cutlass | Legendary | 25 | 4 |
| British Colonial Cutlasses | Cutlass | Rare | 25 | 3 |
| Captain Drake's Swords | Rapier | Rare | 38 | 2 |
| Ferraro's Rapiers | Rapier | Rare | 38 | 4 |
| French Court Swords | Rapier | Rare | 25 | 2 |
| Scottish Broadswords | Cutlass | Rare | 38 | 2 |
| Officer's Rapiers | Rapier | Rare | 17 | 4 |
| Espada Ancha | Cutlass | Rare | 13 | 4 |
| Standard Pistol Swords | Pistol-Sword | Rare | 25 | 3 |
| Pirate Scimitars | Cutlass | Rare | 38 | 3 |
| French Dress Swords | Rapier | Common | 20 | 2 |
| Officer's Smallswords | Rapier | Common | 13 | 2 |
| German Rapiers | Rapier | Common | 22 | 2 |
| British Cutlasses | Cutlass | Common | 17 | 2 |
| Privateer's Cutlasses | Cutlass | Common | 25 | 2 |
| Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers | Rapier | Common | 17 | 2 |
| Dragon's Fang Swords | Cutlass | Store Pack | 38 | 4 |
| Blades of the Damned | Pistol-Sword | Store Pack | 38 | 2 |
| Serpent's Fang Cutlasses | Cutlass | Store Pack | 38 | 3 |
Legendary Sword Perks Worth Knowing
- Persian Scimitars: Brutes cannot stop your Chain Takedown.
- Matched Golden Swords: easier Chain Takedowns with greater reach.
- Naoe's Shadowblade: wider timing windows for Perfect Parries and Perfect Dodges.
- Le Bourgeoys Blades: fires an additional shot during every Heavy Strike.
- Spring-Steel Swords: lets Edward parry gunfire.
- Altaïr's Swords: takedowns restore some health.
- The Fortune: Heavy Strike kills award Reales.
All Pistols — Range and Draw Speed
Higher Range helps aimed opening shots; Draw Speed affects how quickly Edward can fire during combat. Upgrade the Pistol Holster and Ammunition Pouch early so you can carry four loaded pistols and up to 30 rounds.
| Pistol Set | Rarity | Range | Draw Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Flintlock Pistols | Legendary | 28 | 1.20 |
| Gargoyle's Breath | Legendary | 20 | 1.50 |
| Darkworker's Pistols | Legendary / Deluxe | 22 | 1.50 |
| Captain Drake's Flintlocks | Legendary | 24 | 1.20 |
| Peaceful Means | Legendary | 20 | 1.00 |
| Dark Animus Corsair Flintlocks | Legendary | 22 | 1.00 |
| Rustic Flintlocks | Legendary / Free | 22 | 1.20 |
| Cannon-Barrel Pistols | Rare | 21 | 1.12 |
| Spanish Officer Pistols | Rare | 24 | 1.00 |
| Captain's Wheellock Pistols | Rare | 20 | 1.50 |
| Baldwin's Golden Pistols | Rare | 26 | 1.00 |
| Pirate Blunderbusses | Rare | 20 | 1.00 |
| Captain Morgan's Pistols | Rare | 20 | 1.50 |
| Common Flintlock Pistols | Common | 20 | 1.00 |
| Standard Wheellock Pistols | Common | 20 | 1.12 |
| Dragon's Roar Pistols | Store Pack | 28 | 1.50 |
| Diabolist's Pistols | Store Pack | 20 | 1.20 |
| Fury of the Deep Pistols | Store Pack | 28 | 1.50 |
Best Pistol Perks and Unlocks
- Golden Flintlock Pistols briefly slow time after a pistol kill. Buy them from the Level III General Store at Great Inagua for 18,000 Reales.
- Gargoyle's Breath fires explosive rounds that cost 100 Reales per shot. It is the reward from the restored weathered treasure map.
- Peaceful Means makes pistol shots quieter and is traded by the Great Inagua Treasure Dealer.
- Dark Animus Corsair Flintlocks ricochet every shot to a second target.
- Rustic Flintlocks make a Reflex Shot free after a Perfect Dodge and can be claimed free from Additional Content.
- Baldwin's Golden Pistols are earned from Lucy Baldwin's third officer quest.
Max Takedowns is the number of enemies Edward can eliminate in one Chain Takedown. Four is the documented maximum, so a 25-Damage weapon with four takedowns can outperform a 38-Damage weapon capped at two in crowded fights.
Inventory and unlock data cross-checked after launch against GAMES.GG, GIGA's complete weapon tracker, and Ubisoft's in-game terminology. Optional pack availability may change.
Stealth Changes
Manual Crouch
Edward can now crouch freely anywhere — no longer locked to specific stealth zones. This means you can approach any situation stealthily on your terms.
Visibility Meter
A new visibility meter shows how exposed you are, affected by lighting conditions and hiding spots like vegetation. Hide in tall grass, shadows, or underwater to reduce detection.
Eavesdropping & Tailing Missions
The most frustrating missions from the original are fixed:
- Failing a tailing mission no longer causes instant desynchronization
- Instead, objectives dynamically shift — you might need to fight a captain for a note, chase down your target, or investigate a different location
- Multiple paths to complete each information-gathering objective
Parkour Improvements
- Smoother climbing with fewer animation locks
- Short speed boost after wall-run mantling
- Ability to roll after landing to maintain sprint speed
- Manual hood toggle (raise/lower your hood for style)
Combat Difficulty Settings
Resynced introduces separate difficulty sliders:
| Setting | What It Affects |
|---|---|
| Combat | Number of attacking enemies, attack frequency, Edward's damage output |
| Stealth | Detection distance, time to spot Edward, how long enemies search |
| Naval Combat | Jackdaw damage dealt/received, bracing effectiveness, enemy cooldowns |
| Activities | Diving creature damage/spawn rate, harpoon damage |
Each has three levels: Forgiving (story-focused), Intended (default, matches original feel), and Hard (maximum challenge). Change them anytime mid-game.
Assassination Missions — Expanded
Many assassination missions now include:
- Optional objectives and secrets for extra rewards
- Hidden rooms with lore about your targets (e.g., one mid-game target has a room you can find by eavesdropping on soldiers)
- More varied approach paths using the new crouch and parkour systems
Related: Ships & Naval Combat Guide | Stealth Guide | Tips & Tricks | Parkour & Movement Guide | Beginner's Guide