Assassin's Creed Black Flag elite ship upgrades guide
Get these elite ship upgrades to improve the Jackdaw in Black Flag
Finding all the Black Flag elite upgrades for the Jackdaw will get you top tier cannons, storage, armour and so on, making your life on the ocean wave much easier. Below I'll run through all the coordinates and locations needed to find all 12 elite ship upgrades. Each one will give you the best version of that weapon, armor or ammo storage to make you a formidable force on the high seas. You'll need the diving bell to reach some of these, have to deal more than a few sharks, and dive some tricky wrecks, so you'll probably want to get your sea legs before you go looking too hard.
All Black Flag elite ship upgrades and where to find them
There are 12 elite ship upgrades in Black Flag in total:
- Elite Heavy Shot
- Elite Hull Armor
- Elite Round Shot Strength
- Elite Mortars
- Elite Swivel Guns
- Elite Fire Barrels
- Elite Heavy Shot Storage
- Elite Broadside Cannons
- Elite Mortar Storage
- Elite Fire Barrel Storage
- Elite Harpoon
- Elite Ram
Getting all of them will obviously transform the jackdaw so let's take a look below on where you can get them all.
Elite Heavy Shot location
Coordinates – 307,195, Misteriosa Island
You’ll need the diving bell to reach the map at Ambergris Key, which is on the second floor of the structure. The Heavy Shot upgrade itself is on the highest structure on Misteriosa Island. Climb to the top and look to the left of the water fountain.
Elite Hull Armor
Coordinates – 379,770, San Ignacio
Look for a wreck near some bright green seaweed. There’s a lot of sharks here but at least the wreck is fairly open meaning you don’t have to worry about getting in. If you haven’t already collected it you should see a bright animus fragment as you approach. Collect that then hang a left to find the chest and the plans.
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Elite Round Shot Strength
Coordinates – 769,145, Kabah Ruins
You'll need the diving bell here and as soon as you leave you should see a wreck with some ruins to the right. Head to the front of the structure and you should find a door. The chest will be inside on the lower floor at the back. There’s a shark but if you’re quick it shouldn’t give you too much trouble.
Elite Mortars
Coordinates - 630,660, Antocha
You’ll need some nerves here as, not only is there a shark to worry about, you’ll have to swim quite deep into the wreck. Look out for the weeds to avoid the shark and then head around to the hull break on the right (if you’re approaching from the stern). Swim inside and follow the passage around until you reach the cannon deck. Look out for a skeleton chained to the wall to on the right to locate the chest.
Elite Swivel Guns
Coordinates – 488,353, Devil’s Eye Caverns
Once in the Devil’s Eye Caverns look for that ‘V’ in the rocks and follow the tunnel you find underneath around to the left. If it’s full of jellyfish you’re going the right way. Stick to the left and you should eventually come into a small cavern with two chests. The one on the left has the Elite Swivel Gun plans.
Elite Fire Barrels
Coordinate – 479,487, San Juan
The map for this is found at the Northeast corner of Santanillas. You’ll then need the diving bell to locate the Fire Barrel plans in the Smuggler’s Den. Look for some broken planks on the wall to find where you need to dig.
Elite Heavy Shot Storage
Coordinates – 901,263, Petite Cavern
This map will be found at Cayman Sound. Head to the upper right side of the islands outer edge and look for some rocks embedded near some trees. The treasure and designs themselves are located at Petite Cavern near some rocks behind the campfire. Walk down the sloped ramp and keep going past the fire to find where you have to dig.
Elite Broadside Cannons
Coordinates – 471,170, The Blue Hole
Take the diving bell down at the coordinates and look for a huge face. Swim past it and go straight down. Look for a rectangle on the sea bed which is the side of the wreck. Go over the top and around the back to find the chest on the sea floor.
Elite Mortar Storage
Coordinates – 333,650, Mantanzas
The treasure map leading to the Elite Mortar Storage can be found on a corpse along the North East edge of Tortuga beach. At Mantanzas head through the village and look for some ruins where you’ll find the treasure under this recess.
Elite Fire Barrel Storage
Coordinates – 502,44, Isla Providencia
The treasure map is found as part of the Scarlatina mission. While the actual plans are found on the Southern coast of Isla Providencia. Look out for a wrecked ship but don’t worry, this is on dry land. You’ll find the design plans by digging in among these three trees.
Elite Harpoon
Coordinates – 579,720, Andreas Island
You’ll find the map for the top harpoon upgrade just to the left of the centre of Mariguana Island. To find the design plans themselves head out to the coordinates and look for this little circular island just off the coast with three trees. Dig just in front of the two trees growing together.
Elite Ram
Coordinates – 181,296, La Concepcion Shipwreck
More sharks, so you’ll need to use the weeds to stay un-eaten once you’ve used the diving bell to get down there. At least this one is easy to recover. Look for the main mast and you should find the chest in a small alcove behind it.
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I'm GamesRadar's Managing Editor for guides. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.
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