Edward Kenway’s fighting kit in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is built around two owned weapon slots. He carries a pair of swords and a pistol, and those two picks decide how each brawl plays out. The Hidden Blade is no longer a weapon you equip from a wheel — it only appears as a contextual finisher once an enemy’s guard is broken.
Quick answer: Your arsenal is swords and pistols. Swords come in three combat types (Rapier, Cutlass, Pistol-Sword), each with a Damage value and a Max Takedown value that sets how many enemies you can chain a finisher across. Pistols have their own Damage and fire-rate figures. The Hidden Blade is a takedown move, not a selectable weapon.
Sword types and what changes in combat
Every sword falls into one of three types. The type controls the Heavy Strike, which is the move that decides how you break defenses and open enemies for finishers.
| Sword type | Heavy Strike behavior |
|---|---|
| Rapier | Heavy Strikes pierce through a foe, best for focused, precise single-target damage. |
| Cutlass | Heavy Strikes sweep a wide area, ideal for crowd control and hitting several enemies at once. |
| Pistol-Sword | A Heavy Attack fires two shots, so you can stack both on one target or split them across two. |
The Max Takedown number tied to each sword is how far you can extend a Chain Takedown. A Perfect Parry opens an enemy for a finisher, and from there Edward can chain the kill across up to four enemies depending on which blade he holds.
All swords with Damage and Max Takedown
Higher Damage clears basic enemies faster, while a higher Max Takedown lets you sweep more foes in one chained finisher. Blades like the Espada Ancha and Officer’s Rapiers trade raw damage for a four-enemy chain, while the heavy hitters push Damage to 38.
| Weapon | DMG | Max Takedown |
|---|---|---|
Espada Ancha  | 13 | 4 |
Officer’s Rapiers  | 17 | 4 |
Blades of Toledo  | 25 | 3 |
British Colonial Cutlasses  | 25 | 3 |
Order of Gold  | 38 | 3 |
Pirate Scimitars  | 38 | 3 |
Standard Pistol Swords  | 25 | 3 |
British Cutlasses  | 17 | 2 |
Dual Cleavers  | 38 | 2 |
French Court Swords  | 25 | 2 |
French Dress Swords  | 20 | 2 |
German Rapiers  | 22 | 2 |
Le Bourgeoys Blades  | 38 | 2 |
Lightserver’s Blades  | 38 | 2 |
Officer’s Smallswords  | 13 | 2 |
Spanish Cup-hilt Rapiers  | 17 | 2 |
Tip: match the sword to the fight in front of you. A wide-sweep Cutlass Heavy Strike clears grouped Soldiers quickly, while a Rapier’s piercing Heavy Strike is stronger against single tough targets you want to burn down.
All pistols with Damage and fire rate
Pistols do more than deal chip damage. A Quick Shot instantly breaks the guard of advanced enemies such as the Brute and the Captain, and it lets you keep a Chain Takedown going. Upgrade your pistols and you can carry up to four rounds for the Gun Kata combo, which drops basic enemies outright and staggers tougher ones.
| Weapon | DMG | Fire rate |
|---|---|---|
Golden Flintlock Pistols  | 28 | 1.2 |
Baldwin’s Golden Pistols  | 26 | 1.0 |
Spanish Officer Pistol  | 24 | 1.0 |
Darkworker’s Pistols  | 22 | 1.5 |
Captain Morgan’s Pistols  | 20 | 1.5 |
Captain’s Wheellock Pistols  | 20 | 1.5 |
Standard Wheellock Pistols  | 20 | 1.12 |
Common Flintlock Pistols  | 20 | 1.0 |
Pirate Blunderbusses  | 20 | 1.0 |
The Hidden Blade is a takedown, not a weapon
In the original game you could equip the Hidden Blade from the weapon wheel and fight with it. That option is gone. Edward’s sabers are his primary combat weapons, and the Hidden Blade now triggers as a fatal finisher only when you break an opponent’s defense.
You open a Hidden Blade Takedown by grinding an enemy’s guard down with attacks, landing a pistol Quick Shot, or hitting a ranged attacker with the Rope Dart to break their defense instantly. Outside of combat the Hidden Blade still works the way you expect, letting you assassinate unaware enemies from stealth.
How to know your loadout is working
A finisher opportunity is visible in the fight. When you land a Perfect Parry or break a guard, the enemy becomes vulnerable and the takedown prompt appears, letting Edward run his sword or Hidden Blade through the target. A Perfect Dodge is confirmed by a signature motion blur and the whistle of the blade, and pressing R1 right after lands a special attack for triple damage.
If a Chain Takedown stops early, it is usually because an advanced enemy like a Brute or Captain denied it. Fire a Quick Shot between chains to break their guard and continue. Enemies also adapt to repeated moves, so leaning on one attack will get it blocked or countered until you vary your approach.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced launches July 9, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC, with details available on the official Xbox store listing. Pick a sword for the Max Takedown count you want and a pistol for the damage and rate that fit your rhythm, then let the guard-breaking tools do the rest.
