The “A Shipment Of Powder” contract in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced hands you a target and one specific rule for how it has to die. Standard blades, pistols, and darts are all off the table. The kill only registers when the target is caught in an explosion, which points you straight toward the powder kegs scattered around ports and camps across the Caribbean.
Quick answer: Position the target next to a powder keg, then shoot the keg with Edward’s pistol so the blast kills the target. Do not finish the job with a sword, Hidden Blade, or dart, or the explosive condition will not count.
What the contract asks for
The objective is simple to read and strict to fulfill. You have to assassinate the marked target using an explosive, which means the fatal hit must come from a detonation rather than any melee or ranged weapon. That single constraint changes how you approach the whole encounter, because you are no longer chasing a clean stab. You are setting up a controlled explosion with the target inside the blast radius.
Powder kegs are the reliable source of that explosion. Combat in Resynced treats them as environmental hazards you can trigger, blowing them up to knock enemies to the ground. Here you are using that same reaction to score the kill outright instead of following up with a Ground Takedown.
How explosive kills work with powder kegs
A powder keg sits in the environment as a destructible object. Firing a shot into it, or otherwise setting it off, produces an explosion that hits everyone standing close by. Any enemy inside that radius takes the damage, so the trick is timing the detonation while the target is in range rather than passing through.
Edward’s pistol is the cleanest detonator because you can trigger the keg from a safe distance and keep line of sight on the target. Stealth tools help you set the stage first. Eagle Vision and the Observe feature let you track the target’s path and read where guards will be, so you can commit only when the target is beside the powder.
Steps to complete A Shipment Of Powder
How to know the kill counted
Completion shows up immediately when the target dies in the blast. The contract objective updates to reflect the assassination, and the marked target is removed from the map. If the target survives the explosion and you finish them with another weapon afterward, the explosive requirement will not be satisfied.
Common reasons the explosive kill fails
| Problem | Why it happens |
|---|---|
| Target survives the blast | The target was too far from the keg when it detonated, so the explosion only knocked them down instead of killing them. |
| Kill does not count | The target was finished with a sword, Hidden Blade, or dart rather than the explosion itself. |
| Detonated too early | The keg was shot before the target walked into range, wasting the only explosive nearby. |
| Spotted before the shot | Guards detected Edward and moved the target out of position, breaking the setup. |
Treat this contract as a patience test rather than a fight. Line up the target with a powder keg, stay hidden until the moment is right, and let a single pistol shot do the work. Once the blast lands on the target, the contract closes out and you are free to sail on with the Jackdaw.
