Forts are the fortified coastal strongholds scattered across the Caribbean, and clearing them is now one of the most rewarding naval activities in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Every fortress you dismantle feeds directly into the Jackdaw’s arsenal, so bringing them down is worth doing early rather than leaving them for a completion sweep.
Quick answer: Sail up to a fort, manually aim your swivel guns at the structural weak points on its defenses, and destroy them to capture the stronghold. Clearing a fort unlocks a new secondary firing mode for one of the Jackdaw’s weapons.
How to bring down a fort
Capturing a fortress is a naval fight against fixed defenses. The remake gives you finer control over your artillery, and that control is the key to clearing a fort quickly instead of trading broadsides until your hull gives out.
You know a fort is captured when its icon updates on the world map and the stronghold no longer fires on passing ships. Clearing it is also what triggers the weapon unlock tied to that fortress.
What capturing forts unlocks
Clearing enemy strongholds unlocks unique secondary firing modes for the Jackdaw’s artillery. These modes change how each weapon behaves, giving you stronger options for both ship battles and future forts. The table below lists the secondary firing mode tied to each of the Jackdaw’s weapons.
| Jackdaw weapon | Secondary firing mode |
|---|---|
| Broadside Cannons | Continuous Heated Shots |
| Bowchasers | Double Shot |
| Fire Barrels | Shrapnel Barrels |
| Mortar | Deadman’s Cohort (fires a continuous stream) |
Note: The Deadman’s Cohort mortar mode is not tied to a fort. It is unlocked by completing the naval officer Tobias Smith’s personal questline, No Box Dark Enough, which becomes available at Great Inagua during the endgame chapter A World Without Gold.
How many forts there are to clear
There are 11 forts spread across the Caribbean Sea, and hunting each fortress icon is part of full completion. Because every stronghold you take contributes to your ship’s firepower, it pays to clear them as you sail rather than waiting until the end of the campaign.
Other naval upgrades come from separate sources, so it helps to know where each perk lives. The legendary ships return and now respawn over time, but sinking them is no longer how you earn the ram. Abilities such as the ram, double broadside shots, and enhanced bracing are instead granted by finishing the new naval officer questlines.
Treat forts as steady investments in the Jackdaw. Aim your swivel guns at the weak points, capture the stronghold, and each firing mode you bank makes the next fortress fall faster.
