Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Legendary Ships are the most powerful vessels you will encounter while exploring the West-Indies Sea.
There are 4 Legendary Ships in Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag, and all of them must be defeated in order to unlock the Devil of The Caribbean achievement/trophy.
Unlike other ships featured in the video game, the Legendary Ships can be found only is specific spots on the map, and can’t be boarded.
All AC4 Legendary Ships are level 75, and all of them carry 20.000 Reales. To defeat them you will have to use different strategies; because the Legendary Ships are redoubtable opponents, equipped with powerful weapons and strong armors.
The following Assassin’s Creed IV video game guide explains where to find the Legendary Ships, what tactics should you use to defeat them, and what upgrades you should buy in order to sink all of them; however, there are general rules you will have to follow before engaging them.
When you start a battle against one of the Legendary Ships in AC4, you will have to know its weak points if you wish to defeat it; otherwise, you will lose the battle; but your skills as a pirate play the most important role.
This means that during the battle, you will have to know how to make quick turns, how to aim your cannons to inflict more damage, and where to fire your mortars.
The weather and the upgrades you have purchased for the Jackdaw are also very important. Using the map above, you will be able to find the Legendary Ships faster, while the tips below will help you during your battles.
Furthermore, the video walkthrough included in the guide, will show you how to defeat Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless. Since the Legendary Ships have fixed positions, if you conquer the naval forts near them you will be able to see them on your map.
These ships are: El Impoluto, La Dama Negra, HMS Prince, Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless.
El Impoluto Strategy Guide
El Impoluto is a Spanish level 75 Man O’War and a Legendary Ship located in the top left corner of the map. Its location is revealed by conquering the Dry Tortuga Naval Fort.
Even if you don’t have all elite upgrades installed on the Jackdaw, you will be able to sink El Impoluto, but a level 4 hull is required along with a level 3 ram.
El Impoluto is a fast ship and a hunter that will try to stay close to you and ram the Jackdaw. It will hunt you all the time, trying to get close. When you begin the battle, you will have to be aware that you will lose if you become El Impoluto’s prey.
In other words, El Impoluto will always catch you if you decide to stay away from it, since it is faster than the Jackdaw.
To beat El Impoluto, you must become the hunter, and remain close to it, so you can ram its hull. The cannons, the chain shot and the round shot are important as well, but your ship’s ram is the first weapon you will have to use in the battle. On all attacks that come from your enemy you will have to brace in order to reduce the damage you take.
Try not to flee or sail away from it, to fire the mortars, because the ship is fast and you will probably miss it. Furthermore, you will allow it to change its course and increase its speed for higher damage.
La Dama Negra Strategy Guide
The second Spanish Legendary Ship in AC4 is La Dama Negra, located in the bottom left corner of your map. La Dama Negra is discovered by conquering Serranilla.
Unlike El Impoluto, La Dama Negra is very slow, but it is protected by a powerful armor. Furthermore, its cannons and mortars are also the most powerful from all Legendary Ships.
The ship has only one weak point, which is its rear side, where the captain’s cabin is located. If you try to sink La Dama Negra using your mortars, you will notice that the damage you inflict is smaller, unless you aim for its weak point.
On the other hand, if the Legendary Ship attacks you using the same weapons, you will be defeated. Since La Dama Negra is a slow ship, you will have to make sure that you always stay behind it, trying to ram its rear end.
You can also fire your chain shot and your cannons, when your enemy tries to turn around; however you are not allowed to let it sail away from you, because you will become an easy target for its devastating mortars and cannons.
If you stay close and behind your enemy, La Dama Negra won’t be able to fire its broadside cannons or its mortars, while its weak point is exposed all the time for your chain shot.
HMS Prince Strategy Guide
East of Isla Providencia and in the lower right corner of your map, is the British Legendary Ship HMS Prince.
Similar to the previous two ships, HMS Prince carries 20000 Reales. No matter when you decide to attack it, you will notice that HMS Prince is constantly surrounded by fog.
You crew will often refer to it as the Ghost Ship. The moment you spot it make sure you tag it, so you can maintain a constant visual contact with your target. If you stay close to it, you will have the advantage, especially if you remain behind HMS Prince.
The ship’s strongest point is the fog which allows it to vanish if you lose contact with it. In this case, it will fire its mortars and cannons while you try to find it. On the other hand, if you stay near your target, you can fire all your weapons and ram it at the same time.
Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless Strategy Guide
In the top right corner of your map, close to Eleuthera Naval Fort, you will find not one but two Assassin’s Creed 4 Legendary Ships, named Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless.
Both of them are Level 75 British ships and they carry 10.000 Reales each. Unlike all ships in the game, Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless work together when fighting enemies; therefore, you will have to use specific tactics if you don’t want to lose the battle.
Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless have medium armors and they deal medium damage; until one of them is defeated. At that point, the remaining ship will be set on fire and it will come after you. If it rams the Jackdaw, it deals incredible damage.
Its speed also increases, allowing it to stay close to you. Because of the strategy used by Royal Sovereign and HMS Fearless, there is only one method to defeat them. When the battle begins, tag one of the ships and focus your attacks on it.
Try to stay behind your target and ignore the other one, but brace on all impacts. Your goal is to damage your target as much as possible without destroying it. Make sure you deal enough damage and switch to the second one, when the first ship is almost entirely destroyed. On the second ship, use the same strategy to damage it, but sink it.
The moment the second ship is destroyed, the first one will be set on fire, and you will have to increase your speed and sail away from it. Drop fire barrels if the enemy is behind you and fire all your weapons against it.
Since you already damaged your first target, you will be able to sink it faster; thus avoiding the damage it inflicts when it tries to ram you.
