While one could argue that the Legendary Ships are the most difficult challenge in Black Flag, others have yet to win a single game of checkers, 13 years later. Here are all the tavern mini-games and how to beat them in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.
Checkers: How to win in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Locations
Beginner: Andreas Island (543,697)
Intermediate: Havana (215,579)
Expert: Great Inagua (817,446)
The simpler of the bunch, thanks in part to how well-known it is, Checkers is a pretty straightforward game. Each player is handed 12 pieces placed on each side of the board. Each piece can move diagonally forward to empty spots if available.
You can jump on top of an enemy piece to capture it, as long as there is an empty spot behind it. You can even perform multiple jumps to capture multiple pieces. Once you reach the opponent’s back row, your piece becomes a King. Kings can move diagonally as well, but they can do so forward and backward.
The game ends when a player captures every single one of the enemy pieces (or if you rage quit often, like myself).
Protecting your pieces is a must, so be sure to never leave empty spots behind them. Continuously move your pieces with that in mind and wait for an opening to capture enemy pieces. Get a King as soon as possible. Control the center section of the board and be sure to keep your back row in place for as many turns as you can. The last thing you want is your enemy to trade Kings.
Fanorona: How to win in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Locations
Beginner: Crooked Island (777,520)
Intermediate: Nassau (595,762)
Expert: Great Inagua (820,444)
Out of all the games, Fanorona is the most confusing for newbies. Each player starts with 22 pieces on the board, with the only empty spot being the center one. Players will then take turns moving a piece to an adjacent empty spot.
Capturing enemy pieces is when things get complicated. Approaching or withdrawing toward or from an opponent’s piece results in a capture. Furthermore, any pieces in an uninterrupted line behind the captured piece will also be captured. To top it all off, players can perform multiple captures, as long as no spaces are revisited and no directions are repeated consecutively.
Capturing all enemy pieces or blocking them entirely results in a win.
The key to winning a game of Fanorona is understanding how the pieces move. If placed on the red lines, which form diamonds, pieces can be moved in any direction. However, when placed in the cross, round spots (no red line passes through these spaces), then pieces can only be moved horizontally and vertically.
This means that having pieces on those latter spots leaves them open to attack from all directions. Therefore, constantly protecting your pieces by placing them on the red lines is a good strategy to prevent unnecessary casualties.
Avoid the board’s edges and the weak spots, and don’t play too enthusiastically. Taking out entire enemy lines sure seems rewarding, but that also leaves your piece vulnerable, so instead focus on the small victories.
Nine-Man Morris: How to win in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced
Locations
Beginner: Salt Key Bank (467,605)
Intermediate: Arroyos (162,540)
Expert: Great Inagua (820,443)
Nine-Man Morris, meanwhile, is a bit more straightforward. First off, players take turns placing nine pieces each on a board. Then, once all are placed, each turn consists of each player moving one piece vertically or horizontally to adjacent empty spots.
Forming Mills (that is, three pieces in a row in either direction) will allow the player to capture an enemy piece of their choosing. If a player has only three pieces left, said player can move a piece to any empty spot on the board.
The game ends when one player only has two pieces left or if they are unable to move any piece.
Think of Nine-Man Morris as a bit more complex version of tic-tac-toe. And like tic-tac-toe, it’s all about placement. Position your pieces in intersections to allow for the most possible Mills at the start of the game, potentially building toward Double Mills. The center square is preferable, and forming L shapes is a good strategy as well.
Also, make sure to block the enemy pieces should they attempt to build Mills of their own. It is preferable to win the game by blocking rather than by leaving the opponent with two pieces, as leaving them with three grants them the aforementioned “flying” advantage.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
