If you’re a bit rusty or if this is your first time playing Black Flag, you’ll find yourself totally overwhelmed by the might of the Spanish, British, and pirate fleets. That is because your vessel, the Jackdaw, while legendary, is pretty weak at the beginning of Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Thankfully, with the click of a button (and some previous resource farming), you’ll be able to transform the Jackdaw from a mere shark food delivery ship (DoorShark, if you will) to the Man O’ War terror of the seas. Here are the best ship upgrades to buy first in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced.

Best Jackdaw upgrades to buy first in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

Once you gain the ability to upgrade the Jackdaw at the Harbourmaster, which happens pretty early in the game, you’ll be able to invest money and resources to make it stronger. You’ll want to focus equally on your survivability and your firepower, so there are four main upgrades you should spend your reales on.

Armored Hull: This is by far the most important upgrade in the game. Upgrading the Jackdaw’s hull means that your ship’s health will increase. As a result, you’ll be able to withstand more attacks while engaging in naval combat.
Broadside Cannons: The Broadside Cannons will most likely be your most used attack in Black Flag Resynced. Therefore, you’ll want to have as many cannons at your disposal as possible. Investing in this upgrade grants you exactly that.
Heavy Shot: Think of the Heavy Shot as the Jackdaw’s shotgun. It is a close-quartered cannonball attack that deals massive damage to nearby ships. Playing aggressively is the name of the game, so make sure to spend your reales here from time to time.
Mortar: While not as used as the other attacks above, the Mortars will come in handy against other ships, but mainly against forts. Upgrading them, therefore, is a wise choice.

There are other upgrades you can buy that can come in handy but aren’t as important as the ones above. These include the Ram, the Round and Heated Shot, and perhaps the Swivel Guns and Bow Chasers. Storage upgrades, while helpful, aren’t really a game-changer unless you are planning on taking every single fleet at once in Black Flag Resynced.

Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.