Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Guide Reference & Analysis
The Wanted System
The Wanted system acts as a deterrent to dissuade players from unchecked violence while aboard the Jackdaw. Though you are free to lay waste to entire fleets on a whim, the penalties introduced once the Jackdaw is Wanted make it a little harder to travel without further complications or confrontations, and demand payment of a toll (measured in cash or simple time and effort) to remove.
By default the Jackdaw is incognito. As you engage and sink ships, however, your Wanted status will escalate gradually, rising by one level at a time up to a maximum Level 4.
Point Penalties
| Action | Penalty |
|---|---|
|
Engage any ship |
+5 points |
|
Sink a gunboat |
+5 points |
|
Sink a schooner, brig, frigate or man o’ war |
+10 points |
Point Penalties
| Levels | Milestone |
|---|---|
|
Incognito |
0-49 points |
|
Level 1 ( |
50 points |
|
Level 2 ( |
100 points |
|
Level 3 ( |
150 points |
|
Level 4 ( |
210 points |
)
)
)
)The moment that you reach Level 1, the Jackdaw is Wanted, and a Hunter ship is sent after you. The game checks if Hunters are still tracking you every eight-and-a-half minutes, and sends replacements commensurate to your current level if they are not. As your Wanted level increases, more and more dangerous types of ships will be dispatched to engage you:
Hunter Patrols
| Wanted Status | Hunters Sent |
|---|---|
|
Incognito |
- |
|
Level 1 |
Level 17 brig x1 |
|
Level 2 |
Level 20 brig x1, Level 8 schooner x1 |
|
Level 3 |
Level 11 schooner x1, Level 38 frigate x1 |
|
Level 4 |
Level 38 frigate x1, Level 60 man o’ war x1 |
Your Wanted status can be lowered in the following ways:
Bribing a local officer (
). This fully resets your Wanted level. Local officers can be found in all towns and villages throughout the Caribbean, usually close to a harbormaster. They also appear in every fort that you conquer. The price to pay is determined by your Wanted level: 200R for Level 1, 400R for Level 2, 600R for Level 3 and 800R for Level 4.
Choosing the corresponding option after successfully boarding a ship. This will lower your Wanted level by one grade, irrespective of the type of ship you boarded.
Being Desynchronized. This automatically resets your Wanted level to incognito.
Deliberately causing chaos without addressing your escalating Wanted level can eventually enable you to fight a Level 60 man o’ war, which is a reasonable way to grind for resources once the Jackdaw is up to the task.