IN Assassin's Creed: Black Flag resyncedthere are quite a few dangerous enemies you will encounter during your journey through the Caribbean. From rival pirate crews to militaries to fearsome animals out to get a bite out of you, there's a lot to deal with. But the apex of the predators in the water are the four legendary ships.
One of these is HMS Prince, which is arguably the most annoying of the four to destroy. While not the toughest, fighting this ship can be a headache due to the fog and its tendency to just run away. So if you're struggling to beat HMS Prince, here's our strategy for ending this ghost ship.
How to beat HMS Prince
If you plan on fighting HMS Prince, I highly recommend upgrading the Jackdaw as much as possible. From its weapons to its armor, you'll need almost everything except Fire Barrels at their final level if you hope to succeed. Additionally, you'll want to complete Deadman's officer missions to unlock the Cohort Mortar. This is a good item for this fight due to HMS Prince's mobility, allowing you to deal additional damage during the battle.
When the boss fight starts, HMS Prince will come out of the fog and start firing grenade launchers at you. These do a lot of damage and can quickly take Jackdaw down if you don't support them. You can tell where the mortars will hit by the big orange circles in the water. When they start flashing, that's when you brace yourself, because that signals that they're about to hit the water.
The initial part of this fight is pretty standard, as HMS Prince will try to keep circling you at max speed so it can keep firing a broadside at you. You have two options for this section: match its movements to exchange broadside attacks with it until the ship breaks off, or try to maneuver behind it and hunt behind it using your bow destroyers to damage the stern.
For those who decide to broadside, you'll want to get in close so you can use your Heated Shot to effectively trade damage with this boss. If you're fast enough, use the Cohort Mortar by shooting a few meters ahead of the boss so it runs right into it. This mortar launches quickly, allowing you to consistently deal damage to this boss without the risk of missing.
After HMS Prince loses a third of its health, the ship will break away and hurtle off into the fog. Conventional logic says to chase this boat, but it's basically impossible to catch. It also continuously launches grenade launchers during this section, and there's a good chance you'll eventually lose track of it in the fog.
Because of this, when HMS Prince runs away, stop chasing it and start driving in a small circle. This will make it easier to avoid incoming mortars, as the constant turning ensures that you almost never run directly into them. If necessary, press the B button (Xbox) / Circle (PlayStation) to kill your speed and perform a sharp turn. You can use this to avoid any additional mortars you may hit.
Continue to sail in a circle until, eventually, HMS Prize returns and engages in her normal attempts to widen the Jackdaw. Once it's back, you don't have to worry about the ship moving away. Keep moving next to it, peppering it with a mix of mortar blasts and Heated Shot broadsides to weaken the ship.
There's a chance it will try to escape again before it loses a lot more health. IIf this happens, don't fall for the bait and chase after it. You'll want to be patient during this battle, as trying to rush it will almost certainly cause you to run right into mortars. Wait for the HMS Prince to return and continue to widen it until only a third of its health remains.
When it loses another third of its health, it will once again retreat into the mist and fire a ton of mortars at you. Start sailing in a circle again, keeping your eyes open for the ship that will eventually come out of the fog towards you. Now engage it as you have before and focus on damaging it as much as possible until it is destroyed. The Master at Arms ram ability does a lot of damage to the HMS prize, but you really need to lead it because this ship moves fast.
When you destroy the HMA Prince, you'll earn its sails, hull paint, figurehead, and wheels as cosmetic rewards you can equip on the Jackdaw. Additionally, the fog will lift, making it easier to navigate these waters.
