A Personal Matter is Naval Contract #6 in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. It unlocks at Crooked Island and sends you after a British frigate called the HMS Defiance. This guide covers how to unlock the contract, where to find the ship, and how to earn the bonus 900 Reales by boarding it.
- TL;DR
- A Personal Matter is Naval Contract #6 unlocked at Crooked Island.
- You must sink the HMS Defiance, a British Frigate.
- Boarding the ship instead of sinking it earns you a 900 Reales bonus.
- Two extra frigates join the fight once you engage the target — deal with them quickly.
- Use mortars as you approach, then follow up with heavy shot and broadsides.
How to Unlock A Personal Matter in AC Black Flag Resynced
To unlock A Personal Matter, you need to be at Crooked Island. The contract is accepted from the man at the docks there. Naval Contracts become available on the map after you synchronise the viewpoints in each region, so make sure you have done that for the Gibara region first.
Naval Contracts unlock in a chain. To reach this one at Crooked Island, you need to have progressed through the earlier contracts that started back at Great Inagua. The first contract in the game, A Spanish Plague, becomes available after Sequence 04 Mission 01. Work through contracts in order and A Personal Matter will appear when you reach Crooked Island.
Nothing in the Naval Contracts is missable. You can complete them all after the main story if you prefer.
A Personal Matter Objectives
- Main Objective: Sink the HMS Defiance (a British Frigate).
- Bonus Objective: Board the HMS Defiance instead of sinking it to earn an extra 900 Reales.
Where to Find the HMS Defiance
Once you accept the contract at Crooked Island, open your map. You will see a large green investigation zone to the east of your current position. Sail into that zone to begin your search.
Pull out your spyglass to scan the water and identify the HMS Defiance. The ship is a British Frigate and is not hard to spot once you are in the right area. It has decent armour for a frigate, so do not expect it to go down in just a few hits.
How to Complete A Personal Matter
Step 1 – Approach with Mortars
As soon as you start closing the distance on the HMS Defiance, open fire with your mortars. This chips away at its health before you get into cannon range. Every bit of early damage helps, especially since two more frigates will join the fight once you engage the target.
Need help keeping your ship in fighting shape? See our guide on ship upgrades and customisation and our full final ship upgrade locations guide.
Step 2 – Use Chase Cannons, Heavy Shot, and Broadsides
Once you are in range, switch to your standard naval combat routine. Use your chase cannons to keep dealing damage while you close in, then unleash heavy shot to do serious hull damage. When you pull alongside the HMS Defiance, hammer it with broadsides.
The combination of mortars, heavy shot, and broadsides will bring the frigate down quickly. Keep moving so you are not a sitting target for the other two frigates that appear.
Step 3 – Deal with the Two Extra Frigates
As soon as you engage the HMS Defiance, two nearby frigates will turn hostile and join the fight. Three frigates at once can punish even a well-upgraded Jackdaw, so you need to work fast.
The smartest play is to focus all your fire on the HMS Defiance and get it to the incapacitated stage as quickly as possible. Use mortars and heavy shot on the extra frigates only if they start getting dangerously close. Prioritise your main target.
If you are struggling with multi-ship fights like this, check out our guide on the mortar trick for tough naval encounters.
Step 4 – Board or Sink the HMS Defiance
Once the HMS Defiance is incapacitated, you have a choice.
- Sink it: Simply fire your remaining weapons at the ship to finish it off. The mission completes as soon as it goes under.
- Board it (recommended): Sail alongside and board the HMS Defiance. Successfully boarding it earns you a bonus 900 Reales on top of your contract reward. This is the better option if you want to maximise your payout.
Either way, once the ship is dealt with, the mission ends and you collect your reward.
A Personal Matter Rewards
- Contract Reward: Reales (standard contract payout)
- Boarding Bonus: 900 extra Reales for boarding the HMS Defiance instead of sinking it
The boarding bonus is easy to earn since the HMS Defiance is just a frigate. Do not skip it — that extra 900 Reales adds up across all the naval contracts.
Tips for A Personal Matter
- Upgrade your Jackdaw first. Better hull armour and stronger cannons make this fight much smoother. See our Great Inagua upgrades guide for what to prioritise.
- Start mortars early. Every mortar shell you land before you are in broadside range saves you time in the actual fight.
- Do not ignore the extra frigates. They will not sink you instantly, but if you let them pepper you for too long they will drain your hull. Take a few shots at them if they get too close.
- Board for the bonus. There is no reason to just sink the HMS Defiance when boarding it gives you an extra 900 Reales with very little extra effort.
- Keep farming resources. Check our guide to farming metal and wood so your ship repair is never an issue.
Other Naval Contracts Near A Personal Matter
If you are working through all 15 Naval Contracts, here are the ones you should complete before and after this one:
- Blind Justice – Naval Contract #3, unlocked at Great Inagua. Board a British Man O’ War.
- Papers, Please – Naval Contract #4, unlocked at Great Inagua. Sink or board the HMS Courage.
- Eye For An Eye – Naval Contract #2, unlocked at Great Inagua. Board the San Lorenzo.
- The Final Contract – The last and hardest Naval Contract. Unlock it by completing all others.
For the full list of all Naval Contracts in the game, see our complete Naval Contracts locations guide.
More AC Black Flag Resynced Guides
Looking for more help with AC Black Flag Resynced? Here are some of our most useful guides:
- How to Beat All 6 Legendary Ships
- All Assassin Contracts Locations Guide
- All Mayan Stelae Locations
- Kenway’s Fleet Guide
- All Treasure Map Locations
- Beginner’s Tips
- Crafting Guide
- All Animus Rifts Locations
- All Underwater Shipwrecks Locations
- What to Do After the Main Story
AC Black Flag Resynced is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, and Epic Games Store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the HMS Defiance in AC Black Flag Resynced?
The HMS Defiance is found in the green investigation zone east of Crooked Island. Use your spyglass once you are inside the zone to spot and identify it. The ship is a British Frigate and will be marked on your minimap once you are close enough.
What happens if I sink the HMS Defiance instead of boarding it?
The mission still completes if you sink the ship. However, you miss out on the 900 Reales boarding bonus. It is worth taking the time to board it since the HMS Defiance is only a frigate and boarding is straightforward with a reasonably upgraded Jackdaw.
How do I unlock A Personal Matter in AC Black Flag Resynced?
A Personal Matter unlocks at Crooked Island after you progress through the earlier Naval Contracts starting at Great Inagua. Accept it from the man at the Crooked Island docks. Make sure you have synchronised the regional viewpoints so the contract marker appears on your map.
Is A Personal Matter required for 100% completion?
Yes. Completing all 15 Naval Contracts is required for full completion of AC Black Flag Resynced. A Personal Matter is Contract #6 out of 15, so you will need to finish it as part of that full run.
Can I do A Personal Matter after finishing the main story?
Yes. Like all Naval Contracts in AC Black Flag Resynced, A Personal Matter is available both during and after the main story. Nothing is missable, so there is no rush to complete it before the credits roll.
