The Realities of War Walkthrough – Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced

The Realities of War is Naval Contract #11 in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced. Accepted at Grand Cayman in the Cruz region, it sends you against a Spanish fleet with a simple task: sink every ship. A mortar bonus objective on top pays an extra 1,200 Reales. This guide covers where to find the contract, how to handle the fight, and how to earn the full payout.

• TL;DR
• The Realities of War is Naval Contract #11, accepted at Grand Cayman in the Cruz region.
• Your objective is to sink all Spanish ships at the marked location.
• Bonus objective: sink at least one Spanish ship using mortar fire for an extra 1,200 Reales.
• Open with mortars from range, then close with broadsides and heavy shot.
• Finishing the killing blow with a mortar on any ship secures the bonus — incapacitate first with cannons if needed.

How to Unlock The Realities of War in AC Black Flag Resynced

The Realities of War is accepted from the man at the docks in Grand Cayman, located in the Cruz region. Speak to him at the dockside to pick up the contract.

Naval Contracts unlock after completing This Old Cove in Sequence 4. From there, start with A Spanish Plague at Great Inagua and work through the chain in order. The Realities of War is number eleven in the sequence. Synchronise the Grand Cayman viewpoint so the contract marker shows up on your map.

Nothing in the Naval Contract chain is missable — you can complete this at any point, including after the main story finishes.

The Realities of War Objectives

• Main Objective: Sail to the marked location and sink all Spanish ships.
• Bonus Objective: Sink at least one Spanish ship using mortar fire for an extra 1,200 Reales.

The mortar bonus here is the largest bonus payout of any Naval Contract up to this point in the chain, so it is well worth securing. The good news is that it only requires one mortar kill, not two — making it much easier to guarantee than the Weathering the Storm bonus which needed two.

How to Complete The Realities of War

Step 1 – Accept the Contract at Grand Cayman

Dock at Grand Cayman and speak to the man at the docks. Accepting the contract marks the Spanish fleet’s location on your map. Set sail and head to the marked area.

Step 2 – Sail to the Marked Location and Locate the Fleet

Follow the objective marker to the green investigation zone. Once inside, use your spyglass to identify the Spanish ships. The fleet consists of multiple Spanish vessels — frigates and smaller ships — patrolling the area together.

Step 3 – Open with Mortars from Long Range

Before closing into broadside range, open fire with your mortars. Approach from a safe distance and start landing mortar shots on the nearest ships. This serves two purposes: it chips down the fleet’s health before the main fight begins, and it sets you up for the bonus objective.

If any ship takes enough mortar damage to be finished off by one more mortar shot, hold that kill and use it to confirm your bonus kill later. The key rule is that the killing blow must come from a mortar — incapacitating a ship with cannons first and then finishing it with a mortar counts as a mortar kill. Use this freely to guarantee the bonus without wasting your entire mortar supply on raw kills.

Step 4 – Close In with Broadsides and Heavy Shot

Once the fleet has taken early mortar damage, close in and switch to your broadside cannons and heavy shot. Circle the Spanish ships, hit them with heavy shot to break hull armour, and follow up with broadsides for sustained damage.

Spanish frigates take more punishment than smaller ships, so focus fire rather than spreading damage across the whole fleet. Bring down one ship completely before moving to the next. A disorganised spread of partial damage across multiple ships means they all remain active and dangerous for longer. For a well-upgraded Jackdaw that can absorb Spanish fire while you work methodically, see our ship upgrade guide and our final ship upgrade locations guide.

Step 5 – Confirm the Mortar Bonus Kill

Make sure at least one ship goes down with a mortar as the killing blow. If you have been opening with mortars from range, this should happen naturally — but if you are unsure, deliberately incapacitate one of the smaller Spanish ships with cannons and then fire a single mortar to sink it. That guarantees your 1,200 Reales bonus without relying on luck.

Step 6 – Sink the Remaining Ships and Return to Grand Cayman

Once all Spanish ships are destroyed, the contract completes. Sail back to Grand Cayman, speak to the contract giver at the docks, and collect your reward.

The Realities of War Rewards

• Base Reward: Reales for sinking all Spanish ships
• Mortar Bonus: 1,200 extra Reales for sinking at least one ship with mortar fire
• Total (both objectives): Up to 3,600 Reales

At 3,600 Reales for both objectives, The Realities of War is one of the better-paying Naval Contracts in the game and a significant jump from the 1,800 Reales of Weathering the Storm. Always go for the mortar bonus — it doubles the payout.

Tips for The Realities of War

• One mortar kill is all you need. Unlike Weathering the Storm which needed two, this bonus only requires one. Pick the weakest ship in the fleet, soften it with cannons, and finish it with a mortar. Done.
• Incapacitate first, mortar second. You do not need to kill ships from full health with mortars. Bring a ship to near-zero with broadsides and heavy shot, then land one mortar for the kill. It is far more ammo-efficient.
• Focus fire on one ship at a time. Spreading damage across the whole Spanish fleet keeps multiple dangerous ships in the fight longer. Concentrate on one ship until it sinks, then move on.
• Keep your mortar ammo stocked before the fight. Running out of mortar ammo is the main way to miss the bonus objective. See our ultimate ship upgrade plans guide for the Mortar Storage upgrade.
• Stay mobile. Spanish frigates deal solid broadside damage. Circle continuously rather than trading blows at close range.
• Upgrade your Jackdaw before this fight. The Cruz region is further into the game and the ships here are tougher. See our Great Inagua upgrades guide for the best priorities before heading into the Cruz region.

Grand Cayman and the Cruz Region

Grand Cayman sits in the Cruz region, the same area that contains the Grand Cayman chest. If you are visiting Grand Cayman for The Realities of War, it is worth taking the time to clear the island’s other collectibles and points of interest while you are there. The island also contains two Assassin Contracts, a Tavern, a Viewpoint, chests, and a Song Sheet — all worth grabbing if you are working toward full completion.

Other Naval Contracts in the Chain

Here is where The Realities of War fits among all 15 Naval Contracts:

• Weathering the Storm – Naval Contract #10, unlocked at Nassau. Sink a 5-ship British fleet.
• Driftwood – Naval Contract #9, unlocked at Andreas Island. Gather 60 Wood.
• Silk on the Waves – Naval Contract #8, unlocked at Salt Key Bank. Gather 30 Cloth.
• The Law of the Ocean – Naval Contract #7, unlocked at Havana. Board the Hercules brig.
• A Personal Matter – Naval Contract #6, unlocked at Crooked Island. Sink or board the HMS Defiance.
• 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 frigate.
• The Final Contract – The last Naval Contract, only unlocked after all 14 others are done. Rewards Legendary Sails and Rare Crew Attire.

For the full list of all 15 Naval Contracts, see our complete Naval Contracts locations guide.

More AC Black Flag Resynced Guides

Here are more guides to help you across the Caribbean:

• How to Beat All 6 Legendary Ships
• Legendary Ships Mortar Trick
• All Assassin Contracts Locations Guide
• Kenway’s Fleet Guide
• All Mayan Stelae Locations
• All Treasure Map Locations
• Crafting Guide
• Forts Guide
• All Underwater Shipwrecks Locations
• Beginner’s Tips
• 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.

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