Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Julien Du Casse is the first real Templar boss Edward Kenway faces — and if you go in swinging, he will make you pay for it. This guide covers where the fight happens, how Du Casse attacks, every method for dealing damage, and what you get after he goes down.
- The fight takes place aboard the Nostromo, a Man O’ War ship, at the end of the A Single Madman mission in Sequence 3.
- Do not attack Du Casse head-on — he deflects direct sword strikes and immediately fires back.
- Watch for the aim icon above his head and dodge before it fills to avoid getting shot.
- The core damage loop: wait for his attack, perfect dodge, then punish during his stun window.
- Clear as many deck guards as possible before triggering the fight — fewer enemies means less chaos.
- Grab a guard as a human shield to block his pistol fire and kill two birds with one stone.
- Explosive barrels on deck deal massive damage — lure Du Casse near one and shoot it.
- After killing him, you automatically receive the first Templar Key, which starts the Damn Fine Gear quest and leads to the Templar Armor.
Who Is Julien Du Casse?
Julien Du Casse is a French arms dealer working under the Templars. He is Edward’s first named Templar kill and the first proper boss fight in the game. You track him down during A Single Madman, the final mission of Sequence 3, which takes place at Great Inagua. The mission starts after completing Proper Defenses.
Du Casse has been tipped off that Edward is coming. By the time you reach the docks, he has retreated to his ship — the Nostromo, a powerful Man O’ War — and is waiting for you aboard it. The whole mission builds toward this confrontation, with the fight taking place on the ship’s deck rather than on land.
Killing Du Casse hands Edward control of The Cove at Great Inagua and opens the door to Sequence 4. He also drops the first Templar Key, which kicks off the Damn Fine Gear side quest and puts you on the path to unlocking the Templar Armor. For more on how the keys and armor chain works, the All Templar Hunts walkthrough breaks down every step.
How to Board the Nostromo
Getting onto the ship cleanly matters a lot for how easy the fight will be. When you reach the docks, there is a guard stationed near the ship — take him out quietly first. There is a yellow-outlined door on the side of the ship that marks your entry point. Jump from the dock, scale up the hull, and board through it. Stay undetected during this step or you risk triggering an ambush on the deck.
Once you are aboard, Du Casse has not spotted you yet. This is your window to thin out the guards before the fight starts. Move through the deck and silently assassinate as many soldiers as you can. There is a limit to how many you can clear before Du Casse notices you and the boss fight triggers, but the more you take out beforehand, the less pressure you will have during the actual encounter.
Climb to the Top Mast
If you want to try for a clean stealth finish rather than a straight fight, climb up the rafters to the top mast after boarding. Du Casse is up there. Reach him that way and you can assassinate him with a direct drop, ending the encounter almost instantly without triggering a prolonged fight on the deck.
This is the fastest method if your stealth approach has been clean and Du Casse has not spotted you yet. If he has already entered alert state, the mast approach still works, but you will need to deal with guards trying to climb up after you.
Julien Du Casse Attack Patterns
Once the fight is active, Du Casse behaves differently from standard enemies. He is highly mobile, keeps his distance, and does not commit to prolonged melee exchanges. Here is what to expect:
Pistol Fire
This is his primary attack. Du Casse stays at range and shoots at Edward with his pistols. Getting hit takes off a significant chunk of health. The tell is the aim icon that appears above his head — watch it carefully and dodge away before it fills completely. Timing the dodge to the icon is the core defensive skill this fight demands.
Sword Deflect Into Instant Counter-Shot
If you run straight at Du Casse and try to attack him directly, he will deflect every hit. Worse, the deflection immediately triggers a pistol shot at close range — which is almost guaranteed to connect. This is the mistake most players make on their first attempt. Do not charge him. His melee defense is built specifically to punish that approach.
Distance Recovery
After taking damage or completing an attack cycle, Du Casse retreats and creates distance again. He rarely stays in sword range long enough for extended combos. You get short windows to land hits, then he backs off and returns to shooting. Managing that rhythm is what the fight is built around.
How to Damage Julien Du Casse
Perfect Dodge into Punish
This is your main method for dealing damage throughout the fight. Instead of attacking Du Casse, let him shoot first. Watch for the red danger cue and execute a perfect dodge. A clean dodge puts Du Casse into a brief stun state — he cannot immediately recover or shoot back. Use that window to land several sword hits before he retreats and resets.
Repeat this loop: bait the pistol shot, perfect dodge, punish, back off when he recovers. The fight is designed around this pattern and it is reliable once you have the dodge timing down.
Use a Guard as a Human Shield
If there are still deck guards alive when the fight starts, grab one as a hostage. Hold the hostage in front of you and Du Casse’s pistol shots will hit the guard instead of Edward. This also kills the guard, which reduces the number of enemies you need to deal with. It is particularly useful in the early phase when multiple guards are still active and you need to avoid taking stray hits from multiple angles.
Shoot Du Casse With Your Pistols
Edward’s own pistols deal damage to Du Casse directly. It does not hit as hard as a sword punish window, but it is a solid way to chip down his health during phases when you cannot safely close the gap. Depending on how far along your crafting upgrades are, you can fire two to four shots before needing to reload.
If you run low on ammo during the fight, kill deck guards and loot their bodies — there is a chance they carry pistol ammo. It is not guaranteed, but worth doing between exchanges.
Explosive Barrels — The Fastest Method
The Nostromo’s deck has several red explosive barrels you can either shoot or ignite by hand. If Du Casse is standing near one when it goes off, it deals a massive single hit. Getting him close to a barrel during the chaos of the fight takes some patience, but the payoff is huge.
If Du Casse’s health is already below 50%, a well-placed barrel explosion can end the fight immediately. This is the quickest way to close out the fight once you have worn him down through the perfect dodge loop. The trick is keeping track of barrel positions while also managing his movement. Lure him toward one rather than trying to drag him across the deck.
What You Get for Killing Julien Du Casse
After Du Casse goes down, you receive the first Templar Key automatically. You do not need to manually loot it — it drops straight to your inventory.
When you then complete the next main mission, This Old Cove, and visit the manor at Great Inagua with James Kidd, this key is used to break the first seal on the Templar Armor locked inside. That action starts the Damn Fine Gear side quest, which tracks your progress toward collecting all five Templar Keys.
The other four keys come from completing all four Templar Hunts — one key per hunt. The full chain rewards the Templar Armor, the Templar Cross Trinket, 10,000 Reales, and 45 Bones for crafting once all five keys are collected and used at the manor. The Templar Cross Trinket is particularly useful for melee-focused players since it cuts incoming damage in close combat.
For everything connected to the post-A Single Madman content, the All Templar Hunts guide covers all four hunt chains with full walkthroughs for Rhona Dinsmore, Upton Travers, Anto, and Opia Apito.
Related AC Black Flag Resynced Guides
- How to Beat El Tiburon
- How to Beat All 6 Legendary Ships
- All Templar Hunts Walkthrough
- Crafting Guide
- Healing Items and Max Health Guide
- Community Treasure Hunt Chest Locations
- Beginner’s Tips
- Advanced Parkour Guide
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is available on Steam, PlayStation Store, Xbox, and Epic Games Store.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you fight Julien Du Casse in AC Black Flag Resynced?
The fight takes place aboard the Nostromo, a Man O’ War ship docked at Great Inagua. It is the final encounter of the A Single Madman mission at the end of Sequence 3. You board the ship from the docks and the fight plays out on deck.
Why can’t I damage Julien Du Casse with my sword?
Attacking Du Casse head-on does not work. He deflects direct sword strikes and immediately counters with a point-blank pistol shot. The only way to open him up for sword damage is to bait his pistol attack, execute a perfect dodge when the red cue appears, and hit him during the brief stun window that follows.
How do I avoid Julien Du Casse’s pistol shots?
Watch for the aim icon that appears above Du Casse’s head. Dodge away before the icon fills completely to avoid the shot. Alternatively, grab a nearby deck guard as a human shield — Du Casse’s bullets will hit the guard instead of Edward, killing both the threat and the guard at the same time.
What is the fastest way to beat Julien Du Casse?
Two methods work well. For stealth players, board the ship without being detected, climb to the top mast, and assassinate Du Casse from above before the fight triggers. For a combat approach, wear him down with the perfect dodge loop, then lure him near one of the red explosive barrels on deck and shoot it — a barrel explosion at low health can end the fight in a single hit.
What does Julien Du Casse drop in AC Black Flag Resynced?
Killing Du Casse automatically gives you the first Templar Key. This key is used during the following mission, This Old Cove, to break the first seal on the Templar Armor in the Great Inagua manor — which starts the Damn Fine Gear side quest. Collecting all five Templar Keys unlocks the full Templar Armor, Templar Cross Trinket, 10,000 Reales, and 45 crafting Bones.
Can you stealth kill Julien Du Casse without a full boss fight?
Yes. If you board the Nostromo without being detected and stay undetected long enough to reach the top mast, you can assassinate Du Casse directly. This skips the drawn-out pistol loop entirely and ends the mission cleanly. It requires not triggering the alert state while clearing deck guards or climbing the mast.
