Papers, Please is Naval Contract #4 in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and it comes with the biggest bonus objective yet. Milo Van Der Graaf wants you to sink the HMS Courage — a British Man O’ War. But the real money is in the bonus: board it instead of sinking it and you’ll walk away with the full 3,600 Reales. This is one of the best-paying contracts available from Great Inagua and well worth doing right.
- TL;DR
- Accept Papers, Please from Milo Van Der Graaf in the town at Great Inagua — not the docks
- Only available after completing A Spanish Plague
- Sail to the marked area and hunt down the HMS Courage, a British Man O’ War
- Main objective: sink the HMS Courage
- Bonus objective: board the HMS Courage instead of sinking it (+1,200 Reales)
- Base reward: 2,400 Reales — full reward with bonus: 3,600 Reales
- Always go for the board — the bonus is 50% of the base pay
How to Unlock Papers, Please
Papers, Please unlocks alongside the rest of the Naval Contracts after you finish A Spanish Plague — the first contract in the chain. Once that’s cleared, all remaining contracts appear on your map.
This one has a slightly different pickup location from the others. Instead of finding Milo at the docks, you need to find him in the town at Great Inagua. Look for the contract marker inland rather than at the waterfront. Talk to Milo and he’ll set you on the HMS Courage — a British Man O’ War he wants dealt with.
Papers, Please Contract Objectives and Reward
This contract reverses the usual bonus formula. Most contracts give you extra pay for doing something harder — here, the bonus rewards you for doing something that requires more precision:
- Main objective: Find and sink the HMS Courage (Man O’ War)
- Bonus objective: Board the HMS Courage instead of sinking it (+1,200 Reales)
- Base reward: 2,400 Reales
- Full reward (with bonus): 3,600 Reales
The 1,200 Reale bonus is the largest single bonus across all the Great Inagua Naval Contracts. Always aim for the board — sinking it is an easy mistake to make if you’re not paying attention as its health drops.
Where to Find the HMS Courage
After accepting the contract, a green investigation zone appears on your map. Sail to the marked area and use your spyglass to scan for the HMS Courage. You’re looking for a Man O’ War — the largest and heaviest ship class in the game, significantly bigger than a Frigate.
The HMS Courage is a named ship, so it will be clearly identified when you look at it through the spyglass. Once you spot it, plan your approach before firing. Man O’ Wars hit hard on their broadside, so getting position right before you engage matters.
How to Complete Papers, Please — Step by Step
- Accept the contract from Milo in the Great Inagua town (not the docks)
- Sail to the investigation area marked on your map
- Use your spyglass to locate the HMS Courage
- Engage from the front or rear — avoid its broadside cannons
- Use broadsides, mortars, and swivel guns to bring down its hull
- Watch the health bar carefully as it gets low — stop firing when the boarding prompt appears
- Board the HMS Courage to claim the bonus — do not sink it
- Clear the crew on deck to complete the boarding
- Collect your 3,600 Reales
The Bonus Objective — Boarding vs Sinking
This is the most important thing to understand about Papers, Please: the default objective says to sink the HMS Courage, but the bonus wants you to board it. These are mutually exclusive. If you sink it, you get 2,400 Reales and the contract is complete but you miss the 1,200 Reale bonus entirely.
The trick is managing the Man O’ War’s health as it gets low. Keep dealing damage until the boarding prompt appears — then immediately stop firing and move in to board. Don’t use mortars in the final phase of the fight when the ship is nearly incapacitated, as they deal area damage that can tip a low-health ship over the edge and sink it before you get the chance to board.
A good approach is to switch to chain shot to slow the ship once it gets below roughly half health. Chain shot deals very little hull damage but makes the Man O’ War sluggish and easier to position against. Once it’s fully incapacitated and the boarding prompt is live, close in immediately.
How to Fight a Man O’ War in Papers, Please
The HMS Courage is a Man O’ War — the same class you dealt with in Blind Justice. The same combat rules apply here, with the added pressure of not being able to finish the fight by sinking it:
- Fight from the front or rear. A Man O’ War’s broadside cannons are its main weapon. Don’t give it a clean broadside shot on the Jackdaw.
- Use mortars early. Mortars are excellent for opening the fight from range. Just pull back on mortar use as the target gets low on health to avoid an accidental sink.
- Switch to chain shot late. Once the HMS Courage is below half health, chain shot slows it without dealing much damage. This gives you control over the pacing of the fight.
- Watch the health indicator. Keep one eye on the ship’s hull health at all times. The moment the boarding prompt appears, stop all fire.
- Don’t panic-fire during boarding. Once you trigger the boarding, all incoming damage freezes. Any mortars in the air won’t land. You’re safe once you start the boarding sequence.
What Happens During the Boarding
Boarding a Man O’ War means facing a large crew on deck. Work through them steadily — use parries and short combos, the same approach that works in Eye For An Eye and Blind Justice. Clear the required crew count and deal with any deck objectives like powder stores when prompted.
Once the boarding is complete, the contract finishes and you collect your full 3,600 Reales. If the boarding prompt appeared but you missed it and the ship sank before you boarded, the base 2,400 Reales are still awarded — but the 1,200 Reale bonus is gone for this run.
After the fight, be aware that sinking a Man O’ War raises your Wanted Level. Boarding a nearby incapacitated ship afterward is a quick way to reset it back down before you continue sailing.
Jackdaw Upgrades That Help in Papers, Please
Papers, Please is a step up in difficulty compared to earlier Naval Contracts because Man O’ Wars have a massive health pool and hit hard. These upgrades make the fight meaningfully easier:
- Hull armor (level 2 or higher). You will take hits. Better armor gives you more breathing room to manage the fight properly.
- Broadside cannons (level 2+). More damage per shot reduces the time you spend in the fight and gives you more control over the pacing.
- Mortar upgrade. Excellent for the opening phase of the fight before you need to ease off to protect the boarding opportunity.
- Chain shot. Essential for slowing the Man O’ War safely in the late phase without risking an accidental sink.
For the full upgrade order and what to prioritise at this stage of the game, see our Jackdaw ship upgrade guide. If you need to farm more Reales before tackling this contract, our metal and wood farming guide is a good starting point.
Where Papers, Please Fits in the Naval Contracts Chain
Papers, Please is Naval Contract #4 out of 15 and the last one picked up from Great Inagua before the remaining contracts spread across the wider Caribbean. At 3,600 Reales with the bonus, it’s the most lucrative of the early Great Inagua contracts and worth doing as soon as you have a Jackdaw capable of handling a Man O’ War comfortably.
For all 15 Naval Contracts and their locations, check our complete Naval Contracts guide. If you’re working toward 100% completion at the same time, our Assassin Contracts guide covers all the land-based contracts across the Caribbean too.
Where to Buy AC Black Flag Resynced
Not in the game yet? Grab it on your platform here:
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pick up Papers, Please in AC Black Flag Resynced?
Find Milo Van Der Graaf in the town at Great Inagua — not at the docks. This contract has a different pickup point from the other Great Inagua Naval Contracts, so look for the marker inland.
What is the HMS Courage in Papers, Please?
The HMS Courage is a British Man O’ War — the largest and most heavily armored ship class in AC Black Flag Resynced. It’s your main target for the Papers, Please contract.
Should I sink or board the HMS Courage?
Always board it. The base objective says to sink it, but boarding the HMS Courage awards a bonus of +1,200 Reales, bringing the total payout to 3,600 Reales. Sinking it completes the contract but loses you the bonus.
How do I avoid accidentally sinking the HMS Courage?
Switch to chain shot once the ship is below half health — it slows the Man O’ War without dealing significant hull damage. Stop all fire the moment the boarding prompt appears and close in immediately.
What is the total reward for Papers, Please?
3,600 Reales in total — 2,400 base pay plus a 1,200 Reale bonus for boarding the HMS Courage instead of sinking it. This is the largest single bonus available from the Great Inagua Naval Contract chain.
Is Papers, Please hard?
The fight itself is similar in difficulty to Blind Justice — a Man O’ War with a large health pool and powerful broadsides. The added challenge is managing its health carefully to preserve the boarding opportunity. Upgraded hull armor and cannons make the fight significantly more manageable.
