Hunting resource decision
Last updated October 4, 2026
Harpooning: Spend Harpoons Only When the Catch Has a Job
Harpoon a whale or shark when the resource named by your next crafting upgrade is worth a small-boat detour, or when you deliberately want saleable cargo. Check the upgrade requirement before the hunt, protect a finite harpoon supply during it, and separate materials to keep from surplus to sell at the next port.
Route decision
Requirement → hunt → keep or sell
Open the relevant crafting or Jackdaw upgrade requirement before sailing to an animal location; note the material you actually need and check your harpoon supply.
The named material is present for the planned craft, or the surplus is sold at port without consuming the resource reserved for that craft.
A hunt without a material target can spend finite harpoons and sailing time, then turn a needed upgrade component into cash you will have to replace later.
Player workbench
Requirement → hunt → keep or sell
Treat each animal marker as a resource decision, not an automatic diversion from the Jackdaw's current route.
- Name the gapRead the material and quantity shown by the craft or upgrade screen before leaving port.
- Choose one huntUse the map to pick a whale or shark location that fits the current voyage, then check harpoons before taking the small boat.
- Keep the catchConfirm the material count after the hunt and reserve what the planned craft needs before opening the sale menu.
Decision table
Choose from the situation in front of you
| Situation | Decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A current craft names an animal material | Hunt for that requirement | The catch has a known use; keep enough of it before considering a sale. |
| No craft needs the catch, but money is short | Hunt only if the detour is safe | Sale value may help, but compare it with the time and finite harpoons spent reaching and completing the encounter. |
| Harpoons are low or the approach keeps failing | Leave the marker for later | The finite supply makes an uncertain attempt a poor way to fund a near-term upgrade. |
| The material is already reserved for crafting | Sell only surplus at port | Converting the last required material to reales creates a second collection trip. |
| A normal sea fight blocks the voyage | Prioritise Jackdaw combat upgrades | A stronger harpoon hunt does not replace hull, broadside, or mortar preparation. |
Hunt / reserve / sale card
Keep the recipe requirement attached to the catch
Check the exact animal material named by the next craft. A successful hunt, a funded upgrade, and a profitable sale are three different outcomes.
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Before launching
Read one live recipe
Write down the material name and amount shown by the next craft, plus the current inventory count for that same material.
Proof: The shortfall is a number tied to one planned upgrade, not a guess based on the animal marker.
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At the hunt
Set a harpoon stop point
Start the small-boat activity only if the remaining harpoons and route time are acceptable; stop spending when the planned material gap is filled.
Proof: The material count after the hunt is checked before another animal is pursued.
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At port
Sell only after reserving
Compare the held amount with the next craft requirement, then protect that reserve before reviewing any remainder as cargo.
Proof: The Harbourmaster transaction leaves the next named craft funded or the remaining gap clearly recorded.
Stop ruleIf the craft needs a different animal material, a plan, or reales, this catch does not close the upgrade. Recheck the live menu instead of repeating the same hunt.
One-craft reserve check
Separate the next upgrade material from sale cargo
Enter the same material's amount in the current craft requirement and inventory. This arithmetic covers one named craft only; it does not predict a hunt's yield, sale value, or another recipe.
Enter both live counts to check the reserve.
- Still needed
- —
- Protect for this craft
- —
- Surplus before other plans
- —
Only compare identical material names. Protect amounts needed by any other planned craft before treating a surplus as sellable.
How to use it
Use a one-craft reserve rule
Before selling, set aside the exact material quantity shown for the next craft. If that requirement is already covered, the remaining catch can be evaluated as cargo; if it is not covered, another sale merely moves the upgrade farther away. Record the animal location, harpoons consumed, and useful material gained after one attempt rather than assuming every marker has the same return.
Recovery path
If the catch does not solve the upgrade
Check whether the missing requirement is a different animal material, a design plan, or reales. The hunt may have succeeded while the upgrade remained locked for another reason. Compare the live menu first, then use the upgrade board for the true blocker instead of repeating the same animal marker.
Open next
Keep the route moving
The named material is present for the planned craft, or the surplus is sold at port without consuming the resource reserved for that craft.
Common Questions
Are harpoons unlimited in Black Flag Resynced?
No. Ubisoft describes the small-boat hunt as using finite harpoons. Check the supply before taking a whale or shark detour.
Should I sell every whale or shark resource?
No. First compare the catch with the material named by your next craft; reserve what you need and sell only surplus at port.
Where do I sell a catch or buy a ship upgrade?
Use the local Harbourmaster. Ubisoft says those transactions moved out of the Captain's Cabin in Resynced.