Backs To The Wall unlocks when you kill one enemy with the new Wall Takedown move — line an enemy up with a wall behind them, trigger the wall takedown with R2 + Square, then finish with Triangle.
Backs To The Wall is one of the new combat trophies in Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, and it rewards a single specific kill rather than any grind. The whole trophy comes down to one of Resynced’s fresh melee finishers — the Wall Takedown — which the original Black Flag never had. Get the input and the positioning right once and it pops immediately.
What the Backs To The Wall trophy requires
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Trophy name | Backs To The Wall |
| Unlock condition | Kill an enemy with a wall takedown |
| Kills required | 1 |
| Location or difficulty requirement | None listed |
KEY!The listed unlock condition is simply “Kill an enemy with a wall takedown.” That means you need exactly one qualifying kill, and it has to come from the Wall Takedown animation itself — not from a normal strike that happens to land near a wall. There’s no time limit, no weapon restriction, and no specific mission or location tied to it.
How to perform a wall takedown in Black Flag Resynced
Set an enemy up against a solid surface, kick them into it, and finish the animation — that single kill is all the trophy needs.
STEP 1/4
Line up an enemy near a wall
Get close to an enemy who has a wall, ledge, or pillar directly behind them.
STEP 2/4
Check the surface behind them
The move only fires when there’s a wall or ledge behind the enemy, so reposition if they’re standing out in the open.
STEP 3/4
Kick them into the wall with R2 + Square
Press R2 + Square to slam the enemy back into the surface and start the wall takedown.
STEP 4/4
Finish with Triangle
Press Triangle to execute the takedown kill and unlock the trophy.
Video help
Resynced’s new close-combat moves
Resynced folds in melee tools that arrived in later Assassin’s Creed games and retro-fits them onto Edward Kenway — most notably leg sweeps and wall takedowns. Neither existed in the original Black Flag, and both feed straight into an instant takedown, which makes the early hand-to-hand encounters far more forgiving than they used to be.
If an enemy is blocking, a leg sweep with R2 + X breaks their guard and opens them up. The wall takedown works the same way but uses the environment: as long as there’s something solid behind the enemy, R2 + Square kicks them into it and lets you finish the fight in one motion.
Common reasons the takedown won’t count
The mistake almost everyone makes is assuming any kill next to a wall qualifies. It doesn’t — the game is checking for the dedicated Wall Takedown animation, so a regular melee blow beside a wall will never trigger the trophy no matter how many times you repeat it.
Don’t substitute other finishers either. A Hidden Blade Takedown or a Ground Takedown is still a takedown, but neither satisfies this requirement — only the wall variant does. And watch the enemy’s health: if they die from earlier damage before the kick connects, the kill won’t register as a wall takedown, so set up the move on an enemy who’s still standing.
Let the wall takedown itself land the killing blow — pick a full-health enemy so prior damage doesn’t finish them before the kick connects.
Other combat trophies worth chasing next
| Trophy | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Gun-kata | Kill 4 enemies in a row with pistols within five seconds |
| Caught ‘Em All | Catch at least 5 enemies in a single smoke bomb |
| Overdesign IV | Kick a berserk enemy caught in smoke off a ship |
| Let Me Explain | Perform 4 takedowns after a perfect parry |
Wall takedowns sit in the same combat category as several other trophies you’ll likely want while you’re already fighting your way through the early game. Here are a few adjacent ones to keep on your radar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a normal kill next to a wall count?
No. Standing beside a wall and landing an ordinary attack won’t do it. The trophy only registers the dedicated Wall Takedown animation, so you have to kick the enemy into the surface and let that finisher land the kill.
How many enemies do you need to kill for Backs To The Wall?
Just one. A single qualifying wall takedown kill unlocks the trophy — there’s no streak or repeat count to hit.
Can this be done anywhere?
Effectively yes. There’s no specific mission, region, or enemy type tied to the trophy, so any encounter where an enemy has a wall, ledge, or pillar behind them will work. There isn’t a single confirmed best farming spot, so grab it during whichever early fight gives you clean positioning.
What are the PlayStation buttons for the wall takedown?
Press R2 + Square to kick the enemy into the wall, then Triangle for the takedown. The source footage only demonstrates the PlayStation inputs, so treat those as the confirmed controls for this move.
Was Wall Takedown in the original Black Flag?
No. Wall takedowns — along with leg sweeps — are among the newer combat mechanics added in Resynced. They were carried back from later Assassin’s Creed games and weren’t part of the original Black Flag.
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