You can start Ever A Splinter without major Jackdaw upgrades by pulling the Jackdaw close, swimming to the main enemy ship, killing its entire crew on foot, then returning to your ship and sailing into the mission marker.
Ever A Splinter is a late-game wall if your Jackdaw is under-upgraded, but the mission itself is not the part causing the problem. The block happens just before the memory starts, when two strong warships sit between you and the story marker near Long Bay. Instead of winning that naval fight head-on, you can clear the main ship on foot, return to the Jackdaw, and trigger the memory from the marker.
Where Ever A Splinter starts
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Mission name | Ever A Splinter |
| Story placement | Sequence 12 – Memory 04 |
| Start area | Story marker just off Long Bay |
| Main blocker | A pre-mission fight against two strong warships |
| Ship labels | Often treated as level-36 heavy galleons or Man O’ War-type ships |
| Best workaround | Swim-board the main ship, clear its crew, return to the Jackdaw, then sail into the marker |
Ever A Splinter is Sequence 12 – Memory 04 in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. It starts at the story marker just off Long Bay after the previous Sequence 12 memory.
KEY!The issue is the pre-mission naval encounter, not the memory objective. The ships blocking the route are strong enough that an under-upgraded Jackdaw can be sunk before you ever get to begin the memory.
How to start Ever A Splinter without the boat fight in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
This route skips the hardest part of the naval gate by removing the main enemy ship on foot before you trigger the memory.
STEP 1/15
<
p class=”vg-step-title” data-vg-step=”1″ data-vg-of=”15″ id=”reset-the-checkpoint” style=”margin:16px 0 6px”>Reset the checkpoint
Reset the checkpoint so you can reposition before the naval fight starts.
STEP 2/15
Bring the Jackdaw in close
Sail the Jackdaw as close as you safely can before the warship encounter fully begins.
STEP 3/15
Leave the Jackdaw and swim
Get into the water and swim instead of trying to win the fight with an under-upgraded ship.
STEP 4/15
Avoid the marker at first
The Ever A Splinter marker will not start while Edward is swimming, because the mission needs you on the Jackdaw.
STEP 5/15
Swim to the main enemy ship
Aim for the main enemy ship first instead of the objective marker.
STEP 6/15
Stay underwater on approach
Keep Edward underwater near the ship so the crew does not detect you early.
STEP 7/15
Board without dying
Climb aboard carefully, because dying during this solo boarding attempt resets the checkpoint.
STEP 8/15
Kill the whole crew
Clear every enemy on the ship yourself, with no Jackdaw crew helping like a normal boarding.
STEP 9/15
Check the morale bar
If the morale bar still has progress after the deck looks clear, one enemy is still alive.
STEP 10/15
Ride the crane lift upward
Use the crane lift on either side of the ship to reach the upper area.
STEP 11/15
Check both upper sides for the last guard, and shoot him if melee range will not reach.
STEP 12/15
Jump back into the water
Once the crew is gone, leave the ship and get back into the sea.
STEP 13/15
Confirm morale hits zero
The ship is destroyed when every enemy is down and the morale bar reaches zero.
STEP 14/15
Swim back to the Jackdaw
Return to the Jackdaw by water instead of staying on the enemy ship.
STEP 15/15
Sail to the objective marker
Take control of the Jackdaw again and sail into the Ever A Splinter mission marker.
Stay underwater until you are ready to board the main ship; surfacing too soon can get you detected before the solo clear begins.
Video help
How to handle the second warship
The encounter has two ships, so clearing the main one does not always leave you completely alone. The second ship can still fire on the Jackdaw while you are trying to reach the Ever A Splinter marker.
If your ship still has enough health and you have mortars left, the second ship can be finished normally from the Jackdaw. It is not the same wall as the main ship once the bigger threat is gone.
If the second ship is still too much, use the same swim-boarding idea on it as well: get close, enter the water, board, and clear its crew on foot. Once the ships are no longer stopping you, sail the Jackdaw into the story marker to start the memory.
The shark harpooning reset method
There is also a secondary workaround that uses a nearby shark harpooning activity to change the warships’ behavior. This is less consistent than swim-boarding the main ship, because the reset behavior may vary between versions.
- Sail toward the Ever A Splinter marker. Get close enough for the two warships near Long Bay to become the problem.
- Open the map and look for a nearby shark icon. The harpooning activity needs to be close to the encounter zone.
- Start the shark harpooning activity. Complete it or let it end normally so you return to the Jackdaw.
- Head back toward the warships. After the reset, they may be occupied with another ship instead of focusing on you.
- Slip past the edge of the fight. Avoid cannon range as much as possible and sail straight into the Ever A Splinter mission circle.
Use this only if you want an alternate exploit-like route. The swim-board method is the more direct workaround because it removes the main threat instead of relying on enemy behavior.
Mistakes that stop the skip
The most common mistake is swimming straight to the mission marker. That gets you close to the right place, but Ever A Splinter will not begin unless you are on the Jackdaw, so you need to return to your ship before entering the marker.
Surfacing too early near the enemy ship can also ruin the approach. Stay underwater until you are ready to board, then clear the ship carefully, because dying during the solo fight resets the checkpoint.
If the ship looks empty but the morale bar is not at zero, check the upper crane and lift area. One guard can remain hidden up there, and you may need to shoot him to finish the clear.
Do not assume you need a fully upgraded Jackdaw just to start this memory. Major upgrades help if you want to fight the ships normally, but the workaround is built specifically for players who cannot brute-force the naval gate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you start Ever A Splinter without upgrading the Jackdaw?
Yes. You can start Ever A Splinter without major Jackdaw upgrades by swimming to the main enemy ship, clearing its entire crew on foot, swimming back to the Jackdaw, and then sailing into the mission marker.
Why can’t I start the mission by swimming straight to the marker?
The marker requires you to be on the Jackdaw. Swimming to the circle can put Edward in the right area, but the memory will not start until you return to your ship and sail into it.
Where is the last enemy hiding on the ship?
If the morale bar is not empty after the deck is clear, check the upper area reached by the crane lift on either side of the ship. One guard can hide there and may need to be shot.
What happens if I die while clearing the ship on foot?
Dying during the solo boarding attempt resets the checkpoint. You need to board the ship and kill every enemy without going down for the workaround to work.
Do I have to destroy both ships before starting Ever A Splinter?
You need the route to the marker clear enough for the Jackdaw to sail in. After the main ship is destroyed, the second ship may still attack; you can finish it with the Jackdaw if you have enough health and mortars, or swim-board it the same way if needed.
Leave a Reply