Julien Du Casse AC Black Flag Resynced: Winning Strategies

Julien Du Casse is the first real Templar boss in the game. The showdown takes place at the end of Sequence 3, during the main mission "Mass Panic", on the deck of the Nostromo. On paper, the fight seems simple - but his pistols and the way he keeps his distance can hurt a lot if you charge in head first.

Before the fight: clean house quietly

When boarding the Nostromo, Du Casse won't be on alert yet. This is your window of opportunity. Take advantage of it to stealthily assassinate as many guards as possible on the deck. The fewer enemies there are around when the boss wakes up, the more manageable the fight will be. There's a limit to what you can do before he spots you - but every guard taken down counts.

Understanding Du Casse's attacks

Once the fight begins, Du Casse stays at a distance and spams his pistols. Each shot you take removes a huge chunk of Edward's health bar. Watch for the targeting icon that appears above his head: when it fills up, he fires. You have two options to avoid it:

• Dodge at the right moment before the icon is full.
• Grab a hostile guard as a human shield - the shot takes him out instead of you and reduces the number of enemies on deck.

The human shield is clearly the best option when guards are still lingering around. Two problems solved at once.

How to deal damage effectively

Attacking Du Casse directly doesn't work. He deflects your blows and instantly counters with a guaranteed shot. The right approach is to let him come to you.

When he switches to melee attacks, watch for the red indicator and perform a perfect dodge. Du Casse then enters a temporary stun state - this is your moment to chain in as many strikes as possible before he backs off and starts shooting again.

At the same time, you can shoot him with Edward's pistols. The damage isn't huge, but it's useful for chipping away at his health bar or finishing off the last bit of health. Depending on your crafting progress, you'll have two to four bullets before needing to reload. Ammunition is limited - pick up what drops from the guards you eliminate throughout the fight.

Explosive barrels: the decisive card

On the deck of the Nostromo, several red explosive barrels are scattered around. You can detonate them by hand or from a distance with your pistols. The idea is simple: lure Du Casse near a barrel, then blow it up.

It's tricky to pull off cleanly, but the payoff is massive: an explosion removes a huge chunk of his health bar. If Du Casse is below 50% health when a barrel explodes next to him, it can be enough to end the fight instantly.

Tip

Du Casse isn't a hard boss once you understand his mechanics. The real mistake is panicking and mashing direct attacks - you'll take a guaranteed shot every time. Patience, perfect dodges, barrels: the fight folds quickly.