You're sailing the Caribbean, the Jackdaw is cutting through the waves, and you spot a weirdly tall, carved pillar on a random beach. Honestly, if you're like most players starting Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, you probably ignore these things for the first ten hours. Big mistake. Those pillars—officially called Mayan Stelae—are the only way to get the single most "broken" item in the game.
I'm talking about the black flag mayan stones.
These aren't just shiny rocks for your collection. They are keystones. Ancient, First Civilization-tech keystones. If you find all sixteen of them, you unlock a suit of armor that literally deflects bullets. In a game where every pirate with a musket is trying to put a hole in Edward Kenway, being bulletproof is kinda a big deal.
What Are Mayan Stones Anyway?
Basically, the Maya found some leftover Isu (Precursor) shards thousands of years ago. They didn't just look at them; they integrated them into a set of armor and then hid that armor behind a massive stone door in Tulum. To keep the Templars or any random looter from grabbing it, they scattered sixteen black flag mayan stones across the West Indies.
Each stone is hidden near a Stela. These are those tall, grey stone monuments you see marked on your map with a little logo that looks like a Tetris piece.
You climb the Stela, interact with it, and enter a mini-game. It’s not hard. You just align a glowing geometric pattern with the environment—usually lining up circles with trees or squares with ruins. Once the shapes click into place, Edward marks a spot on the ground. You hop down, dig, and boom: you’ve got a Mayan stone.
The Best Strategy for Finding Every Stone
You can't get them all at once. Some people get frustrated because they see 15/16 on their tracker and can't find the last one.
The game gates them. You’ll get your first one automatically during the "This Old Cove" mission with James Kidd (who, as you've probably figured out, is actually Mary Read). After that, the world opens up, but you still have to wait.
Locations and Coordinates
Most of these are on islands you'll visit naturally. Here is the breakdown of where to look:
- Cat Island (734, 694): Northern ridge, easy to spot.
- Great Inagua (845, 468): This is your starter stone.
- Misteriosa (303, 199): There are actually two here. One is near the ruins in the center, and the other is right on the western shore.
- Santanillas (217, 245): Again, two stones. One on a southern rock, one in the middle of the island.
- Pinos Isle (334, 476): Look for the pillars in the ruin field. There are two here as well.
- Tulum (70, 405): Northern ruins.
- Tortuga (875, 379): Right by the beach where you dock.
- Matanzas (343, 642): Hidden in the swampy eastern area.
- New Bone (431, 116): Northwestern section, just outside the restricted zone.
- Isla Providencia (502, 44): Two stones, but you can't get these until Sequence 8.
The "Final Boss" of stones is at Long Bay (525, 253). You won't even be able to set foot here until Sequence 10, right near the end of the main story. If you're stuck at 15 stones, that’s almost certainly the one you’re missing.
Is the Mayan Armor Actually Worth It?
Yes.
Unlike the Templar Armor, which just reduces damage, the Mayan Outfit has a "magnetic" property. When a guard fires a pistol at you, the bullet literally bounces off. You'll see a small spark and a distinct "clink" sound.
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It makes the late-game fortress captures a joke. You can just stand there while five snipers try to pick you off, and you won't lose a single bar of health. It doesn't protect you from swords or axes, though, so don't get too cocky.
It also looks incredibly cool. It has this futuristic, layered stone aesthetic that stands out from the typical pirate rags. It’s basically Edward Kenway as a superhero.
Actionable Tips for the Hunt
Don't make this a chore. If you try to sail across the entire map just to collect black flag mayan stones in one go, you’ll burn out.
Instead, sync the viewpoints in every new area you visit. As soon as the "Stela" icon appears, go grab it. It takes maybe 60 seconds. If you do this as you play the story, you’ll have 15 stones by the time you reach the final act.
One last thing: Once you have all 16, you have to go back to Tulum. There’s a specific marker on the map for the "Mayan Outfit." It’s inside the assassin base, behind a locked door that only opens when you slot the stones into the wall.
Grab the armor before you start the final few missions. It makes the ending much more satisfying when you're effectively invincible to gunfire.
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Start by checking your Progress Tracker in the pause menu. See which islands you've already cleared. If you see a "0/1" next to an island name for Mayan Stelae, set your waypoint and get sailing. The bulletproof life is worth the trip.