The seven combat feats: three need gear you have to buy first
Let Me Explain and Gun-kata are not failed through clumsiness: they are failed because the weapon you carry has a cap. The seven on-foot combat trophies, with each one's gear requirement.
And it counts towards Silence, Fool!, Caught 'Em All, The Hangman, Let Me Explain, Gun-kata, Overdesign IV, required for the platinum.
Three of the seven are a gear problem, not a skill problem
Before you attempt anything, check three inventory items. Without them, three of these seven trophies will not pop no matter how well you execute.
Let Me Explain — 18.5%. It asks you to chain four takedowns after a perfect parry. And here is what nobody sees coming: weapons have a cap on chained takedowns after a parry. With the starting sword you cannot reach four, however clean the execution. You need a sword whose attribute allows four or more; the fast route is buying one at the Great Inagua general store once it is upgraded to level 2, though they also drop from chests.
Gun-kata — 36.4%. Four pistol kills in five seconds. Requirement: the holster maxed, so you can carry four loaded pistols. Without it there is no time to reload and the five seconds are gone.
Overdesign IV — 7.3%. The lowest in the block. It needs the berserk darts, unlocked around the middle of Sequence 4, and the smoke bomb.
The other four ask for nothing special.
If Let Me Explain does not pop despite perfect execution, it is not you: it is the sword. Swap it for one that allows four chained takedowns and it comes on the first try.
The four that only ask you to go to the right place
Backs To The Wall — 87.5%. The most common in the game: it comes practically on its own. To force it, bare-handed with R2 + square you deliver a kick that throws the enemy against the wall, and with triangle you finish him while he is stunned.
Silence, Fool! — 43.5%. Kill a guard while he is ringing the alarm bell. You have to do the opposite of the usual: let yourself be seen on purpose, wait for one to run for the bell — an icon appears over him — follow and kill him right as he rings it. A headshot is cleanest. The first convenient opportunity is in Nassau, where a bell sits beside a warehouse with enemies around it.
Caught 'Em All — 44.9%. Five enemies in a single smoke bomb. All you need is a dense group: walk into an enemy base, let them see you and bunch up chasing you, and drop the bomb when they are on top of you. There is a very convenient early opportunity in the main mission Sugar and its Benefits, where a guard carrying the warehouse key is surrounded by four or five others.
The Hangman — 21.7%. Ten enemies hanged with the rope dart, which the story gives you. The mechanic requires being above the enemy, up a tree or on a structure: when the position is valid the R1 prompt appears as an alternative to the air assassination. The best place to stack them is the Nassau Templar hunt: in one stretch you have to protect an ally, and from the tree beside it you can hang enemies one after another without moving.
Overdesign IV: four things in a handful of seconds
At 7.3% it is the lowest combat trophy on the list, and not through execution difficulty: you have to chain four things inside a few seconds, and one badly ordered sequence throws it away.
What you need beforehand: the berserk darts, unlocked around the middle of Sequence 4, and the smoke bomb.
The sequence, in order:
1. Damage an enemy ship until you can board, and board it. 2. Throw the berserk dart at an enemy. 3. Drop the smoke bomb on him. 4. Run in and kick him against the railing. 5. Once he is there, triangle for the finishing animation.
And the detail that invalidates attempts that look successful: the enemy has to fall into the water for it to count. If the kick lays him out on deck instead of sending him overboard, no trophy. Position yourself so the railing is right behind him before you kick.
The trophies involved
Each one links to its section inside the full Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced trophy guide.