A Guide for the Successful Assassin

From executing the subtle art of undetectable assassination to avoiding or fighting an onrush of angry guards to even tracking down investigation missions, flags and Templar Knights, Assassin's Creed™ is brimming with unique and varied challenges. Whether you're just getting started or looking for that extra strategic edge, these tips should put you on the road to success.

Beware the guards in heavier armor.

Quick-Strike
Unless you're charging into a Save the Citizen mission, nearly every battle should begin with a surprise, hidden-blade attack. Specifically, use a low-profile strike (don't hold the right trigger). It takes a few moments for enemies to spot a low-profile attack, so after completing your first strike, you still have another second or two to execute a second one-strike kill. With so many locations initially guarded by only two enemies, proper timing with your hidden-blade often allows you to completely avoid open combat.

Crowd Control
The most common combat scenario involves a crowd of enemies, all advancing on young Altair at once. They won't all strike simultaneously, but it's important to practice a bit of crowd control to help eliminate cheap shots from behind.

First, maneuver Altair so he's not completely surrounded, and second, grab an enemy or two from the outset and fling them temporarily out of the fight. This quick, two-step process evens the odds and prevents surprise attacks.

Templar Assassination
The thirty-three Templar Knights scattered about the world offer the stiffest one-on-one combat competition. They will consistently counter or dodge attacks, grab and throw you, break your own throw attempts, and even execute combo attacks with regularity. The solution? Don't engage them at all. Instead, assassinate them.

Up, up and away is almost always the best getaway.

Don't initially approach a Templar Knight after you've spotted them. Instead, examine the surrounding environment, and find a path to bring you quietly behind the knight. Then, it's a simple matter of a hidden-blade assassination attack for an instant kill.

Grab and Assassinate
The swiftest solution to besting a skilled enemy in combat is to grab and throw them to the ground for an assassination strike. Any prone enemy can be killed instantly by attacking with your hidden-blade. Switch to your hidden-blade after a throw and pounce while the enemy is down.

Fell the Best
Your first priority in any large scale fight is to identify and take out the most skilled enemies first. They can be picked out by their more elaborate armor and helms. Killing an enemy force's best fighters will ease the burden during combat, and it can even demoralize the remaining guards, causing some to flee.

Rooftop Chases
It's a safe bet that you'll end up having to chase many of your prime assassination targets through the busy streets of Damascus, Acre, or Jerusalem before you're able to execute your final, devastating strike. However, don't sink to your opponent's level during the chase.

While they run frightened through the streets, give chase high above on the rooftops, free from meddlesome citizens, guards, and environmental obstacles. When you're sure you've closed the gap, leap down for the kill.

Blending with Scholars can get you past any guard post.

Flag Hunt
There are literally hundreds of flags to be found in Assassin's Creed, most of them cleverly hidden from sight. A few key tips might help you track them down.

• Whenever you scale a View Point, use the opportunity to scan the horizon for flags. The draw-distance in Assassin's Creed is amazing, and you should be able to see flags even hundreds of yards away. The sparkling bits of digital "code" that surround the flags are a dead giveaway.
• Hidden flags are just as likely to be found at street level as on the rooftops.
• Alleyways and shattered buildings often provide cover for a hidden flag.

Unlocked Investigations
If you're having trouble tracking down further investigation missions for your prime assassination target, chances are you haven't completed enough Save the Citizen missions or scaled enough View Points. It's these sub-missions that unlock the coordinates for investigations on your map.

Scholars and Vigilantes
Completing Save the Citizen missions also provides access to roving bands of scholars and vigilantes, who can help you avoid suspicious guards. Save a scholar and he will join his comrades, allowing you in turn to join and blend with their ranks to walk undetected past guards. Save any other citizen type and they will sing your praises through the neighborhood, earning you the respect of local vigilantes, who impede the progress of any guard chasing you.

Leap of Faith
No guard quite believes Altair capable of surviving any of the dozens of the Leap of Faith jumps scattered throughout each city, making these leaps into haystacks the fastest, most foolproof method of downgrading the local guard's alert level. You can identify a Leap of Faith opportunity from a distance by the cluster of birds all gathered together.

These tips should help Altair be a little more successful in his dangerous missions. Think stealthily, act quickly, and follow the creed.

Article by Ryan Treit