Weapons

Weapons

From the footpad's dagger to the henchman's axe, every melee weapon is rated by three characteristics that define and differentiate its effectiveness in combat. The higher the rating in each category, the better the weapon will perform. But these are only base values, and the final effect will rest with the skills and strengths of the wielder.

• Damage: This attribute is the multiplier used to determine the strength of an attack.

• Speed: Weapons with higher speed can attack faster and more frequently.

• Deflect: The weapon's effectiveness when used defensively. The higher the value, the more readily the weapon will respond to deflect an enemy assault.

There are other variables to consider. Different weapon classes differ in the number of hits required for an Execution , and the size of a weapon will also have a bearing on its reach when chaining those Kills. Larger weapons overpower smaller ones.

Fists

The last line of defense: when all else is taken away, you will always have the option of raising fists and starting a brawl. In fact, being unarmed remains surprisingly effective against even the toughest enemies when challenged in single combat, or when it allows you to Disarm them. Always switch to your bare hands when mission objectives require your opponents to be kept alive or pacified with non-lethal methods. Flexed in a stealth attack, your Fists can knock a sentry unconscious without requiring a fatal Assassination.

You'll need to land 5 successive blows with your hands to perform an Execution. You'll punch harder after receiving the Climb Leap Glove from Leonardo, permanently improving your pummeling damage.

Special Attack: Throw Sand

While unarmed, hold the Weapon Hand Button to bend down and pick up a fistful of dust. You can keep it held until the enemy is close but you cannot move while in this stance. Release the button to hurl dirt in your opponents' faces, blinding them (Fig. 1) and breaking their defense.

• Swiftly follow up with a weapon attack by switching with the Quick Select Buttons immediately after the throw.

• Because you can be easily targeted, this technique is safer to employ when fighting alongside allies.

• When enemies bend to throw dirt at you, use the Dodge move to jump clear.

Hidden Blade

The Hidden Blade retains the potential to become the Assassin's most powerful tool, though its effectiveness can never exceed the skill and speed of the user. It can counter every type of melee weapon, so practice the timing until you have mastered it. It is the secret to becoming unbeatable, untouchable, and invincible.

Reconstructed by Leonardo da Vinci from his memory of Altaïr's Codex pages, the device sheathes a double-edged blade within a protective bracer that can remain concealed beneath the sleeve. Upgrades to the Hidden Blade will open up further Assassination moves, and include some ingenious contraptions for silencing distant targets.

The Hidden Blade must land 4 hits for an Execution.

Hidden Blade Properties

Small Weapons

Speed is the primary advantage of the dagger, enabling swift successive attacks and sometimes even countering fencing thrusts. The drawback is a woefully short reach, and a Counter Kill with a Small weapon will often fail against a larger one if the opponent can simply step clear. Low damage can be overlooked when instant kills are mastered but Small weapons remain overpowered by larger ones and cannot defend or counter against Heavy attacks.

To perform an Execution with Small weapons,

you will need to land 3 hits.

Small Weapon Attributes

Medium Weapons

Sufficiently lightweight to wield in one hand, the swords and maces of the regular guard are the weapons that Ezio will most commonly face – and sometimes borrow, when the situation calls for improvisation. Balance is the watchword of the Medium weapon, setting range against speed and damage against defense. Swords are especially effective when attempting to chain Executions on account of their reach and swiftness, but they are still unable to withstand heavier weapons.

When picked up and swung as ad hoc clubs and staves, ordinary domestic implements such as the Broom and the Hoe fall into the Medium weapon category.

To perform an Execution with Medium weapons, you will need to land 3 hits.

Medium Weapon Attributes

Heavy Weapons

Heavy weapons take on a slightly greater role in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and may now be purchased and carried by equipping a suitable holster, the Heavy Sheath. Relying on mass and force to bludgeon opponents, these serious battering tools take longer to swing with both hands but bring bone-crushing momentum to bear down on their victims – though certain stronger enemies can deflect their blows. Heavy weapons can only be countered by the Hidden Blade or Long weapons. Ezio may not wield it as capably as a Brute, but the Heavy weapon delivers slower Execution Streaks with plenty of opportunities for countering.

Heavy weapons only require 2 hits to initiate an Execution.

Heavy Weapon Attributes

Special Attack: Smash

Figure 02

This overhead blow can only be performed by Brutes. It breaks any defense and crushes the target. Once readied by a Brute, it cannot be stopped by blocking or counters, and the only way to avoid it is to dodge (Fig. 2) or step sideways. If you find yourself on the end of a Smash, use Dodge to jump clear and immediately retaliate to catch the perpetrator off-guard.

Long Weapons

Though also requiring two hands to wield, like the Heavy weapons, Long weapons have a very obvious named advantage in reach. Polearms can strike first in any battle and keep opponents at bay. Dodging maneuvers against Halberds frequently fail to make sufficient distance, while blocking is overpowered – though certain stronger enemies can deflect their blows. Long weapons can only be countered by the same class and the Hidden Blade.

Long weapons only need 2 hits to initiate an Execution, and the exceptional reach makes it easier to line up Chains on other enemies.

Long Weapon Attributes

Special Attack: Sweep

Ezio can perform a Sweep only when he is in Fight Mode. This powerful attack is one of the best reasons for acquiring a Seeker's Long weapon, as the high point of the swing can slash throats and kill more than one enemy simultaneously. It can also be unleashed at any time during charge for a lesser effect that avoids cancellation by incoming attacks.

Figure 03

Keeping the Weapon Hand Button held will prompt Ezio to turn and place the weapon over his shoulder, and in this stance the technique may be held indefinitely until several guards come into range. Releasing the button performs the Sweep (Fig. 3). Once it concludes, you may attempt to Chain more instant kills as per the Execution.

Long Weapon Breaking

Figure 04

There are two ways to avoid a Smash attack from a Heavy weapon. One is to evade with the Dodge move or sidestep, while the other is to block with a Long weapon. The defender will avoid all damage but the parrying weapon will shatter in two. When a Long weapon breaks, the owner may continue to wield the remaining half as if it were a bladed Medium weapon (Fig. 4). A Long weapon's Counter Kill against a Heavy weapon will also see the two broken halves impressively employed.

Special Attack: Throw Weapon

This technique holds for both Long and Heavy Weapons. It can be performed immediately after a Disarm, or with a discarded weapon picked up from the ground. Simply press and hold the Weapon Hand Button until the target is highlighted in red, and you will initiate the Throw move (Fig. 5). With Long weapons, the trigger is contextual: if Ezio is in Fight Mode when you hold the button, he will perform a Sweep; if he is not in Fight Mode, he will Throw the weapon instead.

Figure 05

Again, releasing the button completes the move and can be held off while you fix on a target coming into range or cycle through the targets to select another. A successful strike guarantees an instant kill.

Ranged Weapons & Consumables

Crossbow

Delivering iron-tipped bolts with speed and accuracy, the Crossbow can kill instantly from a distance. Even heavily armored foes will succumb to its piercing shot if caught unawares. Cocked and reloaded by lever for a reasonably slow rate of fire, the high-tension bow offers a silent method of assassination at a medium range. In a fix, you can even wield it as a club and use its melee Counter Kill to fend off an assailant. The Blacksmith's price of 175 florins per Crossbow Bolt almost makes that look preferable unless you can loot ammunition from those who use it.

The biggest drawback is getting close enough to Lock on your target, so you will still need to find a good sniper spot before drawing your weapon. To stay hidden, aim to catch them on their approach so that you can fire as soon as they step in range. To aim the Crossbow, press the Weapon Hand Button and hold until the line-of-sight indicator is fully focused as a single beam (Fig. 6). The longer it is aimed, the more accurate and powerful the bolt: though be warned that intervening objects – including civilians and other guards straying into the path – can block your shot. You may also charge the shot while walking toward your target, firing as soon as you have them locked.

Over the course of the game, you can acquire Crossbow Quivers with a larger capacity, up to a maximum of 25 bolts.

Figure 06

Crossbow Upgrades

Smoke Bombs

Depending on the situation, the Smoke Bomb can be a weapon of confusion and paralysis or a means of escape. The sound of the flashbang causes an audible and visible commotion to attract the attention of guards. The billowing smoke expands rapidly in a 4-meter radius and lasts 8 seconds (Fig. 7), granting Ezio a chance to flee or to perform instant Assassination techniques.

Those caught by the Smoke Bomb will experience the following detrimental effects:

• Anyone inside or entering the cloud will be dazed until it clears.

• Dazed guards are considered to be blind, stunned and unable to move or fight.

• Guards will recover if knocked outside the area of effect.

• Allies are unaffected, granting an immediate advantage in group battles.

Figure 07

Assassins Guild members of level 5 and above will also start to carry and use Smoke Bombs. Any guard who sees an Assassin throw a Smoke Bomb will consider it a provocation and give chase. And though civilians will avoid the cloud, guards will be prepared to enter if their patrol route or sense of duty compels them.

Smoke Bomb Attributes

Pistol

Developed from a Codex page by Leonardo da Vinci, this small Pistol can fire with lethal accuracy over short to medium range, but the noise and flash of the gunpowder discharge will attract attention.

The Pistol is very similar to the Crossbow in its use: aim by holding the Weapon Hand Button until the line-of-sight indicator is fully focused as a single beam, then release to fire. The longer you aim, the more accurate and powerful your shot will be. You cannot move while aiming, but you may cancel the shot at any time with the Target Lock Button.

The Pistol shoots Bullets of small, round lead shot, capable of piercing armor, that must be obtained from a Blacksmith or looted from guards who bear firearms. At 175 florins a shot, you would hope they might appreciate the send-off.

Pistol Upgrades

Throwing Knives

Throwing Knives are held in a specially designed Belt, allowing them to be plucked and thrown in one swift movement. When time is not an issue, it is better to Lock on to a target and take aim slowly. This will cause an instant stealth kill on lesser foes but higher ranks will take 2-3 Knives to put down.

Acquire the Knives with your first Belt and purchase more from the Blacksmith for 75 florins each. Over the course of the game, cumulative Knife Belt Upgrades can be purchased to increase your carrying capacity. Combine this with looted supplies from bodies to maintain a healthy stock, ever ready to silence a sentry on the rooftops. When moving stealthily in water, note that the Knives can also be thrown from the surface while swimming.

Knife Belt Upgrades

Figure 08

Special Attack: Flying Knives

Dual Wielding

Figure 09

It is now possible to launch ranged attacks while having your melee weapon drawn. Using the same contextual rule for throwing Long and Heavy weapons, the necessary condition is for Ezio to be Locked onto a target well beyond melee distance. With a Small weapon equipped in one hand, Ezio will be able to flick a Throwing Knife from his Belt with the other and can even charge the move for a flurry of Flying Knives. With his Medium weapon drawn, he will raise his Pistol arm and begin taking aim (Fig. 9). The intended advantage of this will become apparent when your enemies also boast ranged attacks, or when the infantry you've engaged receive some cavalry support in the form of a mounted patrolman. Note that the Poison Blade and Poison Darts cannot be used in Fight Mode – the Hidden Blade is automatically selected instead.

Dual Wielding Combinations

Poison

Doses of Poison are openly available from the Doctor for 175 florins, but they can only be administered at first with the Poison Blade. Until the introduction of Poison Darts, Ezio must get close to his target and prick them with the slim Poison Blade before retreating.

Poison Vial Upgrades

The symptoms of Poison are as dramatic as they are unpleasant. The victim stumbles around madly at first, clutching at others as the toxin moves quickly through their bloodstream. After 15 seconds they will flail and shout incoherently, accidentally attacking others if brandishing a weapon (Fig. 10). This draws the attention of bystanders and the guards, creating a diversion for escape if needed, and in another 15 seconds the victim will be dead.

Figure 10

Another useful product of Leonardo's inspired tinkering, the poison chamber of the Hidden Blade has been equipped with a propelled delivery system. When used on a target at range, it fires silent Poison Darts that inject the victim with a deadly dose. The effects of the Poison are unchanged but the ability to terminate an enemy stealthily without getting close, or to create a disturbance from a distance, benefits many situations.

The Fast Poison upgrade reduces the time and suffering of the victim, making the Poison Dart a quicker means of dispatch. When unlocked, the Fast Poison automatically replaces all of the ordinary Poison vials sold through the Doctor's Apothecary.

Poison Darts & Fast Poison Attributes

Medicine

Doctors can be found practising their leechcraft on the streets of Rome, and for 50 florins they refill Ezio's Health Meter. They also sell Medicine containers under the category of Apothecary Supplies, and their Medicine may be consumed at any time to heal Ezio.

You can purchase larger Medicine Pouches from Tailor Shops to increase the amount of Medicine containers that Ezio can carry. In emergencies, remember that Medicine can often be looted from the dead.

Medicine Pouch Upgrades