Advanced Tips

Golden Rules

• Stay on the move. You have a target to track down and you are being hunted constantly. You should only remain still in very specific instances, such as when you are hiding from a pursuer or poised to spring an ambush.
• Aim to complete your contracts with a high score bonus. Securing more kills than your rivals isn’t helpful if they consistently accumulate twice the points.
• Avoid surrendering points to other players by allowing yourself to be killed or |stunned. Be patient! Running towards a target will get you to them more quickly, but will also increase the likelihood you will be noticed (or, worse, Locked) by other players.
• A player with higher XP and character resources will always have an advantage, so just keep playing. Your progression curve will
• flatten out, with higher Levels coming more slowly, but the advanced Abilities are worth striving for.
• Improvise, don’t strategize. Concentrate on finding your target as quickly as possible, but remain alert and be ready to switch tactics in an instant.
• Try to Lock your targets whenever you identify them. Locking enables you to keep track of opponents, even when they move out of view (though only briefly), and helps to avoid situations where you execute civilians by mistake.
• It makes sense to use Abilities sooner rather than later. Even with default Cooldown periods, the assignment of contracts and tracking time with a full Ability Set roughly equates to one Ability per kill.

Ability Set Tips

• As you level up, you will need to define tactical custom sets to get the best use of your Abilities, Perks and Streaks. These sets enable you to activate two Perks, whereas the default sets only feature one initially.
• Through advancement, you will acquire up to five custom sets for a range of strategic options, enabling you to choose various sets of complementary powers. You can switch sets between rounds, after dying, by pressing /a + / during a game (though this costs ), or by activating the Ability Switch Loss Bonus. Give each set a

• unique descriptive name to facilitate quick choices before respawns.
• If your opponents take to the rooftops, a focus on ranged Abilities may catch them out. If they act aggressively, defensive Abilities will humiliate them. If you suspect that the other participants are more experienced than you, choose a favorite Loss Bonus (such as Score x2) to remain competitive.
• Remember that Abilities are not 100% reliable. The fog of a Smoke Bomb can be avoided during the explosion delay; the trap of a Tripwire
• Bomb can be negotiated by walking carefully around it; you can even escape the effect of Wipe by staying out of your opponent’s range for a second or two.
• Some Abilities have a counterpart that undermines them. For example, Firecrackers can reveal a Disguised or Morphed target; Knives will slow down a target even if they have the Hot Pursuit Perk.
• To get you started on ideas for good combinations, here are a few selections of skills that complement each other well:

Defensive Sets

Offensive Sets

Score & Bonus Tips

• When your target is hiding in hay, jump in yourself. This will force him or her out, setting up an easy Hidden Kill bonus.
• In any given round, try to mix up your kills. There are big points bonuses for variety.
• After you perform a kill, close proximity to other players will delay the assignment of another contract. Move to the outer edge of the map to reduce the waiting time.
• When another player kills your target, don’t forget to finish them off for a Ground Finish bonus.
• Crafting is a good way to improve your favored Abilities, which will make it easier to score more points in each session.
• The better your approach is, the shorter the kill animation will be. This will help you to remain unnoticed and move on immediately to your next target.

Opponent Identification

• Once you hear whispers, you know that your pursuer is drawing near. Conversely, once you hear your heartbeat, you know that your target is nearby. If you are finding it difficult to hear the whispers, try adjusting sound levels on your TV, or use headphones.
• An arrow inside the Compass reveals you when your target is at a different elevation, perhaps striding over rooftops while you stalk the streets, or walking on a different floor level ( 01). Use this to plan ahead your approach and know where to look when tracking down your target.
• Blending with moving crowds enables you to approach your target without being spotted.
• Blending isn’t half as effective as standing next to a civilian with an identical appearance. This leaves the sticky problem of deciding who to strike, which should at the very least slow an opponent down.

• If you’re trying to kill a target that has a lookalike in a Blend group, you can use the line of sight to identify which one is your target. Position yourself behind an obstacle or around a corner, and inch slowly to have only one character at a time in your line of sight: the outline around your target’s portrait will reveal which lookalike to kill ( 02 & 03). Conversely, when you use a lookalike defensively (with Blender, for instance), try to position your character in such a way that you will appear in the line of sight of your pursuer at the same time as your clone.
• When you have spotted a target that has also identified you, the outcome of the duel is often determined by Abilities. Use the Ability that has the most profound and long-lasting effect: for example, a Smoke Bomb incapacitates its target for a longer duration than Knives.
• Moving at a higher elevation increases your chances of targeting your contract. If you are on a rooftop above them, the range of an air assassination while in pursuit exceeds the proximity you would need to reach them at street level – and you won’t take damage from falling. At the same time, rooftop activity marks you out to all other players.
• Some characters are harder to spot at a distance than others, particularly for new players. If there is one you find troublesome, simply choose that skin as your own to avoid this problem. There is a chance, of course, that your pursuers may have the same trouble identifying you.
• Watch how AI-controlled civilians move and attempt to imitate them. Other players are just as busy as you, so a rough approximation will let you pass for an NPC on most occasions.
• If your pursuer performs a High Profile action while in your line of sight, a red icon will appear above their head, making them very easy to spot ().

• When a player moves his camera to look behind, his character moves his head – use this distinct “tell” to locate your rivals ( 04).
• Take a moment to stop and look at which way the arc is moving on your Compass. By interpreting its width and direction, you may be able to intercept your target at the nearest intersection.
• If your target is constantly running around on rooftops, you can either chase him up there for a Reckless kill, or save your time and earn a bonus by shooting them in the back with the Pistol or a Poison Dart.
• The moment you locate your target and assassinate them, even if striking from a hiding place, you break your cover for the entire world to see. You are never more likely to be killed than at this moment, so you may benefit from a swift getaway rather than blending or hiding.
• Use Poison or Poison Darts to avoid creating a disturbance, then make a discrete departure – the ensuing commotion may distract any opponents closing in on your approximate position.

High Profile & Chase Tips

• When in close pursuit of a target, don’t forget to regularly look around to identify opponents zeroing in on you.

• You cannot be assassinated by normal moves while climbing or jumping. However ranged Abilities make short work of anyone scaling walls or free running.

• Chases favor the escapee, as they can use Chase Breakers and hiding places to accelerate a time-out. For this reason, don’t
• attempt to follow your target’s exact footsteps: attempt to cut them off instead. Chases cost potential killing time, so a 50/50 gamble on whether they’ll turn left or right will conclude the matter sooner rather than later. It’s often better to ditch an adept opponent than enter a protracted pursuit.

• Always climb in steps, using beams and poles, and make distance on flat ground or free running surfaces. Scaling a wall leaves you open to ranged attacks.

• If you have your pursuer Locked, press the stun button rapidly as they close in for the kill and you have a greater chance of incapacitating them and ending their pursuit. Worst-case scenario, you will get an Honorable Death bonus for your troubles.

• When you are chased, you can use the Disruption Ability as you go round a corner or behind an obstacle, then suddenly turn around and stun your pursuer.

Team Tactics

• Cooperative actions boost scores. Before rushing to complete a kill, check if you can’t maximize the return by involving teammates. Plan your Ability Sets together for offense or support roles.

• Whenever you are close to an ally who has just killed a target, run to the victim and perform a Ground Finish for an easy bonus. This can be achieved by all teammates and is a great way to maximize your score if you move in formation.

• If you see a teammate being stunned while standing in close proximity, try to kill their target and then immediately revive your ally. You will not only save your cohort precious seconds, but also earn more points; remind him or her to perform a Ground Finish on the vanquished target.

• When you Lock a target, your partners see them Locked too (), which helps to coordinate your actions.

• If a partner is killed or stunned, their assassin is ripe for a counterattack ( 05). Cover each other when close, as you will be drawing both of your hunters to the same location.

• Press / to revive a stunned ally and earn a bonus ( 06).

• Use your Target HUD to switch between targets, then go for the opponent who is closest, or in the most interesting location. Don’t necessarily settle for the first assigned target.

• Animus Hack isn’t as effective in team modes, as you only have a maximum of four targets.

• Use your teammate to drive a target towards your location. Setting a trap with Disguise is effective, as many opponents will expect to recognize their pursuers.

• Adjust your solo and cooperative efforts to suit the situation. When trailing, work together on one target for quality kills and Team Bonuses. Once you take the lead, it can be advantageous to split up and take a target each.

• Remember that a Chase Breaker that was closed by a teammate will automatically reopen for you.