Enemies

All opponents in Assassin’s Creed III belong to one of several enemy archetypes, and will exhibit behaviors, proficiencies and weaknesses specific to their class. In this section, we examine their strengths and weaknesses, and offer tips on how you can avoid their attacks and disable them without complications.

There are, broadly speaking, three distinct factions in Assassin’s Creed III. Their archetypes are all effectively identical in terms of behavior, even though they wear different uniforms. In the early stages of the story, you might only encounter Loyalists, the British Redcoat forces. As time goes by, the blue-uniformed Patriots become more common. The third uniform style is employed by the mercenaries and brigands that you encounter during certain main story Memories and side quests.

Enemy Archetypes

Soldier

Soldiers are by far the most abundant archetype type during the first half of the story, and remain common in later Sequences.

• Soldiers are extremely susceptible to projectiles: a single arrow is usually enough to put them on their backs. They have no specific resistances.

• Whenever they appear in mixed groups with more dangerous allies, Soldiers provide an easy way to start a Kill Streak. In battles where you face several opponents, removing the majority of Soldiers via a Kill Streak can make it easier to take control of a combat situation.

• Though they have a degree of free running prowess, Soldiers are slower than Connor in a straight-line sprint and have limited climbing ability.

• Pay close attention to Soldiers standing outside the main combat circle, and make note of their movements. This can give you advance notice of firing lines, enabling you to position Connor close to a suitable human shield in advance.

Sniper

Snipers are almost always encountered on rooftops, where they act as sentries commissioned to punish all trespassers severely. Unlike their peers in previous Assassin’s Creed episodes, who trod lonely and vulnerable patrol routes, Snipers can be found stationed in groups of up to four on recognizable wooden platforms that afford them a clear view of their surroundings.

• While Snipers may wear the same uniform as certain Soldiers, they have very unique behaviors. Once they have detected Connor, Snipers will open fire at regular intervals while he remains within range. If you cannot avoid them entirely, try to move out of sight as quickly as you can. It also helps to use natural cover elements (sloped rooftops and chimneys in particular) to disappear from view. If Connor is hit by a sniper shot while climbing or free running, use the Catch Back move – press towards the closest surface with an available ledge – to avoid plummeting to the ground.

• Snipers will engage Connor in standard melee combat at close range. In these situations, their behavior is functionally identical to that of generic Soldiers.

• If a single Sniper might be problematic, you can use the silent bow to kill him without raising the alarm. Try not to use a pistol or musket: this will alert all guards within a surprisingly wide radius.

• Though it’s a fairly elaborate infiltration technique, you can throw a Sniper’s body from a rooftop into the path of a patrol below to temporarily pause their advance as they investigate, or close to sentries to draw them away from their post.

Officer

• Officers are immune to Counter Kills, but will fall instantly during a successful Kill Streak. You must use the Counter Disarm or Weapon Swipe/Break Defense techniques to break their guard to perform a combo. Ranged weapons are an effective alternative.

• Officers may draw and use their pistol at close range. The icon appears above these enemies when they are poised to attack in this manner, with a short delay before they aim and open fire. You can use the human shield move, or strike them (ideally with the Weapon Swipe ability) before they pull the trigger.

• Officers march at the head of many patrols, and can search hiding places and detect Connor while he is Blending with civilians. If detection seems unavoidable, it makes sense to begin the battle with the assassination of this dangerous foe.

• Though a relatively rare behavior, Officers can mount nearby horses and fire on Connor from horseback. They may also attempt to gallop over Connor if there is sufficient space to perform the maneuver. Should this happen, press the button that appears in the onscreen prompt (as with animal attacks) to evade their charge. You can either neutralize Officers on horseback with a ranged weapon, or run in close to knock them from the saddle with melee attacks. More often than not, however, the best technique is simply to focus on killing their allies: after a time, they generally leave the saddle to engage Connor on foot.

Snitch

• Snitches do not play an active part in combat encounters.

• Instead, they will flee the scene in an attempt to locate reinforcements.

Grenadier

Slow but relentlessly aggressive, the Grenadiers are easily identified by their imposing stature.

• Grenadiers are relatively uncommon during the opening Sequences of Connor’s story, but become a regular fixture in patrols (and as sentries) during later Sequences.

• Grenadiers are immune to Counter Kills and end Kill Streaks with ease.

• The most time-effective way to kill a Grenadier is to perform the Weapon Swipe move twice to knock them from their feet, then finish them off instantly as they lie prone. In one-on-one situations, you can alternatively employ the Counter Disarm move to remove their resistance to Combo Kills.

• Grenadiers can perform the Slam Attack – their special move – after a distinct wind-up animation telegraphed by the icon; on impact, it knocks Connor to the ground and causes massive damage. Perform a Weapon Swipe to interrupt the assault before it is launched, or press / to roll and evade the blow. If Connor’s evasive maneuver takes him behind a Grenadier, it is possible to kill them instantly with an attack from behind. If you are especially confident, you can quickly move Connor close to another opponent before rolling to avoid a Slam Attack. If the Grenadier hits an ally, he will kill them instantly.

• Grenadiers can also throw grenades whenever the icon appears, which cause high damage within a fixed radius. To avoid this, simply sprint towards them to avert the danger, or move out of range of the blast.

• Grenadiers are 10% slower than Connor when running, and cannot climb. From a higher vantage point or a safe distance, you can attempt to shoot them with ranged weapons or make an easy escape.

Scout

Scouts are agile adversaries defined by their speed and unusual set of resistances.

• These opponents are perhaps more dangerous when you have a pressing need to escape combat. Though a Scout’s free running and climbing prowess is no match for Connor, they are 30% faster in a straight line sprint, and can therefore outpace him in a footrace. As they run behind Connor, they will lash out to stagger him. When you see a Scout moving in to strike, just tap / to perform a short jump to foil their attack.

• Scouts are immune to normal attacks, Weapon Swipes and Counter Disarm which – cumulatively – makes them effectively invulnerable to Combo Kills. They fall instantly to Counter Kills and attacks during Kill Streaks, however: it’s just a matter of waiting for the right opening.

• Scouts have a special move – telegraphed by the icon – where they vault over Connor before performing an attack immediately after they land. Though you cannot prevent the initial acrobatics, be ready to punish the assault that follows with a suitable counterattack.
• Jägers are immune to every combat technique other than ranged attacks, Counter Disarm or a Special Counter with a ranged weapon. Disarming them, however, renders them vulnerable to a combo and a killing blow at the end of the attack chain. This makes them relatively easy to beat in one-on-one confrontations, though you are unlikely to have the time to complete combos during larger brawls.

• Combo attacks performed by Jägers are the longest and most withering that Connor can potentially face, and will reduce a full Life Bar to a perilously low level if left unchecked. The opening blow is always the easiest one to counter; thereafter, each subsequent strike offers a relatively miniscule window for a potential Counter Disarm or Special Counter. In any given group of opponents, the closest Jäger is always the target you should be most wary of.

• Jägers possess the special abilities of the Officer archetype: they can draw a pistol at any moment, and may mount a horse if there is one nearby. They will also throw grenades, though this is rare unless there are Grenadiers or other Jägers nearby.

• Though Jägers can resist multiple projectiles before they fall (unless administered during the mighty Special Counter finish with a ranged weapon), a single Poison Dart will always incapacitate and then kill them. Another trick of note, especially with multiple Jägers, is to drop a Smoke Bomb to render them vulnerable to instant kills.

Jäger

Encountered when Connor is at maximum Notoriety in Boston and New York, the Jäger is the ultimate enemy archetype, and is effectively a composite of the Officer, Grenadier and Scout classes. Resistant to many combat techniques, these are the toughest enemies you will meet.

Enemy Overview

Table Notes:

• “Attack” refers to the opening blow in a combo. If an archetype is immune, this will always fail unless they are off-balance or facing away from Connor (for example, after a Weapon Swipe).
• “Combo Kill” refers to the final blow in a combo attack. If an opponent is immune, they will repel Connor’s attempt to deliver a coup de grâce after weathering the blows that precede it. However, they only possess this resistance if they are currently holding a weapon. If unarmed, Grenadiers and Jägers will die like any other enemy as the final strike lands.
• A Special Counter with a pistol, musket, bow, Poison Darts, Rope Darts or Trip Mine is the ultimate finishing move: only unique opponents with onscreen life gauges can resist these deadly attacks.
• Whenever an opponent is immune to a technique, with the exception of the opening attack of a combo, their counterattack will cause Connor to lose health.