Phylakes

Prerequisite: Assassinate the Snake and Gennadios

Enemy Level: 20-40

Related Quest: Phylakes’ Prey (suggested level 40)

Reward: 300 XP; Phylake kill, 60-100 drachmas; most kills; piece of Legendary gear; Phylake kill; Black Hood Legendary Outfit (complete Phylakes’ Prey)

Details: Assassinate Phylakes before they get Bayek.

The Phylakes

Keep a Lookout for Phylakes

Phylakes, or bounty hunters, hunt Bayek after completing the Gennadios the Phylakitai Quest. These foes range between Levels 20 and 40, but they are all a challenge as Bayek nears the enemy’s level. Look for the red Phylake icons on the world map. They show up above fog in unvisited territories. There are 10 Phylakes in all, and each patrols a separate territory; see the table above for locations. They tend to follow a long path that stretches much of the territory.

Assassinate the Phylakes

A warning appears onscreen when a Phylake is near, so take precaution. Depending on your level, you may be able to assassinate the enemy. Otherwise, you must fight him to the death. If it gets out of hand, flee the scene.

As you pursue a Phylake, watch out for nearby enemy camps. Any additional soldiers make the fight tougher than it needs to be. Try to pull the Phylake away from the guards before attacking. Likewise, nearby allies may help out in your fight.

Also note that when you infiltrate a stronghold and tip off the enemies to your location, a Phylake may react to a brazier alarm as he roams the nearby area. This gives more incentive to sabotage the fire or keep enemies away from the brazier.

The Phylakes often travel by mount—camel, horse, or chariot—or may be on foot. They vary greatly in fighting style, following many of the same enemy types as the regular guards: soldier, archer, brute, and predator. The gear used by each Phylake is listed in the preceding table.

Sneak up on the foes and assassinate them if possible. Pull them off their mounts early to keep an archer from simply circling your location as he pelts you with arrows. Limit the fights to just the Phylake and use all tools at your disposal to kill them. Evade their melee attacks, block incoming arrows, and flee from firebombs.

Confirm the Kill

After making a kill, approach the corpse and confirm the kill by holding the Loot button. You are rewarded XP, a Legendary piece of gear, and possibly drachmas. If this is your first kill or the Phylake is a key carrier, you also receive a quest item(s).

The first Phylake drops an Assassination Contract that explains why the bounty hunters pursue Bayek. Killing the four key-carrying Phylakes gets Bayek Ornamental Keys (refer to the preceding table to see which Phylakes possess the quest items). Collecting all four keys leads Bayek to a fishing village in Herakleion Nome.

Investigate Fishing Village

After receiving the letter, head to Yw Huts in Herakleion Nome and find Abar, typically located on the village’s north side; use Senu to pinpoint her location. Talk to her and she offers to hand over the final key, if Bayek exterminates the crocodiles found east of the village.

Kill the Crocodiles Near the Fishing Village

Scout the island east of the village to find a group of crocodiles. It is the Level 40 reptiles that must be eradicated from the area. Do not pull too many at once as you eliminate the reptiles. After killing the marked animals, the quest progresses back to the village.

Speak to Abar and Find Her Treasure

Return to Abar and speak with her to receive the final key and the treasure’s location. Head south to the marked area and use Senu to find the treasure, underwater just south of the southern island. Watch out for the enemies (Levels 30 and 31) who occupy the island, though you can avoid them by taking a wide berth. Dive underwater and interact with the chest to receive the Black Hood Legendary Outfit.

If you found the letter before eliminating all 10 Phylakes, the remaining bounty hunters still pursue Bayek within their territories. Assassinate them to receive the legendary gear.