Ancient Greece is a dangerous place, with various foes trying to put an end to your young mercenary career…or to accomplish their own nefarious goals. While we list some proven strategies for taking out enemies, your play style will determine which specific abilities you use. However, Assassin attacks are usually the most effective and safest way to deal with any enemy.
Athenian
The Athenians are always ready to defend themselves. Many of them use shields, and those that don’t often attempt to parry incoming attacks. At low health, they will back out of a fight to heal up.
Peltast
- Equipment: Sword and shield
- Health: Low
These basic Athenian units bang on their shields before jumping at you. To get the upper hand on these foes, you need to be able to bypass the shield. To do this, parry an incoming attack or use a heavy attack, which staggers them, or use an ability like Shield Breaker, Sparta Kick, or Bull Rush.
Hypapist
- Equipment: Heavy bladed axe and shield
- Health: Large
This is a tougher brand of enemy than the light soldiers and archers. They use heavy swings and a shield to run enemies down. Unfortunately, you can’t parry the first swing of this whirlwind attack, but with proper timing you can parry the second. Brutes are much easier to deal with if you can break their shield or stagger them. Dodge-rolling is the most effective way to avoid their attacks.
Archer
- Equipment: Bow
- Health: Low
This is your basic archer. When they feel safe, they will crouch and fire multiple arrows in a horizontal line. When closing the distance with an archer, keep an eye out for the incoming ranged attack icon, and be ready to dodge-roll toward them. They can, and will, fire their bow in close range, but due to their low health pool, it is easy to dispatch them once you are in close. Alternatively, you can line up a headshot of your own while they are stationary, firing at you. Just be ready to dodge their shot.
Ekdromos
- Equipment: Sword
- Health: Medium
This quick and defensive enemy mixes dodges and parries into their attack pattern to confuse and trick unwary opponents. Perfectly timed parries on your part and attacks that stagger your foe are the best way to deal with the heavy soldier.
Strategos
- Equipment: Spear and large shield
- Health: Large
This Athenian leader mixes blocks and dodges to avoid some of your attacks. The large shield can only be knocked aside with charged heavy attacks. To break and remove the shield requires the Shield Breaker ability to be at least tier 2. While removing the shield is the most effective way to deal with this enemy, if you don’t have an ability to do this you can still take them down. Utilize a perfectly timed dodge-roll to slow time for a few moments, letting you attack.
Marksman
- Equipment: Bow and sword
- Health: Large
The ultimate Athenian archers, marksmen keep their distance and try to pepper you with a mix of quick shots followed up by a blast of multiple arrows. However, they can still fight in close range when forced, and they have a tendency to parry attacks from enemies in close range. When you are fighting them from range, be constantly ready to use your dodge roll to avoid their arrows. In close combat, using abilities that stagger or knock down the marksman is the best way to keep this very mobile unit locked down.
Spartan
Spartans are very aggressive, often ready to counterattack with a kick, followed by a leaping attack. Some of the more ferocious Spartans become enraged in battle, dealing increased damage and refusing to be staggered, no matter what you throw at them.
Phalangite
- Equipment: Spear
- Health: Low
This basic Spartan unit uses leap attacks and quick thrusts to keep you at range and off-balance. To get the upper hand, parry their attacks to stagger them, then move in and finish them off. This enemy is easily defeated from range, since they have no way to block incoming arrows.
Hypapist
- Equipment: Heavy bladed axe
- Health: Large
The brute attacks slowly, but their attacks cover a large area. They can also perform a devastating seismic leap that damages all nearby foes. Many of the attacks performed by the brute are unblockable, so avoidance is key. Using ranged attacks or poison abilities is the safest option when facing this foe.
Ekdromos
- Equipment: Sword
- Health: Medium
This nimble warrior mixes up regular attacks with unstoppable ones, making life difficult for you if you depend on parries. They can also become enraged, which means they can’t be staggered. Using abilities that knock down this enemy and attacking from range are the most effective ways to deal with the heavy soldier.
Hoplite
- Equipment: Spear and shield
- Health: Large
This shielded enemy uses wide swings of their weapon to catch opponents off guard. Be careful when they become enraged with their shield up; only certain abilities can break it in that state. When this foe is enraged, avoid their attacks. Using the Shield Breaker ability makes this foe much less dangerous.
Strategos
- Equipment: Heavy halberd and large shield
- Health: Large
This Spartan leader uses a variety of attacks to trick foes. Their large amount of health and longer enrage timer make them difficult to take down quickly. A strategos’s large shield can only be knocked aside with charged heavy attacks. Breaking the shield requires the Shield Breaker ability to be at least at tier 2.
Bandits
This ragtag group uses various fighting styles and has a penchant for poisons and cheap attacks.
Thug
- Equipment: Sword
- Health: Low
These simple fighters will dive away when cornered, only to run back in and sucker punch their enemies, briefly staggering them. Dodge-roll to avoid this dirty trick. They are extremely easy to take out from range and not much challenge for your skills in melee range either.
Archer
- Equipment: Bow
- Health: Low
This simple archer sometimes uses poison arrows to whittle away at an enemy’s health. When they are using poison arrows, you see a very noticeable green glow around the arrowheads. Be ready to dodge their incoming shots when closing the distance to them. They are also sometimes joined by a vicious canine companion as well.
Rogue
- Equipment: Dual wield
- Health: Medium
Fast, dual-wielding rogues have no compunction to fight fair—they coat their weapons in poison. While it’s possible to parry their attacks, it is very difficult due to their speed. Using an attack that knocks them down works well. If you’re overwhelmed by their poisonous attacks, you can rid yourself of the poison by immersing yourself in water or mitigate its effects with the Second Wind ability, which restores health.
Brute
- Equipment: Heavy blunt
- Health: Large
This tough but simple enemy mixes up regular attacks with unstoppable ones, making life difficult for you if you depend on parries. They also are quick to bash you with their weapon. Using abilities that knock down this enemy and attacking from range are both very effective against this foe.
Enforcer
- Equipment: Dual heavy blunt
- Health: Large
Wild swings with two heavy weapons make this enemy tough to ignore. Their fast-paced attacks can be tricky to handle when facing a large group, but their focus on attacking leaves their defenses wide open. Take advantage of their negligence by avoiding their blows, knocking them down, and performing heavy attacks while they are prone.
Daughters of Artemis
These foes like to keep you at a distance, preferring ranged attacks, flaming weapons, and tamed predators. You don’t encounter them often, but when you do you find them in the wilderness in small camps.
Huntress
- Equipment: Bow and sword
- Health: Low
This archer lights her arrows ablaze. If one hits you, rolling is the best method for putting out the flame. Take them out from range, or close the distance quickly to eliminate them.
Pathfinder
- Equipment: Bow and dual wield
- Health: Low
This tricky enemy can set you aflame from afar, but getting close doesn’t give you a huge advantage due to their lightning quick attacks. Parry to stagger them. Knock them down to neutralize their speed advantage.
Beast Master
- Equipment: Heavy halberd
- Health: Medium
This enemy has a tamed animal and uses a mix of slow attacks and defensive bombs to damage foes. If you kill their beloved pet first, the beast master becomes enraged, dealing increased damage. They cannot be staggered while enraged. To avoid this, focus on the beast master while dodging the beast’s attacks. Defeating this enemy from extreme range does not trigger the pet to attack you, so this is the safest course of action.
Followers of Ares
Devotees of the God of War, these foes prefer aggression to defense and will suffer through pain to keep on fighting. Followers of Ares are scattered throughout Greece but tend to keep to themselves in small caves and other isolated areas.
Follower
- Equipment: Sword
- Health: Low
These lowly priests fight simply, often swinging wildly when in pain. They pose little challenge for one of your skill. Melee attacks or a quick headshot or two from range will do the job.
Fanatic
- Equipment : Heavy bladed axe
- Health: Medium
This large enemy prefers wide swings and whirling attacks. With proper timing you can parry their attacks. Dodge-rolling is the most effective way to avoid their attacks before countering with your own.
Elder
- Equipment: Spear
- Health: Large
Totally devoted to her god, this master of the spear feeds on pain. Each hit you inflict triggers a counterattack. Utilize slower weapons and stronger attacks to mitigate this. As usual, knocking these opponents down is the surest way to avoid their devastating abilities.
Cult Guards
The cult guards are the most advanced enemies in Greece, focusing on defense and attack in equal measure. You first encounter a couple of these foes early in your journey, and they are more powerful than most enemies you face up to that point. The secret to vanquishing these foes is overcoming their strong defense. As you progress in your odyssey, uncovering more information about the Cult of Kosmos, you encounter them more frequently.
Guardian
- Equipment: Sword and large shield
- Health: Medium
Thanks to their large shields and their ability to parry, it’s difficult to find an opening on this very capable enemy. Using Shield Breaker (at least tier 2) makes this foe more manageable. Parry is also useful to get past their defense. Ranged attacks are mostly ineffective and require extreme precision to hit them behind their shield.
Vanguard
- Equipment: Heavy halberd and large shield
- Health: Large
Like the guardian, the protector carries a large shield and uses it, along with wide weapon swings, to catch foes off guard. Their unstoppable attacks can’t be parried, so be ready to dodge-roll if you need to avoid an attack. As with any enemy with a large health pool, it is advantageous to use fire- or poison-based attacks to keep the damage coming while you are avoiding their attacks.
Scion
- Equipment: Heavy halberd
- Health: Medium
An extremely fast and dangerous foe, the scion is the master of dodging and counterattacks. They have a wide variety of attacks, and finding an opening is extremely tough. Use parry or a perfect dodge to find an opening, or strike just after the scion finishes an attack.