Combat

Ezio rarely fights a single adversary at a time, with the vast majority of confrontations pitting him against several opponents who may possess varied weapons and tactical inclinations. A successful confrontation is almost always one that ends swiftly – and so introducing new ways to beat opponents decisively is a major feature of the Walkthrough chapter.

Basic Combat Techniques

You can enter Combat mode by attacking an opponent, or by pressing the Target Lock button (E/i) while facing an appropriate adversary. Ezio’s stance is adjusted whenever he enters Combat mode, with all movements made in relation to the assailants that surround him.

d is used to both move and direct attacks towards targets (). As Ezio usually faces several opponents at once, try to keep him in motion constantly to isolate individuals from the surrounding crowd for easy kills, or maneuver him to occupy a more defensible location. Both during and outside combat, and whether you activate the Lock function or not, you can switch targets by tilting d in the direction of your chosen victim.

To “Deflect” (for which, read: “block”) enemy attacks in Combat mode, hold the High Profile button (R/p) and press d in the direction of an incoming blow.

Though Ezio will automatically block attacks made by opponents directly ahead or just off to one side of him when the High Profile button is held, it’s absolutely essential to master the art of using d to make him turn and meet strikes from behind. Pay close attention to the health meters that appear above the heads of all opponents. These always flash to signal which aggressor is next in line to attack ().

Press the Primary Attack button (X/w) and a direction on d to attack an opponent in the specified direction (). With weaker opponents, an uninterrupted sequence of blows to a single adversary will wound and disorient the target during the first few strikes of the combo, with the final attack resulting in an instant finishing move. The Secondary Attack button (Y/e) is used principally to perform ranged attacks.

Hold the High Profile button (R/p), press d in the required direction and tap the Legs button (A/q) to dodge just before an opponent launches an attack ().

In addition to evading an incoming blow, this can also set up a combo opportunity against assailants who might usually block Ezio’s default attack.

Hold the Weapon Selector button (r/ü) to bring up the Weapon Selector screen. This features two radial menus (). Use d to select items on the left‑hand menu (assigned to the Primary Attack button), and f for the right-hand side (for the Secondary Attack button). When you return to the action, Ezio will equip the highlighted weapon or item.

You can also assign equipment to one of four Quick Inventory buttons (t). Select an item at the Weapon Selector screen, then tap the required direction to specify a slot.

Counter Kills

To perform a Counter Kill, hold the High Profile button and tap the Primary Attack button (R+X/p+w) and press d in the direction of an enemy as they launch an attack on Ezio.

Counter Kills performed with swords and daggers offer a very generous timing window. They are consistently successful against low-rank opponents, but may fail when employed against stronger adversaries.

Those who mastered Assassin’s Creed II and Brotherhood will doubtlessly have a penchant for the technically demanding yet peerlessly efficient art of Hidden Blade combat ( 01).

Counter Kills executed with the Hidden Blade are lethal when employed against most opponents that Ezio encounters, but this versatility and power comes at a price: the timing window for a successful kill is comparatively tiny. As a rule, the trick is to press the required buttons just before a blow lands. This definitely takes time to master, but it’s worth the effort.

Disarm

To perform the Disarm technique, Ezio must either be unarmed, or have a ranged weapon equipped. The button commands for a successful Disarm are the same as the Counter Kill move.

When Ezio successfully performs the Disarm move, he will wrestle an opponent’s weapon from their grasp ( 02). Attack the unarmed assailant again to kill them. Ezio will now wield his opponent’s weapon as if it were his own.

You can drop an acquired weapon by pressing the Empty Hand button, or return to the unarmed fighting style via the Weapon Selector menu, or a Quick Inventory button: by default, Ezio’s fists are set to M.

As with Counter Kills, some enemies can resist the Disarm move.

Tackle & Shove

There are instances where Ezio must accost but not kill a particular target. The Puppeteer Interface in the right-hand corner of the screen will notify you when the Tackle move can be performed.

To leap and grab an opponent within range with the Tackle move while running, tap the Empty Hand button when Ezio draws sufficiently close to his target ( 03).

Tackles can also be performed from above a target. Ensure that the individual in question is highlighted, then use the same button commands to leap down and knock them from their feet.

In some instances, using the Target Lock button to fix Ezio’s attention (and the game camera) during a pursuit can make it easier to perform this move.

Hold the Empty Hand button while running to perform the Shove move. This can also be employed to knock a target from their feet, though only if you can manually engineer a direct collision. It can also prove useful if Ezio has a need to barge civilians aside while escaping aggressors, or if chasing a target.

Kill Streaks

To begin a Kill Streak, Ezio must defeat an adversary with a combo attack, a Disarm and finishing move, or a Counter Kill ( 04).

During the killing animation, press d to highlight another opponent (the closer the better), then press the Primary Attack button to “stack” a subsequent assault.

If successful, Ezio will lash out and dispatch this second target instantly ( 05). This can, theoretically, be repeated until all combatants lie beaten on the ground ( 06).

Kill Streaks end instantly if Ezio is hit, or should he fail to make contact with an opponent. In pitched battles featuring several antagonists, employ Counter Kills to maintain a Kill Streak whenever you do not have sufficient time to dispatch an adversary before they strike Ezio.

Kick

When opponents block Ezio’s attempts to perform combo attacks, the Kick move acts as a “guard breaker”. To perform it, press the Legs button alone while in Combat mode.

The Kick move has a very short range. Move in close to your opponent before you attempt it ( 07).

After a Kick lands, the target will become vulnerable as they react. This is your opportunity to launch a combo attack while their guard is down.

Not every opponent can be incapacitated with the Kick move. If they leap back or sidestep each attempt, switch to a different technique to disable them.

Grab

Press the Empty Hand button to Grab an opponent. Grabbing an enemy opens up a range of contextual attacks.

Once Ezio takes hold of an adversary, the Throw move (Empty Hand button and a direction on d) can be tactically advantageous in certain situations – especially when used to hurl an aggressor over a ledge 08) or into water.

You can also direct an opponent into a solid surface (or other combatants) to knock them from their feet, then finish them with an instant-death kill before they clamber to their feet.

With a weapon drawn, release all buttons and d and tap the Primary Attack button (x/w) to instantly kill an opponent held in a Grab.

If an opponent resists a Grab attempt, you can perform the Kick move to break their guard and try again.

If an enemy attempts to grab Ezio, press the High Profile and Empty Hand buttons simultaneously to perform a Counter Grab; hold them to throw the assailant to the ground. If he is held in a grapple, press these buttons rapidly to wrestle free.

Assassinations

Ezio can perform a diverse range of assassination techniques with his Hidden Blades ( 09).

As a general rule these can only be performed when he is not actively engaged in combat, though it is sometimes possible to perform these instant-kill assaults on opponents who are facing away from him. Study the accompanying table to learn more about how assassinations can be put to use.

Main Assassination Types