It doesn’t take a great deal of provocation to incite many of Arno’s potential adversaries to violence. The advice we offer here is designed to cover the fundamental features of the Assassin’s Creed Unity combat system.
Combat Mode: Once a fight begins, Arno will automatically adopt a combat stance, and turn to face the enemy you direct him towards. Choose your current target by tilting 
in their direction.
Attack: To launch a melee attack on an opponent, press 
/
.
Strong Attack: If you hold 
/
, you will perform a slower, but more powerful melee attack. This move is only available after a later skill unlock.
Parry: Press 
/
to make Arno block incoming melee attacks.
Perfect Parry: By tapping the parry button just as the enemy is about to strike, you can perform a Perfect Parry, which leaves the enemy off-balance and gives you an opportunity to counter. To identify the timing window during which you have to press 
/
, watch your enemy’s health bar: if you parry as the health bar turns yellow (
), you will trigger a Perfect Parry and leave your opponent vulnerable to a follow-up combo. If your timing is less accurate, Arno will perform a simple block.
Dodge: Press 
/
to roll away from your current position and dodge an incoming blow (
). This can also be used to move Arno to a more favorable position, such as a narrow alleyway that may prevent enemies from surrounding him.
Ranged Weapons & Tools: You have access to both ranged weapons and tools during battles, with the former being activated by 
/
and the latter by 
/
. A quick pistol shot to eliminate a troublesome opponent may turn the tide during a challenging brawl.
Critical Kill: When an enemy’s health bar is almost empty and blinking, hold 
/
to perform an execution.
Skills: As you progress in the storyline, you will have the opportunity to unlock new skills for Arno. Several of these skills improve his combat proficiency by giving him access to new moves, such as Strong Attacks (hold 
/
to unleash a special attack based on the type of weapon you’re wielding), Staggering Strikes (hold 
/
to perform a shoulder charge that leaves the target off-balance), or Ground Executions (hold 
/
to deal a lethal blow on a target lying prone).
Enemy Fire: Many enemies will use their own ranged weapons to attack Arno during fights. You can tell in advance when such a shot is being prepared as a specific icon (
) appears above the head of the soldier in question (
). To avoid being hit, you can either break the marksman’s line of sight by running away, or attack him before he fires.
Escaping a Battle: To leave active combat, hold 
/ 
. This restores standard 
control, enabling you to turn tail and escape. You can also use this technique to reposition Arno if you feel that the initial battleground doesn’t favor him, or if a nearby location offers a strategic advantage.