Combat in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Voilà! I have arrived, and am prepared to share with you my vast knowledge of the combat system in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. This guide will cover weapons, enemy types, effective usage of Assassin recruits and overall techniques for a successful murdering career.

But first, some history

Because I did it in the last guide.

The House of Borgia

Rodrigo Borgia was the Pope from 1492 until his death in 1503. His children--Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia--serve as major characters in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, particularly Cesare, the game's main villain. Most historical details of Cesare's life are the subject of much uncertainty. His was born in either 1475 or 1476 in Rome, and served as a cardinal from 1492, when his father became Pope until his resignation in 1498. While he was originally conditioned for a career in the church, Cesare instead became a successful military general backed by Rodrigo's power as Pope. While he had a successful military campaign, Cesare was killed in 1507 during his siege of Viana. He was ambushed after chasing a group of fleeing enemy knights. He was buried in Viana.

While Rodrigo Borgia was the antagonist of Assassin's Creed II, he is far less important in Brotherhood, only making a few appearances. Lucrezia--Cesare's sister--is also a minor character. Several other Borgia family members take minor roles as assassination targets.

The Papal guard was a group formed by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471. The guard was mostly made up of Swiss mercenaries and served as a strong military force, though they primarily served the Pope.

But who cares about all that history? Let the killing begin!

Fighting Basics

Ezio's Moves

Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a lovely guy, but I've already subjected you to the torments of words that aren't relevant to murder, so I won't dwell on it.

Note that this guide will display the controls for an Xbox 360 controller or any other controller with a similar layout.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, like most other games in the series, uses the profile system to differentiate between two types of move: high profile and low profile. Holding the right trigger (RT) puts you into high profile, and releasing it reverts back to low profile. This mostly affects parkour and movement systems, but it does have some effects on combat. Below is a table listing the effects of the face buttons in low and high profile.

Button	Low Profile	High Proflie
A	Kick	Dodge
B	Grab	Counter grab
X	Attack	Counter attack
Y	Taunt	Taunt

Enemy Types

This section will explain the types of enemies you will encounter. Rather than referring to the different factions in the game such as the House of Borgia or the Followers of Romulus, I'm talking about enemies from a purely combat-relevant perspective. So an Agile refers to all enemies share the characteristics of an agile.

I'll cover each enemy type by describing it's strengths and weaknesses, as well as how to identify, what weapons it uses and any other useful information.

Militia

The most common and least challenging of all enemies, a Militia guard will use a sword, mace or a hammer. They're vulnerable to everything, and use only a basic attack. It is easy to begin a kill-streak on Militia enemies, as they can't defend against any of Ezio's attacks.

Borgia Militia can be easily identified by the distinctive red caps they wear. French Militia are also encountered in the game's story missions, and are virtually identical to the Borgia, although their outfits are white with blue caps.

Agile

Named for their speed and climbing ability, Agiles are also very common in Brotherhood,. They fight using short blades and daggers. They use a basic attack and can dodge Ezio's attacks by quickly jumping backwards or to either side. They also dodge the kick move, so the best way to handle them is to wait until they attack and then use a counter-attack. They cannot avoid kill-streaks, so once you've started, they're not really a problem. It's worth noting that they telegraph some attacks by strafing one direction, then the other, followed by a quick

Agiles are almost as good at climbing as Ezio, and can outrun him in a straight sprint. If you're being chased along the ground by one or more agiles, wait until they've almost caught you and then jump forward while running. This will get you ahead of them, allowing you to make an escape.

Agiles are easily identifiable by the helmets which cover their visage and the feathers atop said helmets.

Seeker

Named for their tendency to search haystacks and wells for Ezio, Seekers are more challenging than many enemies as they can only be countered with the hidden blade, and are invulnerable to direct melee attacks. The most effective way to deal with a Seeker is to dodge when he attacks with his halberd, followed by either a kick to further stun him or simply an onslaught of attacks.

Note that while Seekers will search hiding spots randomly while on patrol, all guards will actively search these places after Ezio loses line of sight.

Seekers can be identified by their plumed helmets and kilts. They will also carry a halberd at all times.

Brute

Brutes are powerful enemies who wield heavy weapons such as greatswords or battle-axes. They are easily identifiable by a heavy set of armour protecting their entire bodies. Brutes have two attacks, a basic attack and a heavy attack. Both attacks are similar, though the heavy attack cannot be blocked and if it lands it will knock Ezio to the ground, and the attack itself is noticeably slower. The best way to deal with a Brute is to dodge his attack and follow up with multiple successive attacks, or kick him to stun him before attacking.

Captain

Captains block basic attacks, and are slightly more powerful that Militia, though they are otherwise very similar. A counter-attack or kill streak is the most effective way to deal with a Captain. Captains can be identified by their red plumed helmets. Throughout Rome, 12 Borgia captains guard the towers you need to burn in order to unlock districts of the city for renovation.

Arquebusier

Arquebusiers use an arquebus--an early firearm--in combat and are positioned on rooftops. They block melee attacks using their weapon, but can be killed once stunned. Vulnerable to kill streaks, Arquebusiers attack only using their ranged attack, and thus their strategy revolves entirely around slowly backing away from combat and firing at the player. Arquebusiers can be easily identified by their helmets and long skirts.

Crossbowman

Crossbowmen are more common than Arquebusiers, and their crossbows do less damage than the arquebus, though they have a longer range. Besides this, they function the same way as an Arquebusier.

Papal Guards

Papal guards are the strongest enemies you will face in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. They fight using swords and wheel-lock pistols, which they use in the same way crossbowmen and arquebusiers use their ranged weapons. If a Papal guard draws his pistol on you, quickly strike him with either a ranged attack of your own or a kick, following through with a flurry of melee attacks. Papal guards are vulnerable to kill streaks, but block counter-kills. Take caution when facing these powerful foes, and you'll have no problems.

Papal guards appear with the Vatican district of Rome, and can be identified by their full-faced helmets, capes, and plumes.

Armour

Armour is kind of like the next level of clothing. In Assassin's Creed, armour adds extra units of health to your health bar, provided it's not broken. As you acquire increasingly better armour, you will be given more and more health squares.

The Armour of Brutus is objectively the best set of armour in the game--it gives the same amount of health as the Seusenhofer set, but it cannot be damaged.

Armour can be bought from a blacksmith, but you need to progress through the game's story to unlock the better sets for purchase. Each armour set has four pieces--greaves, spaulders, vambraces and a chest guard. Below are listed all pieces from all armour sets ordered by quality.

Piece	Purchase Requirement	Price
Roman Greaves	Sequence 3	1,100 florins
Roman Vambraces	Sequence 4	1,000 florins
Roman Chest Guard	Sequence 5	2,500 florins
Roman Spaulders	Sequence 2	900 florins
Rondelle Greaves	Sequence 5	3,200 florins
Rondelle Vambraces	Sequence 5	2,900 florins
Rondelle Chest Guard	Sequence 6	5,100 florins
Rondelle Spaulders	Sequence 6	5,900 florins
Plate Greaves	Sequence 6	6,500 florins
Plate Vambraces	Sequence 6	6,000 florins
Plate Chest Guard	Sequence 7	9,200 florins
Plate Pauldrons	Sequence 7	9,900 florins
Seusenhofer Greaves	Sequence 8	12,000 florins
Seusenhofer Vambraces	Sequence 8	11,200 florins
Seusenhofer Chest Guard	Complete "Exotica", the blacksmith's shop quest	No cost
Seusenhofer Pauldrons	Complete "Exotica", the blacksmith's shop quest	No cost
Greaves of Brutus	Complete 6 Lairs of Romulus	No cost
Vambraces of Brutus	Complete 6 Lairs of Romulus	No cost
Chest Guard of Brutus	Complete 6 Lairs of Romulus	No cost
Pauldrons of Brutus	Complete 6 Lairs of Romulus	No cost

Assassin Recruits

In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood you can recruit up to twelve citizens of Rome to fight for the Assassin cause. These recruits can be summoned to your aid during combat by using LB while near an enemy or sent on contracts throughout Europe and Asia, during which time they will be unavailable to you.

Summoning Assassins uses Assassin Signals. Situated just below your health metre, Assassin Signals are the three red bars next to the crossbow image. Pressing LB summons two Assassins, and for each of these pairs one Assassin Signal is spent. They regenerate relatively quickly, but it's worth keeping an eye on them.

There are eleven ranks of Assassin, and upon gaining a rank you are given the option to upgrade either the recruit's armour or weaponry. Generally I'd advise ensuring that the armour is slightly higher than weaponry, as recruits who die in battle are permanently lost. Below is a list of the ranks recruits can achieve in order, including the in-game rank naming and the English translation. You know, for people who care about that kind of thing.

Rank	Title	Title (English)
1	Recluta	Recruit
2	Servitore	Servant
3	Assistente	Assistant
4	Milite	Soldier
5	Discepolo	Disciple
6	Mercenario	Mercenary
7	Guerriero	Warrior
8	Veterano	Veteran
9	Maestro	Master
10	Assassino	Assassin

Once an Assassin reaches Assassin rank, you need to return to the hideout on Tiber Island to attend the ceremony declaring them an Assassin. After this point the recruit's outfit will change to that of Ezio's default robe, making it impossible to customise your Assassin's appearance. Holding down LB while looking at a group of guards will trigger an 'Arrow Storm', which instantly kills all the guards in that group using arrows. Arrow Storm can only be used when you have all three Assassin Signals available.

Assassin Contracts

Since I'm already covering recruits' uses in combat, I may as well go the whole way.

Sending your recruits on a contract will make them unavailable for your use for a period of time specific to the mission. I won't cover every contract here, since they go on forever, but I'll instead list each city that has contracts available.

• Barcelona, Spain
  
• Calicut, India
  
• Cologne, Germany
  
• Constantinople, the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey)
  
• Florence, Italy
  
• Lisbon, Portugal
  
• London, England
  
• Moscow, Russia
  
• Paris, France
  
• Rome, Italy
  
• Venice, Italy
  
• Vienna, Austria

Not all of these places are initially unlocked; complete contracts to unlock new cities.

Strategy

I don't recommend calling recruits in combat. They usually get in the way and kill enemies much slower than you can. Generally the most practical use for recruits is for stealth. While sneaking along a rooftop, for instance, you can call recruits to quickly assassinate arquebusiers and crossbowmen who have line of sight with an area you need to pass through. Arrow Storm is obviously useful, as it removes the need for any kind of interaction with enemies.

Weapons

Below is a list of all the weapons available in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Each statistic is rated out of five based on the information given in-game.

Medium Weapons

Objectively, the Sword of Altaïr is the strongest medium weapon in the game.

Weapon	Damage	Speed	Deflect	Unlock
Captain's Sword	2	4	3	Complete the blacksmith's shop quest
Cavelieri Mace	2	1	1	6,400 florins from a blacksmith
Common Sword	1	2	2	Available from the beginning of the game
Condottiero Mace	3	5	2	11,600 florins from a blacksmith
Condottiero War Hammer	5	3	4	17,200 florins from a blacksmith
Florentine Falchion	4	5	5	Disarm a guard using the weapon or take it from a dead guard
La Volpe's Bite	3	5	5	Complete all of the Thief Guild's challenges
Mercenario War Hammer	1	3	5	2,750 florins from a blacksmith
Milanese Sword	4	4	2	15,700 florins from a blacksmith
Old Syrian Sword	3	4	1	8,800 florins from a blacksmith
Roman Longsword	1	3	3	1,400 florins from a blacksmith
Schiavona	4	2	2	10,400 florins from a blacksmith
Scimitar	3	3	5	Disarm a guard using the weapon or take it from a dead guard
Sicilian Rapier	1	4	3	2,600 florins from a blacksmith
Sword of Altaïr	5	5	5	Complete all of the Assassin Guild's challenges
Venetian Falchion	1	5	5	5,700 florins from a blacksmith

Small Weapons

Small weapons can be equipped alongside either a medium or heavy weapon. Objectively the Dagger of Brutus is the strongest small weapon.

Weapon	Damage	Speed	Deflect	Unlock
Bone Dagger of Romulus	2	4	4	1,900 florins from a blacksmith
Butcher Knife	3	5	3	5,000 florins from a blacksmith
Channeled Cinquedea	5	2	4	Disarm a guard using the weapon or take it from a dead guard
Dagger	2	4	1	6,250 florins from a blacksmith
Dagger of Brutus	5	5	5	Complete all of the Lairs of Romulus and retrieve Romulus' treasure
Knife	1	2	3	700 florins from a blacksmith
Maria's Dagger	5	3	4	Complete all of the Courtesan Guild's challenges
Notched Cinquedea	4	4	2	8,600 florins from a blacksmith
Stiletto	1	1	2	300 florins from a blacksmith

Heavy Weapons

With a heavy weapon, you cannot equip a medium weapon. While holding X using a medium weapon uses the hidden pistol, heavy weapons are instead thrown toward the targeted enemy.

It's also worth noting that the heavy sheath must be purchased from a tailor for 8,250 florins before a heavy weapon can be equipped.

Weapon	Damage	Speed	Deflect	Unlock
ᗹastard Sword	3	4	3	7,000 florins from a blacksmith
Bartolomeo's Axe	3	2	5	Complete all of the Mercenary Guild's challenges
Bearded Axe	2	3	4	7,000 florins from a blacksmith
Spada Lunga	4	5	3	Complete the blacksmith's shop quest
Spadone	5	4	4	Renovate 10 blacksmith shops
Stocco	3	5	5	17,000 florins from a blacksmith

Ever the dutiful parent, Steam has taken the liberty of censoring the name of one of the weapons on this list--the ᒁastard sword--which is why the word has a fancy ᗹ in it.

Ranged Weapons

The above section covers all the melee weapons that can be equipped. However, ranged weapons are also available, hence this section.

Crossbow

The crossbow can be purchased for 12,800 florins from a blacksmith. A ranged weapon, the crossbow will kill any enemy with a single shot provided they haven't spotted you. The crossbow itself can be used to parry some enemy attacks, though it's not a very viable tactic for melee combat.

Crossbow bolts can be looted from corpses or purchased from a blacksmith for 175 florins. You can increase your carrying capacity for crossbow bolts by purchasing quivers from a tailor's shop. The medium quiver costs 6,365 florins and the large quiver can be obtained by completing the shop quest "Pulling Threads".

Pistol

Probably the worst ranged weapon in the game, the hidden pistol takes about 1.5 second to fire, and usually doesn't kill enemies in a single hit. Unlike the crossbow and throwing knives, the pistol is very loud and instantly alerts nearby enemies.

Through Uplay *shakes fist angrily* it is possible to increase your carrying capacity for bullets from 6 to 10. It will cost you 30 Uplay *shakes fist a second time* points.

Throwing Knives

A less powerful ranged weapon, throwing knives very rarely kill an enemy in one hit. They are, however, more viable in combat, as they can be thrown faster and in higher quantities.

Buying knife belt upgrades from a tailor allows you to carry up to 25 throwing knives at a time. In order to reach this total, you'll have to renovate 8 tailor shops.

Other Weapons

Poison

There are two ways to use poison. The first is a melee attack using the poison blade and the second is a ranged posion dart. Both serve the same purpose--shortly after being struck, an enemy will begin to flail around wildly, often killing or wounding people nearby, before loudly dying. The ranged attack is obviously more optimal, allowing you to keep a distance from the mayhem. Poison doesn't have many combat applications, but it can be a powerful asset in assassination contracts or even just as a handicap before starting a fight.

You can increase the amount of poison you can carry by purchasing the medium and large poison vials from a tailor. In order to do this, you'll need to renovate 8 tailors' shops.

Smoke Bombs

When used, a smoke bomb will create a cloud of smoke around you, stunning enemies within its area of influence and obscuring the view of all enemies. These are fantastic for getting a few kills in when fighting large groups of enemies including more challenging opponents such as papal guards.

You can increase your carrying capacity for smoke bombs by purchasing the appropriately named smoke bomb pouch from a tailor for 9,200 florins.

Tactics

There's not a lot of tactical potential in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Once a fight has begun, it's best to target more difficult enemies first, as attacks from weaker foes can be easily countered with a counter-kill or even just a deflect.

A handy way to practice combat is through virtual training, which can be accessed through the pause menu while in game. Virtual training allows you to fight endless waves of increasingly difficult enemies, ending only when you are hit. It's a good way to practice counters and to get used to the weaknesses of each enemy type. However, virtual training provides only a flat environment, so any environment-specific tactics need to be practiced elsewhere.

Notes

That should just about wrap it up. If you have any questions or want to point out an oversight, go ahead and drop a comment in the box at the bottom of this guide. I'll try to respond as soon as possible.

Links

• My guide to combat in Assassin's Creed III.

[Snek]

just parry them lmao

[76561199059051357]

just counterattack with the hidden blade and then do a 10+ assasination streak on the sorrounding enemies

[Dylan]

you are correct!

[H]

I think the part about seekers not being able to be countered might not be totally correct because I believe you can counter them with hidden blade if you time it right. Great guide though!

[SandSnake]

dope guide bro

[The Seldom Seen Kid]

Ok so I did actually find a way to pick up the weapons outside of a mission even if you are past the mandataory VR one, but so far the only one I did get my hands on didn't show up in my inventory and I couldn't save it in the hideout. It seems your assassin recruits use these weapons. You can send off all of your assassins except one on missions and go to one of the french camps, call the only one left and the Brutes will destroy him. You can pick up the weapon after that. Note that if they are max level I don't know if you can kill them. Perhaps if you use the Apple once you get to that mission.

[Dylan]

I believe I responded to this comment almost 3 years ago.

[Stogiewise]

Did you really go through all of this trouble to explain to us the easiest combat ever seen in video game history? The only guard that needs an explanation is the Pope guard, other than that it's easy as hell

[Dylan]

Equipping a heavy weapon and throwing it allows you to keep the next weapon you pick up. Otherwise I don't know of any way to purchase or unlock those weapons, although I've admittedly not played this game in almost two years.

[The Seldom Seen Kid]

Is there a way to unlock the weapons you can take from guards in the hideout? You can unlock the Scimitar in the cupboard, but what about the other 4 weapons? From what I read you can only find them on guards before Rebecca forces you to play the VR Short Streak mission, but does picking them up then on an empty weapon slot actually unlock them in the hideout later? Picking them up in missions doesn't save them and I dont want to restart the game to find out.