_ _ _ ____ _ / \ ___ ___ __ _ ___ ___(_)_ __ ( )___ / ___|_ __ ___ ___ __| | / _ \ / __/ __|/ _` / __/ __| | '_ \|// __| | | | '__/ _ \/ _ \/ _` | / ___ \\__ \__ \ (_| \__ \__ \ | | | | \__ \ | |___| | | __/ __/ (_| | /_/ \_\___/___/\__,_|___/___/_|_| |_| |___/ \____|_| \___|\___|\__,_| Author: Warfreak Version: 1.2 Date Started: 27/4/08 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents [1] Introduction [1.01] Introduction [1.02] Version History [1.03] Controls for ALL THREE CONSOLES [2] Walkthrough [2.01] Memory Block 1 [2.02] Memory Block 2 [2.03] Memory Block 3 [2.04] Memory Block 4 [2.05] Memory Block 5 [2.06] Memory Block 6 [2.07] Memory Block 7 [3] Moving on the Map [3.01] Civilians [3.02] Guards [3.03] View Points [4] Saving the Citizens [4.01] Saving Citizens [4.02] Scholars [4.03] Vigilantes [5] Information Techniques [5.01] Eavesdrop [5.02] Interrogation [5.03] Pickpocket [5.04] Informer - Assassination [5.05] Informer - Flag [5.06] Informer - Escort (PC ONLY) [5.07] Informer - Rooftop Race (PC ONLY) [5.08] Informer - Archer (PC ONLY) [5.09] Informer - Merchant Destruction (PC ONLY) [6] Flags [6.01] Flags [7] Templars [7.01] Templars [8] Weaponry [8.01] Short Blade [8.02] Throwing Knives [8.03] Hidden Blade [8.04] Sword [8.05] Fists [9] Moves [9.01] Move List [10] Memory Log [SPOILER ALERT!] [10.01] Solomon's Temple - Jerusalem [10.02] Masun - Masyaf [10.03] Tamir - Damascus [10.04] Garnier de Naplouse - Acre [10.05] Talal - Jerusalem [10.06] Abu'l Nuqoud - Damascus [10.07] William de Montferrat - Acre [10.08] Majd Addin - Jerusalem [10.09] Jubair Al Hakin - Damascus [10.10] Sibrand - Acre [10.11] Robert de Sable - Jerusalem [11] Emails [SPOILER ALERT!] [11.01] Lucy's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 2 [11.02] Lucy's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 3 [11.03] Lucy's Outbox Emails, Memory Block 4 [11.04] Vidic's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 4 [11.05] Vidic's Outbox Emails, Memory Block 4 [11.06] Vidic's Deleted Emails, Memory Block 4 [11.07] Lucy's Deleted Emails, Memory Block 5 [11.08] Vidic's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 5 [11.09] Lucy's Outbox Emails, Memory Block 6 [11.10] Vidic's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 6 [11.11] Conference Room Inbox Email, Memory Block 6 [11.12] Vidic's Inbox Emails, Memory Block 7 [12] Achievement Guide [XBOX 360] [12.01] Achievements [13] The Story [MASSIVE SPOILERS] [13.01] Everything Explained [A] Contact Information [B] Webmaster Information [C] Credits [D] Sites FAQ is on [E] Copyright ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1.01] Introduction Welcome to my 34th Guide, the guide for the Ubisoft game Assassin's Creed, a game set in during the crusades where an assassin, Altair, changes the course of the crusade via a few assassinations. To the name, you play an assassin dispatching all those deemed unworthy to live, and many others along the way. Contary to modern assassinations, you do not get to use any ranged weapons in the game. The enemy does get the bow, but you do not. Your have a small arsenal, no more arsenal a la GTA where you can carry a rocket launcher, sniper rifles, assault rifles and the like all at once. You get a 3 different blades, and that is all. Note that this is all fiction, there are no special corporations that are set up by the Templars to find a holy object. Or none that we currently know of. Anyway, the storyline of this is pretty good, and you don't know really know what is going on, even at the ending of the game. It is obviously a set up to Assassin's Creed 2 - The Something. It is a good game, and clearly satisfies all the hype for it. And remember the three tenets of the Assassin's Creed. 1 - Do not kill innocent civilians 2 - Always hide in plain sight and 3, the most scared of the tenets Never Compromise the Brotherhood. Anyway, with that out of the way, welcome to my guide, and have fun reading, or not. The irony if Ubisoft turned out to be run by Knight Templars. And as a side note, Altair is pronounced Al-ta-eer, not Al-tair. It is in Arabic you know. And Acre is pronoucned A-cre, not a-cre. The Capital A is a different sound to a Uncapitalised a. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1.02] Version History Version 0.1 [27/4/08] Started the Guide. Completed the Chapter on Saving the Citizens. Version 0.2 [29/4/08] Completed Memory Blocks 1 and 2 as well as controls. Version 0.3 [30/4/08] Completed Memory Block 3, started on the Memory Log and Emails. Version 0.4 [3/5/08] Added the XBox 360 Achievements. Added more for Memory Log. Version 0.5 [6/5/08] Completed Memory Block 4. Version 0.6 [7/5/08] Completed more mission logs. Completed Emails up to Memory Block 5. Completed Chapter 8, Weaponry, about all 5 weapons. Version 0.7 [12/5/08] Completed Chapter 5, Information techniques. Version 0.8 [13/5/08] Completed Memory Block 5. Added more on memory log and emails. Version 0.9 [17/5/08] Complete all the Memory Blocks, and that means the general Walkthrough. To do now is basic gameplay, flags, templars, moves and the storyline itself. Version 1.0 [22/5/08] Completed Chapter 3. 4 Chapters to start, 1 to finish. Version 1.1 [23/5/08] Completed Chapter 6 and 7, using www.assassinscreed-maps.com as a nice guide. Completed Chapter 9, the moves list. Completed the Memory Log. All that is left is the ending explained. Version 1.2 [24/5/08] Completed the Guide. I hope everyone enjoys this, and I have done everything properly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [1.03] Controls for ALL THREE CONSOLES As this guide is meant for viewing for all three consoles, It is best if I unify the controls so everyone know what to do. Please note that I will make use of PC the most since I have that version, but other players are not neglected, I will accommodate for you. Can't you feel the love? PC PS3 XBox 360 Body Controls Legs (Sprint, Blend) Space X A Head (Sync, Eagle Vision) E Triangle Y Empty Hand (Push, Grab) Shift Circle B Weapon Hand (Attack) Left Mouse Square X Movement WASD Left Analog Stick Left Analog Stick Other Controls Lock Target F L1 LT High Profile/Block Right Mouse R1 RT Chase Camera Q L2 LB Camera Mouse Right Analog Stick Right Analog Stick The Map Tab Select Select Weapons Short Blade/Knives 1 D-Pad Left D-Pad Left Hidden Blade 2 D-Pad Up D-Pad Up Long Blade/Sword 3 D-Pad Right D-Pad Right Fists 4 D-Pad Down D-Pad Down This is to help everyone ensure that they know what controls they have and makes understanding this guide easier. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.01] Memory Block 1 --==Animus Tutorial==-- Welcome to Assassin's Creed, and you start off watching some cutscenes and start with what is basic with most games, an interactive tutorial. You will need to listen closely and pay attention to the controls, because depending on the platform, you will have different controls. This guide will have PC in mind, since I'm using the PC version but I will try to accommodate all users including XBox 360 and PS3 users. First of all, you need to go into Altair's head, and use basic vision. This is done via the E Button, Triangle for PS3 or Y for XBox. You need to do a complete 360 degree turn in order to complete this objective. Now, you need to walk through a crowd of jar walkers without knocking any of the jar walkers so they drop the jars. In order to do this, you need to gentle push them out of the way. This is done by walking to the jar walkers and holding the Shift Button for PC, B for XBOX and Circle for PS3. This allows you pass through the jar walkers and head onto the goal. Your next move is to change from low profile to high profile. Altair is always in low profile, and to move into high profile, you need to hold the Right Mouse Button for PC, RT for XBox and R1 for PS3. You now need to practice the grab motion. Head into high profile, run at the target and instead of the gentle push, the button will turn into a grab. Push the target into your marker with the direction pad being the aim. Your next objective is to sprint. This is done by heading into high profile and pressing the Space Bar for PC, A for XBox and X for PS3. Your job is to beat the other guy into the target. This shouldn't be too hard. Now, you get to advance to the nitty gritty business Altair is in. Killing. You need to advance to the guard and now kill him. So do it, draw your weapon and slay him. This will prompt another guard to see you and you now need to follow instructions and run up the roof and hide in the garden there. After that, you learn how to blend in low profile to move past guards and how to use Eagle Vision, which allows you to see friend from foe. This is it for the tutorial, now for the real thing. --==Retrieve the Artifact from within Soloman's Temple==-- The level will start to roll and you need to understand the next thing, glitches. These are when the screen will mess up, do to the problem in the Animus, not the game itself. It isn't a problem with your system. You need to press any button when you see a glitch, which is symbolised with a bunch of static across the screen. This will enhance your viewing pleasure, not necessary to complete the game, you will still get the content, but from the default angles, no new angles. After all, you aren't supposed to get the memory of others. So when you see static, click on the glitch. These normally happen in cutscenes with the blue background, but it will normally happen with your boss and all the enemy assassination targets you kill. Anyway, moving on, you need to move ahead in the game, you get the ability of Free Step. You use free step by heading into High Profile and activating your legs, which allow you to jump over the beams without falling. Do it again and advance on the ladder and climb it. Just walk into it to do so. Ahead is a lone guard, and you need to take him out. Use the hidden blade and move close to him and assassinate him with the attack button, or if that fails, attack him and get rid of him. On the ledge, jump down and attempt to assassinate your target. --==Return to Al Mualim==-- Anyway, after that failure, you are chucked in the next room and forced to hear your brothers fall. You need to climb up the wooden platforms. This will lead you to an exit and this will allow you escape from the mine and you now gain a new memory fast-forward, into your base of Masyaf and meeting the leader of the Assassin's, Al Mualim. From here, move up the hill and head towards the stronghold. If you are in doubt, up onto the rooftop of a building and see the way north. You can always follow the GPS if you are lost. Or hit your Map button to find the way to the fortress. Head to the fortress and a guard will approach you and tell you that Al Mualim is waiting for you in the library. Head into the fortress and talk to the master, who is not pleased with your results. However, the Templars attack, and you need to defend the castle. --==Remove the Templars from Masyaf==-- You rush out and you need to help evacuate the villagers into the fortress while blocking out the Templars. There is no low profile here, and there is really no point in hiding, draw out your longsword and prepare for battle. There are Templars all over the village, so basically you need to sweep the village clean of them. Either grab them and push them, then stab with the sword or Counter-Kill to get rid of them. Either way, whatever you do, kill the Templars. Soon, when they are all dead, head back to the fortress. --==Use the Element of Surprise==-- You need to head into a nearby tower and to do so, follow the GPS, climb the two ladders to reach your point. Move to the platform and perform a Leap of Faith. This is basically done at a very high point from a ledge and you will land on a haystack. To do so, high profile, run and jump. When you have to jump and land on the haystack. You are on a solo mission, so do so and cross the beams. This is done for you automatically. Crossing on low profile is safer and more defensive against enemy attack, should they come, but slower while high profile is quicker, but vulnerable to enemy attacks. Anyway, move along and head to the tower and climb it, sticking to the middle but keep an eye for the grooves. Head to the top and attack the wooden support on the top to launch a surprise against the Templars. Off they go. That will take you out of Altair's mind and back to Desmond. Right in front of you is a conference room and to the right is your room. As the researchers Lucy and Dr. Vidic head into the conference room, rush to your room and head to the bathroom to eavesdrop on their conversation. After their nice conversation, head back to the bedroom and listen to Dr. Vidic and go and get some rest. Interact with the bed to sleep. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.02] Memory Block 2 --==**Investigate and Find Masyaf's Traitor**==-- --==Go to the Market and Eavesdrop==-- You start this level stripped of all your moves and your weapons for your recent failure and demoted to the rank of novice. Anyway, you need to weed out the traitor and head to the gates of the fortress and meet a fellow brother. He will tell you to gain some more intelligence on the traitor, just like any good spy. He will reveal that someone in the marketplace knows a little more than they should, so your first job is to head to the marketplace, marked out on your GPS and the map. Head to the marketplace and sit yourself on a bench near the two men that are obviously knowing something they should not. Sit down and lock on to one of the two men and this will allow you to eavesdrop. With this new information, you can head onto the next objective. --==Find the Basket Weaver and Pickpocket Him==-- You need to use your GPS or the map to find the Basket Weaver who obviously is up to something. Find him and lock on to him from a good distance, but not too close or too far to begin the pickpocketing mission. When you pickpocket somebody, you need to know that these aren't your average civilians, these people are up to something and are very alert, so they will stop and look around them. Always note though that people you can picket will have a pouch on their side behind them. Anyway, when the basket weaver decides to move, you need to move with him, following him and moving closer to him. Only pick his pocket when you see that he is looking dead ahead, he is not looking to the side or at you. This is done by using the empty hand function, Shift for PC, Circle for PS3 and B for XBox. You need to hold the button to pickpocket him, because it does take some time to dig out the goodies. If you do it correctly, the victim will turn around the check his pouch, and find that something is missing, and he tries to find a solution, but gives up. If you fail, you need to do it again, so don't worry about failure. Anyway, if you have done it correctly, you will move onto the next objective. --==Find Masun near the Cyprus Tree and Interrogate Him==-- You need to follow your GPS or the map again to find him. He is near a Cyprus Tree and he is preaching like a insane religious preacher. Remember that from now on, interrogation missions all involve some crazy nut job that needs to be silenced. Anyway, find him and lock him in and this will start the mission. After a crazy rant, he will start to move, and you need to follow. Wait till the victim heads into a dark area with no one to witness you "interrogating" him. To interrogate, wait till he heads to the well and punch the living daylights out of him. Soon, after a few hits, he will start to talk and gives you more information. Once he spills the beans, the next objective begins. --==Bring Masun before Al Mualim==-- This is a basic cutscene and will watch Masun talking about his betrayal of the Brotherhood. However, I do not believe he was alone. But that is my opinion. Anyway, this will achieve Synchronizing Level 1, allowing you to get your Sword and Hidden Blade back as well as learning how to Deflect and Combo Kills. --==Learn some NEW Moves==-- Head outside and you are shoved into a tutorial. Practicing Blocking, which is basically using the High Profile button in combat. The Combo Kill is just a move where you attack in tandem with blade strikes. Every time your blade hits the enemy, you will attack again to do a combo. Anyway, either complete each three times or quit the tutorial to move on. You have now found the Traitor and you have 9 names to silence. --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Damascus**==-- --==Kingdom==-- Head to the village gates and grab a horse. Gallop away, which is high profile running on the horse, into Kingdom. There, this is the largest area, where it is populated by random villages. Here, there are view points, flags and templars. I will explain each now. View Points are represented on the map as an eagle token. There are 12 view points in Kingdom and plenty more that are in the cities that you are going to visit. View Points are basically towers that you can climb and you can Synchronise with it by pressing your head button, the button for Eagle Vision. To do so, climb to the top and head to the platform on the top, with an eagle on it. By synchronising with it, you will gain a better view of the map in the area and what other things are nearby. This is extremely useful because it saves you exploring the map. More on that later. They are normally guarded by enemy guards. You can only access 8 at this moment, the other 4 will be unlocked at the next memory block. Flags are found everywhere and are only there for the completion of the game, nothing else. There are flags in each city and there are 100 flags in the Kingdom, normally found in hiding spots or places up high. You don't really need them, but I'll add them anyway, later on in its own section. Templars are the enemy of Altair and there are 60 of them overall, most in the Kingdom. What will distinguish Templars from the regular guards is that are found alone in front of treasure cheats or corners. Also, they will have the Templar's Cross and the helmet. They are heavily armoured, and shiny at that rate, and will continue to chase you when normal guards have given up. While travelling across the Kingdom and other cities, you generally want to take care of all the view points, and save the flags and templars for a final go because there are so many of them and it is easy to lose track of what you have taken and what you haven't taken care of. Anyway, take care of the view points and gallop towards Damascus, ignoring the enemy soldiers. Use the map to help you find your way to Damascus because it will be confusing. Head towards the front gates of Damascus and you will see... --==Enter Damascus==-- Ahead you will see some soldiers bullying a scholar and will not stop. It is clear that the only option to save the Scholar from the Arab guards is Altair himself. This is the saving civilians task. You need to lock onto a guard and to save the civilian, you need to kill all the guards around the citizen attacked. Do not stray too far from the citizen because this will give a mission failure or get killed. Right now, you do not have many attacks, so block and combo kill all the enemy soldiers. You are lucky there aren't that many, but unlucky because you don't have many moves. Anyway, save the citizen by killing the guards and lock onto the citizen. This will spawn some scholars and you can blend into them (just a sprint in low profile) and take you past the guards. Exit from the blend when you are pass the guards a good amount. From now on, all over the city are citizens that need to be saved. First of all, go and complete all the view points in the Poor District of Damascus. This will be extremely useful because by completely synchronising with all of the view points, you will get to see all of the map, as well as all the available missions that you can complete and the location of all the citizens that need to be saved. You have to note that every time you complete a view point or save a citizen from danger, you will add to your synchronisation bar. Once you complete 15 of these, you will add an extra bar to the sync bar which means you have more health to play with and more recklessness you can afford to show. More on saving civilians and view points later on in their own dedicated sections. Now, you have 6 seperate investigations that you have to complete, but only two are necessary. The reason why you should do all six is because it gives all the information that you need and gives more insight to how to carry out your assassination. One mission will differ from the console versions and the PC port and I will point it out. Eavesdrop - In the centre of the map is an eavesdrop mission that you can easily carry out. Eavesdrop on the two men and this will net you some nice info. "The beams which cross the central courtyard can be accessed." Interrogation - Follow your mark into a dark alleyway (never hide in the dark alleyway) and beat him up to get some info. After that, Altair will automatically kill him. "Tamir is preoccupied with the production of weapons." Pickpocket - The Northern most Pickpocket will be a hard one since the guy will be very suspicious and therefore, you need to act quick. "Obtains a Letter saying Tamir plans a weapons shipment for another faction." Pickpocket - The Eastern most pickpocket is much easier and is one of the easiest you will get. Still, pay attention. "Map of the Souk where the northeast roof easily connects to the central courtyard." Eavesdrop - The Southern Eavesdrop near the Interrogation will lead you to know a bit more about friends. "Friends (Vigilantes) are useful for a quick escape. This is the differing one between the PC and Console versions. The mission is different but the information in the end is the same. CONSOLE VERSION Eavesdrop - The Eastern Eavesdrop and again, another easy mission. PC VERSION Informer - You need to find the first informer and he will have no info but knows someone how does. You have 90 seconds to find the next informer, which is plenty of time. The second informer needs you to escort him out of the city. After a short distance, two guards will attack. Kill the guards and let him escape. "Tamir is within the Souk and entrance is by invitation only." With all this information, you can go the Assassin's Bureau and the entrance is via the rooftop. You can talk to the leader here and Altair will talk about all the evidence you have now gathered, in short, a recount of all the information that you should take into account when you take down Tamir. This gives all the info you need to carry out the act. --==Assassinate Tamir==-- Head towards your target, and take the rooftops. Above are guards with bows and arrows and it is best if you take out all the archers first. You need to escape later. Anyway, head to the courtyard you are meant to be in and you will get a nice cutscene. Don't forget to hit the glitches. Once the cutscene is over, you need to take down Tamir. The low profile approach, but more risky and harder approach is to assassinate him from behind. Nice and sneaky, and you can quickly escape from the guards. However, you are more than likely to end up fighting everyone because you cannot get too close and you need to draw your sword. Block and combo kill everyone if you get to this stage, or get to a high point, on the roof, and simply knock down all those who try to get up. The advantage of height I suppose. After the fight, hard or easy depending on how you went, you will have another glitchy cutscene with Tamir and talk about how strange it is for him to be a target and all. Listen carefully, cause I won't recount it and move on. The problem is now that the city is in a full alert. You really need to run away and hide from the soldiers and not draw attention to yourself. Any suspicious activity will alert the guards, so quickly get back to the bureau and finish this mission. This will take you back to the labs and the end of memory block 2. --==Abstergo Labs==-- Here, you can just talk to Lucy here to see what you are really doing here and such. You ask a few questions and get a few answers, but they are rather vague. Something is not right. You can access the computer that is meant to be guarding the Animus and read Lucy's emails. Nothing much here, but I'll put them up later, with a Spoiler Alert. After you go to sleep, you can wake up to Dr. Vidic again and listen to him have a nice speech. After that, lie down on the Animus and have fun with the longer, memory block 3. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.03] Memory Block 3 --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Acre**==-- --==New Items==-- With the next level in synchronisation, you will regain more of your abilities and your weapons. You now get the short blade and the Counter-Kill ability. The Short Blade is exceptionally useful, it is a faster close range attack, and odds are, you are going to be using this over your sword. The Counter Kill is another useful ability. This allows you to basically kill the enemy while they are attempting to strike you. You have to deflect their attacks and wait till they launch another one. Once they launch an attack, counter and this should end them. Practice outside in the courtyard. Once you are ready, head to the village gates and head to Acre. --==Kingdom==-- All the roads are now open, and that means that you can collect all the flags and kill all the Templars, and view all the view points. While the area that you previously accessed is still under Arab control, the newer areas are all controlled by the English, who are smarter and stronger, but with counter-kill up your sleeve, it should prove easy to dispatch them. Anyway, move your horse to Acre and wait outside the gates. Again, there are two ways in, one is via the scholars that you can obtain if you save the citizen, or just rush in, all guns ablazing and kill all the guards. I suggest that you go via the citizens, it is safer and doesn't piss a lot of people off. Save the scholar and move into Acre. --==Enter Acre==-- Enter the city and straight away you need to save some civilians from the oppression from the guards. There are also many view points that you can use to see the map. As I have said before, it is advised that you complete all of the View Points straight away because this will enhance the view of the map, unlock all the available investigation missions and where all the citizens can be saved. Your next step should be to save all the citizens in the city. They will be useful whe you carry out the attacks on your assassination target and you need to escape. One of most interest are the scholars that are spawned outside the Hospitalier fort. This is extremely useful for later, when you need to carry out the assassination. More on that later. Anyway, there are 6 investigations that you can carry out. Depending on what version you are playing, there are 2 Informer, 1 Interrogation, 2 Pick Pockets and 1 Eavesdrop mission for the Console and 1 Interrogation, 3 Informer, 1 Pick Pocket and 1 Eavesdrop Mission. 1 Informer mission for PC replaces 1 Pickpocket mission. I'll provide details on that later as well. Anyway, the six missions are: Eavesdrop - Located in the northern gate, this eavesdrop mission is the easiest mission that you can complete. Sit down and listen to the guards talk. "Several guards are absent from roof duty." Interrogation - Located in the southern area of the city, you need to take out the stupid wingbag who is talking about how the Doctor is busy saving people and such. Anyway, wait till he gets into a dark alley and beat him up. This will tell you some information before you kill him. "Garnier removes himself from the world while tending to the patients." Pickpocket - You need to pickpocket a man who knows more than he really should. This is located in the centre of the map. "Letter linking Garnier with Tamir and Talil." Informer - The flag challenge is basically a time limit to collect a set amount of flags. You have three minutes to collect 20 flags. Luckily, you can basically collect this in a really short period of time since it is all in set line. Return to the informer for the information. "Garnier hides behind the fortress walls." Informer - The second informer challenge is an assassination mission in which a brother requires you to kill a Hospitalier Knight before he kills your brother. You also need to do this without being seen, so you need to use your hidden blade. Move up close to him, and follow him until you get a good enough shot at him and take him out. Return to the informer to finish the investigation. "No one is allowed in except for scholars and guards." Again, there is a mission that will differ here between the PC and Console versions. Again, I will detail them out for you. PC VERSION Informer - Your brother needs you to remove two archers in order for him to complete his mission. This is relatively simple, all you have to do is to head up to them and use the hidden blade to assassinate them. Do this to both of them without being seen to complete this mission. Return to your brother to complete this mission. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - The western most pickpocket mission will net you the same informatiom. Personally, the Informer challenge is better because it will keep you on your toes. "Map showing the candelabras and patients within the fortress." With all this information, you can return to the Assassin Bureau and start the assassination mission itself. But before you do, make sure you save the civilian, the scholar, near the Hospitalier fort, which is the biggest area in town. This is useful for the assassination. --==Assassinate Garnier De Naplouse==-- Now, the hard part, getting ride of Garnier. What I don't see is why we can't let nature take care of him, he looks rather old. Anyway, head to the hospitalier fortress and lets begin. At the side of the fortress will be the scholars that you have saved and blend in with them. Since your investigations has told you that scholars are allowed entry, you can get in without having a major problem. Now, watch the cutscene, full of glitches, and wait till you can move again. Anyway, move to find some more scholars inside the fortress, and this time blend in with them. This will allow you to move around the fortress without having any major problems. The major problem is are the mental patients around that will shove you around, and they draws A LOT of attention to you. This is not useful when you are behind Garnier and trying to stick a blade in him. You can either assassinate them, but that will draw attention as well. So, just sit on a bench and wait for Garnier to walk past. Anyway, stay with the scholars to draw no attention. Wait for Garnier to talk to a patient. This is the ideal time to stick a blade in him. When he does this, intel tells us that is does not pay any attention to the real world, allow you an easy assassination with the hidden blade. Now, you get another cutscene, full of glitches of course, and this will reveal more about his mission. Now, you are on citywide alert and you need to run. DO NOT engage the guards here, this will take a long time, and you are heavily outnumbered, the best being about 5 to one. Just sprint out of the fortress and take to the rooftops. Avoid the guards and sprint to the Bureau to finish this mission for now. Drop down and deliver the feather. Fast forward the memory and you get the option to teleport back to Masyaf. Do so unless you like to take in the wonderful countryside views of the Middle East. --==Masayf==-- Heading back to your boss, he seems pleased that another target has been eliminated. And with this, your Synchronisation Rank will increase to 3 and this will bring back more toys. You get the Tackle ability and the Knives back. The throwing knives will be one of your favourite tools, shame you only get 5 for now. Head outside and practice on your fellow students. Still, throwing knives is fun. They have a good range and are 1 hit kills to all non-Templar, non-Boss units, basically, they are 1 hit kills to guards. More on them in their own section. Anyway, when you have finished, mount your steed and gallop full speed to Jerusalem. --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Jerusalem**==-- --==Enter Jerusalem==-- The saving civilian here is not so easy, the scholar is hiding in the graveyard being based by more guards. This is a good time to practice with your counter killing. Assassinate the big guy and take down the rest of the guards. Slice and dice, then blend into the scholars who appear out of thin air and walk into the Holy City, totally unknown to be a dangerous assassin to the guards. With your first city with knives, you now have a new target. Thugs. These guys walk around, and are big, burly blocks. They will have a brown armour and they will carry knives at their back. You can pickpocket the thugs to get the maximum number of knives, which currently stands at five, or you can kill them for 1. Pickpocket is easier, and gives you more practice for the real deal for your investigations. Anyway, do the usual for any city. You need to get to all the view points and save all the civilians. This time, make sure you do all of them as the vigilantes will be extremely useful in this assassination. Once you have saved all the citizens and viewed all the view points, you can move on to the investigations. Eavedrop - You need to head into the church, which is guarded by some guards. Save the nearby scholar and you can now enter the church without being attacked. Eavesdrop on the conversation to get some info. "Talal will shoot enemies with a bow." Interrogation - You need to find this preacher who is annoying everyone and you need to wait till he walks behind some houses in an alley. Attack him there, be sure not to attack anyone else because they might cause some problems. "Talal holds his slaves inside a warehouse." Pickpocket - The south western pickpocket will useful because it will provide you a nice map. "Acquire map of the location of Talal's guards." Informer - The Southern Informer is a flag challenge that requires you to collect 18 flags within a period of 3 minutes and return to him. Do this and get the info you need. "Talal's men will sacrifice themselves for their master." Informer - The informer in the centre of the map will be an assassination challenge in which you need to kill two of Talal's men. One will be stationary, another is moving. Kill the moving one first by sneaking behind him, using the hidden blade and do the same to the stationary one. You must not be seen so you need to do this quietly. "Talal's base is in the north sector." Another different mission between the two versions, PC and CONSOLE. Console first. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - The South Central pickpocket mission is relatively easy compared with the PC mission. PC VERSION Informer - This is an escort mission. You need to escort the informer to safety. Once your informer turns the corner, you will see two guards talking to each other. They will attack you and you need to kill them. Move on and finish the escort. "Acquire a map detail Talal's escape route if he escapes." --==Assassinate Talal==-- With all this information, you will get the ability to start the assassination mission, but make sure that you complete all the saving citizens mission, especially the vigilantes nearby. Once you are ready, you can either use the scholars nearby to sneak into the base, or attack head on. If you do attack head on, be careful since the guards are working with Talal's men and you will have more to deal with. Head into the fortress, but make sure you kill all the archers here so you can finish the assassination later. Now, enter the building and this seems all to easy. Way to easy. And you will see why. Head inside and watch the cutscene, clicking on the glitches that you are being watched, and you are not alone. Voices in the dark, I don't like this feeling. Its a trap, and as you step into the light, which you have to, Talal will order his men to kill you. Now, draw out your short blade and kill them. It will be too hard to counter-kill them all since there are too many of them. The short blade will take them out quickly and efficiently, so take them out and get to the top. We have a chase on our hands. This guy will run quick, and any of his men still standing will gladly stop you and die for him. However, if you have saved the vigilantes, any nearby will stop them for you. Soon, he will have to run into a dead end or some of your friends, and this gives you an kill. Again, you get the glitchy cutscene and you will finish Altair's memory for now once you reach the bureau with the feather. Notice how the bureau is manned by a person you know. --==Abstergo Lab==-- Back in reality, you can talk to Lucy twice, and she will give you some personal information about why she is here and works for Vidic. After two chats interactions, you will have to head to your room, and something is not right. Check your closet and you will find some access code. Use it on the door to get out, and you need to head to the animus computer to take Lucy's pen. With this, you can use the computer and read some emails. After that, get some rest. The next day, Vidic will take you out and talk to you, and a happy mood. While he is drinking his coffee and watching the window, take a leaf out of Altair's book and pickpocket him out of his pen. Now, back to the animus. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.04] Memory Block 4 --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Damascus**==-- --==Masyaf==-- Al Mualim will grant you to use the Grab Break and the Catch Ledge ability. The Grab Break is the counter when the enemy is attempting to grab you, accessed from the counter ability. This, in my opinion, is not exceptionally useful since when you are grabbed and thrown, you generally don't be hit by the enemies. The Catch Ledge ability is when you have jumped from a ledge and you can cling onto another ledge that you see. Practice it out and you will see what I mean. Once you head out of the fortress, you have a teleport feature, which allows you to move to another area, whether on the outskirts or at the Assassin's Bureau, straight away, without the travel. Choose Damascus and head to the Bureau for now. --==Damascus==-- Head to the Bureau and talk to the leader. He will tell you all about the Merchant King Abu'l Nuqoud. He will mingle with his own kind, so head into the Rich District. Do the usual, complete all the view points and save all the citizens. Note that it gets harder here, the guards are more alert for the lookout of you and they are smarter, with the counter ability and defence break, which you yet possess. Stay in the rooftops more often and less on the ground, this might just save your life. This memory block, and any more from now on, the public are less tolerant of Altair and his actions. Any killing will drop the public's respect for Altair quickly, and by completing all the saving citizen missions, don't be surprised when jar breakers will break their jars while Altair tries to avoid the enemy guards. Anyway, time to get on to your investigations. Note that from this level, the amount of investigations you need to complete before you can assassinate has risen from two to three. Interrogation - The Northern Interrogation involves bashing and killing another man. Follow him and bash him enough. Beware of Thugs. "The Merchant King will come out and make a speech during the feast." Eavesdrop - The North Eastern Eavesdrop mission is again simple. Sit down and listen to the two blokes talk. "The Merchant King is preparing a feast." Pickpocket - The Southern Pickpocket involves you stealing a letter about the feast. "Merchant King is holding a feast within his palace." Informer - The Northwest Informer challenge is a flag challenge that needs you to collect 20 flags in a 3 minute timeframe. Simple enough, isn't it? "The Fountain in the middle of the Courtyard can be scaled." Informer - Another informer mission, this one in the south, where you need to assassinate 2 of the Merchant King's personal guard, who will circle around the marketplace. "Provides a map of the position of the Merchant King's guards." Again, there is another difference between the PC and the Console Version of the game. Now it's PC's time to go first. PC VERSION Informer - The Northern Informer challenge is a merchant stand destruction challenge. You need to knock down 2 stands in 3 minutes. You need to push a citizen into the stand to demolish it, and do so ONLY and ONLY WHEN there are no other guards on patrol nearby. Push both civilians onto the stands to finish this mission. CONSOLE VERSION Eavesdrop - This is another simple mission. In the northern area, there is another one. No challenge here really. "There is a path leading up to the Merchant King's Quarters." --==Assassinate Abu'l Nuqoud==-- Head back to the Bureau and get ready for the assassination. You will go through all the information. Read the maps if you need to get some more visual data. Raphique will give you the feather and head to the quarters. Using the scholars to get past the guards. Head to the central courtyard and watch the glitchy cutscene and watch the guests. Now, the assassination. Jump up the fountain and into the second level. Run up to him, ignoring the enemy guards there, and continue to run. Chase him down the hall and pull out the hidden blade and run and then assassinate. It should work, if not, pull out the blade and prepare to fight. If that does happen, just defend and counter-kill your enemies. This is an easier assassination, it only gets harder from here. Watch the glitchy cutscene and it proves to be as cryptic as the other messages you have received. Something is going on here. Now, you need to escape and the amount of guards on you isn't funny. Take to the skies and stay on the rooftops. Use the roof gardens to hide once you are able to. The guards should not stay in the skies, kill archers if need be. Head back to the bureau and tak to Raphique, who will be happy and you will be able to head back to Masyaf to talk to Al Mualim. --==**Speak to the Bureau Leader in Acre**==-- --==Masyaf==-- Al Mualim will be happy that you have killed yet another of these men, who seem connected in some way. Al Mualim will not enlighten you and you need to continue. You have reached Synchronisation Rank 5, and you regain the balance and dodge ability and get sword expertise, which means more damage. Dodge allows you dodge an enemy hit when it passes your counter. Just press your Legs button to do so. Useful if you are not good at countering. Anyway, you have two more targets to take down, and the next one will be in Acre. Head to the entrance of your fortress and teleport to Acre's bureau. --==Acre==-- You are again allowed into the Rich District of the town, this time in Acre. The bureau leader will tell you to head into the Rich District to gather more information on the target, William of Montferrat. Again, do what you should do in any new district, scale all the view points of the city and save as many citizens as you can, they are always useful when you are in trouble. Again, the public here is less tolerant of your crimes and you're cover is more than likely to be broken by the public. Also, the guards are tougher here as well, they will counterattack, defence break and dodge your attacks on them, making them harder to get rid of. Anyway, after you have your view points and your citizens, start your investigations. Remember, you need 3 out of the 6 to complete the investigation for the assassination. Pickpocket - The Eastern Pickpocket mission is relatively simple. Just make sure that you aren't spotted. To get into the fort to do the mission, you need to scale the fort's walls and jump down. That is the hard part. The mark is also very alert, making it a harder pickpocket mission. That or blend in with scholars. "A forgotten structure can be useds as a potential entrance." Interrogation - Head to the centre of the map to do the interrogation mission. Just follow him to a deserted alleyway and beat him up. Be careful of the thugs that walk that alleyway, they will protect him. "William will be distracted today with King Richard's visit." Informer - The Southern Informer challenge is a flage challenge, in which you need to collect 20 flags in a period of 3 minutes. The first one will be next to the informer. Use the GPS to guide you. "William will retreat back to his citadel when he is challenged by Richard." Informer - The Northern Informer Challenge is an assassination challenge. You need to remove two of William's knights from the face of the Earth. Not to hard for someone like you eh? "If the citadel doors close, the only escape is by climbing the walls." There are two different missions between the PC and the Console version of the game. I guess it is Console's version to go first, then PC. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - The western pickpocket will be the one that you need to complete. Not exceptionally hard. PC VERSION Informer - The informer mission here, in the north is another stand destruction mission. Here, you need to break 2 stands in 3 minutes, but you are tossing guards. Make sure there are no other guards walking past before you throw. Rinse and repeat before you head back and finish the informer challenge. "A Man in the Harbour is connected to William." PC VERSION Informer - The South Western informer challenge is an archer mission. You need to head to the roofs and take down 3 archers without being seen. Needless to say, use some throwing knives to take them out without being seen, it is the only way to do it. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - Again, the console version gets the easier version. If your mark approaches the guards, make sure that you pickpocket quickly or you need to do some climbing to avoid the guards. "Acquire a map showing the position of William's archers." --==Assassinate William of Montferrat==-- You need to head back to the bureau to get rid of William. Talk to the leader and go through your plan. Now, head to the citadel where you witness a glitchy cutscene between William and King Richard. How come he gets to ride a horse inside the city as well as his knights? Anyway, follow him inside the citadel, and you need to start planning your escape. Remove the archers, according to your map. Because once you get rid of William, the alert will go off and the doors will close, so you HAVE to get out via the walls. The archers will hinder your movement so get rid of them now before you have to get rid of them. Keep to the rooftop and move quietly to William. Here, he is brooding to his men again, and you need to get in and out quickly. You have two options, assassinate and run, or stand and fight. Assassinate and run requries you to kill him via a leaping assassination and running like mad to escape from his troops. This might be hard, but it is the easiest and quickest. The most likely solution will be the stand and fight where you need to kill the men and William via counterkills. Either way, get rid of William and watch the cutscene. After the glitchy cutscene, head to the walls and scale them to escape from the citadel, and then keep to the rooftop to save yourself from any enemies that are still chasing you. Hide in the roof gardens if need be and enter the bureau to finish the assassination, and then, head back to Masyaf for a meaningful confrontation with Al Mualim. --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Jerusalem**==-- --==Masyaf==-- Altair is tired of assassinating without a reason, and Al Mualim will provide the link between all the men that you have killed and will kill. This will explain a lot of things. Anyway, you will reach Sync Level 6 and this means you get extra throwing knives. You get a total of 10 knives, an upgrade from your measly 5. Also, you get a new sword, that does nothing but look good. Anyway, head to Jerusalem and to the bureau. --==Jerusalem==-- In Jerusalem, you need to talk to your good buddy Malik, who seems pleased with Altair's change in attitude. I guess losing that arm might have changed his view on assassination. Anyway, you have to head to the Poor District of Jerusalem now. Not hanging with your rich buddies anymore. You need to scale all the view points and save all the citizens in this area just as usual. Again, the guards are tough, and there are even more of them in this area, making it harder on you. You need to get 3 out of the 6 possible investigations complete before you can actually attempt the assassination itself. There is only 2 difference between missions now. Good luck. Interrogation - Southern area. You really need to take down this guy. He will talk to the well area and he will stop here. You need to take him out here, despite the fact that there are thugs there to protect him. The main fact is that there are no guards. Beat him out to get the info. "Majd Addin has decided to rule Jerusalem through fear." Eavesdrop - This is the easiest mission and you certainly cannot fail this one. I seriously fail to see how you can fail an eavesdrop. "Majd Addin is performing an execution today." Pickpocket - The Western pickpocket is of the harder variety. The mark will head into an area that is protected by guards. Luckily, he will head in a circle that you can wait and pickpocket him. "Acquire map showing the position of the execution plaza." Informer - The North Western Informer challenge is an assassination mission. It is relatively simple, all you need to do is to take down two of Majd Addin's men without being seen. Again, use the hidden blade, up close and personal. "Few scholars will try to enter the execution plaza." Now, again, there are two differences between the Console and the PC port. Let console go first, for now. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - Relatively simple mission, in and out. Just pick the pocket and go. PC VERSION Informer - This is an escort challenge, and you need to protect the assassin from enemies. This is a long step from your previous escorts. Straight away, you are attacked by two guards, and two more, and then two more. These guards may be joined with regular patrol units, but just wait and counter-kill. "Acquire a map of the position of Majd Addin's Guards." PC VERSION Informer - You have a southern mission which is an archer assassination mission. You need to take down 3 archers, which you should do via throwing knives, since it is the easiest solution. CONSOLE VERSION Informer - The second informer challenge is another assassination mission where you need to assassinate three men instead of two men. Two men will be on the ground, and that is no problem, but there is one of the rooftops, and that can be a problem for you. Use throwing knives behind if you cannot get up close and assassinate him. "Majd Addin turns the back to the crowd as he speaks." --==Assassinate Majd Addin==-- With all this information, head back to the bureau and go over your plan with Malik who will present you the feather. Head to the execution plaza and watch the glitchy cutscene. As Malik would have told you, you need to save a brother of your from the wrath of Addin, who will call him a heretic. First of all, before you get there, kill off the enemy archers. These are going to be a damaging factor later on. Anyway, as Addin is lecturing the victims, you need to get into the action. Regardless of whether you'll quietly assassinate him or loudly, the odds are that you need to fight you're way out. If you are going to do it quietly, use the nearby scholars to sneak past the guards and near the execution area, but be careful of the crazy man near the stage that can blow your cover. Sneak up onto the stage and kill him before he can do anything else. Or, just attack any of the guards and fight everyone. This is just more and more practice counter-killing. The funny thing is, even if you have killed 10 of them, they don't seemed phased that they are being swatted like flies. Either way, kill Majd Addin before he can kill anyone and watch the glitchy cutscene. After this glorious assassination, head back to the bureau and finish Memory Block 4. --==Abstergo Labs==-- Exit the animus and it appears that Vidic is not exceptionally pleased. He will storm out, and Lucy has to as well, but not before she tells you some important information. It seems that all the memories that Desmond is pumping out isn't just dead memories, such things are alive. She has to go and you need to enter your room. Of course, it doesn't end there, you can exit the room with your access code and given that you stole Vidic's pen and Lucy's pen, you can read both their emails. Read Vidic's, and one of the deleted items, it is particularly interesting. Anyway, head to your room and sleep, and then prepare for Memory Block 5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.05] Memory Block 5 --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Damascus**==-- --==Masyaf==-- The game's story is starting to be more integrated how, and Al Mualim will will explain a fair bit, so listen up. Anyway, with the newest Sync Rank, Al Mualim will grant you the defence break ability, which means you step and then attack to break their defence, and that allows a short period of time to attack again and attack them. With that, you also get a new sword, no extra damage, but it damn looks better. Anyway, your first target is in Damascus. --==Damascus==-- Speak the the Bureau Leader and he shall suggest that you visit the Middle District of Damascus for more information on your target, Jubair Al Hakin. By now, you know the drill, you need to scale all the view points and take care of all the save citizen quests. Now, the missions are harder, the guards are in larger groups and will attack from behind, where you cannot counter. But then again, the reward is always useful in the end. But then, look on the bright side, there isn't that many this time around. Eavesdrop - The only eavesdrop mission is located inside a fortified area, and as such, requires you to use the nearby scholars to sneak in. Sneak in and eavesdrop. "Jubair holds daily meetings within the Madrasah." Interrogation - The interrogation mission is the usual waiting for the enemy to walk into a dark alleyway and punching the living daylights out of them and getting the juicy info. "Jubair's scholars are destroying all the books in Damascus." Pickpocket - The Eastern Pickpocket mission is a relatively simple one. But the problem here is that it is a crowded area, making it hard to move close to the mark and there are A LOT of the crazy men here, and that could be a problem. "Letter which states that Jubair should be within a garden." Informer - This is the assassination of 5 men within a period of 5 minutes. Again, you cannot be seen, so these all need to be low profile assassinations. The trick here is that you need to actually wait until the targets move past stationary and roaming guards. Wait until they are in a crowd, and then quickly move off. You may need several tries here to get it right. "Map where Jubair will be burning the books." There are two different differences here between the console version and the PC Version. It is console's version to go first. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - This western pickpocket makes the other one look extremely hard. PC VERSION Informer - The PC version has an easy rooftop race. You have basically 90 seconds to run from one side of the district to the other side. Relatively simple. "Jubair is at the Madrasah Al Kallasah, surrounded by loyal men." PC VERSION Informer - A Merchant Stand Destruction challenge where you need to demolish 3 stands in three minutes. The problem is that as you demolish one with the guards positions there, the other guards will attack you, and you need to fend them off. Use moving civilians to finish the mission. CONSOLE VERSION Informer - Another Assassination mission where you need to eliminate 3 men in three minutes, with two on the ground and one in the air. Take them out, but take your time and don't stuff up. "Jubair wears rich golden robes and carries a pouch." --==Assassinate Jubair Al Hakin==-- Head to where Jubair is and you should enter via the top of the building as to not hassle the guards. Enter via the top and watch the cutscene and remember to watch for the glitches for a better angle. Anyway, he will spread out and what makes this assassination unique is that there are 6 targets, yet there is only one Jubair. If you have done all the information, read all the attachments and use this to eliminate the ones that Jubair will not be in. In the end, there will be a single viable option, the South Eastern target. Use this to find Jubair and start the assassination. You really have two options. The first is the leaping assassination, which I recommend that you execute since it will give you time to escape, while the alternative is that you run into the garden and assassinate him, but that will instantly trigger a search and it may be hard to get out. It is your choice which you opt, but in the end, assassinate him and return to the Bureau, just like all other assassinations. --==Masyaf==-- Talk to Al Mualim and this will increase your understanding of the situation further. It will also level you up to Sync Rank 8 and this will provide you with Short Blade Expertise. This increases the damage that the short blade does and it gives you a new short blade. It is a sleek metal one, but my only gripe is that it isn't really shiny anymore. Now, you need to ride off to Acre and finish the second assassination. --==**Speak to the Bureau Leader in Acre**==-- --==Acre==-- You are now able to access the Middle District of Acre, which also happens to be Port District. You speak to the Bureau Leader that you mark will be Sibrand, who is the leader of the Knights Teutonic. Do the usual, scale the view points and save all the citizens that you can, again, they are useful for a quick escape. Interrogation - The interrogation in this mission is no different, wait until the mark hits a soft area and pummel him into a bloody pulp for the info. "Sibrand will install a naval blockade." Pickpocket - The simple pickpocket mission, which for once includes a third person in the conversation. Pickpocket the man and move on. "Letter stating that Sibrand has no men on the Northern Docks" Eavesdrop - The Eavesdrop is as simple as it was before, just sit down and listen. "Sibrand is hiding in the docks." Informer - The first is an assassination mission where you need to execute or assassinate three knights within a period of three minutes. Relatively simple as they normally don't face you. Hidden blade, assassinate and move off. "Many drunken sailors populate the docks." There are again two differences between the PC version and the console version. Again, Console First. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - It isn't that hard, all you need to do is to pickpocket a target. PC VERSION Informer - This is an escort mission where you need to escort the assassin past 2 sets of guards, with three guards in a set. Just defend and kill the guards and let the guy escape. "Map showing the position of Sibrand's guards." PC VERSION Informer - A simple rooftop race across the town, one of the simple missions on parallel with the eavesdrop. CONSOLE VERSION Informer - This is the assassination mission where you need to remove 5 Knights in a period of 4 minutes. Again, take your time and don't rush, this will lead to an automatic fail. Practice will make perfect. "Sibrand will retreat to his private vessel." --==Assassinate Sibrand==-- You now need to talk to the Bureau leader who will give you the go ahead to eliminate Sibrand. First, head to the docks and your best bet, after watching the glitchy cutscene where Sibrand sails away to his private vessel is to head to the vessel through the South Eastern path. This path involves you using boats as well as little posts on the sea. Use them and head to the vessel. From here, perform a leaping assassination or a high profile running assassination to remove Sibrand quickly before he, or his guards can have a chance to strike at you. This will produce another glitchy cutscene and will mean the end of the assassinations for now. Watch as your switch off the animus. --==Abstergo Lab==-- As you move out of the Animus, you get a cutscene of Vidic and someone else and they don't sound happy. They want their little artifact retrieved from you quickly. Once Vidic has decided to disappear, you need to talk to Lucy for more information on what is exactly is going on. There is some interesting food for thought there. After you have successfully grilled all you can out of her, head to your room, only to sneak out again using the access code. Access Vidic's and Lucy's computers, and check Lucy's deleted emails, it is rather interesting don't you think. Anyway, head back to sleep after you are complete. The Doctor decides to wake you up, and he knows that you know what they are trying to do. You can't do anything else, so head to the Animus to complete Memory Block 6. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.06] Memory Block 6 --==**Speak with the Bureau Leader in Jerusalem**==-- --==Masyaf==-- Well, this is the last major memory block, Memory Block 7 is more of a showdown, rather than an assassination. You start off talking to Al Mualim and they is your final Sync Rank update, and you will get an extra 5 knives to throw, making that to a total of 15 knives. Anyway, you only have one target to kill, and that is Robert de Sable, the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar. He is in Jerusalem, and you need to kill him. Head to Jerusalem and into the Bureau, and talk to Malik. --==Jerusalem==-- Malik will greet you and tell you that it is best if you head to the Middle District. Go to all the View Points and Save all the citizens that you can, but the best thing is that there are only 7 points to scale and there are only 6 citizens that need saving. Guessed the guards learnt from their dead counterparts. Anyway, save all of them, and they might be useful later on. And they are strategically placed outside the assassination area. Well, save them and start the information gathering for the last time. Interrogation - This is one of the easier interrogation missions, just wait for the mark to move just a bit and into the alleyway, and pummel him for some juicy info. "What are Robert's true motives?" Eavesdrop - The Northern Eavesdrop is pretty easy, and this time involves three people instead of the actual two. "Robert will be attending a funeral." Pickpocket - This Northern pickpocket is rather hard because to start off the mission, there are guards blocking the entrance, and even if you use scholars to get in, you need to get out as well. Also, there are a lot of the crazy men that wonder around the area. So you really should just kill the guard arounds and start the mission then. "Map of the guards during Majd Addin's Funeral." Informer - You need to assassinate 5 Templars in a period of 5 minutes. This might be hard, but blend in and bide your time, 5 minutes is plenty of time. Use the hidden blade and strike. "Don't face all of Robert's men at once." There are again two differences between the console and the PC version. I will list out the differences for you again. CONSOLE VERSION Pickpocket - The southern pickpicket is pretty much easier and should not be too hard for you. PC VERSION Informer - This is a rooftop race between two different parts of the city and unlike previous races, you only have 60 seconds to get around and this means that you need to hurry, because a fall from the roof is costing valuable time. Godspeed. "Map detailing Robert's position during the funeral." PC VERSION Informer - The Archer Assassination is harder again. In the South West, there are 4 Archers that are marked for removal. Again, use the throwing knives to remove that element of risk that you will face if you are going to the hidden blade kill. CONSOLE VERSION Informer - Another Assassination mission, you need to take down two Templar Knights in a period of three minutes. One is up in the sky and another on the ground. Use the throwing knive on the one on the roof to remove the element of risk from upclose assassinations. "Blend in with some scholars during the funeral." --==Assassinate "Robert de Sable"==-- Head back to Malik for the feather and an emotional cutscene between Altair and Malik, with apologies all around. Anyway, you need to head to the graveyard and move into the area. The easiest way in, if you don't want to use the scholars, is using the rooftop entrance to the area. Anyway, watch the cutscene and use the glitches to see the real picture and your enemy, Robert de Sable. Sable whispers something into the ear of the preacher, and that sets things in motion, get ready. The citizens now run, for an assassin is among them. The Templar Knights advance towards you and they will soon sight you, and the guards behind you will follow suit. You have a fight on your hands. First of all, your best chance of survival against all the knights is to use a ladder to get to the top of a relatively tall building. With that, the enemy soldiers need to get to the top to fight you, and the only way is using a ladder. With that, you can keep striking the enemy units off the ladder and their deaths on the ground. That gives you a lot more breathing space and makes it easier. Soon, kill Robert de Sable and soon, the trap will be sprung. This isn't Robert de Sable, it is a woman. For a woman, she fights better than all the guards and knights there were. Anyway, you need to head back to the bureau to give the orders to Malik and then, you need to move to where de Sable actually is, Arsuf. --==Arsuf==-- You now have the option to teleport anywhere you want, and if you want to take the shortcut, the alternative is to ride from Jerusalem to Arsuf, which is a long ride, you can choose the city of Acre, the closest to Arsuf. You need to move your assassin all the way to the city gates. From here, commandeer a horse all the way out of the city and into a place we haven't been for a while, the Kingdom. You need to move your horse all the way to Arsuf, and that isn't a town we have visited yet. Indeed, it isn't a town, it is a fort. Ride to Arsuf and this will lead you to a long path, and there are no detours for you to take, it is a long linear path. Ride the horse to a cliff side and here you see three archers shooting at a procession of civilians. Push them off the cliff and kill them. Move along to a watch tower and you need to move on foot. There are Saracen soldiers here that you need to kill, and do so. Clear the area, and the archers and move on. Ahead, there are ten Saracen guards here, and you need to kill them too. Counter-Kill and Defence Break are your bet options. From here, you need to move on and take down three guards that you jump from nowhere and engage you. Engage and destroy. Move ahead to a large clearing, and this is going to be one of the hardest fights. You need to take down about 20 soldiers, in 2 waves of 10, and you are on the defensive all the time. Defence break is too risky, so just counter kill and take your time, and be patient. Moving on, there is another watchtower, and that is unmanned. Move on to see that there are a group of 10 English soldiers. Take them out too, since they don't want to be friendly. And moving on, you see your target, Robert de Sable, and the English King, King Richard. --==Assassinate Robert de Sable==-- King Richard will hear your story, about the traitor and all, but he does not accept it, nor does he believe de Sable. He believes that God will decide who is telling the truth, and that means in combat. Talk about fair, first of all, you need to fight off about 10 Templar Knights who would have encircled you when you needed to talk to Richard. They will now fight and you have no choice but to counter kill. This is because they are too good to be defence breaked and also, they will easily stop your second attack because they have more people than you. Counter kill and dodge if they defence break you. Kill all of them, but the key to victory here is that you need to keep your Sync Bar has high as possible. After the fight is over, de Sable will join the fray and attack you. You have no choice but to engage Robert. Just defend and counter kill him. It won't actually kill him, and you cannot strike him on the ground, so just counter kill 6 times and kill him. The reason against overt action is that you are probably on low health, and he is too fast and good to be defeated by such weak attacks. Kill him and watch the cutscene. It explains a lot, or pretty much everything. With that, you are taken out of the Animus and that ends Memory Block 6. --==Abstergo Labs==-- Get out of the Animus and wait for Vidic to talk. It appears that [SPOILERS] The Assassin's have attempted to mount a rescue effort, and it appears that the gunfire from the assassins is outweighed by that of the Templars from Abstergo. The assassins lose. [END SPOILERS] Wait for Vidic to leave, and talk to Lucy, who will give you a sign of her true intentions. Head to your room, and then back out and use her computer and access her outbox to find the code to the conference room, and that has a computer you can access to find a single email. Important too. Well, plotwise anyway. Go to sleep and wake up bright and early to use the Animus for the final Memory Block, and the most important and changes the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [2.07] Memory Block 7 --==**Omega**==-- Memory Block 7 is straight forward, you are out to get revenge on the man who has betrayed you, your Master. Head into Masyaf to listen to a crazy old man who is clearly lost his mind, it is possessed by the Piece of Eden. Move towards the fortress, and you will encounter 8 of your fellow Assassins, and none of them seem too friendly. You have no other choice but to kill them, because it is either you or them. Counterkill or scale the nearby building and control the situation by knocking them off ladders. After that, you will have to face 12 to 14 more assassins who will jump in and fight. Not good. You need to scale the building to regain control. Just hang in and kill one or two, and then, you are saved. Malik will arrive and explain why he had to kill the possessed men with his own men. This will clear the path to fight your previous master. As you head to the fortress, the doors are blocked with civilians. Gentle push past them and head into the Paradise of Masyaf, the Garden and onto the square, to confront Al Mualim. Hardly a fair fight, he summons the nine Templars you have previously killed as targets to fight you. But do not worry. They are not as strong as their real life counterparts, and as such, they are like the weakest of the guards, they only require one hit counterkills. Dispatch of them quickly. Move back on the square and Al Mualim will greet you again, with nine copies of himself. The real target is only visible via the Eagle Vision ability, the target that you want is in gold. But more often than not, you don't have the time to do this so just defend and try to kill them, in hopes that one of them is the real deal. Attack, and find Al Mualim and attack him. Now, Al Mualim will fight you himself. However, he is pathetic and once you have defeated him, he will disappear into another part of the garden and you need to repeat the process. After 4 or 5 times you have counter-killed him, he will finally die, and the Piece of Eden will reveal itself. The locations of the other pieces are shown, and Abstergo have what they need. --==Abstergo Labs==-- Exit the Animus to hear that Vidic is rather pleased, and so are his bosses. Once you regain control, you can actually use Eagle Vision as Vidic and Lucy are departing. You will see Lucy in blue, a symbol perhaps? And there are a lot of cryptic messages on the floor. Move into your room and look on the wall above your bed. A whole mount of cryptic messages. what do they mean? I'll go over what I can later. And now, the credits roll. You have beaten Assassin's Creed. Congratulations! --==The End?==-- No, this isn't the end. You can still play as Altair in the Animus and this allows you to collect all the Flags and kill the Templars, or relive the important events that have occured. Also, you can read all the emails that you please. The room is what you will want to do with it. If you want a real challenge, try to figure out all the meanings that lie on the floor with your Eagle Vision abilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3.01] Civilians The Civilians are the majority of the population that you will encounter in the cities and in the Kingdom area. Most of them are your generic citizens, who will walk around and comment on your behaviour, while there are other specific citizens that lurk around, and they have their set behaviour. Lets go through who you will meet. --==Jar Bearers==-- The Jar Bearers are the ladies who carry the jars on their heads. If you knock them too hard, they will drop their jars and that can cause a disturbance. If you gently push them out of your way, they will not drop their jars and don't get too bothered. They are generally found in groups of three. These civilians are the best indication of how much the crowd and the general population loves you. If you are in a chase with guards and are on the ground, if the public support you, the jar bearers continue as normal, but if they do not like you, from either too much killing and what not, they will drop their jars, giving away your position to the guards and the chase is back on. It is best if you are nice, but it all depends on where you hide. --==Crate Holders==-- The male version of the Jar Bearers, they are the same as the Jar Bearers except are male and they only appear later in the game. They aren't too happy that you make them drop the crate, and they will make you pay. They also appear in groups of three and behave the same as the jar bearers. --==Beggars==-- These are the extremely annoying female civilians that will move up to you and beg your for some goin coins, because they need money to feed their family, they are sick and dying, and you don't understand. After a while, they will back off, but these are just plain annoying. I would assassinate them, but I lose sync bars for that, and they ain't worth it. So, to get rid of them, just grab them and push them. They will make them run and they will get rid of them. However, if you do not pay them attention, if you start to climb some buildings, they will throw rocks at you and start to run away. When they happens, and Altair falls back, I run up to them and kill them. I don't advise that you do, but they are just plain annoying. Just run up and tackle them if you just don't want to deal with them altogether. --==Drunks/Insane==-- These are the male version of the beggars. They do not beg, they are just plain drunk or mentally unstable. Because of they, when they see you, they will push you onto the ground. These guys can be spotted because they are wearing no shirt if they are insane, or tattered clothers if they are drunk. Also, the insane will hold their hands on their head, while the drunk carry a bottle of booze. To avoid them, because if they do knock you onto the ground, it will raise some attention, just grab them and push, but the best option is to run and tackle them out of the way, because they way, they don't have time to push you onto the ground. I wouldn't waste throwing knives on them, because that would be a waste. --==Thugs==-- These guys are noticable because of their leather plate armour and the shiny throwing knives at the back of they guy. They normally walk around cracking their knuckles and rubbing their hands. These guys are useful for only one thing, their throwing knives. As mentioned in the below section, they are pickpocketable if that is a word, and by doing so, you get 5 knives, but if you fail, which is possible, they will pick a fight with you and start to punch you. If you knock them out, you only get a single knife. Also, while on an informer mission, if you bash the informer in front of these thugs, they will protect the informer, attack you. Don't worry, in all the fights, these guys are too stupid to use their throwing knives, so that doesn't prohibit you from drawing weapons. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3.02] Guards The Guards are what your main enemies are going to look like during the course of the game. There are two different guards, your swordsman, and your archers. The archers are those on the rooftops, protecting the view points and fortified areas and will shoot you if you draw a blade or get too close. They are armed with a bow and also with their standard issue sword. The Swordsmen are on the ground, and they are the ones that you will normally fight. They are armed with the sword, and they will call for reinforcements. They will normally be on the ground guarding the entrances and will formed road blocks on later levels. As the game develops the guards will get smarter. At the start, they will attack you and you can attack back and get rid of them. But later on, they are a lot smarter. They will be able to counter kill you straight off, grab you, defence break and all the other sword techniques that you have. They will also attack from behind, being the cheap asses that they are. They will also try to stop you. Later on, they will form road blocks, and they will be two to four guards standing in your path, ready and swords drawn. They will not be able to be tackled down, so your best option is to fight or jump up to the rooftops and avoid. This of course, happens later on. Another thing, the guards later on in memory levels will be more alert for you and that means, if you linger around a guard for too long, they will spot you and attack. Also, there will be groups of 5 guards walking around the city, and if the captain of those guards, the lead unit, goes near you, that will also start a chase. So get ready and be prepared. --==Guard Meter==-- There are two different guard meters, one is when you are not being chased by the guards, and the other is when you are. The first is the eye, and the other is the colour. The first is when you are not being chased, that is when you are a member of the public. If there is just the Animus symbol the crappy symbol I've drawn below, \ / \ /___\ / That means you are not being watched by any guards. But once that disappears, there will be an eye. The yellow means that the guards are watching you, but they aren't paying the maximum attention and preparing to chase you. The red eye means that they are onto you and any wrong move means that they will attack. That means having socially acceptable behaviour. What is not accepted behaviour is: * Bump into Guards * Attack Someone * Draw a Blade * Climb onto Buildings * Enter a Guarded Area * Ignore requests to move away * Kill Someone Just be a good boy and you hopefully won't get chased. The second meter is the colour meter, and that is to show your current status in regards to your chase. There are 4 colours, each meaning different things. Red - You are currently in the line of sight of the guards and are being chased. Try to shrug them off. Yellow - You are out of sight of the guards but they are still chasing. Jump into a hiding spot to avoid the guards. Blue - You have vanished from the line of sight of the guards, but they are still chasing. To obtain this, you are in a hiding spot, so stay there. Green - The Guards have given up chase and you are now able to resume your activities as a normal citizen. To get away from the guards, you need to hide in a hiding spot. There are several spots, marked by blue dots on your map during a chase. These spots are: Rooftop Gardens - The four-sided "garden", marked with coloured cloth on each of the four sides. Hay - Whether it is in a cart or just lying in a pile, the guards aren't smart enough to burn the haystack in their chase. Scholars - Blending in with the scholars will provide you with some good cover during your escape. Benches - Sitting down next to two members of the public will help you blend in. Note that you can only do this whilst in the Yellow mode. If you don't, it will not help you, you automatically jump out of gardens and haystacks and scholars and the civilians on the benches will run from you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [3.03] View Points The View Points are marked on the map with an Eagle sign, and these are the points that can be scaled. When you scale them, you can get to the top and synchronise with the view point, and this will allow you to see the area properly. By synchronising with a view point, the area around the view point will be clear, even if you haven't explored the area, and will reveal all the available missions in the area. These are useful, however, the view points are often guarded. So you should strive to eliminate the guards from sight because they will throw rocks or shoot arrows and this knocks you back all the way back to square one, and you don't want that. Scale up and get in sync. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4.01] Saving Citizens When you are in the cities, you will encounter some citizens that are clearly in need of help. There are 2 ways that you can tell that they need saving. The first, less obvious solution is on the map, in which citizens in need of saving have a little icon that will denote that they need saving. It is the circle with a cross in the centre. Use the Legend if you need more info on that. The second, and the more obvious sign that they need a hero to save them is that there will be guards that are there to attack them, not with swords and such, but with their fists, and they usually chant something along the lines of thief and such. There are normally 3 to 4 guards that will be there around the citizen. One or two of the guards will normally be beating up the civilian, the rest will be keeping watch. Now, the problem is, you are heavily outnumbered, 3 or 4 against one any day isn't really a fair fight. But you are trained in the art of killing, and they are not. The first thing that you should do, is lock onto a guard that is acting as a watcher and is not in on the action. Don't attract attention to yourself yet and walk up to him, using your hidden blade as your weapon. Equip the hidden blade and assassinate him. You can't do this to all the guards, so by assassinating one of them, that is one less that you have to contend with. The assassination of one of the guards will alert the other guards. This will stop the attack on the innocent citizen and they will draw their swords on you. This will mean you will be outnumbered and are on the defensive. Your only option is to hold defensive (Right Click / Button 1) and then either wait till they attack and you counter-attack, or wait until they finish and combo-kill them. Either way, you need to be on the defensive and whittle down the numbers. When they are all down on the floor, you will need to lock onto the citizen that you have just saved from torture. Depending on their type, which is below, they will assist you in your fight against the guards, in case you are in trouble. Still, it is useful to save the citizens, not because it will spawn scholars and vigilantes, it will also add to your sync count. With your sync count, the more you save, the higher syncs you get, and that means more health basically. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4.02] Scholars The guards do not like someone preaching how their religion is wrong, and for that, they will bash up the scholars that are against them. This will often be in the form of a man that is wearing a white robe. On the map, this is represented by a semi-circle circumference and a dot in the middle. Sort of like this: _ /.\ If you save the scholar, you will get his protection against the guards via a group of Scholars. You can blend into the Scholars and this will decrease the attention you have drawn via the guards and they are currently chasing you. Also, this will get you into areas, such as past city gates, where the guards will normally attack you. Even after you have saved them, the scholars will continue to wonder around the area long after you have saved them. This provides you a mobile hiding area because once you blend in, you are hidden, and the guards can no longer see you. See how handy it is to save the smart nerd in the game? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [4.03] Vigilantes The guards also seem to like to harass women. Young women I can understand but they also attack old women. It isn't like they carry handbags around the place so that is a bit disturbing. These citizens are more common for saving and they are represented by a woman assaulted by guards. Saving the woman will allow you to have a vigilante guard. This basically means that you will have a block against guards. Once you are being chased by guards, running into a friendly vigilante guard will let them block them for you. That means, if you are being chased by guards and run into vigilantes, the vigilantes will block the guards from chasing you, and allow you to escape. When you have saved the citizen and spawn a vigilante mob, they will also stay there forever, just like the wondering scholars. This is particularly useful since if you are on the run, you know where you can hide. Also, this is represented on the map with a circle containing 4 triangles. Saving the damsel in distress also spawns several heavies. Not bad at all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.01] Eavesdrop The investigation missions, which you are informed of by now, as ways to gather information on your targets before you can assassinate them. After all, you cannot assassinate someone if you don't know where they are. Anyway, there are 5 different missions for the console version, while there are 4 extra missions with the Director's Cut for PC. Without any further ado, let us begin. The Eavesdrop mission is probably the easiest of the missions because you literally cannot fail this mission. All you have to do is to eavesdrop on a secret conversation between two people. To do so, sit down on a nearby bench and then use the head button to listen on the conversation. The easiest of the missions, but they only get harder. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.02] Interrogation Interrogation missions are more slightly harder, because all you need to do is to listen to a person spreading lies for your assassination target. For example, they will spruce up how their masters are trying to help the people and what they have done. They are normally in the centre of attention, with people listening in as well as two guards protecting their despot spreading lies for their master. Once the old man has finished, and it generally is an old man, they will walk away, and this normally leads to a dark alleyway, how cliche, and you need to pummel them with your fists. They will fight back, but you should win. Please note that if there are thugs around, the ones that are not guards but carry throwing knives, they will protect the despot and attack you. However, continue attacking the despot and ignore the thugs. After a while, the despot will surrender and will willingly provide you some information that you can use. This, however, will lead to their death and that will be it. The thugs will stop attacking because that man is dead. That is it for interrogation. Note that you should not do this in a public place because when the body falls down, the guards nearby will pickup on this and find you, and you don't want that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.03] Pickpocket The next mission and this is slightly harder. This is where you will witness two people having a secret conversation and someone will give the other a message to pass along to another person. After the conversation, which is basically an advanced version of the Eavesdrop, you need to follow your target. Your target will have the glow around it allowing you to lock on as well as a brown pouch behind them which allows you to know that they are pickpocket targets. The mission will start and your first priority is to keep a good distance to start the target off. If you are too close to your target, they will shoo you off and refuse to move. When they start moving, they will constantly look behind them, like they are expecting something. Once they have sufficently looked behind them, they will walk straight for a good period of time, allowing you to strike and take whatever they are holding. If you succeed, nothing will happen, they will raise their hands in frustration. If you fail however, they will alert the guards that you are a thief and you need to run. Best to practice this for a few times to get the hang of this one. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.04] Informer - Assassination The rest of the mission are informer missions. These missions require you to gain information obtained by your fellow assassins, but they are need something done for them before they help you. Therefore, help them help you. The first informer is the Assassination, and the hardest console informer mission that you will face. This requires you to assassinate a number of targets before they reach the informer. This may sound easy, but it isn't, you need to complete this entire mission without having the guards on to you, and that means stealth. All your targets must be killed using either the hidden blade or the throwing knives. The throwing knives are basically only allowed when there are no civilians around, and that basically means that you can only use throwing knives on the rooftops. On the ground, you need to use the hidden blade. All assassinations will need to be in low profile. If you do one in high profile, or draw a blade or punch, it is cause unwanted attention from the crowd and that will result in an instant fail. So, just follow your target and assassinate, and then blend in the crowd to get away from the falling body. Again, practice makes perfest. Remember, you cannot be seen killing someone, do be careful. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.05] Informer - Flag The most simple of the informer challenges because all you need to do is to go and collect some flags. This is the easiest mission you will get on the console version, and this is tied with the Rooftop Race for the PC version. Anyway, you need to collect 16 to 20 flags within a period of 3 minutes. The best thing about this challenge is that they are all in a row, but that is not to say that they are all on the ground. These are normally on rooftops, beams and platform and you need to collect all of them. You can easily waltz this in high profile sprint because that will ensure that you leap when you need to leap, jump when need be and such. The only problem that I could foresee in this mission is that if you are near a guarded area and you seem to knock a guard and they get pissed off and such. However, you will not have your mission cancelled if you get spotted by the guards. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.06] Informer - Escort (PC ONLY) The first of the four PC exclusive missions, the escort mission is basically a baby sitting mission where you need to guard a fellow assassin. You meet your friend and they need to get out of the city without being killed, bearing valuable information for the assassin's cause. You will definitely encounter enemy guards, and they will attack you. Once you see your informer cower down, draw out your sword and start to engage. They will always be in pairs and attack Altair first, and not the informer. You need to guard the informer all the way to the city gates and allow them to escape. The amount of guards there actually are depend on what level you are on. Of course, later levels, you will encounter 3 sets of guards. The bad news is that once these enemy guards attack you, any other guard that happens to be on patrol duty at the time will also attack you, and that means at least one more to take care of. Be mindful of this, you might not have to deal with 6 guards, there may be more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.07] Informer - Rooftop Race (PC ONLY) The easiest mission possible, it is on par with the flag challenge. All you need to do is to get from point A to point B, where there is another informer there to provide you with the information that you want. There is normally a time limit, and it is about 90 seconds that you need to race across the rooftops. Depending on the memory level, the more advanced you are in the game, the more distance you need to cover, and that means you can make fewer mistakes. Again, there is only one problem that I can see in this is again that you somehow stray into a guarded area and somehow bump a guard and that sets off a chase. But that can be easily avoided because there are such things as roof gardens and you can hide in them. Lock on to the end informer and that will finish off the race. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.08] Informer - Archer (PC ONLY) A different kind of assassination mission, this time, you need to remove some archers to allow your fellow assassin to either complete their mission or run away. You have no time limit here, but you need to kill the archers without being seen. However, it is too risky to get up close and personal, since there is no one else on the rooftop. And that leaves use with the weapon that we couldn't use much before, and that is the throwing knives. Given that there enough areas on the rooftops that will break the line of sight of the archers, you can easily get closer and throw a knife that will kill them. You main aim is not to allow the body of the archer that you have just killed a chance to fall down because that would alert the people on the ground and that will blow your cover. The final note is that when you are going to the rooftop, please use the socially accepted form of using a ladder rather than climbing the guards. You don't want any more attention that you already have. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [5.09] Informer - Merchant Destruction (PC ONLY) The final informer challenge and the final exclusive PC mission that you will have. This basically is a challenge where you need to stop corrupt merchants selling rotten products to customers to help their masters. You need to demolish the stands. The problem with this mission is the time limit. You only have 3 minutes to demolish a few stands. At the start, it is relatively easy, but it gets harder. You see, to destroy a stand, you need to push someone, a civilian or a guard into the stand that will demolish it. If you decide to use a civilian, you will lose part of your sync bar because your mandate as an assassin in the brotherhood means that you cannot break the tenets. Guards are better to use, but that means not being suspicious first. At the start, it is easy, make sure there are no wandering guards around and push someone into the stand. But sooner, it will be harder because the targets are roaming and you need to wait for the right moment to knock down the stand. Given that you have three minutes for two to three stands, you need to be patient, but you still need to get the job done. Practice makes perfect. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [6.01] Flags Flags are all over the place and they are, well, just flags. They act as collectables in the additional memories section On the ground, and in the air, they are just a piece of cloth on a stick with a symbol on it. They are found everywhere, in all the cities, in the Kingdom area as well as Masyaf itself. For the PC version and the PS3 version, Flags are worthless, but for the Xbox version, it isn't that worthless since you can get some achievement points from it. Their only use is that because they are added as a memory, they are a portable save point, that is, by collecting a SINGLE flag, it will save your game. Other than that, it is worthless. I am seriously not going to list any of the positions of the flags here. It is because it is far too difficult, both for me, and for you readers to show the position of the flags because there are too many and not enough distinct landmarks to help you. Therefore, I am going to recommend anyone that wants all the flags to this site below: www.assassinscreed-maps.com The site does an extremely good job in detailing the position of the flags. Not only does it show the point on the map where the flag is exactly, it is an interactive map where it will also show where it is, and this is helpful in city areas since there are many above the ground. * In Masyaf, there are 20 flags, the Assassin's own flags. * In the Kingdom area, there are 100 flags, and these are King Richard's flags. * In Damascus, there are 100 flags, all of them Saracen. There are 33 in the Poor District, 34 in the Middle District and 33 in the Rich District. * In Jerusalem, there are 100 flags, all of them Jerusalem Crosses. There are 34 in the Poor District, 33 in the Middle District and 33 in the Rich District. * In Acre, there are 100 flags. There are 33 Hospitalier Flags in the Poor District, 34 Templar Flags in the Rich District and 33 Teutonic Flags in the Middle District. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [7.01] Templars The Templars are the same "collectables" as the Flags are, except that there are a lot less of them. In total, there were 420 Flags to collect, and there are only 60 Templars that you have to kill. Big Difference. Templars are just a standard Knights Templar. They are extremely strong, compared to the normal guards, yet they are not invincible. They are easily removed with the assassinate feature and counter-kills. They do however, will attack Altair on sight, they will not wait until he does something socially unacceptable. They normally stand on a small mat and in front of a treasure chest, which Altair has no interest in claiming. This is the reason they are normally alone and it is quite easy to remove them from sight before the normal guards or reinforcements drop in for a visit. Again, use the site www.assassinscreed-maps.com for the position of the Templars, represented by the green dots on the map. Again, there are only 60 Templars here, and that means 60 assassination practice targets. * A Good Chunk of 30 are located in the Kingdom area, which is handy to since reinforcements are less likely top appear. * There are 4 in the Poor District of Acre. * There are 3 in the Middle District of Acre. * There are 3 in the Rich District of Acre. * There are 3 in the Poor District of Damascus. * There are 3 in the Middle District of Damascus. * There are 4 in the Rich District of Damascus. * There are 3 in the Poor District of Jerusalem. * There are 3 in the Middle District of Jerusalem. * There are 4 in the Rich District of Jerusalem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8.01] Short Blade The short blade is the third weapon that you will receive and it is a complete opposite to the sword. The sword is slow but powerful, yet the short blade is fast yet weaker. The Short Blade is ideal to attack multiple opponents and to take them down, fast. It functions as a sword, you can still deflect, counter-kill and such, but its damage is weaker. In fights, you will probably rely on your short blade if you need to get the job done, fast. It gives the enemy unit less time to acutally counter or deflect your attack, so in a combo, you can easily wipe out a group of them. Your attack is mainly faster than those your opponents use at you. Their sword attacks is slower, meaning you can attack them before their attack hits you. The only downside in a large fight is that another guard may attack you in that time, so in large attacks in enclosed area, don't use the short blade. Any other time, it is okay to use the short blade. Shorter is better, heavy hitting isn't always the best option. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8.02] Throwing Knives The ranged attack of the assassins, the throwing knives, you will find, are extremely limiting. You only have a limited number, and they are extremely fun to use. They function as the long range attack of the short blade. Lock onto your target and throw the knives at them. This will almost always ensure a one hit kill, only against Templars, hardest guards and assassination targets do you not ensure a 1 hit kill. These are the multipurpose tool. At the start, you only have 5 knives, and then 10, and at most, 15. You can only obtain 5 knives per pickpocket from each thug. These guys will be highlighted as a target and you can pickpocket them. However, if they detect you, they will fight you. In the end, if they are dead, you can acquire one knife off them, 4 short of a successful pickpocket. Return to Masyaf to receive a full set of knives back, but that is a long wait for a few knives you can easily just "borrow". These knives are best used for archers. They will normally hold an arrow and be ready to fire when alert. Your knives will kill them faster than they can actually react. It is also good for ranged targets, such as a save citizen mission where you need to get any many down before you pull out a longsword and counterattack. But be aware, these knives cannot defy the laws of science. It cannot go through walls. So if these is a wall between you and the enemy, it will not kill them. And also, lock on to the target to kill. Otherwise, it will not work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8.03] Hidden Blade What you want to use for assassinations, you use the hidden blade to silently kill the enemy. Just walk up to them and assassinate. The guards will not have the alarm raised until the enemy falls, and that will give just enough time to escape without having a fight. Of course, you can also perform high profile, or running assassinations at a retreating enemy. This however, raises the alarm straight away and that might be a problem. The final type of assassination is the leaping assassination. It is where you are at a height and you jump down. First, lock onto the target and jump to the target. Just when you are jump above the enemy, attack quickly and then it should perform a leaping assassination. You only have a short period of time, so practice makes perfect. Practice on some civilians if need be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8.04] Sword Your primary weapon, this is the most useful. It is slow and cumbersome, but has many uses. The first use is attack. It normally will deal a KO blow straight away when you hit the enemy. Second, it gives more time to use the counterkill ability that you will come to love. This is useful because in a massive fight, say 10 against 1, you will normally have to defend and slowly whittle down the numbers. The third is that it is best for the defence break ability. Use it on enemy units to see how effective it is. The fourth, which is more useful in the early part of the game is that it will be available for attack on horseback. So what, you can attack with a horse, but with the extreme speed of the horse and quick abilities of Altair, you can easily hurt the enemy lines and run. And the final thing is, the sword is so much cooler than a tiny blade. But remember, smaller is sometimes much better than a long, cumbersome blade. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [8.05] Fists The leasted used weapon, these is some use for it. On a small scale, it is useful because it is low profile, and as such, it doesn't piss off the crowd as much because you aren't actually killing anyone. So if you are fighting guards, use fists if you can. However, you normally cannot do so. That is because there are a large amount of enemies. If you can, do so, it might prove useful. The second use for it is that is can be useful if you get in a fight with civiliains or thugs, because using your fists doesn't attract a guard's attention. Drawing a weapon however, dopes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [9.01] Move List There are many moves that Altair can perform. Here is a list of all those that are relevant as well as which key is used. Note that not all the abilities are available at the start. ****************** *Whilst Anonymous* ****************** Gentle Push - Hands This is used to move civilians and guards out of the way without making a really large fuss. It is useful to move jar bearers and crate holders out of the way without causing a problem. Blend - Legs Blending allows you to blend into a group of scholars to move into restricted areas as well as giving you a portable hiding spot. The fact that Altair has a massive sword on the side, throwing knives and a short blade in the back fails to attract attention. Scout - Head Use this ability, when not on full health, to give a good complete view of all that is currently around the character. Eagle Vision - Head, Full Health This is a useful ability, it allows you to tell friend from foe. Only useful however, if you can't tell a guard is an enemy. Blue means Ally, Red means Enemy, White means source of Information and Gold means Assassination Target. Synchronise - Head, On Top of View Point This allows you to get in Sync with Altair and this reveals the area around the view point. You also get a nice Eagle cry. Run - High Profile This basically doubles your walking speed. It makes travelling around the city much faster without drawing a lot of attention. Sprint - High Profile, Legs This is the fastest way to travel around the city, and this can easily make someone fall over, which isn't exactly the stealthiest move. Climb - High Profile, Legs, Upwards Move This allows you to climb up. Well this is what it is meant to do. It will only allow you to move up whilst there is something to hold onto. Leap - High Profile, Sprint, Movement This allows you to leap over beams and little rods to basically jump across really quickly. Grab - High Profile, Hands on Civilian This allows you to grab a civilian or guard, and throw them somewhere that you wish, indicated by the move button that you select. Great for using one guard as a domino effect. Tackle - High Profile, Hands, Movement This is a Juggernaut sort of movement. It allows you to basically smash anyone who is in the path of Altair whilst he is in this mode. Useful for trying to get away from enemy guards. Leap of Faith - High Profile, Jump off a Building into Haystack. There needs to be a haystack below and you can perform a leap of faith, which will normally remove the heat from you. Listen to the Eagle cry and jump. ******** *Combat* ******** Assassinate - Hidden Blade Equipped, Up close to Target, Action You should know this move by now. Move up and assassinate, real close. You can run and assassinate, which is more High Profile or do an aerial assassination, where you assassinate whilst in the air. Attack - Action It means attack, you attack the enemy, how hard is that? Throw Knife - Throwing Knives Equipped, Locked on Target You can insta-kill the enemy with a single knife once you have locked on to the enemy target. You need some distance between you and the enemy though. Punch - Fists Equipped, Action This allows you to use your fists to pummel someone. This is useful if you are fighting thugs because the guards to not get involved, HOWEVER, do not try to do this on guards, they have swords. Combo Attack - Action, Action once Sword makes contact Once the sword makes contact with the enemy's blade, attack straight away to get a combo attack. This is hard to block, and makes a good kill. Block - High Profile This basically means that you block the enemy attacks on you. It is only available against sword attacks, you simply are that skilled to block arrows. Counter Attack - Block, Attack Once the enemy launches an attack on you and you are blocking, you can use the attack button whilst blocking to counter attack. This will normally kill them, if not, it will knock them on the floor. In the cast of strong attacks, it will normally lead to a kill. Strong Attack - Hold Attack By holding the attacking button, it will launch a strong attack which will normally kill anything on site. Not nice of countered however. Dodge - Legs, Block When the enemy is attacking you and you cannot block it, the dodge will allow Altair to jump back and dodge the attack. Step - Legs This allows you to move forward towards the enemy, and step towards them. This is not useful until you get the Defence Break move. Defence Break - Step and Attack This means that you step towards the enemy, and straight away, you attack, which will break their attack, and this gives you a free hit against the enemy and might kill them. Kick - Action, on a Ladder This allows you to kick the enemy off a ladder when you are on a ladder and they are beneath you. Useful in a scaling battle. Grab Break - Block, Arm When the enemy is making a move to grab you when you are blocking, you can use the arm button to counter-grab them and push them onto the ground. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [10.01] Solomon's Temple - Jerusalem Use a note, this is a spoiler alert. This will reveal information about the game, and if you do not want to know what happens, DO NOT READ AHEAD. IGNORE THIS SECTION BECAUSE IT WILL SPOIL YOUR GAME. ********************** *Memory - Acquisition* ********************** Obtained - Failure to kill de Sable "Failure! But I am not to blame. Had Malik not restrained me, Robert de Sable would be dead - and the artifact ours. Surely Al Mualim will see things my way." ****************** *Memory - Failure* ****************** Obtained - Returned back to Masyaf "Malik lives. He survived the attack beneath Solomon's Temple and returned to Masyaf with the artifact. Cold comfort, that is. It should have been me who stood victorious before our Master." ******************* *Memory - Guardian* ******************* Obtained - Masyaf is under attack "I've done the best I can, but many of our brothers have lost their lives today. Still, were it not for me, even more would have fallen." **************** *Memory - Glory* **************** Obtained - Defeat of the Knight Templars "The Master's words wound worse than any blade. He says that I have failed them. That the lives lost were lost because of me. He's stripped me of my rank and tools. Humiliated me before my brothers ... He is wrong. I am not a traitor." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [10.02] Masun - Masyaf ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Eavesdrop on the conversation "A man named Masun was the one who opened the gate. But he did not act alone. The basket weaver handed him a letter just before the attack on the village. He might know more about Masun's accomplice. I need to find this basket weaver." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Pickpocket the Basket Weaver "I may not find his accomplice, but Masun himself should be at the stage, near the centre of the village. I'm certain he will be able to tell me what I need to know." Attachment - A Letter "Brother- I fear our plans have been discovered and we can no longer meet. Best you disappear before Al Mualim's men find you. They must not learn of my betrayal or everything we've worked for will be undone. I've left some coin for you near the dead cyprus tree. Take it and head for Damascus. Lose yourself amongst the people there. When things have settled, I'll contact you again. As for I, I cannot leave here knowing Al Mualim continues to deny the freedom of these people. A new world is coming, one without war, without fear or pain, so I must help them anyway I can. You'll probably believe me foolish, but I must remain in Masyaf. I'll be near the centre of the village, on the stage, calling out to my brothers and sisters. Maybe I can make them listen. Maybe I can make them understand. May the Father of Understanding Guide You." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Interrogate Masun "Masun did betray us! He believes Robert's cause is just, and is prepared to die for it. I should have cut his throat then and there, but it is not my place to judge the man's fate. I will bring him before Al Mualim." ******************** *Memory - Knowledge* ******************** Obtained - Masun is assassinated "Masun was executed by Al Mualim for his treason. But even at the end, faced with the prospect of oblivion, he insisted his grievous work was just. I know not how Robert poisoned his mind, and I worry he is but the first of such men. The Templar must be stopped." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [10.03] Tamir - Damascus ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Pickpocket Investigation "So many weapons! Enough for near a thousand men! And it's the smiths of Souk Al-Silaah who will prepare them. When this job is done, I must learn of what I can of the one who's financed this endeavour." Attachment - A Letter "Brother Tamir The time has come to prepare another shipment. I know that this is no small thing I ask, but be assured, your dedication will be rewarded. We'll need enough for at least a thousand men, so the support of the merchant guild is critical if you wish to deliver on time. I trust you know how best to persuade them, and who to see should you require additional coin. Let us hope he has not yet spent it all on another of his lavish parties. Contact me when your work in Souk Al-Silaah is done and we'll arrange for it distribution to our men. May the Father of Understanding guide you. -R" SPOILER - Refers to Abu'l Nuqoud of Damascus as "he" spending money on the lavish parties. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Interrogation Investigation "Tamir has little faith in the men who works for him. He oversees their work himself. I will turn this to my advantage. He'll be too preoccupied to notice my approach." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Informer / Eavesdrop Investigation (Depends on Platform) "Tamir has called a meeting with the merchants in his souk. Whatever he has planned for them must be important." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Eavesdrop Investigation "The beams above the souk's central courtyard may prove a useful point of entry ... If I can find a way to access them." Attachment - A Map of the Central Courtyard with Beams outlined. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Eavesdrop Investigation "Once I've alerted the guards to my presence, it might be nice to have a man or two on my side. They'd provide a welcome distraction, buying me time to escape. I should seek out such men. Befriend them. Turn them to my cause." Attachment - A Map of where you can seek out such men. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Pickpocket Investigation "It appears the souk's northeastern rooftops provide easy access to the central courtyard." Attachment - A Map of the Souk's Northeastern Rooftops. ******************** *Memory - Knowledge* ******************** Obtained - Head to Bureau after completion of all Investigations "Tamir is meeting his merchants within Souk Al-Silaah today, to discuss a most important sale. Being insecure as he is, he'll be entirely focused on his work, ignoring all else around him. Approaching him at this point is the wisest course of action. This is when I'll strike." ************************ *Memory - Assassination* ************************ Obtained - After the Assassination "Tamir spoke of others. Brothers, he called them. And said that soon I'd come to know them well. Stranger still, he seems to know the Assassins, and referred to Al Mualim directly. I'd best speak to the Master about this." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [10.04] Garnier de Naplouse - Acre ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Pickpocket Investigation "Garnier's letter is quite strange. He references an arm dealer in Damascus - most likely Tamir - and a second man in Jerusalem. What secret thing unites these men? Men who should hate one another ..." Attachment - A Letter "Master: Progress is slow. We should endeavour to claim what's been taken from us, or I fear we'll be discovered before we have a chance to act. My work on substitutes shows some promise as certain local flora can be used to induce a similar state. Be warned, however: the effects are only temporary and subjects tend to develop a resistance, requiring increased dosage. Unfortunately, they can only take so much before exhaustion claims them. I've lost far too many in this manner and it breaks my heart. Your man in Jerusalem should be commended for his diligence. My supplies remain sufficient, and I am no longer forced to use locals, helping to defray suspicion. I do worry about our loss in Damascus, though I have sufficient arms and armour to continue for a while longer. He will need to be replaced within the month, however, or our soldiers will be forced to wield table knives. Which brings to my next concern. What do you intend to do about our enemy? I fear that the losses we've suffered are but the start. I feel secure enough within the hospital's walls, but it would be best if we dealt with this trouble before it has a chance to bloom. My men are yours for the task if it's required. Merely make your desires known to me. Your brother in peace, -G." SPOILER - The contact in Jerusalem is Talal and the man in Damascus is Tamir. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Informer Investigation "Garnier hides behind the walls of the Hospitalier fortress. I doubt the patients within afford him much protection. Killing him will be simple. Getting into the fortress, however, is another matter entirely ..." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Interrogation Investigation "Garnier removes himself from the world around him while tending his patients one by one. This obsession will spell his end." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Informer / Pickpocket (Depends on Platform) "The Hospitaliers are replacing all the candelabras within the fortress. I could use these to navigate the rafters. Additionally, the workers seem to have pointed out a few of Garnier's more personal projects affected by repairs. Attachment - A Map showing all the light fixtures and which are off. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Informer Investigation "Garnier lets his patients roam the halls of the fortress freely. No one, save scholars , may enter his personal workspace. Apart from the archers defending the rooftops, slipping in should prove simple enough." Attachment - A Map showing the way to get in. ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Eavesdrop Investigation "Some of Garnier's guards have abandoned their posts. The archers patrolling the roof are at a disadvantage. A few seconds is all I need to clear a path." Attachment - A Map showing the position of the rooftop guards. ******************** *Memory - Knowledge* ******************** Obtained - Head to Bureau after completion of all Investigations "Garnier de Naplouse secludes himself within the Hospitalier fortress walls, lost within his work. I know when and where to strike." ************************ *Memory - Assassination* ************************ Obtained - After the Assassination "Is it possible? Was Garnier helping those inside the hospital? He spoke of curing them from their madness using herbs and extracts. Some of them were even grateful for the work he had done. He was a madman and a butcher. How is it these men found good inside a man who was clearly intent on evil? What is it that I've failed to see? I should report this to Al Mualim." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [10.05] Talal - Jerusalem ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Interrogation Investigation "Talal holds his slaves within a warehouse, and later sends them to Acre. Striking while he works within will keep me from being discovered." ************************ *Memory - Investigation* ************************ Obtained - Informer / Pickpocket Investigation (Depends on Platform) "Talal is rumoured to flee from