Brute

2014-04-27T02:19:00Z

189.138.245.69: /* Special Brutes */

{{Era|AC2|ACB}}
[[File:Guard-brute-ACB.png|220px|right|thumb|A Roman Brute]]
'''Brutes''' were heavily-[[armor]]ed [[guards]] during the [[Renaissance]]. They donned durable armor, carried large, [[heavy weapons]] and were one of the strongest guards. However, this was offset by their slow movements due to the weight of their equipment.

==Combat==
Brutes were tricky enemies to defeat, due to the power behind each of their attacks; some of which could neither be blocked nor countered.

===Regular attacks===
[[File:AC2 Brute Combat.png|thumb|250px|Ezio fighting a Brute]]
The regular attacks of Brutes could be deflected with any weapon, though they could not be countered by a [[Short blades|short blade]] or any [[swords and maces|sheath-able weapon]].

A counter could only have been performed with another heavy weapon, such as those the Brutes themselves carried, a [[Long weapons|long weapon]] often carried by [[Seekers]], or by a [[Hidden Blade]]. The successful timing chance for the latter, however, was notoriously small, as an Assassin was given only a fraction of a second to react.

Accompanying this, a Brute's regular attacks could also be countered through a [[Fists|disarm]] maneuver, which left them open to a lethal, follow-up attack. The timing required for the disarm was short, however, albeit slightly longer than that of the Hidden Blade counter.

Additionally, like all other enemies, Brutes were most easily dispatched through being assassinated from above, or while undetected; with either the Hidden Blades or a ranged weapon, such as the [[Hidden Gun]] or [[crossbow]].

===Special attacks===
[[File:LMS 8 v.png|thumb|250px|left|Ezio being disarmed by a Brute]]
There were two variants of a Brute's special attacks, of which neither could be blocked nor countered, and could only be avoided by striking pre-emptively or through dodging.

====Smash====
A Brute would perform a Smash by raising their weapon overhead and taking a strong downward swing; knocking their target onto their back, and inflicting around the damage as one of their regular attacks.

The Smash special attack also took less time for a Brute to prepare (approximately one second), in comparison to a Disarm Smash.

====Disarm Smash====
More forceful than an empty-handed disarm, a Brute performed a Disarm Smash by holding their weapon out behind them and then swinging it from right to left, breaking through an opponent's guard and often knocking away their weapon.

The attack essentially did no damage, but as mentioned, it opened an enemy up to attacks from other foes in a fight, as well as bestowing the inconvenience of being without a weapon.<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref>

==Characteristics==
[[File:LMS 9 v.png|thumb|250px|A Pazzi Brute blocking Ezio's path]]
Brutes were not highly intelligent, and could be escaped once their line of sight had been broken by [[blending]] or hiding. They were also neither agile nor quick, and could not [[Freerunning|free-run]] or climb. As such, taking to the rooftops was an easy method of escape.

Certain Brutes appeared to have a black-brown finish or trim on their armor plating, marking them as higher-ranked Brutes that were more resistant to enemy attacks. Brutes of [[Rome]] also bore unique, more intricate armor than their counterparts in other cities.

Additionally, Brutes rarely ran from a fight, even if they were forced to face an opponent alone; unless they were disarmed. Inversely, killing a Brute caused other guards accompanying them (particularly those with lower ranks) to flee.<ref name="AC2"/>

===Weaponry===
{|cellspacing="0" cellpadding="1" width="65%" border="1" style="text-align:center;"
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Damage
!scope="col"|Speed
!scope="col"|Deflect
|-
!scope="row"|Bastard Sword
|3
|4
|3
|-
!scope="row"|Bearded Axe
|4
|3
|4
|-
!scope="row"|Labrys
|5
|3
|3
|}

==Special Brutes==
*[[Dante Moro]] carried a Labrys axe, and fought like a Brute; though with an immunity to being disarmed (unless through the Disarm Smash).
*[[Bartolomeo d'Alviano]] behaved like a Brute in combat, and carried what appeared to be a Bastard Sword (though the design of the hilt differed from those carried by Brutes), which he fondly called "Bianca".
*[[Francesco Salviati]] carried a Bearded Axe with him when in [[Villa Salviati|his villa]], and fought like a Brute.
*[[Silvio Barbarigo]], although initially unarmed, would behave like a Brute should he pick up a heavy weapon.
*[[Mercenaries]] also fought like Brutes, and carried similar weapons.<ref name="AC2"/>
*The Templar spy from [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore]]'s trip to [[Spain]] resembled a Brute.<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]''</ref>
*Some [[Papal Guard]]s, when equipped with heavy weapons, would fight like Brutes.
*[[Il Carnefice]] (the [[Executioner]]) carried a Bearded Axe and fought like a Brute when encountered.
*[[Auguste Oberlin]] (the [[Blacksmith (Animi Avatar)|Blacksmith]]) fought like a Brute, and carried either a Bearded Axe (when he faced Ezio), or a [[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Multiplayer weapons#Hammer|large hammer]].<ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', Ezio used certain taunts that were specific to Brutes, usually insulting their weight and equipment. Among them were: ''"Can you even hear me in there?!"'', "''Well, you're certainly well-fed!"'', ''"That looks heavy!"'', "Fatti sotto, porco! ''(Come on, pig!)"'', and "Ehi, grassone! ''(Hey, fatty!)"''
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', Brutes were noticeably rarer than in ''Assassin's Creed II'', and could only be disarmed after being taunted.
*In the memory "[[Infrequent Flier]]," during the cutscene where Ezio abandoned a burning [[Flying Machine]], you could see a Brute and a Seeker on the roof of the [[Palazzo Ducale di Venezia|Palazzo Ducale]]. Strangely, these were the only two guard archetypes that could not free-run or climb.
*When using the [[Throwing knives|throwing knife]] special attack, Brutes could be killed with a single knife despite their heavy armor.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed II: Discovery]]'', Guard Captains possessed the same appearance as Brutes, and were armed with Bastard Swords. However, unlike Brutes, they were extremely fast.
*The [[Almogavars]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]'' closely resembled Brutes in build and characteristics.

==Gallery==
<gallery captionalign="center" widths="180" spacing="small" position="center">
soldat52x86 copy.jpg|Concept art of a Brute
Brute.png|A Brute
AC2_Brute_Patrol.png|A Venetian Brute with two other guards
Brutes_and_Brutality_2.png|Ezio fighting the Borgia Brutes
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{AC2}}
{{ACB}}
[[Category:Guards]]

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Brute