Crossbow

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"It's very compact and light. [...] The advantage it has over a gun is that it's more or less silent."

―Leonardo da Vinci, regarding his crossbow.

Ezio Auditore's crossbow

The crossbow is a ranged weapon consisting of a bow assembly mounted horizontally on a handheld stock with a built-in firing mechanism. Unlike a bow, its range is conventionally shorter due to its heavier, yet more powerful projectiles known as bolts. Crossbows vary in size from those too large to be carried in one hand to relatively portable ones that complement the mobile, stealth operations conducted by Assassins.

While crossbows have a millennia-long history throughout Asia, its usage among European armies did not peak until the Renaissance, when crossbowmen were regular units of Italian and French armies.

History

Tang dynasty

Li E using a crossbow during the Battle of Talas

In 751, the Tang soldier Li E, a member of the 15th Squad of the Anxi Protectorate's 7th Army, used a repeating crossbow to cover his allies' retreat in the aftermath of their devastating defeat at the Battle of Talas. Despite his proficiency with the weapon, shooting multiple Abbasid soldiers in a matter of seconds, Li E was overwhelmed by the superior enemy numbers and failed to prevent them from closing the distance. Fortunately, he was saved by a passing group of Hidden Ones, who subsequently recruited him.

Viking expansion

By the 9th century, the crossbow had become a common ranged weapon among many European militaries, including those of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy and Francia. While it remained outclassed by the bow, whose increased range and precision made it a more popular choice, arbalists were nonetheless stationed in many cities and fortresses during this period, helping protect them from the invading Vikings.

By 870 CE, the crossbow was among the many weapons used by the few members of the Frankish Brotherhood of Hidden Ones who decided to stay after their official retreat in the 5th century. Once such Hidden One, Oisel, carried a crossbow with him on his journey to the Levant to retrace the footsteps of Basim ibn Ishaq at the latter's personal request.

Crusades

Darim about to shoot Genghis Khan with his crossbow

During the Third Crusade, crossbows were a part of the Assassins' arsenal; the Master Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad carried one with him during his mission to save Acre from the Crusaders in 1190. Alongside standard archers, crossbowmen such as Nazim were regularly deployed as city guards.

Altaïr's son Darim was also a skilled marksman and famously used his crossbow to end the life of Genghis Khan after the latter was knocked off his horse by the Mongolian Assassin Qulan Gal.

Renaissance

Utilization of crossbowmen among European militaries rose dramatically in the 14th century. During this period, crossbow bolts were conventionally carved from holm oak with arrowheads forged from iron. Beginning with their reign in Rome under Pope Alexander VI, the Borgia began investing more on crossbowmen and arquebusiers whereas they had previously relied on archers for the bulk of their ranged units.

A crossbowman in Rome

In the same vein, the Assassin Ezio Auditore purchased a crossbow for 12,800 florins upon arriving in Rome in 1500. From then on, the crossbow would become his signature ranged weapon, one which he utilized effectively throughout his campaign against the Templars in both Rome and Constantinople.

During the Reconquista, the Spanish Assassins used their own model of crossbow. The weapon's ivory stick featured engravings picturing medieval Assassins fighting Templars. The Assassin insignia was less conspicuously carved in the crossbow.

Ming dynasty

The repeating crossbows of the Ming military could fire multiple bolts in rapid succession. Guards equipped with these weapons were regularly posted on high vantage points such as balconies, the watchtowers of palaces and forts, or behind the crenellated walls of the Great Wall of China.

Qing dynasty

With the advent of firearms, crossbows, like regular bows, were gradually phased out; despite this, the weapon continued to see some usage in certain parts of the world. During the early 18th century, the Chinese Assassin Xue Yan wielded a crossbow as her signature weapon, which she could fire with pinpoint accuracy, taking out numerous targets from a distance.

Behind the scenes

Gameplay as Altaïr ibn-La'ahad

The crossbow was first featured in the official trailer for Assassin's Creed where the protagonist, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, is depicted with the weapon strapped to his back as he approaches a Hospitaller knight, who is conducting an execution at a public square. When he is spotted, he charges at the gallows, draws the crossbow to dispatch one of the guards to his left before killing the other guard and his quarry. Despite this scene, the crossbow is not actually available as a weapon for the player in the game.

Altaïr with his crossbow in the Assassin's Creed trailer

In contrast, both the non-canon mobile adaptation of the game and the spin-off game Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles feature it as a weapon. In the latter, the crossbow first becomes available when starting the memory "Great Angry Wall". When using it, the player becomes immobile, but the crossbow automatically locks onto any enemy target in range who is unobstructed by an obstacle. A hit from this weapon is always an instant kill and also will not necessarily alert the enemies to the player's position.

In the mobile game, the weapon is more versatile. It can be utilized to kill enemies at a safe distance, to trigger gear mechanisms, or to shoot down flame-holders to light torches. The ammunition of the weapon can be refilled by walking into a weapon recharge point.

Gameplay as Ezio Auditore

The crossbow appears as a usable weapon in a main installment for the first time with Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Unlike the shorter-ranged Hidden Gun, the crossbow allows the player character of Ezio Auditore to kill enemies from a distance without drawing attention to himself. It is easier to aim, virtually inaudible when fired, and can be used in a variety of acrobatic positions. Its main trade-off compared to the gun is firepower although in most cases, it would still be an instantaneous kill.

Alongside its stealth capabilities, the crossbow can also be utilized in open combat as a bludgeon and even be used to counter enemies' attacks and defend against horsemen. It is accompanied by its own unique kill animations which involve finishing enemies with a shot from the weapon. Alternatively, it can be manually fired at close range. These shots will be instantaneous kills as usual but doing so will automatically force the player into a reloading animation during which they will be hapless.

The player's quiver initially starts with a carrying capacity of fifteen bolts, but this can be increased in increments of five up to twenty-five bolts with upgrades. While the first upgrade can be purchased as a tailor shop, the largest crossbow quiver requires the completion of the "Pulling Threads" shop quest for the tailor of Tiber Island.

The crossbow returns in the next instalment, Assassin's Creed: Revelations, with identical gameplay mechanics.

Bugs and inconsistencies

A common bug when counter-attacking with the crossbow is that the firing sound fails to occur while a point of inconsistency is the damage dealt with the crossbow between the player and the player's Assassin apprentices. In Revelations, it takes more than one crossbow bolt for the player to kill a Byzantine almogavar or an Ottoman Janissary despite a shot being performed by an apprentice killing them instantly.

In certain promotional art for Brotherhood, including the E3 trailer, Ezio Auditore is seen equipped with a different crossbow to the one he actually wields in the game. This particular crossbow has the same design as the ones used by crossbowmen.

Gallery

• 
  A 15th-century Spanish Assassin crossbow
• 
  Promotional image of Ezio with a crossbow
• 
  Two Venetian crossbowmen
• 
  Concept art of the Ottoman crossbow
• 
  The Ottoman crossbow in Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• 
  Concept art of Ezio equipped with the crossbow
• 
  A Ming dynasty crossbowman
• 
  Xue Yan aiming her crossbow

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel
• Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
• Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations novel
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
• Assassin's Creed: Heresy
• Assassin's Creed: Reflections
• Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
• Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun
• Assassin's Creed: Dynasty
• Assassin's Creed: The Silk Road
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
  • The Siege of Paris
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice
  • Creed vs Crows (non-canon)
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game