Poison Blade

File:Poisonblade.png

The poison blade in use in Assassin's Creed II.

"It's another blade design... for delivering poison!"

―Leonardo da Vinci

The Poison Blade is one of the several upgrades of the Hidden Blade, invented by Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad using the Apple of Eden. Based on Altaïr's design for it in the Codex, it was later crafted by Leonardo da Vinci, for use by Ezio Auditore. The weapon is essentially a thin, hollow needle hidden within the blade that can be filled with poison.

Even more inconspicuous than the hidden blade, the poison blade can be used to inject a target with poison, causing them to attack anyone within range, before dying. Due its delayed reaction, the Assassin is given much more time to escape than when using the hidden blade.

The Poison Blade inventory icon in Assassin's Creed II.

This is one of the best stealth weapons the player will acquire over the course of Assassin's Creed II, as it allows Ezio to silently assassinate someone without attracting any attention to himself. Besides dealing a direct kill to the intended assassination target, the poison blade can also be used as a distraction, as anyone within the immediate area will stop to watch the poisoned victim, creating a stealth assassination opportunity if one of the spectators happens to be a target. Additionally, one can poison someone as a distraction to cover an approach to a restricted area in the same manner. The poison blade is especially useful when completing Assassination Contracts, as in many cases, targets will either be followed by guards or be in a guarded area.

Poison vials can be bought from a doctor at 175 florins each, and up to five can be carried at a time. The maximum number of vials can be increased to ten or fifteen, through the Medium and Large poison vial upgrades, purchasable from any Tailor.

Upgrades

Poison bottles in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood introduces two new upgrades to the poison blade system.

Fast Poison

This upgrade is a more potent poison that can be purchased from doctors after completing the Shop Quest. Fast Poison sends enemies immediately into berserk mode, rather than leaving a delay. This is a more precise, and quicker means of creating a diversion.

Poison Darts

Main article: Poison Darts

Something of a joint upgrade for both the poison blade and the Pistol, Poison Darts allow you to use the effects of the poison blade from a distance. The upgrade can be purchased from Leonardo, from one of his marked benches.

Efficient Use

The poison blade is the most discrete weapon in the games it is featured in, and as such, has multiple uses that all pertain to stealth assassinations:

1. Silent Kill - Guards will not notice the poisoning process, unless it is directly next to them and in their line of sight; though sometimes, even then, they will not notice.
2. Attention - Distraction is an important tool to use during missions. If you are looking for a silent approach that smoke bombs cannot provide, and cannot find thieves, mercenaries, or courtesans within the immediate area, the poison blade can be used as an effective substitute. Poisoning anyone within ten meters of a guard's position will cause him, as well as all other guards near him, to move away from their position to where the poisoned victim is standing. Once the victim has drawn their attention, the player has can either assassinate the guards and give away their position, or silently head on to their objective. It is important to leave the area before the poisoned victim has died, as the guards with start an investigation afterward, and become suspicious of the player if they are in the guards' line of sight.
3. Clean Kill - When performing an Assassination Contract, a single target may have at least one guard following close behind them. One can poison the guard and move away into hiding, while the aforementioned guard may inadvertently kill the target for you, eliminating the need to ever come out of hiding after the first poisoning.

Trivia

• The "Doctor" achievement can be earned by performing an air assassination on an already poisoned guard.
• If you poison two guards who are close to each other, one may knock the other one out. In this case, the knocked out guard will not die (despite being previously poisoned), but remain unconscious as if he was beaten in a fistfight.
• In Brotherhood, the poison blade is not visible when unsheathing, aside from when Ezio is in a state of loading (such as when equipping armor or dyeing), or within the Animus Virtual Training Program.
• Completing the "Venomous" Shop Quest will unlock Fast Poison, but in the process, will also locks the (standard) Poison in the Supplies, Inventory Menu.
• When an archer is poisoned with the regular poison, and they start walking straight ahead, once they reach the edge of the building they will not fall, but continue walking. However, once they start attacking, if they get close enough to the edge, they will then fall.