Soldier

File:AC2 guard types.jpg

Five guard types: the Agile, Archer, Brute, Militia, and Seeker.

Guards were members of either a local militia, or an organized military force. They were usually assigned to defend or control access to locations of interest, or protect certain individuals.

The colors and styles of their uniforms varied over time, as well as denoted their military rank, allegiance, and combat specialization.

Ranking

High Middle Ages

Regular

Regular guards were the most common, but lightest equipped of the guard ranks. Regular Crusader guards did not have helmets, and only wore leather armor, while Saracen ones wore turbans, and light lamellar armor.

In combat, they were not skilled enough to grab, counterattack, or perform a combo. They could only deflect attacks, with a 25% chance of dodging a light attack.

Sergeant

Altaïr fighting Templar Sergeants and Captains.

Sergeants were they were losing.

Militia could be found almost everywhere, and wielded a large variety of medium-ranged weapons. They were not especially agile, but could climb up to the rooftops, albeit slowly, in order to pursue a target Assassin.

Of the guard types, Militia were the only ones who could be fooled into picking up coins, should they be thrown as a distraction.

Elite

Ezio restrained by two Elites.

Elites were stronger than Militia, and wore a moderate amount of armor. They could withstand more damage, and were capable of dodging enemy attacks.

They were also more courageous than Militia, but could still be forced to retreat, especially if their Leader (or a high-ranking specialized guard) should be killed near them.

Leader

Leaders were the best fighters, and the most tenacious of all the regular guards. They wore slightly more armor than the Elites, and had distinct, full-faced helmets.

They were resilient, and could withstand several attacks before they could be killed. They were also harder to disarm, as well as resistant to being grabbed.

Captain

Cesare Borgia speaking with his Captains.

Captains of the Renaissance were usually found leading contingents of lower-ranked soldiers. They fought similarly to Leaders, but were more heavily and intricately armored, with full feathered helms.

Twelve Borgia Captains were particularly distinguished members of this rank, and led troops at each of Rome's twelve Borgia Towers. They were armored identically to other Captains, but wore white capes with the Borgia crest.

Though most were courageous and skilled enough to counter most attacks, some were cowardly, and would flee into their tower should it be attacked,they were trained in musket and firing drills, they were less effective in combat than their British counterparts. They would run after a sufficient amount of their comrades fell or when the leader was slain. They can be countered effectively with any counter move.

Ranged types

As most standard guards only had medium or short-ranged weapons, they were often supplemented by ranged guard types, who could attack from a distance. More types were added over time, with the advancement of weapon technology.

Archers

Main article: Archers

File:AC2 venice archer.jpeg

Ezio pulling an archer from a rooftop in Venice.

Archers were guards armed with longbows, who patrolled rooftops and watched for possible enemies below. Outside of cities, they were posted on elevated watchtowers.

Crusader Archers wore the same uniforms as the standard guards of their faction, though they also had white hoods. In the Renaissance, Archers were usually of the Elite rank, and wore the same uniform as their standard counterparts.

A line of arquebusiers.

The Arquebusiers (also called Gunmen or Riflemen) were firearm-wielding soldiers who patrolled rooftops, protected high-value locations, and guarded important people.

Though Arquebusiers did not have as great a range as Crossbowmen, what they lacked in distance, they made up for in power. Their shots dealt significant damage to both targets and enemy armor.

In the Renaissance, they wore heavy armor and full helmets, as well as belts of gunpowder and ammunition.

Bombmen

In Constantinople, Bombmen wielded thunder bombs and short blades, and commonly guarded the rooftops in high traffic areas, such as the docks, arsenal, and harbor. They would also participate in the protection of Templar dens, and would attack from the safety of reinforced sentry boxes.

Byzantine Bombmen wore uniforms similar to Almogavars, though with longer red capes.

Specialized types

Certain high-ranking guards possessed unique qualities, usually granting them an advantage in combat through added speed, strength, or defense skills. They would often act as leaders for patrols of standard guards, and possessed uncommon weapons or armor.

AgilesAssassins from anyone else in a crowd. In guard patrols, they often acted as the leader, as they had the highest morale of any guard type, fleeing only if they were disarmed and could not obtain another weapon.

Brutes could be easily seen from their large, reinforced armor and closed helms. Brutes in Rome had more intricate armor than those in other cities, with designs worked into the metal.

Seekers

Main article: Seekers

Seekers arresting a merchant.

Seekers were guards who, as their name suggested, would search through hiding places, on the suspicion that an Assassin had taken refuge within one. They always wielded polearms, such as spears and halberds.

Similarly to Brutes, they would lead patrols of guards, often halting the group to search any hiding spots they passed. In battle, they had the second highest morale to Brutes, and were skilled enough to resist most attacks and counters.

They were slightly more heavily-armored than a standard guard, though less so than Brutes, wearing a combination of chainmail and plate armor, as well as distinctive feathered helms.

Horsemen

Main article: Horsemen

A horseman dueling Ezio.

Horsemen were mounted guards that possessed the ability to use a variety of weapons while on horseback. Their steeds allowed them to easily pursue targets, and strike preemptively.

Though they were vulnerable to long-ranged weapons such as throwing knives and crossbows, they could be easily dealt with after being knocked from the saddle, either by tripping their horse, or striking them from horseback.

Horsemen were equipped with both medium and long-ranged weapons, though none could wield polearms. They were armored similarly to Borgia Captains, albeit without the cape.

Almogavars

Main article: Almogavars

Ezio aiming at a group of Almogavars.

Almogavars were heavily-armored Byzantine guards, who wielded two-handed axes.

They wore heavy armor with short capes, as well as intricate winged helmets. They fought with halberds or spears, as well as short pistols.

Grenadiers

Main article: Grenadiers

Grenadiers were specialized units in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. They were roughly comparable to the Italian Brutes and Byzantine Almogavars, being slower than other soldiers, and fighting with heavy weapons and muskets. Grenadiers were recognizable by their narrow, tall headgear designed not to obstruct throwing of grenades.

Expert types

Expert guards were high-ranking guards, who were the most skilled and well-equipped of their time. They often possessed several of the qualities of specialized guards, and were limited in number.