Assassination contract: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:16, 1 August 2011

"Take these carrier pigeons for example. Each one sent from Machiavelli bears the name of an important Templar in Roma. Eliminate them and you will have more of an impact than a battle ever could."

―Pantasilea to Ezio Auditore.^[src]

Assassination Contracts were contracts sent to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, instructing him to assassinate key people responsible for certain nefarious deeds. The details of these contracts were sent via carrier pigeon, a method similar to the messaging system Al Mualim once used. The contracts were acquired in the same order, regardless of which Pigeon Coop the contract is obtained from.

In Assassin's Creed II, contracts were given by Lorenzo de' Medici, though some were completed after his death. In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, contracts were provided by Niccolò Machiavelli, and Ezio could also provide contracts of his own for his Assassin recruits.

Florence

Day at the Market

thumb|250px|right|Day At The Market Lorenzo explained that there was a plot to cut off Florence's supply line, which could be prevented by assassinating a merchant located in the San Marco district. It was relatively simple, as he was standing next to an Art Merchant. Eagle Vision could detect him easily. There was an Elite Guard near one of the entrances of the corridor that leads to the target.

Fallen Archers

Several Pazzi Archers were spotted attacking the Palazzo della Signoria and tracked down to the San Marco district, the largest district in Florence. There were 3 of them, and they were spread out quite thinly, so Ezio had to travel a while to reach them. Open combat or stealthy assassination were acceptable ways to take them out.

Political Suicide

thumb|250px|right|Political Suicide Lorenzo claimed that a member of the Signoria was working with the Pazzi to turn the tide against the Medici. They were meeting in a low passageway, concealed from the rooftops. Each entrance was guarded by 4 guards. Hiring some Courtesans or Thieves allowed Ezio to distract the guards (using Mercenaries resulted in desynchronization), and some of them concealed him from the target. He could not be detected by the target or his companion.

Caveat Emptor

It seemed that a member of the Salvucci family, who helped smuggle enemies into Florence, had been sighted. Ezio had to find the target and kill him without being detected. The target had one guard following him.

Meeting Adjourned

thumb|250px|right|Meeting Adjourned Several enemies were planning a meeting in the city; Ezio had to tail the only known lead and then kill all those affiliated. As soon as he accepted the contract, Ezio could clear out the area of the guards stationed nearby in the courtyard. Then when the target returns, the area was less guarded. Following the target, Ezio saw he'd walked into a heavily guarded room. The number of targets increased, and Ezio had to kill all those responsible. Ezio could toss a smoke bomb to reduce the chances of his targets fleeing, but he had to beware an escapee in order to remove all the targets.

Needle in a Haystack

thumb|250px|right|Needle in a Haystack Lorenzo remarked that the Assassins were so close to eliminating all those responsible for the attack on Florence. One of the conspirators had been spotted near the Santa Maria Novella. The target would be in one of the courtyards within the area. It appeared to be entirely random as to which garden he appeared in. Ezio was best suited to searching from the rooftops and using Eagle Vision to find his prey without being detected.

Peacekeeper=

thumb|250px|right|Peacekeeper A contingent of traitorous guards were planning to march to Lorenzo's palazzo, and Ezio had to kill them before they started a riot. The timer only started once he had killed one of them. They were just west of the bridge, where the company of guards was composed of 10 Brutes. It was easy to dispatch them by tossing a Smoke Bomb and assassinating or poisoning each guard in turn. Ezio could also hire the mercenaries nearby and have them fight them. So long as Ezio hadn't been spotted, using the Hidden Blade allowed him to quickly remove the guards without an alert sounding.

Leader of the Pack

Several condotierri who attacked Lorenzo's palazzo were regrouping. Ezio had to tail one of them to their garrison and kill their leader. One he found the target, Ezio had to follow him for a while as more guards started to follow him. The target led Ezio to a guarded alley that lead to a garden, from which the leader could be removed.

Tuscany

Reap What You Sow

thumb|250px|right|Reap What You Sow One of the benefactors of the Pazzi had been found in a farm east of San Gimignano . Ezio first went to the View Point located conveniently near his target and performed a Leap of Faith into the hay below. This cart of hay was adjacent to the target, so Ezio assassinated him from the Hiding Spot. If he had seen Ezio, he would have fled.

Don’t get your Hands Dirty

There were 4 guards who wanted Lorenzo dead. Ezio's task was to have these guards killed without appearing to have killed them himself. It was fairly easy because three of the guards were on towers. Ezio simply had to climb up to the top of the tower, grab them, and throw them over the edge to their death. The fourth guard was in the market at ground level and easily removed.

Supply in Demand

A local guild leader had been supplying the Pazzi with arms. Ezio's task was to tail one of his men to find him then kill him. After following the member, he simply had to assassinate the leader by running to him.

Flee Market

thumb|250px|right|Flee Market There were several conspirators who plot against Florence. Arriving in the area, Ezio had to dispatch the Archers first to avoid being detected. Perform a Leap of Faith into the cart of leaves below, Ezio assassinated both targets before they left the area.

Vertical Slice

thumb|250px|right|Vertical Slice Several Borgia soldiers might have been planning a coup. Needing to kill them without being seen, as Rodrigo Borgia might have used his involvement as an excuse for a war, Ezio had to carefully use his hiding abilities to remove the conspiring soldiers.

No Camping

Ezio had to kill the leaders of several troop encampments without being detected. Horse-riding was a necessity to fill the time requirement, and stealth was advisable to slow the response of other guards who might have gotten in Ezio's way.

Showtime

thumb|250px|right|Showtime One of the people responsible for hiring the condotierri who attacked Florence had been spotted. He regularly took a walk around the countryside and could be ambushed in the Ancient Roman Theater. Ezio had to tail the target to the Theater and approach him from the opposite side of the landmark to avoid conflict with the guards as much as possible. The target kept two Brutes close fled to the center of the theater if he saw Ezio.

Romagna

Thin the Ranks

Six guards, posted in pairs, needed to be eliminated in the city.

Beginnings of a Conspiracy

thumb|250px|right|Beginnings of a Conspiracy Some of Girolamo Riario 's men broke into the Palazzo Pitti and stole a valuable map. Ezio needed to kill them without being spotted. One was near a fountain, one near the west side of the district, and one with a bodyguard near an overhang from which he could be air-assassinated.

Arch Enemies

Some Borgia archers had to be taken care of quickly. Ten archers posted on the roofs of the buildings on the edge of the river needed to be cleared within two minutes. Free-running and using throwing knives eased Ezio's work.

Wet Work

thumb|250px|right|Wet Work An Ottoman boat had been seen scouting for a suitable place for an attack, and Ezio needed to kill the captain . Either by swimming or using a Gondola, Ezio traveled out to the ship and removed the threat. Had he removed the surrounding guards, his work would have been easier.

Dead on Arrival

Ezio needed to dispatch the courier before the message was delivered. Located not far from the pigeon coop, he would flee upon detecting Ezio, but he could be easily dispatched with throwing knives or a hidden blade high-profile assassination.

Go towards the Light

thumb|250px|right|Go towards the Light Ezio was told to kill the new commander of the army of Forlì at the lighthouse. Using mercenaries near the lighthouse, Ezio was able to distract the guards and remove the threat after climbing the lighthouse.

Mark and Execute

thumb|250px|right|Mark and Execute Ezio had to kill the captor of two of Lorenzo's spies without being detected -- no mean feat. The target and his bodyguard could easily be removed by a double air-assassination once the archers had been removed.

Venice

Thicker than Water

thumb|250px|right|Thicker than Water Following a gondolier supplied by Lorenzo, Ezio remained undetected until he reached the target. His easiest method of removing the target unseen was a ledge assassination.

Zero Tolerance

A family friend of Lorenzo was being harassed by a merchant, who had to be killed without her noticing. Finding the target was difficult, since he and Lorenzo's friend were constantly circling around the area. Poisoning the man from a blended moving crowd or assassinating him from a hide spot with the Hidden blade were easiest.

Blade in the Crowd

The Doge had decided to send several trusted administrators to rouse the populace in Florence. They were supposed to meet with the Doge soon after. Ezio needed to find and kill them before the meeting, without alerting them to your presence in three minutes.

Honorable Thief

One of Lorenzo's connections uncovered a plot to destroy the Venetian branch of the Medici bank. Ezio met his informant, a nimble thief, and followed him to the target's location to kill him. The informant was to the north of Piazza di San Marco, and archers lined to rooftops to interfere with Ezio's mission.

No Laughing Matter

thumb|250px|right|No Laughing Matter There were three harlequins that are actually co-conspirators of Archbishop Salviati, already marked and identified. One was in the open, easily dealt with. The two others were in guarded locations, easily removed if flushed out or assassinated from a hide spot.

Crash a Party

thumb|250px|right|Crash a Party One of Francesco de' Pazzi 's cousins was throwing a party. Ezio tailed one of the guests and assassinated him. The area was on high alert, but Ezio could easily bypass it by taking to the rooftops.

False Legacy

thumb|250px|right|False Legacy A Venetian Condottiero (a Brute, actually) was forcing artists to depict him as a war hero. This job was quite difficult, as he was surrounded by Elite Guards, though he was easy to distinguish. Any method to remove the guards from the equation eased Ezio's work.

Hunting the Hunter

thumb|250px|right|Hunting the Hunter This mission was the last contract Ezio received. Your first task was to kill a marked target --an Agile. A single shot from the Pistol ended him. Looting the body gave Ezio another location. He approached the 'person' in front of the fountain, revealing it to actually be a scarecrow. Afterwards, a Venetian Agile and some Medici Leader Guards ambushed him. Killing the Agile finished mission.

Rome

Two's Company

In an attempt to scare the citizens of Roma, the Borgia hired two notoriously cruel guards to beat up anyone they see. Ezio removed them using the Hidden Blades from the streets to give people hope.

Tactical Correction

Cesare called one of his chief tacticians back to Roma. He was a valuable asset, so the Captain General had provided a horse and an escort. Ezio removed the tactician within two minutes of receiving the contract.

...And Three's a Crowd

Cesare hoped that the Assassin-sponsored rebels would stumble into his line of fire. His expert gunmen waited, instructed by their master to shoot unsavory targets on sight. Ezio removed them in three minutes.

Serf's Turf

Farmers had a hard enough time turning a profit in times of war, but Romans had to deal with the Borgia taking their hefty share. Ezio removed at least three of the oppressors with the Hidden Blade.

The Three Amici

To bolster his troops, Cesare began to recruit untrained soldiers. His veteran trainers were critical to his success, so Ezio assassinated them using the Hidden Blades.

Red Letter Day

The Assassin's enemy was feeling pressure as they closed in. Important messages were starting to be delivered by armored mercenaries. Ezio removed the couriers within a minute.

The Merchant of Rome

Merchants under Borgia protection often traded favors at the expense of their honest peers. Ezio used Assassin Apprentices to teach the merchants a lesson.

Bearers of Bad News

The Borgia unleashed their interrogators. They brutalized the people of Roma until they found answers when they couldn't find the Assassins. Ezio removed the given targets before they could call for reinforcements.

Cardinal Sin

Servants of the Borgia believed they could hide behind the church, their actions protected by the clothing they wear. Ezio killed a Borgia-sponsored cardinal before he reached the Basilica di San Pietro.

Turning the Tables

Cesare's charisma had brought his guards the best equipment available. Ezio killed at least one Brute, one Seeker, and one Papal Guard in the process of ending the given targets.

Graduation

Four of the Borgia Papal Guards were scheduled to complete their training when Ezio removed them flawlessly.

Brutes and Brutality

The Borgia sent large numbers of heavily armored guards in the city, hoping to futher dissuade any opposition. Ezio removed them within fifteen seconds as a demonstration of his mastery.

Trivia

File:Pigeoncoop.jpg

Ezio acquires a new contract.

In Assassin's Creed II, during Sequence 14 and the succeeding free-roaming sequence, these contracts are still playable, even though Lorenzo de' Medici is already dead. Ezio would also be tasked to assassinate affiliates of various characters that had been dead for years. This could be explained by the fact that the contracts are secondary memories, and thus their actual position in the timeline cannot be determined.
Interestingly, in Hunting the Hunter, the attacking guards are bearing Medici colors.
Additionally, if you loot the scarecrow target afterward, it will yield a set of keys (noted with a multiplier, indicating numerous may be held). A similar set of keys results from looting any scarecrow target throughout the game, such as those found after testing your pistol for the first time. These keys' use and purpose are unknown.

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 {{quote|Take these carrier pigeons for example. Each one sent from [[Niccolò Machiavelli|Machiavelli]] bears the name of an important [[Templars|Templar]] in [[Rome|Roma]]. Eliminate them and you will have more of an impact than a battle ever could.|[[Pantasilea Baglioni|Pantasilea]] to [[Ezio Auditore]].|Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood}}
-'''Assassination Contracts''' are contracts sent to [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], instructing him to assassinate key people responsible for certain nefarious deeds. The details of these contracts are sent via carrier pigeon, a method similar to the messaging system [[Al Mualim]] once used. The contracts are acquired in the same order, regardless of which [[Pigeon Coop]] is obtained from.
+'''Assassination Contracts''' were contracts sent to [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], instructing him to assassinate key people responsible for certain nefarious deeds. The details of these contracts were sent via carrier pigeon, a method similar to the messaging system [[Al Mualim]] once used. The contracts were acquired in the same order, regardless of which [[Pigeon Coop]] the contract is obtained from.
-In ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', contracts are given by [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], and may be accessed even in the sequences that take place after his death. In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', contracts are provided by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], and Ezio may also provide [[Contracts in Project Legacy|contracts of his own]] for his [[Apprentices|Assassin recruits]].
+In ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', contracts were given by [[Lorenzo de' Medici]], though some were completed after his death. In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', contracts were provided by [[Niccolò Machiavelli]], and Ezio could also provide [[Contracts in Project Legacy|contracts of his own]] for his [[Apprentices|Assassin recruits]].
 ==[[Florence]]==
 ===Day at the Market===
 [[Video:Day At The Market Variety Pack|thumb|250px|right|Day At The Market]]
-Lorenzo explains that there is a plot to cut off [[Florence]]'s supply line, which can be prevented by assassinating a merchant located in the [[San Marco district]]. It is relatively simple, as he is standing next to an [[Art Merchant]]. Use [[Eagle Vision]] to detect him easily. Remember that there is an Elite [[Guard]] near one of the entrances of the corridor that leads to the target.
+Lorenzo explained that there was a plot to cut off [[Florence]]'s supply line, which could be prevented by assassinating a merchant located in the [[San Marco district]]. It was relatively simple, as he was standing next to an [[Art Merchant]]. [[Eagle Vision]] could detect him easily. There was an Elite [[Guard]] near one of the entrances of the corridor that leads to the target.
 {{-}}
 ===Fallen Archers===
-Several [[Pazzi]] [[Archers]] were spotted attacking the [[Palazzo della Signoria]] and tracked down to the San Marco district, the largest district in Florence. There are 3 of them, and they are spread out quite thinly, so it may take a while to reach them. You can choose open combat or stealthy assassination to take them out.
+Several [[Pazzi]] [[Archers]] were spotted attacking the [[Palazzo della Signoria]] and tracked down to the San Marco district, the largest district in Florence. There were 3 of them, and they were spread out quite thinly, so Ezio had to travel a while to reach them. Open combat or stealthy assassination were acceptable ways to take them out.
 ===Political Suicide===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Political Suicide|thumb|250px|right|Political Suicide]]
-[[Lorenzo de' Medici|Lorenzo]] claims that a member of the Signoria was working with the Pazzi to turn the tide against the Medici. They are meeting in a low passageway, concealed from the rooftops. Each entrance is guarded by 4 guards. It is best to hire some [[Courtesans]] or [[Thieves]] to distract the guards (using [[Mercenaries]] will result in desynchronization), and use some of them to conceal you from your target. You cannot be detected by him or his companion, else you will be desynchronized.
+[[Lorenzo de' Medici|Lorenzo]] claimed that a member of the Signoria was working with the Pazzi to turn the tide against the Medici. They were meeting in a low passageway, concealed from the rooftops. Each entrance was guarded by 4 guards. Hiring some [[Courtesans]] or [[Thieves]] allowed Ezio to distract the guards (using [[Mercenaries]] resulted in desynchronization), and some of them concealed him from the target. He could not be detected by the target or his companion.
 {{-}}
 ===Caveat Emptor===
-It seems that a member of the Salvucci family, who helped smuggle enemies into Florence, has been sighted. Find the target and kill him without being detected. He has one guard following him.
+It seemed that a member of the Salvucci family, who helped smuggle enemies into Florence, had been sighted. Ezio had to find the target and kill him without being detected. The target had one guard following him.
 ===Meeting Adjourned===
 [[Video:Meeting Adjourned: Variety Pack|thumb|250px|right|Meeting Adjourned]]
-Several enemies are planning a meeting in the city; you have to tail the only known lead and then kill all those affiliated. As soon as you accept the contract you can clear out the area of the guards stationed nearby in the courtyard. Then when the target returns, the area is less guarded.Follow him and he'll walk into a heavily guarded room. Your number of targets increases, as you have to kill all those responsible. It is simplest to toss a [[Smoke Bomb]] and start assassinating everyone. Be careful, the lead is a quick walker, and one of the targets may start fleeing in the chaos.
+Several enemies were planning a meeting in the city; Ezio had to tail the only known lead and then kill all those affiliated. As soon as he accepted the contract, Ezio could clear out the area of the guards stationed nearby in the courtyard. Then when the target returns, the area was less guarded. Following the target, Ezio saw he'd walked into a heavily guarded room. The number of targets increased, and Ezio had to kill all those responsible. Ezio could toss a smoke bomb to reduce the chances of his targets fleeing, but he had to beware an escapee in order to remove all the targets.
 {{-}}
 ===Needle in a Haystack===
 [[Video:Needle In A Haystack Variety Pack|thumb|250px|right|Needle in a Haystack]]
-Lorenzo remarks that we are so close to eliminating all those responsible for the attack on Florence. One of the conspirators has been spotted near the [[Santa Maria Novella]]. The target will be in one of the courtyards within the area. It appears to be entirely random as to which garden he appears in. It is recommended you search from the roofs, and use Eagle Vision to find him. If he detects you, you will be desynchronized. Can't confirm this, but it appears that the direction you enter the area from determines his spawn point. I tried one entry 10 times and he always spawned in specific spots, and another 10 times and he spawned in the same different spot each time
+Lorenzo remarked that the Assassins were so close to eliminating all those responsible for the attack on Florence. One of the conspirators had been spotted near the [[Santa Maria Novella]]. The target would be in one of the courtyards within the area. It appeared to be entirely random as to which garden he appeared in. Ezio was best suited to searching from the rooftops and using Eagle Vision to find his prey without being detected.
-{{-}}
-===Peacekeeper===
+==Peacekeeper===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Peacekeeper|thumb|250px|right|Peacekeeper]]
-A contingent of traitorous guards are planning to march to Lorenzo's palazzo, and Ezio has to kill them before they start a riot. The timer only starts once you have killed one of them. They are just west of the bridge, where the company of guards is composed of 10 [[Brutes]]. It is easy to dispatch them by tossing a Smoke Bomb and assassinating or poisoning everyone. You could also hire the mercenaries nearby and have them fight them. As long as you aren't already seen, you can simply walk up behind each one that is in a fight and get an easy [[hidden blade]] kill without the alert being triggered
+A contingent of traitorous guards were planning to march to Lorenzo's palazzo, and Ezio had to kill them before they started a riot. The timer only started once he had killed one of them. They were just west of the bridge, where the company of guards was composed of 10 [[Brutes]]. It was easy to dispatch them by tossing a Smoke Bomb and assassinating or poisoning each guard in turn. Ezio could also hire the mercenaries nearby and have them fight them. So long as Ezio hadn't been spotted, using the Hidden Blade allowed him to quickly remove the guards without an alert sounding.
 {{-}}
 ===Leader of the Pack===
-Several [[condotierri]] who attacked Lorenzo's palazzo are regrouping. Ezio has to tail one of them to their garrison and kill their leader. First things first, make sure you're full on Smoke Bombs. Find the target, then follow him for a while. As you tail him, more and more guards will start to follow him. You will get to an alley entrance that's guarded. There should be some Courtesans nearby, hire them to distract the guards, then run into the garden area that's full of enemies. Smoke Bombs and the Hidden Blade should finish this. Otherwise, you can bypass the guards by climbing up the walls and Air Assassinating the guard leader. After this, it doesn't take much to get majority of the guards to flee.
+Several [[condotierri]] who attacked Lorenzo's palazzo were regrouping. Ezio had to tail one of them to their garrison and kill their leader. One he found the target, Ezio had to follow him for a while as more guards started to follow him. The target led Ezio to a guarded alley that lead to a garden, from which the leader could be removed.
-However, the quickest way to complete this is by assassinating the leader with the [[Pistol|hidden gun]].
 ==[[Tuscany]]==
 ===Reap What You Sow===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Reap What You Sow|thumb|250px|right|Reap What You Sow]]
-One of the benefactors of the Pazzi has been found in a farm east of [[San Gimignano]] . First go the [[View Point]] located conveniently near your target, then perform a [[Leap of Faith]] into the hay below. This cart of hay is also conveniently placed adjacent to your target, so assassinate him from the Hiding Spot. If he sees you because you did not follow the aforementioned strategy, he will run away, but you can still catch up to and kill him.
+One of the benefactors of the Pazzi had been found in a farm east of [[San Gimignano]] . Ezio first went to the [[View Point]] located conveniently near his target and performed a [[Leap of Faith]] into the hay below. This cart of hay was adjacent to the target, so Ezio assassinated him from the Hiding Spot. If he had seen Ezio, he would have fled.
 {{-}}
 ===Don’t get your Hands Dirty===
-There are 4 guards who want Lorenzo dead. Your task is to have these guards killed without ''appearing'' to have killed them yourself. It is fairly easy because three of the guards are on towers. Simply climb up to the top of the tower, grab them, and throw them over the edge to their death. The fourth guard is in the market at ground level; you can poison him and wait, kill him with your [[fists]] (even though he still writhes on the ground, he counts as being dead), hire the nearby mercenaries to kill him, or throw him into the nearby drying rack.
+There were 4 guards who wanted Lorenzo dead. Ezio's task was to have these guards killed without ''appearing'' to have killed them himself. It was fairly easy because three of the guards were on towers. Ezio simply had to climb up to the top of the tower, grab them, and throw them over the edge to their death. The fourth guard was in the market at ground level and easily removed.
 ===Supply in Demand===
-A local guild leader has been supplying the Pazzi with arms. Your task is to tail one of his men to find him then kill him. After following the member, simply assassinate the leader by running to him.
+A local guild leader had been supplying the Pazzi with arms. Ezio's task was to tail one of his men to find him then kill him. After following the member, he simply had to assassinate the leader by running to him.
 ===Flee Market===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Flee Market|thumb|250px|right|Flee Market]]
-There are several conspirators who plot against Florence. Make your way toward the area and dispatch the [[Archers]] first to avoid being detected. Then perform a Leap of Faith from the pigeon marker into the cart of leaves. After this, double-assassinate both targets. For best results, hire some Thieves to attack the Archers instead, diverting the guards' attention to them, then assassinate your targets. You ''must'' kill the two conspirators before they leave the restricted area. If you let them escape across the rooftops (they are [[Agiles]] and very good at outrunning/climbing you) and then later catch up and kill them, the mission will be left incomplete, forcing you to abort the memory and try again. You do not have to double-assassinate the targets for the mission to succeed, but you must kill them before they leave the area marked red on the map, which makes this a very frustrating mission.
+There were several conspirators who plot against Florence. Arriving in the area, Ezio had to dispatch the [[Archers]] first to avoid being detected. Perform a Leap of Faith into the cart of leaves below, Ezio assassinated both targets before they left the area.
 {{-}}
 ===Vertical Slice===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Vertical Slice|thumb|250px|right|Vertical Slice]]
-There are several [[Borgia]] soldiers in the vicinity who may be planning a Coup. Your task is to kill them without being seen, as [[Rodrigo Borgia]] might use your involvement as an excuse for a war. Use Ezio's ledge and Hiding Spot assassinations to its fullest, since most of the targets are archers. If possible, observe the enemies' movements to get a look at how to assassinate them efficiently.
+Several [[Borgia]] soldiers might have been planning a coup. Needing to kill them without being seen, as [[Rodrigo Borgia]] might have used his involvement as an excuse for a war, Ezio had to carefully use his hiding abilities to remove the conspiring soldiers.
 {{-}}
 ===No Camping===
-There are enemies who have gathered in camps around the city. Kill their leaders as quickly as possible. You have 5 minutes to do so. Go to each area whilst air assassinating the leaders. Fighting the leaders is possible, however they are accompanied by many guards in the vicinity. Note that it is almost impossible to do this without a horse, as the targets are so far away from each other.
+Ezio had to kill the leaders of several troop encampments without being detected. Horse-riding was a necessity to fill the time requirement, and stealth was advisable to slow the response of other guards who might have gotten in Ezio's way.
 ===Showtime===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Showtime|thumb|250px|right|Showtime]]
-One of the people responsible for hiring the condotierri who attacked Florence has been spotted. He regularly takes a walk around the countryside, and can be ambushed in the Ancient Roman Theater. Tail the target to the Theater, then approach him from the opposite side of the landmark to avoid conflict with the guards as much as possible. He keeps two Brutes close, and will flee to the center of the theater if he sees you.
+One of the people responsible for hiring the condotierri who attacked Florence had been spotted. He regularly took a walk around the countryside and could be ambushed in the Ancient Roman Theater. Ezio had to tail the target to the Theater and approach him from the opposite side of the landmark to avoid conflict with the guards as much as possible. The target kept two Brutes close fled to the center of the theater if he saw Ezio.
 {{-}}
 ==[[Romagna]]==
 ===Thin the Ranks===
-Kill six guards. There are six guards posted in pairs, on three different locations in the city. Double assassinations are easily made, or you can kill them in an open battle.
+Six guards, posted in pairs, needed to be eliminated in the city.
 ===Beginnings of a Conspiracy===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Beginnings of a Conspiracy|thumb|250px|right|Beginnings of a Conspiracy]]
-Some of [[Girolamo Riario]] 's men broke into the [[Palazzo Pitti ]] and stole a valuable map. Ezio needs to kill these three men without being spotted. First make sure that you are stocked up with poison, kill the guard close to the fountain using mercenaries, then walk towards the target on the left side of the map and [[poison]] him. Make your way to the last one and assassinate with the hidden blades or Pistol before he or his bodyguard detect you.
+Some of [[Girolamo Riario]] 's men broke into the [[Palazzo Pitti ]] and stole a valuable map. Ezio needed to kill them without being spotted. One was near a fountain, one near the west side of the district, and one with a bodyguard near an overhang from which he could be air-assassinated.
 {{-}}
 ===Arch Enemies===
-Some Borgia archers have to be taken care of, and fast. Ten archers posted on the roofs of the buildings on the edge of the river, need to be cleared within two minutes. The [[Throwing Knives]] work perfectly for this job; free run between the houses and kill all the archers on the way.
+Some Borgia archers had to be taken care of  quickly. Ten archers posted on the roofs of the buildings on the edge of the river needed to be cleared within two minutes. Free-running and using throwing knives eased Ezio's work.
 ===Wet Work===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Wet Work|thumb|250px|right|Wet Work]]
-An [[Ottomans|Ottoman]] boat has been seen scouting for a suitable place for an attack. Kill the [[captain]] . First make your way to the boat, either by swimming or by taking a [[gondola]] . Taking out the guards in the smaller boats will make this task easier. When ready, sneak aboard the main boat and kill the captain. [[Smoke bombs]] and ledge assassinations can be used with great profit.
+An [[Ottomans|Ottoman]] boat had been seen scouting for a suitable place for an attack, and Ezio needed to kill the [[captain]] . Either by swimming or using a Gondola, Ezio traveled out to the ship and removed the threat. Had he removed the surrounding guards, his work would have been easier.
 {{-}}
 ===Dead on Arrival===
-Kill the courier before he leaves. He is located not far from the pigeon coop, and can be easily killed with throwing knifes. Note if you kill him with throwing knives before he spots you, he will die but the contract may not be end, forcing you to quit and restart. Remember, he will flee on sight, and the adjacent archers (as well as a Leader and an Agile) will attempt to hinder you. Using hyper blend you can get close enough to kill him before he starts running. Killing other archers around him will also trigger him to flee if he sees their dead bodies.
+Ezio needed to dispatch the courier before the message was delivered. Located not far from the pigeon coop, he would flee upon detecting Ezio, but he could be easily dispatched with throwing knives or a hidden blade high-profile assassination.
 ===Go towards the Light===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Go Towards The Light|thumb|250px|right|Go towards the Light]]
-You need to kill the new commander of the army of [[Forlì]] at the lighthouse. Keep the Guards outside the lighthouse busy using the mercenaries not far from there (or swim around them), then make your way to the top of the lighthouse and assassinate him.
+Ezio was told to kill the new commander of the army of [[Forlì]] at the lighthouse. Using mercenaries near the lighthouse, Ezio was able to distract the guards and remove the threat after climbing the lighthouse.
 {{-}}
 ===Mark and Execute===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2 Contracts: Mark And Execute|thumb|250px|right|Mark and Execute]]
-You must kill the one who captured one of Lorenzo's spies without being detected. Go towards the target, but make sure that you are filled up with throwing knives, poison and smoke bombs, just in case, since this is quite tricky. First, kill the archers on the roof, then double assassinate him and his bodyguard (you can do it from the air). If you're looking for a challenge, you can clear the whole area of guards (which is quite difficult, as there are a lot of normal guards, two archers, and at least one Seeker and Brute to deal with). Additionally, there is an unguarded archway you can use to sneak behind the target and kill him, as the spy leads him in front of it.
+Ezio had to kill the captor of two of Lorenzo's spies without being detected -- no mean feat. The target and his bodyguard could easily be removed by a double air-assassination once the archers had been removed.
 {{-}}
@@ Line 118: / Line 116: @@
 ===Thicker than Water===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2: Thicker Than Water|thumb|250px|right|Thicker than Water]]
-A gondolier will lead you to your target. First make your way to the gondolier, then follow the gondolier to your target. The best way should be by following being in your own gondola. Be careful though, since being spotted will lead to desynchronization. When you have made your way to the real target, you can jump out of your gondola and swim behind the boat and end him with a ledge assassination.
+Following a gondolier supplied by Lorenzo, Ezio remained undetected until he reached the target. His easiest method of removing the target unseen was a ledge assassination.
 {{-}}
 ===Zero Tolerance===
-A family friend of Lorenzo is being harassed by a merchant, who must be killed without her noticing. Finding the target may be a little tricky, since he and Lorenzo's friend are constantly circling around the area. When you find them, stay blended until you are behind the man, then kill him in any way you like. Poison is easy since it won't get you in any trouble with the guards that will be in the vicinity; or you can assassinate him from a hiding spot.
+A family friend of Lorenzo was being harassed by a merchant, who had to be killed without her noticing. Finding the target was difficult, since he and Lorenzo's friend were constantly circling around the area. Poisoning the man from a blended moving crowd or assassinating him from a hide spot with the Hidden blade were easiest.
 ===Blade in the Crowd===
-The Doge has decided to send several trusted administrators to rouse the populace in Florence. They are supposed to meet with the Doge shortly. Find and kill them before the meeting, without alerting them to your presence. Find the three targets within the green circles, all of which are quite near you. There is a 3 minute countdown, thus it's probably better to kill all three with poison.
+The Doge had decided to send several trusted administrators to rouse the populace in Florence. They were supposed to meet with the Doge soon after. Ezio needed to find and kill them before the meeting, without alerting them to your presence in three minutes.
 ===Honorable Thief===
-One of Lorenzo's connections uncovered a plot to destroy the Venetian branch of the Medici bank. Meet his informant, a nimble thief, and follow him to the target's location to kill him. The informant is to the north of [[Piazza di San Marco]] . Be wary, as there will be many archers that will oppose you before the end.
+One of Lorenzo's connections uncovered a plot to destroy the Venetian branch of the Medici bank. Ezio met his informant, a nimble thief, and followed him to the target's location to kill him. The informant was to the north of [[Piazza di San Marco]], and archers lined to rooftops to interfere with Ezio's mission.
 ===No Laughing Matter===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2: No Laughing Matter|thumb|250px|right|No Laughing Matter]]
-There are three harlequins that are actually co-conspirators of Archbishop Salviati. They have already been marked and identified for you. One is in the open, and should be dealt with easily via an air assassination. The two others are in guarded locations. The best way to deal with them both is to let them run out, away from their guards, so you can chase and kill them. All of them will flee if they catch a glimpse of you.
+There were three harlequins that are actually co-conspirators of Archbishop Salviati, already marked and identified. One was in the open, easily dealt with. The two others were in guarded locations, easily removed if flushed out or assassinated from a hide spot.
 {{-}}
 ===Crash a Party===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2: Crash The Party|thumb|250px|right|Crash a Party]]
-One of [[Francesco de' Pazzi]] 's cousins is throwing a party. Tail one of the guests to his location and assassinate him. Tailing the guest is simple enough if you aren't notorious. When you come to a guard entrance, climb the buildings. As the party is being held in a restricted area, you must not be seen. Your target is close to some Gondolas, making for a quick and easy escape. There is a small bug on this level. If you decide to go to the restricted area first to clear out the guards, and then stalk the target, the real target will spawn, but the mission will not end if you kill him, meaning you will have to exit the memory.
+One of [[Francesco de' Pazzi]] 's cousins was throwing a party. Ezio tailed one of the guests and assassinated him. The area was on high alert, but Ezio could easily bypass it by taking to the rooftops.
 {{-}}
 ===False Legacy===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2: False Legacy|thumb|250px|right|False Legacy]]
-A Venetian Condottiero (a Brute, actually) is forcing artists to depict him as a war hero. This job will be quite difficult, as he is surrounded by Elite Guards, though he is easy to distinguish. Use the Hidden Pistol for a quick (but loud) kill, or hire the nearby Mercenaries to distract them. You can throw money at the guards and simply walk past them and take out the Brute, once the mission is over all the guards that are part of the mission should disappear instantly.
+A Venetian Condottiero (a Brute, actually) was forcing artists to depict him as a war hero. This job was quite difficult, as he was surrounded by Elite Guards, though he was easy to distinguish. Any method to remove the guards from the equation eased Ezio's work.
 {{-}}
 ===Hunting the Hunter===
 [[Video:Assassins Creed 2: Hunting The Hunter|thumb|250px|right|Hunting the Hunter]]
-This mission is the last contract you receive. Your first task is to kill a marked target (an Agile). A single shot from the Pistol will finish it. After that, loot the body and head to the designated coordinates. Approach the 'person' in front of the fountain, revealing it to actually be a scarecrow. Afterwards, a Venetian Agile and some Medici Leader Guards will ambush you. Killing the Agile will finish the mission, and make the other Guards disappear.
+This mission was the last contract Ezio received. Your first task was to kill a marked target --an Agile. A single shot from the Pistol ended him. Looting the body gave Ezio another location. He approached the 'person' in front of the fountain, revealing it to actually be a scarecrow. Afterwards, a Venetian Agile and some Medici Leader Guards ambushed him. Killing the Agile finished mission.
-{{-}}
 ==[[Rome]]==
 ===Two's Company===
-In an attempt to scare the citizens of Roma, the Borgia haver hired two notoriously cruel guards to beat up anyone they see. Remove them from the streets to give people hope. To get full [[Synchronization]] you must kill both targets with the [[Hidden Blade]].
+In an attempt to scare the citizens of Roma, the Borgia hired two notoriously cruel guards to beat up anyone they see. Ezio removed them using the Hidden Blades from the streets to give people hope.
 ===Tactical Correction===
-[[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]] has called one of his chief tacticians back to Roma. He is a valuable asset, so the Captain General has provided a [[horse]] and an escort. I suspect neither will be a problem. To get full synchronization you must complete this contract
+[[Cesare Borgia|Cesare]] called one of his chief tacticians back to Roma. He was a valuable asset, so the Captain General had provided a [[horse]] and an escort. Ezio removed the tactician within two minutes of receiving the contract.
-within two minutes.
 ===...And Three's a Crowd===
-Cesare hopes that our rebels will stumble into his line of fire. His expert gunmen wait, instructed by their master to shoot unsavory targets on sight. Blind them to further our cause. To get full synchronization you must kill the three targets within two minutes,
+Cesare hoped that the Assassin-sponsored rebels would stumble into his line of fire. His expert gunmen waited, instructed by their master to shoot unsavory targets on sight. Ezio removed them in three minutes.
 ===Serf's Turf===
-Farmers have a hard enough time turning a profit in times of war, but Romans must deal with the Borgia taking their hefty share. Put an end to this injustice. To get full synchronization you must assassinate three guards with the hidden blade.
+Farmers had a hard enough time turning a profit in times of war, but Romans had to deal with the Borgia taking their hefty share. Ezio removed at least three of the oppressors with the Hidden Blade.
 ===The Three Amici===
-To bolster his troops, Cesare has begun to recruit untrained soldiers. His veteran trainers are critical to his success. Find and kill them. To get full synchronization you must kill the targets with the hidden blade.
+To bolster his troops, Cesare began to recruit untrained soldiers. His veteran trainers were critical to his success, so Ezio assassinated them using the Hidden Blades.
 ===Red Letter Day===
-Our enemy is feeling pressure as we close in. Important messages are now delivered by armored mercenaries. This tactic will not slow us. Ensure the messages die with their couriers. To get full synchronization you must kill both targets in under 60 seconds.
+The Assassin's enemy was feeling pressure as they closed in. Important messages were starting to be delivered by armored mercenaries. Ezio removed the couriers within a minute.
 ===The Merchant of Rome===
-Merchants under Borgia protection often trade favors at the expense of their honest peers. Teach them that Borgia protection is a myth. To get full synchronization you must use the assassin [[apprentices]] to assist in a diversion.
+Merchants under Borgia protection often traded favors at the expense of their honest peers. Ezio used [[Apprentices|Assassin Apprentices]] to teach the merchants a lesson.
 ===Bearers of Bad News===
-The Borgia have unleashed their interrogators. If they cannot find us, they will brutalize the people of Roma until they get answers. Strike with precision or you may be overwhelmed. To get full synchronization the targets must not call for reinforcements.
+The Borgia unleashed their interrogators. They brutalized the people of Roma until they found answers when they couldn't find the Assassins. Ezio removed the given targets before they could call for reinforcements.
 ===Cardinal Sin===
-Servants of the Borgia believe they can hide behind the church, their actions protected by the clothing they wear. Make an example of a [[cardinal]] . Kill him before he reaches the [[Basilica di San Pietro]] . To get full synchronization you must kill the cardinal only.
+Servants of the Borgia believed they could hide behind the church, their actions protected by the clothing they wear. Ezio killed a Borgia-sponsored [[cardinal]] before he reached the [[Basilica di San Pietro]].
 ===Turning the Tables===
-Cesare's charisma has brought his guards the best equipment available. Use their weapons against them. To get full synchronization you must kill at least one [[Brute]], one [[Seekers|Seeker]], and one [[Papal Guard]] with his own weapon.
+Cesare's charisma had brought his guards the best equipment available. Ezio killed at least one Brute, one Seeker, and one [[Papal Guard]] in the process of ending the given targets.
 ===Graduation===
-Four of the Borgia [[Papal Guards]] are scheduled to complete their training today. Send them congratulations on behalf of the Brotherhood. To get full synchronization you must not lose any health squares.
+Four of the Borgia [[Papal Guards]] were scheduled to complete their training when Ezio removed them flawlessly.
 ===Brutes and Brutality===
-The Borgia have sent large numbers of heavily armored guards in the city, hoping to futher dissuade any opposition. GO. Oppose them before they hurt any of the rebels. To get full synchronization you must kill all targets in under 15 seconds.
+The Borgia sent large numbers of heavily armored guards in the city, hoping to futher dissuade any opposition. Ezio removed them within fifteen seconds as a demonstration of his mastery.
 ==Trivia==
 [[File:Pigeoncoop.jpg|thumb|right|Ezio acquires a new contract.]]
-*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', during Sequence 14 and the succeeding free-roaming sequence, these contracts are still playable, even though Lorenzo de' Medici is already dead. Ezio will also be tasked to assassinate affiliates of various characters that have been dead for years. This could be explained by the fact that the contracts are secondary memories, and thus their actual position in the timeline cannot be determined.
+*In ''Assassin's Creed II'', during Sequence 14 and the succeeding free-roaming sequence, these contracts are still playable, even though Lorenzo de' Medici is already dead. Ezio would also be tasked to assassinate affiliates of various characters that had been dead for years. This could be explained by the fact that the contracts are secondary memories, and thus their actual position in the timeline cannot be determined.
 *Interestingly, in Hunting the Hunter, the attacking guards are bearing [[Medici]] colors.
 *Additionally, if you loot the scarecrow target afterward, it will yield a set of keys (noted with a multiplier, indicating numerous may be held). A similar set of keys results from looting any scarecrow target throughout the game, such as those found after testing your [[pistol]] for the first time. These keys' use and purpose are unknown.