Hiding spot

File:Hidingspotacrooftop2.png

A rooftop garden in Damascus.

Hiding Spots referred to different kinds of hiding places which were used by the Assassins in order to escape pursuers or to perform an ambush.

Third Crusade

During the Third Crusade, hiding spots played a significant role for Assassins, since they frequently were their only way to successfully escape from a group of pursuers. Depending on the situation, Assassins could have used different kinds of hiding spots.

Haystacks

Of all hiding spots, haystacks were the ones that offered the most tactical use. Since they could appear both on rooftops and on the ground, they were always a good hiding place. Moreover, a Leap of Faith could be performed from a rooftop into them. Haystacks usually appeared in two different versions: as a pile or in a cart.

Rooftop gardens

Rooftop gardens were small booths which were covered with curtains on the inside. Thus, they provided an easy escape for Assassins. They appeared on rooftops ubiquitously throughout the Holy Land. Their appearance could differ depending on the city and the district. Rooftop gardens in poorer districts were usually flat, whereas the ones located in the richer districts were often decorated with ornaments and had a small, sometimes gilded, cupola.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, hiding spots were once again quite important for the Assassins. Although they were able to escape from pursuers by breaking the line of sight or fleeing the area, hiding spots still offered an alternative way to escape. However, guards became more suspicious during that time period and often searched hiding spots for their targets.

Carts

File:Hidingspothayflorence.png

A rose-leaf cart in Florence.

Haystacks worked exactly the same as during the Third Crusade. However, they were now rarely found on rooftops, and were instead usually in carts on the ground. Depending on the city, the hay was also often replaced with other things, such as rose leaves in more exalted cities such as Florence or Rome, or green leaves in more rural areas such as San Gimignano.

In certain locations, such as the Castel Gandolfo or San Donato, large bushes could be found instead of haystacks. However, the visual nature was the only difference between them.

Rooftop gardens

Rooftop gardens were still present during the Renaissance and had a similar style in most cities, usually only differing in the color of the curtains. However, both Rome and Venice had rooftop gardens with an unique, posher style, usually decorated with ivy or wine ranks.

Wells

Wells appeared during the Renaissance everywhere throughout Italy. They worked similar to haystacks, but Assassins could not perform a Leap of Faith into them. Wells, apart from haystacks, were the only places which were always scanned by cautious Borgia seekers in Rome. Their visual appearance changed depending on the city they were located in.

Water

Water provided an easy way to escape for Assassins, since they could jump into it from nearly every height without being hurt. Moreover, they could simply dive in order to break the line of sight with their pursuers.

Gallery

• 
  A haycart.
• A haystack in Monteriggioni.
  A haystack in Monteriggioni.
• A leaf cart in San Gimignano.
  A leaf cart in San Gimignano.
• A simple rooftop garden.
  A simple rooftop garden.
• A rooftop garden in Jerusalem.
  A rooftop garden in Jerusalem.
• A rooftop garden in Acre.
  A rooftop garden in Acre.
• A rooftop garden in Forlì.
  A rooftop garden in Forlì.
• A rooftop garden in Venice.
  A rooftop garden in Venice.
• A rooftop garden in Rome.
  A rooftop garden in Rome.
• Ezio pulling a guard into a well in San Gimignano.
  Ezio pulling a guard into a well in San Gimignano.
• A well in Rome.
  A well in Rome.

Sources

• Assassin's Creed
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood