Soldier

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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 style of their uniform varied over time, as well as denoted their military rank, allegiance, and combat specialization.

Factions

High Middle Ages

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Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad fleeing several of King Richard's guards.

During the Third Crusade, soldiers wore the armor and colors of either Saracens or Crusaders, with the latter subdivided into the personal guards of King Richard I of England, or the Knights Templar, Hospitalier, and Teutonic.

Saracens spoke Turkish or Arabic, while Crusaders spoke mostly English, with some Captains and Sergeants speaking French or German. Templar Knights, however, spoke all of the dialects.

Saracens wore Lamellar armor, and either spangenhelms or turbans. All Crusaders wore surcoats and chainmail, while some also wore spangenhelms or great helms.

Altaïr fighting Talal's personal guard.

The colors of Crusader surcoats differed with their affiliation, with King Richard's personal guard wearing red and white, Templars wearing white with red crosses, Hospitaliers wearing black with white crosses, and Teutonics wearing white with black crosses.

Guards for several smaller factions or individuals possessed their own uniforms as well, such as the black, gold-striped clothes of Talal's men, or the short white robes and gray-hoods of the guards of Masyaf.

Renaissance

Throughout the Renaissance, multiple factions of guards existed, as they were affiliated to either individual cities or people, instead of armies. They bore unique colors, often along with the family or city crest.

Four Pazzi guards.

Guards for the House of Pazzi wore black caps, red sleeves with gold streaks, and the crest of the Pazzi. They could only be found in Florence and Tuscany, during the height of the family's influence, until the Pazzi Conspiracy.

Guards serving the House of Medici wore dark yellow caps, yellow and white striped sleeves, black armor plates, and the crest of the Medici. They were notably seen during the repression of the Pazzi Conspiracy in Florence, as well as in San Gimignano.

Guards of the House of Borgia wore dark red caps, black sleeves with dark red streaks, and the crest of the Borgia. They often accompanied Rodrigo Borgia, and could also be found in Romagna during the Templar meeting, in the Cannaregio District of Venice, or in Florence during the Bonfire of the Vanities.

Ezio Auditore da Firenze bypassing a line of Savonarola's guards.

Guards of Girolamo Savonarola wore black caps, sleeves, and armor plates. Instead of a coats of arms, they bore a small portrait of Savonarola himself, with three red beams shining down upon him. They were notably seen in Florence during the Bonfire of the Vanities, often repressing the Borgia guards attempting to take the Apple of Eden.

Guards serving the city of Forlì wore dark green caps and sleeves, as well as the crest of Caterina Sforza's family, who ruled Romagna.

Guards serving the city of Venice wore blue caps and sleeves, with gold armor plates bearing the coat of arms of Venice. The quality of their armor was significantly better than that of their counterparts in other cities, and could deflect more damage.

Guards serving the Vatican wore white caps, red and white sleeves, and the coat of arms of the city of Rome. Similarly to Venetian guards, their armor was more resilient than most.

A contingent of French soldiers.

Guards and soldiers of France wore dark blue and white. They were commonly seen in Rome after the alliance of Cesare Borgia and the French general Octavian de Valois.

At that time, French soldiers were stationed in either the main camp in Castra Praetoria, or in military guard posts throughout the Campagna District of Rome. They remained in the city throughout its liberation, often fighting the mercenaries of the Assassin condottiero, Bartolomeo d'Alviano.

Guards from the town of Viana in Spain wore yellowish-green. They notably participated in the Siege of Viana, as they defended Viana Castle from King John III's invading Navarre troops.

Constantinople in the Renaissance was divided into two distinct factions, the ruling Ottomans, and the remnants of the ancient Byzantine Empire. Though Constantinople was held and controlled by the former, guards of the latter constantly fought for control. The region of Cappadocia, particularly Derinkuyu, remained in Byzantine hands.

Ottomans guarding the docks.

Ottoman guards were mostly those of the Elite rank, supplemented by Militia, Agiles, and Gunmen. The highly-esteemed Janissaries were also of this faction. On the other hand, Byzantines were made up mainly of Militia, Almogavars, Varangians, Gunmen, and Bombmen.

Ottoman guards wore green uniforms with red accents, while Byzantines wore small gray capes, and dark red and white uniforms. The latter guards also distinctly wore the black eagle crest of the Byzantine Empire's Palaiologos Dynasty.

Ranking

High Middle Ages

Standard

Standard guards were the most common, but lightest equipped of the guard ranks. Standard 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

File:AC guard sergeant.jpg

Altaïr attacking a Crusader Sergeant flanked by two standard guards.

Sergeants were middle-ranked soldiers, and were equipped with helmets and heavier armor. Crusaders wore chainmail, and the Saracens possessed medium lamellar armor.

They could grab, and had a 50% chance of breaking a grab attack, as well as a 50% chance of countering or dodging a light attack. They also had a 25% chance of breaking defenses, but could not perform combo attacks.

Captain

Captains were the most powerful guards, with the exception of Templar Knights. Saracens wore Baidah helmets and heavy lamellar armor, while Crusaders wore chainmail, and varying knight helms.

Guards at this rank were also able to grab, and had a 75% chance of breaking a grab attack, as well as countering or dodging a light attack. They also had a 50% chance of breaking defenses. If a successful heavy attack was delivered, they could perform a combo attack.

Renaissance

Militia

File:AC2 florence elite.jpg

Ezio attacking an Elite and Militia guard in Florence.

Militia were the lowest ranking guards, and wore very little armor. They also had the lowest morale, and were likely to flee a battle if 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 archetypes, Militia were the only ones who could be fooled into picking up coins, should they be thrown as a distraction.

Elite

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

Main article: Borgia Captains

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Ezio fighting two Borgia Captains and two Seekers in Rome.

Captains of the Renaissance were only found leading contingents of soldiers at Borgia Towers. There were only twelve of them throughout Rome, one for each tower.

They fought similarly to Leaders, but were more heavily and intricately armored. They wore a white cape 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.

Ranged types

Archers

Main article: Archers

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Ezio pulling an archer from a rooftop in Venice.

Archers were guards that patrolled and defended the rooftops. They were armed with long-ranged bows and a large variety of swords, maces and war hammers, and would always be suspicious of Ezio, regardless of his social status.

Getting close to an archer forced him to drop his bow and to draw his medium weapon. Most archers were equivalent to Militia-ranked regular guards in melee (higher ranked versions were present in assassination contracts and the Vatican), with only the additional capability of attacking at a distance with their longbows, however, their arrows were very slow and easy to dodge. They also had a morale rate of 30%, which made them slightly braver than Militia.

Since they were almost always on the rooftops of buildings, Archers were fairly easy to dispatch in melee combat. Another good way to dispatch them was to simply throw them off the roof, resulting in an instant kill if they fell from more than two stories or if they landed in water.

Crossbowmen

Main article: Crossbowmen

Similarly to archers, Crossbowmen patrolled and defended the rooftops, but were more deadly; crossbow bolts caused more damage and were more accurate. Unlike archers, Crossbowmen had no melee weapon and if their enemy closed, would start walking backwards to create some distance. They had increased free-running ability and if investigating, could leap over towards where they had detected Ezio.

Arquebusiers

Main article: Arquebusiers

A line of arquebusiers.

The Arquebusiers (also called Gunmen or Riflemen) were firearm-wielding soldiers who served and protected the pontiff during their tenure. They acted similarly to Crossbowmen, but used more powerful but shorter-ranged rifles. They were usually found on the rooftops near the Pantheon or patrolling in pairs near Guard Posts.

Bombmen

Bombmen commonly guarded rooftops in high traffic areas, such as the docks, arsenal, and harbor. They would also participate in the protection of dens, and would attack from the safety of reinforced sentry boxes. They were equipped with short blades and Thunder Bombs.

Specialized types

Agiles

Main article: Agile guards

Agiles were a very fast and light guard archetype. They could run faster than Ezio and also had adept Free Running abilities. They wielded short blades and were extremely good at dodging attacks, but could become tired should Ezio constantly attack them and dodge their attacks, causing them to dodge less.

They wore the least armor of any guard archetype (only needed one counter-kill from any weapon to defeat), rendering them very easy to kill should they become unable to dodge. Agiles have a morale rate of 40%, which makes them the third-most cowardly after Militia and archers.

Brutes

Main article: Brutes

Ezio throwing an axe at a Brute.

Brutes were both heavily armored and equipped, wielding two-handed weapons such as heavy swords and axes. Their armor covered almost every part of their bodies, which made them difficult to bring down, but also made them cumbersome and slow (they had the lowest running speed of all the guard archetypes and could not free run or climb). They were not very intelligent and could not distinguish Ezio from anyone else in a crowd.

They could use the "Smash" special attack, indicated by a wind-up where their weapon is raised overhead, which knocks down anyone hit by it, including fellow guards. They also used the "Disarm Smash" special attack, indicated by a wind-up where their weapon is drawn back horizontally, which knocked away any weapon Ezio was wielding. Both could not be deflected or countered, and had to be dodged.

Brutes did not take damage when deflecting a short blade or medium weapon (while all other guards do), but can still be damaged with a counter (from the Hidden Blade, a Long Weapon or another Heavy Weapon only). They were very easily disarmed. Also, they had the highest morale of any guard archetype and only fled if they were disarmed and could not obtain another weapon.

Seekers

Main article: Seekers

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Ezio swimming towards a Seeker.

Seekers, also called "Paranoid Guards", were constantly checking hiding spots (such as the haystacks, benches, crowds and wells) for Ezio's presence, regardless of his social status.

They were armed with long weapons, giving them an increased reach. The long weapon's main attacks could only be countered with the Hidden Blade, another Long Weapon or a Heavy Weapon. They could also perform "Sweep Attacks", which required a wind up and resulted in them sweeping Ezio off his feet. This attack affected anyone in range of the long weapon, including fellow guards.

They wore slightly more armor than a Leader-ranked regular guard, but not as much as a Brute, and were easily disarmed. When unarmed, they occasionally approached Ezio from behind and then would grab him while the other guards continued to attack. They also had a morale rate of 80%, which made them the second bravest fighter after the Brute.

Horsemen

Main article: Horsemen

A horseman dueling Ezio.

Horsemen patrolled the streets of Rome and were deadly at both short and long range, being able to slash at Ezio while on horseback. They could also shoot Ezio with their crossbow, or in some cases, their throwing knives, if he attempted to flee.

Leader-ranked regular guards sometimes mounted horses and acted as Horsemen, but only those that spawned as Horsemen (already on horseback) count towards the Guild Challenges.

The easiest way to kill a horseman was to take a long or heavy weapon and counter attack, or use a spear's special attack; usually this resulted in them being pulled off the horse, where it's easier to finish them off. Otherwise a ranged or thrown weapon would kill them while on the horse.

Almogavars

Main article: Almogavars

Ezio aiming at a group of Almogavars.

The Almogavars were comparable to the Brutes in Italy. They fought with heavy weapons, were rather slow compared to other enemies, and wore thick armor.

They were resistant to being grabbed like their Italian counterparts, but very vulnerable to the effects of Datura Bombs.

Varangians

Main article: Varangians

The Varangians were the equivalent of Seekers in Italy, as they fought with halberds and spears. They also wielded pistols that they could use when disarmed or when Ezio was out of their reach.

Expert types

Templar Knights

Altaïr charging down a Templar knight.

Templar Knights were a special variation of guard, of which only 60 could be found throughout the Kingdom and its cities. They were similar to the Crusader Guard Captain, but with higher stats and unique armor, including helmets that were always bloodstained. They also always provoked a fight if they spotted Altaïr, regardless of his social status. If they were present, ordinary guards would always stand back while Altaïr and the Templar Knights engaged each other.

Strangely enough, Templar Knights were present in many places where it would have been unlikely for them to have been, including mountain paths and Saracen-controlled cities such as Jerusalem. They were typically located in front of chests, making it difficult to assassinate them from behind.

In the Xbox 360 version of the game, killing all 60 Templar Knights will award the player the 'Personal Vendetta (40G)' achievement.

Papal Guards

Main article: Papal Guard

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Four members of the Papal Guard.

The Papal Guard were elite soldiers commanded by the Papacy to serve and protect the pontiff during his tenure. The armor worn by these guards was quite heavy, but did not affect their movement (they had the same movement speed and free-run ability as Agiles).

They combined the best qualities of all the other guard archetypes and were also able to dual-wield a pistol alongside a medium weapon, though they could not do so with a long or heavy weapon.

Janissaries

Main article: Janissaries

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Four Janissaries.

Elite soldiers and guards to the Sultan, Ottoman Janissaries were highly trained soldiers. During the early 16th century, Ottoman Janissaries wore golden masks covering all of their face.

Their uniform consisted of colorful robes with many patterns embroidered on them. Janissaries also wore hats over their masks.

Trivia

An image gallery is available for Guards

• The amount of counter attacks needed to kill a guard does not apply to counters with heavy weapons, long weapons, or the hidden blade. For all of these, the guard being countered is unable to block or parry.
• Several other guard archetype are present only in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines and Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles, such as Shield Guards, Duelists, and unnamed robed guards wielding maces.
• In PlayStation home, you can purchase the design of a Seeker for your avatar, which also comes with a spear.
• On Xbox Live, you can purchase the outfit of an Agile.

Assassin's Creed II

• In Assassin's Creed II, the taunts Ezio says to Brutes are different from those he says to the other guards, mainly insulting them about their weight.
• In the memory "Clothes Make the Man", Ugo tells Ezio that the thieves are to impersonate the archers. Yet in the next mission, "Everything Must Go", after Ezio kills the archers on the rooftops, the thieves wear the armor of Leader guards instead of archer armor.
• In the memory "Infrequent Flier", a Brute and a Seeker can be seen stationed on the rooftop, despite being the only guards who cannot climb or free run.
• In the memory "Play Along", Ezio assassinates an Agile so he can disguise himself as a guard, but instead of having an Agile's outfit, he wears the outfit of a Leader guard.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

• In the memory "French Kiss", Ezio kills twenty French guards of different archetypes. However, in "Trojan Horse" (the following memory), the mercenaries are equipped with only Leader armor, while Ezio wears one similar to a Borgia Captain (albeit in French colors, despite the fact that no such guard was ever encountered).
• In Brotherhood, an extremely rare glitch occurs with a group of four guards. They will stand in place and will not pay any attention to you, even if you kill someone nearby. You are free to attack them, in which case an execution will be performed, but it will not kill them. Instead they will simply stand back up. This glitch usually ends in the game freezing, and has a danger of crashing the entire console system.