Tank

"Leonardo expects me to maneuver this thing? No instructions? Of course!"

―Ezio Auditore first laying eyes on the tank.

File:Armoured Car.png

Ezio entering the tank.

The Tank was a war machine developed by Leonardo da Vinci for Cesare Borgia, and the Borgia forces.

A precursor to the modern tank, Leonardo's armored car invention was capable of moving in any direction, and was equipped with a large number of cannons. Operated by three or four people, it was designed to intimidate and scatter an opposing army.

The machine's cannons were arranged on a rotating circular platform that allowed for 360-degree range. The entire tank was hooded by a protective cover, which was reinforced with slanted metal plates to better deflect enemy fire. A sighting turret on top allowed the coordination of the firing of the cannons, as well as the steering of the vehicle.

Destruction

In 1503, Leonardo tasked Ezio Auditore with finding the plans for his war machines and destroying them. Ezio then traveled to Monte Circeo, southeast of Rome, where the tank was being manufactured.

Ezio followed an engineer without being detected, until they reached the factory where the tank and other weapons were being produced. Upon interrogating the engineer, Ezio discovered that the schematics for the tank, as well as three captured mercenaries, were being kept within the factory.

Ezio gazing at the tank before destroying it.

Ezio made his way through the base until he found the plans, and burned them. Upon finding the captured mercenaries, he killed the guards patrolling the area in order to free them. The mercenaries led Ezio to the tank, by taking an underground tunnel system.

When they reached the war machine, Ezio used the tank to destroy the factory and the other weapons being produced. He and the mercenaries also took on and destroyed several other working tanks that attacked them.

After Ezio's victory in Monte Circeo, he decided to destroy the war machine, as it was far too dangerous to keep, should their enemies attempt to reclaim it.

Trivia

• Though the tank appeared in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Leonardo was historically never able to build the war machine.
• The designs of the tank had the gears deliberately positioned to render the tank unable to move. This is widely believed to have been misinformation deliberately placed by Leonardo to prevent the design from being misused if it was stolen.
• To get full synchronization for the tank memory, Ezio must first sneak into the factory without alerting the guards, then operate the tank without getting hit.

• Successfully using and destroying the Tank granted the player the "Kaboom!" achievement.
• If the tank suffered damage, some of its cannons would become unusable, slowing the tank's rate of fire. This was because the cannons' rotating belt had to skip the damaged cannons until a usable one was aligned for firing.
• A miniature replica of the tank could be found in the Armory at the Tiber Island headquarters.
• Though the engineer told Ezio about three mercenaries who had been captured, only two spoke to and joined Ezio to operate the tank. The third was left either sleeping or dead within the prison cell.
• While only three men were required for Ezio to operate the tank, historically, four were required for the tank to move.
• If the production of the tanks had continued, Cesare would have used them as the centerpiece of his army during a surprise assault on Sicily.
• Just before destroying the tank, Ezio admitted, "I wish I could keep you."

Gallery

• 
  Concept art of the tank.
• 
  Concept art of the tank in action.
• The tank in use.
  The tank in use.
• A walkthrough of the tank memory.
  A walkthrough of the tank memory.

Source

• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood