War machine

"War machines. I have constructed weapons for all the Borgia guards and other terrible monstrosities besides."

―Leonardo about his machines.

File:Asscreed tank.jpg

The tank, one of the four war machines.

The War Machines were four mechanical devices designed by Leonardo da Vinci for the Borgia forces during the early 16^th century.

They each feature in one of four exotic missions for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and can be found in cities or towns across Italy, outside of Rome. In order to destroy them, Ezio commandeered and, after using them to destroy Borgia weapons, supplies, and armaments, destroyed all four of these machines, severely reducing the Borgia's military strength. To ensure that they would not be rebuilt, each machines' blueprint was burned before commandeering it.

The War Machines

In each mission, Ezio must find the location of the blueprints of the war machine, sometimes by interrogating the weapon's engineer. Then, after burning the plans, he commandeers the weapon itself, and uses it to destroy Borgia weapons and war supplies, before destroying the weapon and returning to Rome.

Chariot machine gun

File:MachineGun.jpg

Ezio defending the machine

The chariot machine gun was a technologically advanced weapon consisting of a rapid firing cannon placed on a horse-drawn chariot. This dangerously powerful weapon was perfect for chases as well as surprise attacks due to its fast firing and mobility.

In order to destroy the machine, Ezio traveled to Colli Albani. After sneaking past the guards undetected, Ezio located the blueprints of the machine, and burned them. Ezio then located the gun itself and destroyed the machine gun by igniting a few barrels of gunpowder that were lying beside it. No sooner had he destroyed the machine gun that another Chariot machine gun emerged out of a stable, being driven by a guard. Ezio quickly mounted a horse and set off in pursuit of the machine. Dodging bullets and overcoming obstacles, Ezio was finally able to jump aboard the war machine and take control of it. As Ezio escaped, Borgia guards on horseback pursued the Assassin. Having no other choice, Ezio had to take control of the machine gun to fend off his attackers. After successfully doing so, Ezio separated the chariot housing the machine gun from the horses and ignited the barrels of gunpowder present on the chariot, thus destroying the machine once and for all.

The Bomber

Ezio using the Bomber

An advanced version of the flying machine, the bomber fundamentally worked the same as the original, with the exception of a cannon installed on top of the wings, which allowed the user to shoot cannon balls, as well as create fires to lift themselves back up into the air.

To destroy the Bomber, Ezio went to the small town of Valnerina and interrogated the weapons engineer. With the plan's location, Ezio infiltrated the fortress where the machine was being kept, avoided the guards, and burned the plans. He then found the tower on top of which the bomber resided, and after stealthily climbing the tower, the Assassin commandeered the bomber. Flying high over Valerina, Ezio proceeded to bomb 4 Borgia workshops that were being used to produce similar bombers. After doing so, Ezio noticed a courier attempting to warn Cesare of the destruction. Ezio quickly eliminated the courier and then directed the bomber straight towards a tower. The Assassin jumped from the machine at the last moment, and allowed the bomber to crash into the tower and forever be destroyed.

The Naval Cannon

The Naval Cannon in action

The naval cannon was a modified gondola, carrying a gun that shot fireballs. The speed and small size of the weapon made it a hard target for the enemies, while the powerful cannon could damage and destroy even the biggest ships. The weapon needed two people to work, one to row it and the other one to man the canon, however, Ezio managed to use it alone, alternating between firing the cannon and rowing the gondola.

Arriving at the docks of Naples, Ezio found the engineer of the weapon, Eduardo. After confronting the engineer, Eduardo chose to assist the Assassin willfully. Piloting a gondola, Eduardo, led Ezio through a secret tunnel to the dry dock where the machine was being held. Ezio quickly dispatched the guards and burnt the blueprints of the machine before flooding the dry dock and taking control of the naval cannon. Once Ezio navigated the cannon into the open waters, he spied several Templar ships in the water. Ezio then used the naval cannon to destroy the 4 warships before aiming the cannon at the machine itself and setting it off.

The Tank

Ezio looking at the tank

The most powerful weapon made by Leonardo, and the centerpiece of the Borgia army, the tank was a mobile cannon platform with wooden armor, that could shoot in several directions. Thanks to the strong armor, the tank could not be severely damaged by bullets and could also resist several cannon balls before being destroyed. But this power came with a price, as crew of at least three people was needed to use the weapon.

When Ezio arrived at Monte Circeo, he found the engineer of the weapon and his bodyguard. Ezio followed them to a heavily guarded factory, where he infiltrated and then interrogated the engineer, who then told him the location of the machine's blueprints, and also a group of captured Mercenaries that could help him operate the machine. Once the plans were burnt and the mercenaries freed, Ezio and his "crew" fought past several guards and ventured into a series of caverns. At the end of the cavern, the Assassin found the tank and used it to battle his way to the factory. After entering the factory, Ezio and his crew faced two enemy tanks. Once the opposition was destroyed, Ezio used a mounted cannon to destroy the tank

Trivia

• Every one of Leonardo's machines in the game has infinite ammunition.
• When Ezio first arrives in Rome, a herald can be heard announcing the exhibition of the "war machines of Maestro da Vinci" to the crowd.
• In the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood novel, there are no fully functioning war machines. Leonardo tells Ezio that he created the design so it wouldn't work, but in a discreet way.
• In the tank memory, Ezio destroys his own tank with only one cannon ball, even if takes several shots to destroy it during the battle.
• A miniature replica of each one of the machines are found at the Tiber Island headquarters after completing their memories.

Videos

thumb|300px|left thumb|300px|right thumb|300px|left