Mercenary

"I fight at your side, any time!"

―Mercenary's greeting to Ezio

The Mercenaries, known as the Mercenario in Italian, are one of the three factions of Assassin's Creed II helping the main character, Ezio (the other two being the Courtesans and the Thieves).

The Mercenaries in Tuscany/San Gimignano are led by Mario Auditore, Ezio's uncle. In Florence, the Mercenaries are led by Niccolò Machiavelli. In Venice, the Mercenaries are led by Bartolomeo d'Alviano.

Mercenaries (and all other hired help) cost 150 florins, follow you around, and make comments after a fight. They bear Heavy Weapons and are like a more powerful variation of the Brute . However, Mercenaries encountered in missions (that are not hired) are free and have Longswords and Maces. Due to their lack of armour, their effectiveness is drastically reduced and they can be outmatched by 2-3 Pazzi Guards. Ezio can order them to fight the Guards, thus providing a distraction.

The Mercenaries in Rome are once again led by Bartolomeo d'Alviano. They participated actively in the fight against the Borgia and their French allies led by Baron de Valois. When Ezio completes all of the Mercenary's Guild challenges he is awarded with Bartolomeo's Axe and a Mercenary's Guild crest which can be located in the armor section in the section of the Tiber Island Hideout.

Trivia

• Mercenaries cannot perform any kind of free-running.
• Mercenaries have weapons like brutes but are easily defeated by them.
• Strangely enough, Thieves are actually more combat effective than Mercenaries.
• In some parts of Venice, you can hire groups of six Mercenaries instead of the usual four.
• During the mission to assassinate Vieri de' Pazzi, Mario refers to his Mercenaries as his brothers, a term usually reserved for fellow Assassins.
• While distributing Bartolomeo's men to specific spots throughout the Castello district to distract Silvio Barbarigo, his men act like normal guards instead of Brutes, even being able to sprint.
• It's ironic that Niccolò Machiavelli is portrayed as the leader of Florentine mercenaries when he was strongly against the use of mercenaries in real life.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, several of them will fight with you in the Tank Mission.
• In Brotherhood they are a lot more powerful and can take out several guards.

Gallery

• 
  Mercenaries in Venice.
• Ezio in battle with Mercenaries on his side.
  Ezio in battle with Mercenaries on his side.
• Ezio and a Mercenary fight in the Tuscan countryside.
  Ezio and a Mercenary fight in the Tuscan countryside.
• Ezio, Mario and two Mercenaries.
  Ezio, Mario and two Mercenaries.