Papal Guard
- " The Papal guards are basically the ultimate elite guards that we're gonna have in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood."
- ―Ubisoft developer Christopher Weiler [1]
The Papal Guard were elite soldiers commanded by the Papacy to serve and protect the pontiff during his tenure. By 1503, the Papal Guard protected Pope Alexander VI, and were commanded by the Pope's son and Papal Commander, Cesare Borgia. The sole purpose of the Papal Guards is to protect the Pope and his family with their lives.
They carry the best of all the abilities held by all other guard archetypes and can easily deflect and counter many of Ezio Auditore's attacks.[1] They can wield matchlock firearms in one hand, with a sword in the other, making them deadly opponents in both short and long range. The Papal Guards can also wield long weapons, short weapons, and heavy weapons. A group of four or five of these enemies are dangerous and should be confronted with caution unless you are an experienced player. It should also be noted that Papal Guards are also extremely difficult to escape from, as they run faster than Ezio and will always catch up with him.
Trivia
- These guards were the precursor to the Swiss Guard, who have protected the pontiff since 1548.
- The Papal guards may be less skilled than Ezio, however they are considerably stronger and have a larger build, being at least a head taller than Ezio.
- The Papal guards are the most versatile and difficult enemies, possessing skills from all the guard archetypes and handling a variety of weapons. Depending on the weapon they are armed with, they are able to fight as a Brute, Agile or Seeker.
- Although Papal guards are one of the toughest opponents in the game they aren't commonly found in Rome, and will usually appear more often in storyline missions, however a group of four Papal guards are always stationed right outside the Castel Sant'Angelo in the Vaticano District, and will also attack Ezio on sight.
- By Cesare Borgia's arrest in December 1503, the Borgia had lost all their power in Rome. However, when Cesare is arrested by Fabio Orsini and the Papal troops, they still carry the emblem of the Borgia.
- Smoke bombs have no effect on a Papal guard while engaged in combat, however, the bombs function as normal if the guard is taken by surprise.
- Papal Guards run as fast as Agiles (which is faster than Ezio), hit for about 3 blocks of health, which is comparable to a Brute, dodge most attacks (though not all attacks, as Agiles do), and guard against attacks unless their guard is broken. They are also very resistant to disarms, and counterattacks usually fail. In addition to all of this, they possess a pistol similar to Ezio's that they often use when not being attacked. The pistol cannot be dodged and the only way to interrupt it is to attack the guard.
Gallery
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A Papal Guard threatens Ezio Auditore at gunpoint.
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A Papal guard and Ezio Auditore.
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A Papal guard, wielding a spear.
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A Papal guard is impaled by Ezio Auditore
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Cesare and his Papal infantry
Notes and references
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