Lucerne hammer
The Lucerne hammer or Luzern hammer was a type of war hammer which saw usage by the Knights Templar commander of Limassol, Frederick the Red, during the Templar rule of Cyprus.
Description[edit | edit source]
As with other war hammers, the Lucerne hammer consisted chiefly of a metal hammer embedded atop a wooden stick. The eye of the hammer was a cube from which the head and two spikes protruded. One spike, elongated and curved like a beak, occupied the rear of the eye, directly on the opposite side of the head, while another was planted directly at the top; both could serve to pierce targets in combat.[1][2]
Unlike the mercenario and condottiero war hammers, the profile of the Lucerne hammer's handle was round rather than rectangular. It was capped with a metallic pommel—also spiked—and was notably a well-balanced, even weapon in comparison to its mercenary counterparts. Despite this, it was not an altogether exceptional weapon; its strength lay in its balance while excelling in no remarkable aspect.[1][2]
History[edit | edit source]
Although the Lucerne hammer was a common weapon manufactured and sold by blacksmiths throughout Rome in the late 15th century,[2] its basic design had by that point persisted for centuries. The Lucerne hammer was already in use the year after the Third Crusade, with a prominent wielder being the Templar knight Frederick the Red who governed Limassol, Cyprus before being assassinated by the Assassin Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.[1][2][3]
Centuries later, the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze acquired Frederick's Lucerne hammer along with other personal weapons of the Cypriot Templars and set it in his armory for display.[1] Similarly, he would purchase a different Lucerne hammer in late 1503 for the armory of the Assassin headquarters on Tiber Island.[2]
Weapon statistics[edit | edit source]
{{#section:AC:CST/Weapons|"Lucerne Hammer"}}| Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
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Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
- In real-life, the Lucerne hammer, named after the city of Lucerne, Switzerland where many of these weapons have been discovered, is properly a polearm, but it appears as a one-handed, medium-sized, war hammer in the Assassin's Creed series.
Appearances[edit | edit source]
- Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed II
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood (First identified as "Lucerne hammer")
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice