AC:R - Tips and tricks

[mandru]

PZ, once you've tossed Duccio into the nearby scaffolding he's gone for good.  No more annoying red flag.  I went back and double checked that to be sure.  ;)


I'm close to the end of the game so I'm milking it for all the side tasks I can find.  Last night I focused on driving some additional holdings in the Mediterranean Defense meta game and ticking off a good number of the UBI achievement awards.  Trying to drop from a deployed parachute to a zip line was amusing as was the Spider Assassin challenge which entailed starting at ground level at the Hagia  Sophia (close to the Sultan's palace grounds entrance) and sprinting to the top of the spire on the central dome in under 25 seconds. I had to hit that one from a few different angles before finding a short enough route to complete it.

There's also some UBI awards that deal with the bomb making utility in the game that turn out to be a lot easier than it initially appears to be.  Since there's not a Tips and Tricks section for AC:R I'll post this here for now.


Ezio can carry three distinct classes of bombs at any one time but all bombs in inventory of each specific class will all be of an identical effect. (think 3 pouches each loaded with a unique bomb type)

The classes of bombs are Lethal, Tactical and Diversion.
  A. Lethal Bombs
     1. The Splinter Bomb - made with Shrapnel (pretty self explanatory)
     2. The Datura Bomb - made with Datura Powder (creates a field of deadly gas)
     3. The Thunder Bomb - made with Coal Dust (kills by concussion alone (though I personally don't find it as effective as the Splinter Bomb))

  B. Tactical Bombs
     1. Blood Bomb - made with Lamb's Blood (targets are stunned and temporarily believe they are badly injured)
     2. Caltrop Bomb - made with Caltrops (temporarily cripples targets who take steps within the blast zone)
     3. Smoke Screen - made with Phosphorous (Dense field of smoke requiring Eagle Vision to navigate)
     4. Stink Bomb - made with Skunk Oil (repulses and sickens targets within effect zone)

  C. Diversion Bombs
     1. Cherry Bomb - made with Sulfur (creates a loud pop that causes distracted all guards within hearing range to leave their posts to investigate the point of detonation)
     2. Smoke Decoy - made with Salt of Petra (creates a smoke marker that attracts only guards who are in line of sight)
     3. Gold Bomb made with Pyrite coins (attracts citizens who think gold is scattered on the ground)
        a. if detonated at posted guards feet they shove the citizens away angrily - citizens can become angry and try to shove the guards away
        b. can be used to move citizens out of harms way

Any of the Bomb Effects and Gun Powders can be housed in any of the following Bomb Shells
  A. Impact Shell - explodes on contact when thrown or dropped
  B. Fuse Shell - when thrown or dropped there is a three second delay after contact before exploding
     1. Targeting display graphic projects where the shell will stop after bouncing or ricocheting
  C. Trip Wire Shell - acts like a landmine it detonates when a guard steps within critical proximity (Guards Will Detect your action when arming this Shell if you are line of sight)
     1. Targeting display graphic will show 2 zones when arming this shell
        a. inner zone displays proximity fuse
        b. outer zone displays effective blast range
  D. Sticky Pouch - when thrown it sticks on whatever it hits (ground, walls or guards) detonating after a 3 second delay

Any of the Effects or Bomb Shells can be powered by any of the Gun Powders
  A. Indian Gun Powder - weakest with a small zone of effect
  B. Arabic Gun Powder - medium blast zone
  C. British Gun Powder - largest blast zone for wide range effect

In the Bomb Crafting Interface any combination of bomb can be tested against live enemies in a virtual w@&k space without drawing materials out of your supplies by using the "Test" option available at the bottom

End Notes:

The UBI Achievement awards focus only on the Effects not the shell type or gun powder used.

I would suggest that once you have been introduced through the story line to Retired Admiral Piri Reis in the Grand Market it is advantageous to take all of his advanced bomb training missions to have access to any of the bomb components you might find a need for through his shop.  The missions are all fairly simple though they can be pricy if you've not socked away enough cash and might take you into some risky territories for a good thrill.  :-X

[PZ]

Excellent topic, mandru, split it into a new topic so we can add to the list  :-X

I've found that there are many obstacles that are relatively easy to overcome if you take the time to think it through, open world style.  For instance, the coward Captain that always runs away - simply target him and call an assassin, then you can focus on the guards that are attacking you.  Moments later, your assassin is successful and the mission is virtually accomplished minus a few housekeeping tasks.  I feel rather foolish when I remember dreading these coward Captains now that I have the simple method of their dispatch.

I suspect that most of the hurdles you need to pass are somewhat like that - find the solution to the problem, much like the puzzles.

[Art Blade]

And a thumbs-up for that piece of w%&k. Thanks, mandru  :) :-X

[mandru]

Thanks for the split off PZ.   :-X   I didn't want to jump ahead of things here but needed to get all that typed out while I could still read my notes.   :-D

Thanks Art.  :-X

[PZ]

Your post was spot on mandru - although I've played through the game (mostly), the things you mentioned will greatly help on my subsequent plays through.  :-X

[mandru]

I noticed as I was running past a scaffolding the option "Pull Down" briefly appeared on my screen.  With a bit of experimentation I determined that for the PC it is the action of running and the Shift button that perform this action.  The Shift key for PC is the same key that is used for Hook and Run as well as the Hook and Throw or for grabbing a zip line.

I promptly put this to use by finding a scaffold that was on the route of four patrolling guards and hit them with a caltrop bomb to cripple and immobilize them briefly.  Then I ran past and pulled the scaffolding down on them.  Doing this twice earned me the UBI Mouse Trap achievement award.  :-X

[Art Blade]

 :-D :-X

[PZ]

I just started a second play through, and also discovered that scaffold feature.  Have not had a chance to try it yet though.

[fragger]

LOL @ "Mouse Trap achievement" - great title

[mandru]

Completing the five Desmond Journeys that are located on Animus Island (each accessed by collecting enough data fragments) will unlock a Desmond Miles outfit.  You will still have the stats for whatever armor you are wearing but by equipping the Desmond suit your game character looks like him in his grey jersey hoodie, jeans and sneakers.

He is also wearing a contoured travel pouch across his back.  It is a bit incongruous that he has all of the weapons you've selected slung about him as usual and the crossbow over his shoulder but hey it's an amusing unlockable outfit.   8) 

[mandru]

The data fragments that are collected in the game are not quite the chore that finding all of the feathers in AC:2 was.  As I started collecting the fragments early in the game an icon for a fragment would occasionally pop up in the parts of the map that I had unlocked by visiting and synchronizing the various viewpoints.

Even better after I'd collected enough fragments (50) to unlock all five of the Desmond Journey memory sequences all the remaining fragments locations were revealed in a flood with all those icons scattered across the entire map.  Fortunately I'd completely unlocked all the map by that point and this was at a point in the game before the trip to Cappadocia where there are an additional 12 fragments.

If by chance someone doesn't get the fragment position icons unlocked before the trip to Cappadocia or realizes later after playing that sequence that they've missed any of the twelve fragments that are there in that part of the game there's a ferry at the extreme East of the Galata district's water front (after that sequence has been played) that is available to return you if it is needed.

[PZ]

...If by chance someone doesn't get the fragment position icons unlocked before the trip to Cappadocia or realizes later after playing that sequence that they've missed any of the twelve fragments that are there in that part of the game there's a ferry at the extreme East of the Galata district's water front (after that sequence has been played) that is available to return you if it is needed.

:-X ;)

[mandru]

I'm a stickler for driving myself to get perfect sync on all of the activities in the game when I'm playing and a lot of the missions are an enjoyable walk through the park but I'm finding a few of that are pretty tough to meet the sync requirements.

One mission that was really kicking my backside was The Champion Part II.  This is a Master Assassin completion to finish locking off a Den so that it will be safe from further Templar attacks.  The story line is a printer who's works have fallen into disfavor with the Templar occupation and he needs to be escorted (The Champion Part I) to relocate him in a safer place and draw out his enemies so they could be eliminated.  Part II of this mission takes a turn that involves protecting the printer's father who is a herald.  Since his enemies can't get at the son they are going to punish him by going after his father.

Waves of the characters (I've come to recognize as Templar Stalkers) come charging in to attack the herald from three directions through busy streets full of citizens and to meet 100% sync you have to completely prevent the herald from receiving any injury.  You do have the assassin you are trying to set as den master with you but he pretty much does his own thing and will take off down the street after a distant target instead of staying close and adding a little extra buffer between the attackers and their target.  If the herald takes even one swipe of a dagger and it blows the 100% sync.

Since it's a herald that you have to protect he has his own ready made crowd of people gathered when the event starts so you can't just saturate the area of approach with shrapnel bombs to slow down at least the first wave of attackers and even with eagle vision a smoke bomb at the feet of the herald still obscures your vision too long to catch every incoming enemy who all seem to ignore the smoke anyway.  Admittedly I haven't tried dropping a skunk oil bomb into the middle of the herald's audience to scatter them but in the two seconds seconds you have to set up a defense...   ???   Things get "real busy real fast" and any edge here is a real help.

One of the guides I consulted stated that chain kills are a "Must" to receive full sync on this mission but that was a total fail for me.  I don't know if it was because I was on PC instead of a console (maybe it works better on console) or if it's my sucky reaction times but invariably I would make one kill and try to chain the next and instead of locking onto the next closest target either to my right or left I lunge out of my defensive position and swing blindly at some as yet undisclosed enemy in an upcoming wave of attackers.   :D

I wish anyone attempting this best of luck and you will want to attempt this a few times on your own to see if your skill level allows you to blow through this where I repeatedly failed but if you find yourself as frustrated as I have been by this I'll leave my most successful approach to this puzzle here:

Spoiler

As the action starts you are facing the herald which means the waves of enemies will only come from three directions.  The right, the left and slightly to the left of straight ahead of the direction you are facing when your assassin companion informs you there is trouble.  I try as well as I can to stay in this same spot through out the fight as it gives me the best view of the incoming enemies I've been able to find.

In the first instant you regain control of Ezio bring up your weapons and make sure they are set to the proper items.  The PC always automatically resets my gear to hidden blade and poison darts which are ineffective so I equip the crossbow and throwing knives.

The groups coming from the right having further to travel so they are always the last to arrive during this first wave allowing the enemies left and slightly left of straight ahead to be the immediate focus.

The group from straight ahead will have to break through the herald's audience as they come in.  Sometimes this will tangle them up but whoever gets closest first and gives you a clear line of sight let them have the one free shot you get with the crossbow (that will not require a reloading time) then as each additional enemy gets close use the throwing knives.  Striving to keep a standard of 1 knife/1 kill is important and dependent on having a clear line of sight and measured release of blades as they approach.

Fortunately the first wave's incoming attackers tend to scatter the herald's audience out and away giving a somewhat better line of sight for those two directions.  Your assassin companion tends to be more intent on intercepting attackers from the right but many still break through and will require your attention as they come up the street before rounding a slight corner of a building to get at the herald.

By using the crossbow at the start of each wave when you have an extra second to reload (sometimes even getting of a second crossbow shot but don't count on it) along with 1 knife/1 kill and the few attackers your assassin associate takes down allows you to conserve enough of your knives to get through.  :-X

[fragger]

I got stressed out just reading about what you have to do there...

[mandru]

 :-() @ fragger

That's why I stuck a tip in here to try to ease some of the frustration that someone might find getting full synchronization on this toughie.  I had to think my way through it because every tip I could find elsewhere for this mission was hack and slash based which I couldn't get to w@&k for me.

I couldn't fight better so I had to figure out a way to fight smarter.   ^-^

[PZ]

That is a very tough one - have you tried throwing the caltrops bombs?  Sure slows them down a bit.

[mandru]

That 's true PZ.  :)  But I'm a bit worried that slowing one wave down gives me a little bit less of a breather space between the wave of attackers to set up for the next group.  ;)

If I hold my ground keeping as clear of a line of sight as possible and a finger on the throwing knife button when they start coming in I've found through several repeats of that memory that I do pretty well.   8)

[mandru]

One of the Challenge requirements to unlock the Mercenaries' Guild weapon and abilities is to kill 25 Templar Almogavars.  Big heavily armored double bladed axe wielding goons (you gotta love 'em  :-D ) but on my first time through the game I was pretty hard pressed to find enough of them to reach that goal until I hit the part of the game where you take the trip to Cappadocia.  I've now found a hot spot available as soon as you are ready to find more of them than you can rattle a sabre at.   ;)

The Master Assassin mission "The Guardian Part 1" used to secure the Arcadius district assassin's den (South Western most corner of the map) has at least eight Almogavars present for that mission.  The point of the infiltration part of this mission is to not be detected which means if you are playing to reach full sync you stick to the rooftops and might not even see any of them except for the two that you have to drop down behind to reach the rich merchant you need to speak to.  There are a total of six Almogavars within line of sight of that rich merchant.   :-X

Once the mission has been completed going back through it a few more times replaying the memory to harvest these tough to find buggers will be well worth your time towards unlocking the Merc guild achievements.

[PZ]

Good one - I did not know that replaying memories would allow you to rack up additional kills.  :-X

[PZ]

Here's another thing that I'm currently doing - walking around mostly without a weapon in hand (open fist only).  I've found that it is easier for me to disarm and then chain kill groups of thugs rather than attack then outright.  If it becomes too hairy, then I'll summon assassins, or throw either a caltrops or smoke bomb to take care of the rest.

Using caltrops is funny - the way they stumble about complaining about their feet  :-()

[mandru]

Good one - I did not know that replaying memories would allow you to rack up additional kills.  :-X

Yeah, I've been using memory 4:3 over and over to get my chain kill requirements and even as I'm playing through if I can see that there's no chance of getting another chain kill I can restart the memory for another attempt without losing any progress towards my goal.   :-X

Using caltrops is funny - the way they stumble about complaining about their feet  :-()

Killing guards crippled by a bomb exactly as you've described also helps complete one of the other sets of guild achievements as well as being fun.  :)

I like the combination of a cherry bomb to attract as many guards from overlapping patrols as possible followed by a caltrop bomb with British gunpowder for a wide spread and a coup de grâce of a datura or shrapnel bomb also powered by British gun powder.

My giggles from one such encounter with the guards earned me a "You're such a boy.  ::) " from my wife who was sitting at the desk next to mine playing Freecell Solitaire and of course my response was "Well yeah!"

[PZ]

...My giggles from one such encounter with the guards earned me a "You're such a boy.  ::) " from my wife who was sitting at the desk next to mine playing Freecell Solitaire and of course my response was "Well yeah!"

My wife is quite similar - likes the solitaire games on her phone - the funny thing is that she can no more understand how I like to play my video games than I can understand how she could possibly get any satisfaction from playing a boring game of solitaire.  :-()

[fragger]

Vive la différence? ????

[Art Blade]

YOU can't be a descendant of British origin. :-D

[PZ]