Pre Assassinating John Pitcairn's Guards
[Front-paged. -stabguy]
This exploit is one of two ways to reach the guards in the same area as the target before he spawns there.
Alternate Route
You cannot approach the British army directly without getting shot at and eventually desynching. This is because you cross an invisible line, triggering that scripting. However, you can bypass that line by veering to the right, past the memory wall. Have to be careful because you're almost far enough from the wall to desynchronize. After dropping off the cliff you can charge straight into the British troops.
Have fun taking out Pitcairn's guards in whatever way you want. There are just a few high levels guards to deal with, nothing a rope dart won't take care of. To make the target spawn, go the one of the checkpoints to progress.
Easy Fight
With no guards around, you are free to kill the target in more creative ways. I found that the ax special move doesn't kill him, but merely does damage and knocks John Pitcairn to the ground. The tradeoff is that this move is unblockable. The blunt weapon special move is less effective because the animation involves throwing the weapon, meaning you have to constantly pick it back up. The rope dart also does a little damage every time you use it to pull him to the ground.
For those interested, MA GLX found another way to reach the guards beforehand, before the mission even starts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5QNSPMPgmg
John Pitcairn is one tough S.O.B. He can take an ax to the head up to 14 times.
I like the part where you run through line after line of British soldiers.
I like the part where you run through line after line of British soldiers.
As much as I'd like to take credit, MA GLX did pretty much the same thing in his linked video. Only real difference is he did it before starting the mission. The mission scene started because he got close enough to Putnam, activating his speech and not giving Connor enough time to cross the battlefield and pre-kill
the guards. Searching Youtube, I found that another player discovered the same exploit as MA GLX and avoided Putnam's speech by hugging the memory wall.
I had attempted a firecracker assassination because of three barrels in the area, but the problem was they are in full view of Pitcairn. I spent a while trying to move him facing away, but to no avail and settled for the easy fight.