The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

[Front-paged. -stabguy]

This guide uses this video as an Exemplar: http://thehiddenblade.com/ac-unity-kingdom-beggars-stealth-kills
It is not required viewing, but may help.

Table of Contents:

• Knowing the "Rules" - Understanding Stealth Mechanics (or: Detection Mechanics)
• Detection Meters, Detection Behaviors
• Items, Player-Verbs, Tools or Mechanics that Interact with Detection
• Understanding Kill Animations
• Special Cases/Unreachable Targets
• Practice and Skill Transfer
• Playing Non-Lethally

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Knowing the "Rules" - Understanding Stealth Mechanics (or: Detection Mechanics)
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The first thing needed is a deep understanding of the game's Stealth mechanics.

"Stealth mechanics" is a vague term, but what I actually mean when I say this is, "You need to understand as much as possible about everything that interacts with Stealth or affects Stealth in this game."

Going a step further, what *that* actually means is, understand everything that affects *Detection*, since Stealth is actually your Default State. Normally you're in Stealth all the time anyway, so you don't really do anything to "stay" in Stealth. A better way to think of it is that you make mistakes or allow things to happen, which *change* your state into Detected.

Understanding how Detection works, what causes it, what slows it, and what stops it is the first step.

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Detection Meters, Detection Behaviors
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In AC Unity, guards use a three-phase Detection/Awareness Meter. For our purposes, it's a two-phase meter since the third phase is being Exposed/causing an Alert, which for this kind of video is considered an instant failure.

In Phase 1: The guard sees the Assassin, and their Awareness begins filling with Yellow. Breaking Line of Sight with the guard before this phase fills up will cause them to stare in the direction you were last seen in, but they will not Move from their position. Phase 1 filling with Yellow completely will transition to Phase 2.

In Phase 2: The guard has looked at the Assassin for long enough that they're starting to become super suspicious of them. In Phase 2, the guard's Detection Meter begins filling from the bottom again, but this time, with Red. Breaking Line of Sight with the guard before this phase fills up will cause a Last Known Position Hologram to appear, and the guard will then walk to that spot to investigate who you are. Phase 2 filling with Red completely transitions to being Detected/causing an Alert. Playing with this Phase is important, as it allows you to manipulate guards. It also feels like playing with fire, as staying in sight for too long voids your run.

NOTE: In Assassin's Creed Unity, there are special zones called Restricted Areas. Gameplay in these zones is the same as everywhere else, with one exception: Guards who spot the player IMMEDIATELY go into Phase 2 Detection. The premise is that, since they've been told to keep everyone out regardless, even a glimpse is enough to get them instantly suspicious.

In this video, I use this knowledge, combined with knowledge that the Guard will move to my Last Known Position, to let a Brute glimpse me for a moment so I can drag him out toward a doorway and assassinate him there, right before dual assassinating his two allies inside the building.