The multiplayer of Assassin’s creed 4 can seem very daunting at first. It is unlike the multiplayer of Call of Duty or Dark Souls and this can make it very frightening to jump into a match, even after playing through the tutorial. Although the 6 game modes that this game has to offer are different from one another, there are some general rules of thumb that apply to all.
1. Staying calm, collected, and quiet.
In AC4, you benefit in almost all the game modes from not running around aimlessly, searching for your target to then get a 100 point kill. It is very important to not run around everywhere, especially when you’re in your targets line of site. Furthermore, this will get you killed by the blade of your own pursuer who saw your high profile actions and began to plot out your death. So, stay out of high profile as much as possible to limit the chance that you will be recognized as a player, rather than a npc. This is even more important when you hear the whispers or are close to your target.
2. Getting un-contested kills
If you are already following the advice above, you are one step closer to staying alive longer and getting high scoring kills that will win you the match. A key part of both is having un-contested kills.
A contested kill is when your target identifies you as their pursuer and press the stun button (when you are in range) at the same time you press the assassinate button. Your two characters will go into a contested animation where your target appears to be fighting back before you break their neck, shoot them in the face, stab them, etc. This will result in your kill score being divided in two and them getting 100 points for attempting to save their life! This is a huge letdown. After all your plotting and planning a great kill, you don’t receive the full points that you deserve! However, there are some simple tricks that can help you avoid (most of the time) this displeasing situation.
- Don’t walk directly at your target! This is a huge tip off to them that you are their pursuer combined with the loud whispers as you approach them.
- So, instead, walk slightly to the side of them to arouse less suspicion.
- You can also attempt to surprise them by taking an alternate route (if you know the map well enough) to later abruptly ambush them.
- Of course, aerial and acrobatic kills will easily net you a clean kill. If the latter, your score will be multiplied by 1.5!
- Stay hidden! Blend with a stationary or mobile group to reduce suspicion that you are not some random npc, but rather their sly killer. This will net you a 2x score bonus.
- Distract them with a decoy or bodyguard. I will explain these more advanced tactics a bit further down the line.
These will all help net you a clean kill which will give you the full points you are entitled to. And, if you combine some of these tips together, they will almost never get the contested stun!
3. Staying alive
As I mentioned earlier, staying alive is key for getting your kill streaks, limiting respawn time, and ultimately winning the match. There are two general ways to do this: either stay away from your purser, or stun them. Because of the recent change in the gameplay, lowering your approach meter all the way no longer initiates a chase so now stuns are much more lucrative for getting rid of your pursuer. Stuns are much more difficult to get without the aid of abilities, but they are possible (I will talk about the various abilities useful for stunning later in the blog). Because there are many ways to get a stun, I feel the need to make an entire post devoted to it so for now, just stay low profile!
If you abide by these general rules of thumb, you will be well on your way towards becoming a seasoned AC4 multiplayer veteran! I hope to see you on the battlefield!
TheGamerKiwi
