While I’ve certainly had my fun making jokes at the expense of my would-be pursuers, I understand that’s not wholly constructive. After all, I can’t personally grow as a mass murderer if my opposition never poses a challenge.

I am left with no option but to instruct my victims in the error of their ways.

No, dear readers, I do not have any inborn Templar Vision. But there are a few means by which I can most certainly discern your true identity. That’s the part where I kill you; therefore, it is the part you must immediately prevent.

#5: You’re not the first duplicate in a moving crowd

If you have the Blender perk or you’re relying on a duplicate in a moving crowd to protect you, that’s all well and good, but there’s something you need to consider. While you can blend into a stampede of NPCs with relative ease, you cannot be the first person in the group in most cases. Hell, just due to the way blending works, your persona will automatically assume a spot in the middle or the end of the blob of virtual meat. So if I see one Guardian leading the pack and another straggling in the penultimate spot, I’m gutting the latter.

Is this foolproof? Of course not. And when possible, I prefer to validate my decision with a line of sight check or some other test. But if there’s no time or I fear I may be exposed any second, guessing “the persona that’s closer to the rear of the train” is usually the case.

What can you do to avoid this situation?

Don’t blend into groups where your double is leading the pack

Once blended into a moving group, hold Fast Walk to slowly creep near the front

In an ideal scenario, you’ll want to power walk into a position adjacent to your double, making line of sight tests harder on you. But getting slightly ahead of your doppelganger can be effective, since it throws off players like me who always bet on culling the slower sibling when necessary.

#4: You didn’t give NPCs personal space in a static crowd

The universe has a natural order to it: bees build honeycombs in hexagons, rock always loses to paper, and subatomic particles can’t be measured in a deterministic manner. You know, obvious shit. So it should come of no surprise that in a virtual world* things are even more patterned.

If you look at NPC clusters in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, you’ll notice they’re usually spread very evenly. Groups of three often form equilateral triangles. Squads of four tend to create rhombuses. Packs of five always create pentagrams, then proceed with Devil worshipping rituals. Natural order.

So when I approach a group and see that one of the three Knights therein is rubbing shoulders with a Thespian, I get suspicious. In most cases, the character who isn’t spaced equidistant from his or her fellow Templar is the target.

What can you do to avoid this situation?

Occupy open “spaces” in a static group to create an even distribution

Gentle push or shove (high profile push) an NPC out of the way

Stun an NPC (evaporating it) and take its place

Obviously, the final option is drastic and should never be employed if you suspect your pursuer is withing eyesight of you. Listen for whispers and make your move when it sounds safe, or when you have no pursuers.

#3: You gave yourself away too soon

Look, as good as I am at Revelations, I’m not psychic. And even when I’m 90% certain I know who you are and how I want to end your pitiful life, I still have doubts. I still want to be more sure. And that requires more time: time to test your identity via line of sight, time for a skill like Firecrackers to recharge, or time for the Detection Meter to fill so I can get a larger bonus for severing your spine. Point is, there is plenty of room for me to make a mistake that could cost me my points, my contract, and my consciousness.

But in most instances, players give themselves away. Sometimes, they hear whispers and crack under pressure, making a mad dash right into my waiting blade. Other times, they’re wholly ignorance of my presence, and do something dumb like taunt another player or adjust their persona’s position temporarily. If they had waited, they might have thrown me off or had time to use an ability against me. Instead, they’re discovering just how painful per-anesthetic surgery was.

What can you do to avoid this situation?

If you hear whispers, identify your pursuer before choosing a next step

If you can stun him/her, do so as soon as possible

If you can make it to a chase breaker before him/her, do so immediately

If you can’t do either, just hope they mess up or go for an honorable death

What you choose will ultimately depend on your likelihood of success for each scenario, in descending order. A stun is the best scenario, since it’s guaranteed points and one fewer pursuer. Forcing a chase is good since it buys you time, breathing room, and the chance of extra points. A lure is great, but it’s a gamble, whereas an honorable death/contested kill is guaranteed points in exchange for your demise. But all of these options are predicated by the assumption you can guess who your killer is in time.

#2: You are the fucking Gamestop Harlequin

Honestly, I don’t care if it’s an NPC or not. If I see a jester approaching me, I’m just going to stun it. If it’s an AI, I guess I’m going to pay the price. 90% of the time, however, it isn’t an NPC. It’s someone who’s not only willing to give Gamestop money, he/she is willing to brandish that fact online. Such players will not be tolerated and will be stunned on sight.

What can you do to avoid this situation?

Do not, under any circumstances, give money to Gamestop

If you accidentally give Gamestop money, don’t play as the Harlequin

There are some scenarios whereby you could end up playing as the Harlequin even though you never funneled poisoned money into Gamestop’s coffers. Perhaps you’re playing at a friend’s house, or you’re on a Manhunt team and the captain chose the jester. In both scenarios, your best option is to turn off your console and throw your controller into your television.

#1: You’re just strolling around by yourself, dumbass

While it’s by far the most obvious cause of death, it’s also the most common. How did I know you were my target? Maybe it’s because you jumped off a fucking building into a bale of hay right in front of me. That might work on NPCs in the single player storyline, but in real life, suicidal parkour is primo suspicious behavior.

But being in high profile isn’t always what seals your fate. If you’re walking down a road in the opposite direction of all the other personas, you’re a dead giveaway. If you’re circling a building trying to find a spot to climb, you’re a dead giveaway. If you’re the only character turning a corner and my line of sight meter is lighting up like a pothead on April 20, you’re a dead fucking giveaway.

What can you do to avoid this situation?

Blend into groups whenever possible

Do not walk around corners/through chase breakers when you hear whispers

The fact of the matter is that you will need to fly solo at certain parts of the match to achieve your goals. That’s fine. But those moments should be minimized to the bare essentials. You may not hear whispers, but that doesn’t mean I’m not on a ledge 100 meters away locking onto you with my gun. You may be surrounded by doubles, but if you’re far enough from them that the radar betrays your identity from 25 meters, you are doomed.

It’s simple, really: when you have pursuers, always assume a pursuer could be watching you. And if that pursuer is me, always assume your Will and Testament could use a few last-minute revisions.

If you’ve found this article helpful, check out my other Assassin’s Creed Revelations articles.

* Or a doubly-virtual world, as is the case of a simulation within a video game.