KILLING ROBERT'S GUARDS IN AC 1 | Assassin’s Creed | Page 1

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:19 PM

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Hi!

New player here. I kinda whipped through the first Assassins Creed game, UP UNTIL fighting Robert.

After a few tries I can defeat all of the waves of soldiers up until talking to Richard etc.

Then I just die over and over again trying to defeat all of his knight guards. I've defeated all of them 3 total times, however I don't have nearly enough health to survive a bout with Robert (even if I was able to drop him and hidden-dagger him).

I'd like tips on combat. Currently I'm doing a combination of attacking/parrying with some dodging (I'm playing on PC so the grab button is SHIFT which is my left pinky finger--not a strong finger).

Which weapon would you recommend fighting them with (currently using sword)?
How would you recommend slowing the game down so that you're not spamming keys and wildly swinging?
Can anyone tell me what the keybind for punching/kicking opponents is (I think it only works when they're swinging their sword at you, but I'm not sure)?

Most of what I've read on the internet says to be defensive since there's so much that's really hard to block etc.

One of the things I'm currently disliking the most is getting through the guards only to be killed by Robert and HAVE TO FIGHT THE GUARDS AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Sorry for the wall of text. I have so many questions!

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I'm sure this is probably a lot of people's least favorite part of the game, that or it is just the most challenging part and it only seems enjoyable when you finally get through it all! 😂

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:43 PM

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Use short sword and make sure to counter enemies

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Short sword is faster than sword

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E.g it takes enemies out faster

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You probably can’t do it now but personally I saved every civilian and did all the viewpoints to get max health

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:44 PM

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blissful remnant E.g it takes enemies out faster

Can't parry well with it though, can I?

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:45 PM

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blissful remnant You probably can’t do it now but personally I saved every civilian and did all t...

Pretty sure I did do that in all of the cities, lol

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:45 PM

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limpid burrow Can't parry well with it though, can I?

Parry? All I did was counter

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I think it took me maybe 3 tries with this method

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:45 PM

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blissful remnant You probably can’t do it now but personally I saved every civilian and did all t...

I just get bodied by Templar double damage, lol.

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:46 PM

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blissful remnant Parry? All I did was counter

Remind me what the counter keybind is (if you know the PC one)?

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I kept getting annoyed by getting constantly punched to the ground, lol

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:46 PM

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limpid burrow Remind me what the counter keybind is (if you know the PC one)?

Sorry I play console

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Can’t help you there

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:47 PM

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blissful remnant Can’t help you there

That's OK. I'm sure I'll figure it out if I go to the training before trying block 6 again.

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:48 PM

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Sometimes I used throwing knives as well just to quickly thin health bars

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:49 PM

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blissful remnant Sometimes I used throwing knives as well just to quickly thin health bars

Hmm. OK.

vital burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:49 PM

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Have you done all the 'save citizens' and viewpoints in the previous cities?

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:49 PM

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limpid burrow Pretty sure I did do that in all of the cities, lol

@vital burrow

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My health bar is like 24 bars or something.

vital burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:50 PM

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Oh

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:50 PM

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It's pretty big.

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I just get bodied

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:51 PM

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Once you beat Robert the next boss is easy

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I won’t spoil too much

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:51 PM

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blissful remnant Once you beat Robert the next boss is easy

Didn't even know you fight Al Mualim afterwards until I was searching walkthroughs of Robert De Sable.

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:52 PM

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blissful remnant Once you beat Robert the next boss is easy

Nice bit of respit after the hell that the previous fight is, lol.

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:52 PM

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limpid burrow Didn't even know you fight Al Mualim afterwards until I was searching walkthroug...

Too bad, it’s a good twist

limpid burrow Dec 26, 2025, 11:53 PM

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I mean, I don't generally like spoilers but I think that's a pretty cool twist. Honestly, looking back at the rest of the game I totally see why it would lead to this.

Altaïr himself was not keen on listening to Al Mualim anymore.

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@blissful remnant @vital burrow I think this is a pic of a fully synchronized bar. This is what my bar looks like in game I'm pretty sure.

blissful remnant Dec 26, 2025, 11:57 PM

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limpid burrow <@1346949656155787277> <@699328662394372126> I think this is a pic of a fully sy...

That is the full bar

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:01 AM

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My current combat strategy is as follows (I think this is fairly accurate):

Start on the defensive, then follow a block with an attack.

in the midst of all of this also trying to dodge and then attack.

Unfortunately I end up in a lot of situations where I'm attacking or blocking one knight while another is slashing into me and I can't counter.

I think it's mostly the counter that I haven't figured out yet. So maybe if I combine that with the use of a short blade I might have better success?

blissful remnant Dec 27, 2025, 12:38 AM

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limpid burrow My current combat strategy is as follows (I think this is fairly accurate): St...

Yes that could succeed

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:40 AM

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So, I think what I'm really trying to understand are grab breaks (which I believe is "grab" button right when an opponent grabs you (seems very hard to get exact)) and counter kills which I believe is the armed hand button when the opponent is about to make contact with you (again needs to be exact).

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The only thing I'm tentative about regarding the use of the short blade is that I'd be even more susceptible to attacks.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:43 AM

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blissful remnant Yes that could succeed

Now does this refer to "counter kills" specifically or "counter attacks" or maybe something else, I wonder?

blissful remnant Dec 27, 2025, 12:43 AM

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Counter kills

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:43 AM

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Probably going to take a abreak for a couple days before I try with a different weapon and more knowledge.

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All of this will be quite effective if I figure out how to slow down the game (haven't yet).

blissful remnant Dec 27, 2025, 12:44 AM

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Counter kills are hard to do on tougher enemies

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:45 AM

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Right. That's what I'm unsure on regarding the last wave of soldiers that's mostly higher ranked (and so tougher opponents).

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:45 AM

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blissful remnant Counter kills are hard to do on tougher enemies

Still the thing to use on them though?

blissful remnant Dec 27, 2025, 12:46 AM

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Yes because they do damage and your protected while holding the counter button

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:47 AM

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Hmm. OK.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 12:48 AM

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limpid burrow All of this will be quite effective if I figure out how to slow down the game (h...

It's hard to slow the game down for me when there's so many enemies to focus on visually. Riles my brain up.

Sometimes I randomly drop an opponent but then I can't kill them because I automatically swing at someone else.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 3:47 AM

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Practicing counter attacks and grab breaks.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:14 AM

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Short blade ain’t doin’ it for me. Can’t block enough and counter kills are too exact imo for the short blade (too small a window).

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Not sure how it worked for others.

prime shard Dec 27, 2025, 4:14 AM

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limpid burrow Hi! New player here. I kinda whipped through the first Assassins Creed game, U...

Can you spam grab

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:14 AM

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With my pinky finger? Maybe…

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Need to remember grab break all the time.

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And not be attacking too much.

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Only seem to be getting counter kills—or whatever attacks that kill generally after two hits if you swing right after making contact— when I’m not trying to.

prime shard Dec 27, 2025, 4:17 AM

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limpid burrow Need to remember grab break all the time.

Robert has grab break?

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:18 AM

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No. For the guards before him

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They keep bodying me and then killing me.

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Short blade is quicker but makes me more susceptible to attacks.

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Still trying to slow down, be more defensive and wait for them to attack me.

prime shard Dec 27, 2025, 4:20 AM

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You have problem timing the counter?

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:21 AM

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I have a problem timing everything. So many opponents.

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Even with a longer sword counter attack and the double attack are so hard to get right.

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Especially when you’re surrounded on all sides.

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Training ring is one thing. This is another entirely.

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All this double damage is killing me. Literally.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:29 AM

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limpid burrow My current combat strategy is as follows (I think this is fairly accurate): St...

Nothing so far.

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Everyone’s blurring together and so it’s very hard to counter the specific guy swinging at me.

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:47 AM

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Once I get into combat I can’t use either the counter kill or the grab break effectively at all.

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The training ring does not do much for me so far

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 4:48 AM

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limpid burrow Once I get into combat I can’t use either the counter kill or the grab break eff...

In this context I never remember to use a specific move at a specific time when I don’t even know who’s swinging at me (they all are).

Results are arguably getting worse now that I’m trying to use things to help,

limpid burrow Dec 27, 2025, 5:24 AM

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It’s probably just gonna take a freaking lot of training in the ring before I try block 6 again.

I wasn’t doing great just swinging at people but I kinda did worse when trying to add so much more on that. Can’t do that easily when you don’t even know which person you’d use the ability on—other than grab break. That one’s usually obvious—Ones that require swing decisions and timing? Forget about it.

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If anyone wishes to dm me so that I don’t blow up the server or the thread feel free.

limpid burrow Dec 28, 2025, 11:36 PM

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Completed the story line. Thanks for the help @blissful remnant @vital burrow!

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You literally stand there and counterattack when they swing at you (most of the time).

blissful remnant Dec 28, 2025, 11:37 PM

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Yup

limpid burrow Dec 28, 2025, 11:37 PM

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Sadly I had my voice volume on mute when I killed Robert

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I'll just watch a video later for dialogue, lol.

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Al Mualim battle was more annoying than anything.

blissful remnant Dec 28, 2025, 11:38 PM

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He says something like: “now you’ve killed me al mualim will kill you cause he knows you know”

limpid burrow Dec 28, 2025, 11:38 PM

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Makes plot sense, lol

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I think all I have left are the Kingdom view points and a whole bunch of flags to get Platinum, lol

blissful remnant Dec 28, 2025, 11:39 PM

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Platinum?

limpid burrow Dec 28, 2025, 11:40 PM

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I was told that was the old term for 100%

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By my younger brother who played these games.

blissful remnant Dec 28, 2025, 11:40 PM

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I was thinking because ac1 doesn’t have a platinum trophy on psn

limpid burrow Dec 28, 2025, 11:41 PM

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Sure

#KILLING ROBERT'S GUARDS IN AC 1