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Rally the Creed Episode 1 TOWCB Highlights Podcasts Share 24 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Michael Doyle Back To Database We here at TOWCB admin team have been overwhelmed by the positive community reaction to the launch of our latest project: Rally the Creed video podcast. Each episode of Rally the Creed (2023+) will be released in three versions: Video, Audio and Transcript, as to create a more personal experience, and allow for viewers to enjoy the podcast in multiple ways. The second and most important change is host rotation, as we plan on getting different members of TOWCB Team to host each episode. We hope that this new and exciting structure keeps the podcast fresh, and helps it to stand out from other fan projects. The new series will cover a huge range of topics relating to the Assassin's Creed series, and give a voice to community members. For some, the podcast will provide the opportunity to step out of the shadows for the first time, and introduce themselves to the community, whilst for others, it becomes a meeting place for long-time fans of the series to discuss all things Assassin's Creed. In episode #1 , Col and Michael from TOWCB Core Team discuss Assassin's Creed Mirage, the new podcast format and choices in Assassin's Creed. Highlights 1 - Explaining the new formula. We kicked off our new podcast by outlining the changes we have made since it's original launch to make it stand out in the community. We are committed to giving Assassin's Creed community members a platform from which they can share their thoughts and feelings, in order to spark meaningful discussions. Here we see Col from the admin team explaining host rotation and our hopes of creating a social hangout for fans of the franchise. 2 - Why Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to be a success Michael and Col discuss the damaging effects of neglecting a marketing campaign, and the importance for Ubisoft to end the silence regarding Assassin's Creed Mirage and provide clarity on the current status of the game. 3 - Assassin's Creed Infinity should look at adding content to older games. In this snippet, Col discusses the potential of the Assassins' Creed Infinity platform to one day become the home of all things Assassin's Creed, and add content to previously released titles to encourage fans to return and play. 4 - Assassin's Creed Mirage needs to return to the roots of Assassin's Creed Michael outlines the need for Assassin's Creed Mirage to return the series to its roots, in a way that feels authentic and deliberate. 5 - Michael pitches the idea of an Assassin's Creed with consequences. Talking about the future of the series, Michael pitches the idea of choices and their impact upon the world. Should Ubisoft focus on pushing the series forward, adding meaningful decisions that have real repercussions on the game could change the series for the better, making players weigh-up options and think before acting in-game. 6 - Swear Word Censoring We conclude by showcasing our new swear word censoring, which aims to assassinate all cursing in a very on-brand way, courtesy of our video-editor FrameHoldPhotography! See it in action during this hilarious rampage by Michael listing the many problems he found whilst watching the Halo TV series. Thanks for watching! We had a ton of fun creating the podcast and we are striving to make it as interesting as possible for fans of the franchise. If you have any feedback on how we can improve, or simply want to join us for an episode, get in touch via the comments section below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 6th - 12th August 2022 Community Share 13 Aug 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to our weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Cloak Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 This week’s first capture comes from @ Junos_Wings over on Twitter. First up this week we have a bit of nostalgia, with Eivor dressed in Ezio’s Master Assassin outfit. I love the colour tones of this shot, as it add a certain quality to the photo. The light and the dark make for great symbolism of what Assassin’s Creed is all about. The shot is from a set that is truly beautiful and inspiring. Captures showcasing old outfits in the newer games give us a sense of what a next gen Ezio game would look like. Link to set 2) Huntress Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ Birgamerinalbu1 over on Twitter. Next up we head to Greece for a bit of Kassandra dressed as a true huntress. This photo reminds me of the Assassin’s Creed graphic novels. From memory there wasn’t a comic to go alongside Odyssey which is a shame. I am always a fan of people getting creative with their virtual photography. The lighting behind Kassandra really helps accentuate her magnificent hair, but also does a great job of highlighting the incredible face paint of this set. 3) Desmond Game: Assassin’s Creed III This week’s third shot comes from @ FrameHoldPhotos , a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Photo number three takes us to this week’s AC15 celebration with Desmond, the modern assassin. This is the first time I have featured a modern day piece of VP and I am shocked these section don’t get more love. This capture really does give us an insight into what a modern day game could feel like. I always prefer the historical stuff but I would 100% love a modern day game or even a substantial DLC. Hoods, bows and swords in a city would be like AC meets Marvel and I would be down for that. 4) Wolf Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: Xbox Series S VP number four comes from @ Huldera1 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I always enjoy wildlife shots from Assassin’s Creed games. The way the animals interact in the world is truly amazing. This impressive capture has three key elements and they all stand out in different ways. The colour of the sky is so rich, the grass slightly out of focus makes you feel like you’re there. Of course the growling wolf is the standout, fantastic timing to align all these elements. I wonder if Eivor made it away alive. 5) Ratonhnhake:ton Game: Assassin’s Creed III The final capture of the week comes from @ nkeiiin over on Twitter. I thought it only right we end the showcase with Connor himself. What a stunning portrait of the Colonial Assassin. The black background with the light pouring down onto Connor adds such an epic feel to this capture. I love the positioning as it showcases the eagle on the hood and touches of the blue on his outfit. I am also won over by the fact the bow and arrows can been seen on his back. The first playable Assassin with a bow, such good times. Checkout the set below for two more breath taking shots. Link to set And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! Previous Next ActualSpider-Man Writer Previous Partner Author of the all-encompassing timeline, Codex Temporis, and the Isu-to-English dictionary, Codex Transferendum, Your Friendly Neighborhood Mentor is here to help unweave the confusing web of AC! Twitter | YouTube | Twitch | Subreddit Work Deciphering the Secrets of the Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Marketing Campaign Breakdown Codex Transferendum v2.0.2 | The Isu-to-English Dictionary & Language Guide Released Analysis John Wick Temporized Breakdown Assassin's Creed Codename Hexe Theories Theory Assassin's Creed Fans Launch Isu - English Dictionary News The Ones Who Came Before Spider-Man Logos Art Music Mash-up: The Amazing Spider-Man theme by James Horner & Ezio’s Family by Jesper Kyd Other Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Sword of the White Horse Temporized Breakdowns Load More

TOWCB: 7 Year Anniversary Update News Share 14 Aug 2021 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Hey Assassins! Today we mark seven years since the creation of The Ones Who Came Before! Although we are immensely proud of the community we have created and our fans, it didn't feel right to throw a huge celebration this year. There are much more important things going on in the world right now, such as the widespread sexual misconduct allegations within the video games industry, and the Covid-19 pandemic. It just didn't feel right to us to throw a huge celebration, so we're keeping it low-key. We'll be dropping some Assassin's Creed Valhalla Season Pass Codes on Twitter over the next week, courtesy of Ubisoft. Instead of the usual week-long celebrations, we will be using our platforms to highlight female members of the Assassin's Creed community in an initiative known as the 'Community Uplift Initiative'. We will also be promoting the 'Assassins In Need' community fundraiser, which has raised nearly £1400 for World Federation for Mental Health. Behind the Scenes As many of you know, The Ones Who Came Before is run by Col & Ash, who are getting married in November. The past 12 months have been tough for everyone, and we've actually been struggling financially to support the community in ways that we would like. Worldwide giveaways are no longer a possibility, and the website only remained up and running due to a credit card. To make matters even worse, the gaming PC we used to run the website completely died in June, so things have slowed down on our end as we battle with a slow laptop. It's currently not possible for us to even play Assassin's Creed, but we've started saving for a new machine. As you can imagine, this makes running an AC community pretty hard. If you would like to support TOWCB, or even our Wedding / Honeymoon fund, you can do so via Amazon links. Simply click the links before making a purchase, and we'll get a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn't cost you any extra: Another way you can support us is by purchasing our Assassin's Creed items, which will soon be appearing on eBay. It's up to you, but all support is greatly appreciated. Other than that, we just want to once again express our thanks to the community for an amazing seven year journey. We are incredibly lucky to be Mentors within the community, and we look forward to working on new projects for our fans as soon as possible. Thank you for your support. Col & Ash. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Interview with Charles Benoit: Assassin's Creed Shadows Game Director Interview Share 17 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database Welcome to the first article in a new series of interviews covering all things Assassin's Creed Shadows. Today we are joined by Game Director Charles Benoit from Ubisoft Quebec! Col: Hi Charles, thank you for joining us for this interview. Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role on Assassin's Creed Shadows. Charles: Hi! I’ve been working on the AC Brand for over 10 years now, starting on AC Freedom Cry and now Game Director on AC Shadows. Assassin's Creed Shadows (2015) and Assassin's Creed Freedom Cry (2013) Col: When did you first begin working on the project, and why did Ubisoft ultimately decide that the time was right to create an Assassin's Creed game set in Feudal Japan? Charles: I started working on Shadows a little more than 4 years ago. Honestly, it’s hard to know why, but I always wanted since I started on the brand to do an AC in Japan. It’s pretty much a mix of timing on which game we did before, what fans want, which team is available, etc. Col: Did the development team visit Japan at any point during production for inspiration? Charles: Yes we did! It was the best trip of my life. It was intense but we visited a big part of what we have in Shadows in term of landscape and historical locations, so for sure it was very inspirational. Col: What would you say were some of the main inspirations behind Assassin's Creed Shadows, perhaps movies, other games or comic books? Charles: I cannot talk for the whole team, we all of different inspirations, but for me, of course past AC games, but also a lot of Stealth games such as Metal Gear or even the good old Tenchu series. Col: What can you tell us about the lead motion-capture and performance actors for Assassin's Creed Shadows, Masumi Tsunoda and Tongayi Chirisa. How did they find the overall experience? Charles: I wasn’t involved with MOCAP. I know the team really felt in love with those actors, I especially like Tongayi as Yasuke and it’s probably one of the reason why I always have hard time to pick between Immersive mode where language is Japanese and the English version. Tongayi Chirisa and Masumi Tsunoda Col: Have you visited any other locations from the Assassin's Creed series? Charles: I didn’t have the chance to visit other locations. It’s always a small group of directors and art-oriented discipline that goes in those inspirational trips and on past AC projects I was directly in the production as Game Designer. Col: What would you say makes Assassin's Creed Shadows different to other games in the AC franchise? Charles: Clearly the Dual Protagonist gives a unique vibe on how you play it and how you discover the story from different points of view. I would say the seasons are also a great game changer on how you perceive the world and the time passing. Col: Can we expect encounters with wildlife whilst exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows? Charles: You will encounter animals while exploring the world, but you know, there is not a lot of dangerous animals in Japan except the cute bear with round ears. So, we decided to keep wildlife peaceful; you cannot hurt them, they won’t hurt you and you can hunt them to paint them. Col: It's been mentioned previously that the game features 'Seasons' and dynamic weather cycles. How long does a season last roughly, and can players change it manually? Charles: We split the seasons in 8 chunks, so the start and the end of the 4 seasons. Each chunk is a bit more than 1h of gameplay time where winter is a bit longer since it’s so unique and it will switch automatically when you fast travel. You can decide to switch it manually when the time is up if you don’t want to fast travel, but not at any moment since we have multiple systems tied to season switch and it would break the economy. Col: Looking at the gameplay released during the marketing campaign, it looks like a lot of effort went into creating new animations for Naoe and Yasuke, from parkour to combat. Are there any new animations in particular that will excite players? Charles: There are a ton of new animations that are fantastic. It’s really hard to pick just a few examples. Personally, I feel the Assassinations are worth mentioning; they are fast and efficient to really work well with the small stature of Naoe. I also love the flips in the parkour, but also the beam walk of Yasuke. There are some funny ones like the “Leap of fail” of Yasuke when he destroys the haystack and some really intense like all those over-the-top Abilities and Finishers. You see, I have a hard time to stop! Col: Compared to other games in the Assassin's Creed series, how big would you estimate the map to be? Charles: We compare it to Origins. The map is really large, but it’s surrounded by the sea and mountains, so we can compare the playable space to Origins. Col: As Naoe is noticeably quicker than previous protagonists, can we expect mounts such as horses to also be faster when exploring the world? Charles: Yes the horses speed has been increased so Naoe is not faster than a horse and the horses are still relevant to navigate long distance. Official promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows via Ubisoft Col: Will a photo mode tool be available at launch? Charles: Yes of course! Col: What sort of collectibles will players be able to find in the world? Charles: We have a couple of them, linked to your progression or your quests. For example, you’ll find Hideout cosmetic in chests that you can then use to decorate. We also have few quests that ask you to find Clan’s Crests, food from different regions, Kano painting, Tea set for Sen no Rikyu and Valuables inside some Tenshu. Col: Are you pleased with the response to the game from fans so far, and how excited are the team for launch? Charles: Since the last few months, we’re very hyped by the feedbacks we received from our deep dive articles, the Preview event reception and our internal playtests. We’re working hard to keep pushing the quality of Shadows and we feel it’s paying off. Col: What would be your dream setting for a future Assassin's Creed game? Charles: It’s a hard question because my dream setting was Japan. I would love to continue exploring Japan, there is so much we can do in this period or even after. We’ll see what fans want, there is always something great to discover and learn in any setting and time period. Col: Describe Assassin's Creed Shadows in three words. Charles: “Shinobi-Samurai-Fantasy" Assassin's Creed Shadows: Available March 20th 2025 We would like to say a huge thank you to Charles for joining us for this interview, and to Ubisoft for making it happen. In particular, we acknowledge the efforts of Dan St Germain from the AC Community Team! Look out for more interviews in the series, coming soon! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Fan Fiction Pitch: Christmas Armistice by Finn Fletcher Other Share 11 Apr 2023 Written By: Edited By: Finn Fletcher Colum Blackett Back To Database Cover art by Lisa Zaman from TOWCB Art Team. In our next fan fiction Assassin's Creed story pitch, we begin to imagine a temporary alliance between Assassins and Templars in the year 1878. It is our hope that by pitching stories set in the Assassin's Creed universe, we can generate enough interest and excitement for it to be developed further by TOWCB team. We would love to create recognisable OC Assassins, so if any of our pitches spark interest, let us know in the comments below! Synopsis The story is the diary of a Victorian Assassin around a decade after the events of Syndicate. The Assassin, Charles (name will probably be changed) is sent by Evie Frye on a working holiday over Christmas to Ravensthorpe. Evie says that it’s to meet up with a local archaeologist who calls himself Ragnar and research the town's history to learn more about the early British brotherhood; she also believes this task to be something that will personally help Charles deal with his stress and growing frustrations about the Brotherhood. Arriving in Ravensthorpe, Charles despises the quaint town (imagine Hot Fuzz). He’s stuck in rain, lacking the amenities he’s used to and finds the residents frustrating. He meets up with Ragnar and is instantly put off by the odd fellow. Ragnar lives as and seemingly believes himself to be a viking, despite the fact he is a scrawny man who holds his drinks with both hands. Still, his knowledge is useful and the two begin researching and exploring some of the oldest remaining parts of the town. The trip, while not what Charles wants, is going well after a few days. They learn more of Hytham and find some long abandoned weapons and armour of the Raven Clan. Charles returns to his hotel to find a new resident in the room across from him, an abrasive American oil baron named Teddy who’s come to England for a vacation. He quickly makes it known that he is aware of who Charles is and the Assassins, dropping in tidbits of personal information about Charles when they meet. Their discussions become heated, and Teddy reveals that he is a Templar. In fact, he almost seems to gloat about it. This only increases tensions, as the two are bound by an agreement referred to as The Christmas Armistice . The history of this can be changed, but it was an agreement made between Assassins and Templars shortly after the death of Cesare Borgia, mostly negotiated by Machiavelli. In short, it restricts either side to kill one another over the advent period, leaving Charles without any violent options. Teddy is happily aware of this restriction and flaunts his presence, desperately trying to get a rise out of Charles by picking at his every fault. Feeling his anger rise, Charles locks himself away for the night and writes to Evie. Waiting on a response from the Mentor, Charles commits himself to carrying on his work, with one eye constantly looking out for Teddy. Teddy and Charles end up repeatedly running across one another, having to put up with each other during the hotel's breakfast, or when grabbing a drink at the local pub. One morning at breakfast, Teddy brings his plate to Charles' table and strikes up a conversation. He insists it to be peaceful, asking to know more about the real Charles and his commitment to the Brotherhood. While difficult, the two genuinely begin to have an enjoyable conversation about their shared goals. Strangely, the two genuinely enjoy one's company, and while continuing his work Charles ensures he spends time with Teddy. The friendship is still guarded though and each spies on one another. They also express their own frustrations with each order they belong to, criticising the lack of action and inability to make any real change. One morning Charles decides to investigate Teddy’s room, finding letters between Teddy and his wife. It seems to detail a breakup of both their marriage and his mental state, as he’s begun suffering from serious depression. Christmas day is fast approaching and the two friendly rivals understand that soon they will have to turn on one another, despite the clear affection and empathy they’ve gained for each other's perspectives. The historical investigation bears fruit, as Ragnar and Charles break into an old vault left by Hytham. It’s a treasure trove of trinkets, weapons and detailed notes. These seem to be Hythams last writings before leaving the Hidden Ones, where he talks about how most of the Raven Clan chose not to join the Brotherhood but still fought for what is right nonetheless. He questions why he dedicated so much to a single creed rather than working out of kindness, though importantly doesn’t regret his decision. In his final musings he’s clearly happy, just unsure for the future and what these secret conflicts will amount to, especially after the rise of what he calls “a new Order of the Ancients”. He also explains that Eivor left Mjolnir to him before leaving for America, with a handful of other First Civilisation trinkets she’d collected on her adventure. Some of which are locked in this bunker, others were sent across the country. Mjolnir will be described as being much stronger than we saw in the games, with the power to destroy whole buildings with a single strike. Charles begins to remove a Raven Clan banner that covers some boxes, to reveal the bright golden glow of Mjolnir. At this point, Teddy drops out of the shadows, more agile than he’s ever seen before. The two face off, as Teddy explains that he’s been following Charles but now questions his own orders. He proposes a new alliance, to use the power of Mjolnir and forge a new order that isn’t trapped by the problems of The Assassins or Templars. Charles is intrigued, and plays along with Teddy’s ramblings, hoping to find something of interest in it. Ragnar explodes with rage, he’s confused and clearly being left out of the conversation. He’s unsure what Mjolnir even is, and for him this magical artefact is changing his core understanding of the world. Teddy goes to kill Ragnar, claiming that he is just a ‘civilian’ someone who shouldn’t know as much as he does and threatens exposing the secrets that have allowed both Assassins and Templars to exist for so long. Charles turns, he hates this suggestion and claims that the war won’t end by writing more secrets, that if anyone will create peace it is civilians, normal people working for good. The ideological debate grows, until the two end up fighting. Charles kills Teddy to defend Ragnar, breaking the armistice and killing off any chance for something new. He asks Teddy to seal this vault backup and everything in it, to keep it a secret. He says that sometimes the allure of power is too destructive, and a weapon as powerful as Mjolnir should exist in no one's hands. Charles returns to London, knowing that he has killed off this annual period of peace, hoping that the people will find a chance in future, a clear nod to the real Christmas armistice of WW1. Character Profiles Charles An Assassin in his 30s, Charles is at a point of reflection where he feels the battles he's fighting for are destined to fail. Day to day he runs a steel mill, where he does his best to support unions and provide resources to the Brotherhood. Yet he keeps seeing the same problems pop up everywhere; unethical companies excel, Templars and Assassins struggle endlessly for power over London, it all feels rather Sisyphiean. Through the story he learns that these thoughts have been presented before, and has to figure out whether the Assassins or Templars are truly the best solution to the world's problems. Teddy The last remnant of the American robber gang of businessmen, Teddy runs his oil company ruthlessly. Unions are strictly banned, and workers have to "earn their place". He's endlessly proud of his role within the Templar Order, and stands by the might is right approach of leadership, though has grown tired of the timid nature of their actions. Reaching middle age, he's now suffering with bouts of depression and feels like the 'weaker' people he's used to chastising. Needing a rest, Teddy arrives in Ravensthorpe with the goal of following Charles and finding what the Assassins are searching for, though ends up building a friendship he truly wasn't expecting. Ragnar Some Assassins claim Ragnar is secretly a sage, someone with a kind of natural animus that makes him believe he is one of his ancestors. Charles however, believes the man to simply be a weirdo. His oddities are matched by his knowledge of local history, and without him the secrets left by the Raven Clan may have been lost forever. His journey allows him to appreciate more of his own time period, and the things he must fight for in the 'modern' world. Additional notes While not mentioned in the synopsis because I'm currently unsure of how to tie it in, I imagine Charles meeting a young thief while in Ravensthorpe. Rather than chastising the thief or demanding her to return his coin, Charles seeks to train the thief and help them improve their skills. He fully intends to take her back to London to join the Brotherhood, though by the end of the story leaves her in ravensthorpe with the last of his coin, leaving her to build her own life Thematically the story is inspired by The Inspector Calls . Dramatic irony should be at the forefront, as these characters discuss their own past and plans for the future, constantly making predictions we know as a modern audience to never come to fruition. It's only Charles' final reflection that the fate of humanity lies in every individual that holds any truth to our own futures While the synopsis mostly mentions the history of Eivor and the Raven Clan, other periods will be explored by Charles and Ragnar. Particularly of note is a 15th century Spanish Assassin who moved to England and was assigned to defend Ravensthorpe. She left many notes arguing that while Ravensthorpe is culturally important to the Assassins, it holds little strategic value. She suggests spending more time attacking templars and less defending their own history. Charles likes her opinion and this is the implication for why the history of Ravensthorpe was lost Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Finn is a creative writer from Rotherham, UK who has previously supported TOWCB's Fundraising events, and raised awareness surrounding Men's Mental Health. Finn's writing covers a wide scope, with releases so far including reviews, interviews and stories. He is known in the AC Community for his 'Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game' series, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website! Finn Fletcher

'Forgotten Youth' Project Launched Community Share 2 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We here at The Ones Who Came Before are once again teaming up with our good friend Gustav from the AC Partnership Program to make a difference. We are proud to announce that we will be fully supporting 'Forgotten Youth', a new initiative that aims to shine a light on the collective trauma young people face due to worldwide lockdowns. The project will be a gathering point for discussion, reflecting on the long-lasting consequences and damage caused by COVID-19. If you feel that the pandemic has affected you in any way, you are not alone. Share your stories in a community network as society begins to open up, and we begin to understand the full extent of the worldwide ramifications. Do you feel like the worldwide lockdowns have thrown you into a state of loneliness, sadness or depression? Do you feel uncertain towards the future because of them? Do you have something on your mind you want to talk about, or simply want off your chest? Do you want your voice to be heard? Our very own @ Gargudon , who is mostly known for hosting “The Memory Corridor” podcast and sharing AC virtual photography on The Ones Who Came Before, has recently launched the project Forgotten Youth . The project aims to spread awareness about young people, who have been mentally affected by the lockdowns, by gathering and sharing stories. The lockdowns have taken their toll on the mental health among the youth in different ways. Young people are currently living through the transition into adulthood with limited opportunities to shape themselves, during the formative shaping years of their youth. Links to the Forgotten Youth project, as well as to how you can share your own story can be found below. If anyone has any questions regarding the project, feel free to DM us or @ Gargudon directly." Links Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube: How to Share your Story comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills. 

His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 13th to 19th November Community Share 22 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Minimal Desert Traveller Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ NIKOOO_WOLF “I cannot shed my past like a snake sheds its skin.” The foundation of Assassin’s Creed Origins is the setting. Egypt was highly coveted at the time and the announcement we would finally be going there in 2017 was a dream for many fans. This beautifully minimalistic shot of the desert not only fits the theme but also represents Bayek’s home. I adore the different colour tones on show here, and how they are split into sections. The sun is extremely powerful at the centre and the shadow work at the bottom allows for an elegant silhouette of Bayek on his camel. A remarkable capture that would look exquisite hung on the wall. Link to set: Backflip Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ tn_taurus “We are what we choose to be.” The essence of the creed is often shown through moments within the games. One of those that will always be iconic is the leap of faith. I think the move itself is even cooler when performed as a backflip. It just adds to the danger and shows the faith of the Assassins. Here we have a fantastic action shot of Basim leaping from a vantage point. For me the minimalism is on point with that beautiful blue sky dominating the shot. Having Basim in the white robes makes for such a classic Assassin’s Creed feel. Excellent timing and composition from Julio. Link to set: Balance Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Cll3ar “The training is nothing. The will is everything.” If there is one thing I wish we had more of in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, it would be street thief Basim. It was so fun to play as him in the early stages of the game. I was getting real Batman Begins vibes from the prologue, especially when sparing with Roshan. This shot is so minimal and clean, the colour tones are on point and the composition is exceptional. Raven is always so good at taking shots I haven’t seen before. Be sure to check out the whole set using the link below, together they make for a truly remarkable selection. Link to set: Guardian Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ _Liamism_ “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” The Harvey Dent quote above fits Basim perfectly. One of the reasons I fell in love with this glorious series is the links to media such as Batman. The whole vigilante protecting their city and fighting injustice is a real draw for me. This capture is exuding Dark Knight vibes, in fact there is a scene in the movie that isn’t too dissimilar. I adore the lighting and details of this shot, the brilliant white background helps to elevate Basim and the wooden structure. Everything is so clean and crisp, I definitely think this is one of my favourite Mirage captures. Longship Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP Artist: @ playpausephoto “We can raise the sail here Eivor.” Vikings are raiders, but they were also adventures capable of crafting excellent longships to cross the seas and find new lands. They are often branded as violent and bloodthirsty but actually they were just trying to seek a better way of life. What better way to showcase minimal than a Malin Valhalla shot. The black and white contrast is so eye catching, I did have the pleasure of seeing the colour version too which is equally beautiful. I think what makes this shot so special is the negative space, capturing half the longship was such a genius idea. This is such a striking capture and fully deserving of capture of the week. The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ cop_filip I am a fan of the unique top down view and how it works with the stark black and white contrast. The oars are like needles piercing into the dark unknown, almost like a phalanx. There is an excellent use of negative space that introduces a veil of mystery, and an entirely new graphic aesthetic to the image. It all works together beautifully to create a truly striking and unique Image. A simply spectacular capture. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! Interested in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography? Share your shots in our Twitter community for a chance to be featured in our weekly VP selection articles! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

This Week in Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 2nd to 15th October Community Share 20 Oct 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week I will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week’s theme: Assassin’s Creed Mirage Launch Special (Minor Spoilers for Assassin's Creed Mirage) Crossing the Desert Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ BookieVp “Baghdad and its surroundings call to me” Returning to the desert with Basim almost feels fitting. The links to the original Assassin’s Creed and Bayek’s adventures in Egypt are strong. Although smaller than the previous entries the mix of wildlands and city really works. This silhouette of Basim and his camel crossing the desert reminds me of that moment the game opens up to you. I adore the bright sun in the middle of the photo with the clouds and orange glow surrounding it. The desert almost feels made for this sort of shot, a fabulous capture to kick start the showcase. Blending In Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Spiggy_Smalls “There is no greater glory than fighting for the truth” 2007 saw the release of Assassin’s Creed, an action/stealth game that would go on to lay the groundwork for many entries in the series. Last year we saw the AC15 celebrations and it felt fitting that we should return to the roots with Mirage. This epic shot captures the essence of AC1 both in style and substance. I love the white background as it gives real Animus vibes, something that was so prominent in the original. The use of Altair’s robes obviously increase the nostalgia, while having Basim hide in plain sight tops off a brilliant Assassin’s Creed capture. Desert Delirium Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ G_Assassin90 “It is why you have chosen to walk this path” Returning to the Middle East was always going to be a tantalising prospect. Not only does it feel like the birth of Assassin’s Creed it also boasts such breath-taking environments and diverse cultures. For a virtual photographer the Islamic Golden Age is the perfect setting. This magnificent capture has all the feel of the desert. The sun is so prominent and helps to magnify the superb silhouette of Basim riding his horse. I love the shadow work and the details of the sand. Allowing us to roam the outskirts of Baghdad is such a treat, and this shot proves it. Initiate of Alamut Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ KaiVirtualPhoto “Are you ready to leave your life behind and walk the path of shadows?” When Basim finally receives his Assassin robes for the first time there really is a sense of nostalgia. I loved the moment you take hold of Basim in the desert, ready to hunt down the order in Baghdad. The photo here perfectly captures that moment in all its glory. Basim looks focused and very ready to leave his old life behind. The details on the robes are so good, you really can see all the little intricacies. The saturation on his face tells us where he is and with the hood up we know he means business. A beautiful portrait of the leading character that shows us why he is quickly becoming a fan favourite. The Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ AlexK0nstantin “Are you ready to give up who you once thought you were” The Assassin’s Creed Mirage marketing campaign felt a little low key when compared to previous entries. However the Game Informer coverage really blew me away. None more so than the epic shot of Basim appearing from the red smoke. If there was one thing that hyped me the most for this game it was that picture. This shot has aced that very photo, something I knew the VP community would do. The saturation of the red mist is perfect and Basim’s pose is awesome. In this outfit with sword and dagger drawn you cannot really go wrong. There is a sense of impending doom in this capture and Basim would be very proud of that. Hunting the Order Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ AlexK0nstantin “Hide in plain sight” Being a Hidden One and working in the shadows is a necessity for Basim. Having a huge city to run around in adds to the sensation of being an assassin. Traversal has been a hot topic in the recent games, but Mirage breaths life back into this much loved mechanic. The shot here gives off huge Assassin’s Creed vibes but it’s the quality of the shot that catches my eye. At first glance you could mistake it for being concept art. The lighting is split but works beautifully to cast shadows on the people in the street. You cannot deny Basim moving along the beam is an excellent addition. A capture that truly lives up to what we saw in the cinematic trailer. TOWCB Photo of The Week Guest Judge: Miranda Amess (Community Manager for Assassin's Creed at Ubisoft) '' Assassin's Creed Mirage is all about paying homage to the original titles, and ultimately returning to the roots of the franchise. Basim stealthily running across a beam, (on his way to complete a contract), with the busy marketplace of Baghdad below him. For me, AlexK0nstantin has captured the essence of Assassin's Creed Mirage perfectly.'' Baghdad Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Memento_Gallery “The Order has put a fog over Baghdad” Baghdad is the capital of Iraq and during the Islamic Golden Age it was a hub of activity. I have been enjoying how Ubisoft split Baghdad out into sections so that we can enjoy different atmospheres depending on where we are. Once again the team have created a city that feels alive, something that I haven’t felt since Unity. For me this capture symbolises the game and how beautiful it is. The composition of the shot is glorious, and having Enkidu soring high in the corner adds to the majesty. The Round City looks incredible with the hints of fog hanging above it, almost like a metaphor for the Orders presence. The Palace of the Green Dome in the background serves as the icing on the cake. Training Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ eivxr_ “Never compromise the Brotherhood” Sometimes Assassin’s Creed Mirage feels more like an Origins story than Bayek’s adventure. The training sequence in Alamut with Roshan gave me such Batman Begins vibes. I felt like Ubisoft nailed the pacing in the opening hours of the game. Here we have Basim putting his mentors teachings to the test. What I adore about these shots are the colour tones and how fitting they are to the theme of the game. Together in a collage they look sublime especially with that white boarder. What I appreciate the most though is how each shot represents an Assassin’s skill set. This is minimalism at its finest. Leap of Faith Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Evo_Pixel “Then out of the dark, you will come into the light” When you think of Assassin’s Creed the leap of faith is iconic. Jumping from a height into a bale of hay will never get old. The move is essential for all Assassin’s and is required for initiation into the brotherhood. This shot reminds me of the trailers before launch and how good it is to be an Assassin again. Once again the composition is magnificent, I cannot get over how much is included in this capture. It’s wonderful that Enkidu is involved almost mirroring Basim, and the rooftops below add to the feel of elevation. I am loving the walls of the Round City and the Palace of the Green Dome in the background. Tormented Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Spectral_Lens “Ready to sacrifice everything you held close” As a fan of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla it was nice to see Basim’s robes from that game included. For me they will make for a great end game set to tie the entries together. This shot for me epitomises Basim, and his split personality. The water effect works two fold, one in highlighting Basim’s outfit but secondary producing a reflection on the water. The reflection just makes me think of his duality and how Loki has this power over him. I love the colours and the shadows work, really typifies the mood of the shot. For me though this is an endgame capture of the Valhalla Basim rising out of the water, no longer the hero and destined for darkness. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Ubisoft clarifies recent rumors regarding Assassin's Creed Shadows and Animus Hub News Share 18 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Zephryss Colum Blackett Back To Database On Thursday, leaked information about the Assassin’s Creed Animus Hub (ex-codename Infinity) surfaced online via datamining, revealing a Battle Pass featuring a variety of cosmetics, upcoming collaborations with companies and even unlockable pets. Amid ongoing rumors about potential paid content in the Animus Hub, Ubisoft community manager Ubi_Waldo clarified some details in the Assassin's Creed Discord server. “It has come to our attention that inaccurate rumors have been circulating online regarding the upcoming Animus Hub (ex-codename Infinity). We wanted to take this occasion to clarify that: All the rewards available in the Animus Hub will be entirely free. There are no paid subscriptions or paid battle pass featured in the Animus Hub. Players will have access to regular content & missions at no extra cost.” He further stated, “We will unveil more details about it closer to the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows.” Ubisoft has reportedly acted quickly to address the new leak about Assassin's Creed Shadows, which allegedly disclosed details about a cosmetic-filled battle pass for the upcoming stealth game. Previously known as codename Infinity, the Animus Hub will serve as a platform for launching future games, including Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is anticipated to debut alongside it. It has also been claimed that the game will feature partnerships with Red Bull, VISA, Intel, BAPE Clothing, and Sprecher, though no details have been provided about what these collaborations might entail. But Ubisoft has not mentioned anything about this in their recent clarification. This could indicate that another official announcement from Ubisoft may be coming soon. As with any leak, it's best to take this information with caution for now. There's still a considerable wait ahead before Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to launch on February 14, 2025. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. What do you expect to see from the Animus Hub when it launches alongside Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Let us know in the comments below. comments debug Comments (1) Write a comment Write a comment Sort by: Newest quantumninja Nov 18, 2024 Hey buddy, remember me ? Like Reply About the Author Zephryss is a passionate social media manager based in India who joined TOWCB's Social Media Team in Summer 2024 to help the team prepare for coverage of Assassin's Creed Shadows news and updates. Recently, he completed his Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and is now preparing to take on a PhD. He loves video games very much, and since childhood has enjoyed playing various types of games in different genres He also has 3 gaming channels (Zephryss, Assassin Zephryss & Spider Zephryss) where he uploads gameplay videos regularly. Zephryss

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Huntsman Gear Guide Guide Share 26 Mar 2021 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Buckley Back To Database After the relatively long intro in Norway, you will no doubt be eager to find a new armour set when you arrive in England. One of the easier sets to claim is the Huntsman, which can be found in the opening areas of England. All items can be found in-game without the need for DLC or micro-transactions. The Huntsman Set All gear sets in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will not only provide the player with an aesthetic look, but also stats and bonuses that increase Eivor’s strength. Further to this, your gear will also be aligned to one of the three branches of the skill tree. The Huntsman set follows the wolf skill line and therefore will benefit from any skill points you have placed here. It is also good to consider the set bonus perks that are different for each armour set. The Huntsman gear provides you with a nice Viking look and leans heavily into an archer playstyle. The two bonuses for equipping the Huntsman set are in the image below. It is good to remember that the more pieces of the set you wear, the bigger the bonus. It is not essential though, and you can mix gear for interesting perks. How to Get the Huntsman Gear Set Unfortunately you cannot obtain all of the set pieces in the same region. There are five gear items to collect, with three in Grantebridgescire and the other two in Ledecestrescire. The Power Levels of these regions should not pose too much of a problem, as when you arrive in England both Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are early story destinations. That being said, all of the Huntsman armour is well guarded so you will need to either fight your way to it or use stealth. Grantebridgescire and Ledecestrescire are both Power Level 20, so following the story would be the best way of attaining this set. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has four tiers for gear pieces: Grey (Fine) Red (Superior) Blue (Flawless) Gold (Mythical) When you fine each piece of the Huntsman set it will already be Superior. It is wise to use what resources you have to bring the gear to its highest level, and save your nickel ingots to upgrade the armour to flawless when you return to Gunnar at the Settlement. It is important to note that Ubisoft recently patched Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, implementing the transmogrification feature. This means you can upgrade your gear to the highest level but not have to worry about not liking the look. You can pay fifty coins to Gunnar and he will amend the aesthetic to one of the previous iterations but with the highest stats. The Huntsman Cape This seems like it could be more difficult than it actually is. Your best route is to take your Longship up river to Templebrough Fort in Ledecestrescire. The cloak can be found in a tower situated in the middle of the river. Just climb the tower and shoot the wood hanging to break the floor below. From here jump down and open the chest. There are a few guards so be careful not to been seen, but it is possible to avoid them altogether. The Huntsman Helm This one can be a little trickier. The helm can be found at Tonnastadir fort in Ledecestrescire. It is a heavily guarded area, which can be difficult early in the game. You will come here as part of the Ledecestrescire story arc, and I would suggest waiting until then to collect the helm. The helm is locked behind a gate, so you will first need to head to the longhouse. The key can be found on a table, but be careful as sometimes there will be guards in the room. Once you have the key, head to the metal gate where three guards will be waiting. There is some debris you can drop on them. Either way you will need to dispatch the guards before entering. The helm can be found at the end of the hallway in a chest. The Huntsman Armour The chest piece is probably the most difficult to obtain. It can be found in Ravensburg outpost, Grantebridgescire. This outpost is part of the story arc so waiting until then is a good option. You will find the chest containing the armour in the main hut at the centre of the enemy camp. Despite the camp being well guarded it is possible to get all the way to the hut unnoticed. You may wish to tactically remove some of the guards just so if you are caught you will not be overwhelmed. The Huntsman Vambraces The vambraces are hidden behind a waterfall in Grantebridgescire. The location is not too far from your settlement. Just head south of Ravensthorpe and you will see an area with two sections of water. The vambraces can be found in the first section of water, behind a waterfall. Once you enter the cave you will find another section of water. You will need to dive in and swim underwater until you reach the end. Straight after exiting the water you will see the chest in front of you. The Huntsman Breeches Your final piece to collect will be the breeches. They are situated in Soham hideout, which is on a patch of land not too far from Isle of Ely Monastery, Grantebridgescire. You will want to sneak into the camp and head towards the large stone building in the centre. Inside you will find a chest containing the breeches. You may also need to dispatch some of the guards. There are two sat at a table in the main building, making it difficult to sneak up on them, so be careful. Once you have all the gear items, you can return to Gunnar to upgrade them. Don’t forget to take a look at the transmogrification feature. It is also worth mentioning that you can pay travellers for information regarding the location of gear items (represented on the map by a question mark) Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed I: Gilded Altaïr Fanart by Thea Marie Rivedal Art Share 13 Sept 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Check out this brand new piece of fanart by our very own digital artist Thea Marie Rivedal from our AC Partnership Program! I love how these art pieces capture the essence of the Assassin's Creed 15 year anniversary celebrations, as Ubisoft have been reimaging Assassin's Creed character outfits by adding gold undertones to them throughout the campaign. One thing that stands out for me is the glitch effect operating in the background, which feels very much like Animus desyncronisation. The Ubisoft Forward Assassins' Creed Showcase event even kicked off with a beautiful video showing all of the Assassins immortalised as gold statues, a poignant trip down memory lane. Although the AC Showcase event brings Assassin's Creed I week to a close, we here at TOWCB will continue to release legacy content celebrating older games. Keep an eye on our website for a daily dose of nostalgia. Until then, check our what our other team members have been up to in the Community Hub! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Rally the Creed Episode 7 Released Podcasts Share 1 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database In Episode 7 of Rally The Creed, host Gargudon is joined by one of the newest recruits on our team, video creator and streamer Andy, also known as SisterlyThrower . At the core of this episode is a proper introduction to Andy, talk about our growing video venture and future content, the American saga and more. Enjoy listening! Edited by FrameHoldPhotography . Listen to this episode on Spotify: comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure London Photo Log Events Share 30 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database On the 29th and 30th May 2024, the Assassin's Creed Symphonic Adventure UK Premiere took take place in London. Representing The Ones Who Came Before were Aaron Young (FalconSwift87: Isu_Network Virtual Photography Team), Lisa Zaman (Art Team) and Louise Chase (TheNerdyArcher: Isu_Network Writing Team) on the night of Wednesday 29th May! Here are our photos from the event! Photos by Aaron Young Photos by Louise Chase Coming Soon Photos by Lisa Zaman Coming Soon comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

What can the Netflix Assassin's Creed TV Series Add? Wishlist Share 7 May 2022 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Netflix and Ubisoft are currently working on an Assassin's Creed TV universe, which is made up of a live-action, animated, and anime series based on the franchise. Back in October, we got our first glimpse at the red insignia, which is the logo for the Netflix Original live-action series. Not much is known about the project, but Business Director Aymar Azaïzia recently stated in an interview with Eurogamer that a couple of talents had been secured for the show so far, but no further announcements can be made at this stage as they are taking their time to develop the show. Assassin's Creed Transmedia projects have never been afraid to test the waters, and implement new ideas and concepts that eventually make their way into the games. An example of this is the Assassin's Creed Movie's Animus, which was replicated in Valhalla via the Yggdrasil Isu Supercomputer, which also featured a claw. That being said, the Netflix show will no doubt be viewed by millions around the world, so here are 5 things that the series could add to the AC Universe. Official Teaser for the Assassin's Creed Live-Action TV series 5) New Characters The Netflix Live-action show is the perfect platform to introduce new characters, and explore different time periods. Assassin's Creed transmedia projects have always been a great space to establish new characters, such as Galina Voronina in Initiates, and Simon Hathaway in Assassin's Creed Heresy. Victoria Bilbau was first introduced in the Assassin's Creed Unity: Abstergo Employee Handbook, and also appeared in Last Descendants, before her final appearance in Odyssey. Most recently, Ubisoft brought to life a whole host of new characters in the Assassin's Creed Gold Audio Drama, which featured voice talents from Anthony Head and Riz Ahmed. The Assassin's Creed Universe is infinite, and so are the characters in it. As long as conclusions are given to previously created characters (rather than simply disappearing like Otso Berg), there is no reason why new characters can't exist. Ubisoft can get creative with this, and do something different. For example, the AC Last Descendants series introduced a wheelchair bound character called Sean Molloy who used the Animus to escape his chair, allowing him to walk again in the memories of his ancestor. The series also introduced an Abstergo technician called Monroe who left the company and stole an Animus before working as an IT Technician at local schools, where he recruited pupils to discover historical secrets. Like previous transmedia projects, Ubisoft should look to create iconic new characters, who represent the brand's past and future, creating a blend of identity that is recognisably Assassin's Creed. 4) Conclusions One thing that the TV Series could do that the games cant is focus on snippets of time, like the movie did. This would be historical periods and plots explored over a short period of time, allowing for more range. For example, three episodes could act as a sequel to the Assassin's Creed Movie, bringing back Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Michael K Williams, potentially setting up another movie. One way to do this would be Callum Lynch joining up with an Assassin Cell to uncover other ancestors, and exploring their memories. The feud with Sophia Rikkin could easily continue in the Modern Day, making her the new threat to the Brotherhood. Other characters, such as Aya, Claudia Auditore, Connor and Arno Dorian could have their stories continued in live-action, finally concluding their arcs. As a series, Assassin's Creed very rarely provides closure, and instead moves on to new characters after the game finishes. This leaves many questions unanswered, and the series could finally provide some closure for fans. This fan service opportunity could also tie together established plot points, and introduce memory flashbacks, or even open the door to cameos from fan favourite characters. The AC Movie almost featured a ton of cameos which you can find in the deleted scenes. 3) New Concepts The possibilities with Assassin's Creed really are infinite, and the new TV show could easily become a testing ground for new ideas, taking the series in a new direction. It would be interesting to see Templar projects outside of Abstergo Industries, a bit like how Westworld left it's original park to explore other opportunities. As a series, that's one that could definitely lend itself nicely to Assassin's Creed, especially the most recent series, which focusses on control via an algerithm that determines fate (sounds very Templar). The best most recent example of a transmedia platforms introducing new concepts has to be the Assassin's Creed Titan Comics (AC, Templars and Uprising), which brought the Instruments of the First Will to life, and established the Templar Black Cross. The writers were never afraid to create something new that ties in to AC lore, in a way that adds to the series. One aspect of the franchise that has been particular poor of late has been parkour, which is the pillar that has unfortunately lost most of its shine in the RPG entries. This platform could be used to introduce real life free-runners and stunt artists to the series, who could give the parkour back its lost importance. The animus could once again evolve, perhaps working in new ways, or becoming more than it has in the past. As technology evolves, so too should the Animus. Could it be powered by a Piece of Eden to view Isu memories? We're hoping to see something new and fresh, rather than more of the same. We don't want to see a live action Desmond story, because there's no point covering old ground in that way. 2) Female Assassins & The AC Sisterhood The unbalanced marketing campaign for Assassin's Creed Valhalla lit a fire within the community, which ultimately led to the creation of the 'AC Sisterhood Movement', a large-scale fan project established to highlight female characters, and voice the discontent of fans. Ubisoft have acknowledged the presence of the movement, and even added the logo as a tattoo choice in Valhalla. Many, including our admin team, felt that the RPG game's canon choices, Kassandra and Eivor should have been the focus of marketing campaigns, but they were unfortunately overshadowed by male counter parts. This issue, amongst many others sparked a network of fans to come together to establish the AC Sisterhood movement, which recently raised a great deal of money for Women's Breast Cancer. The TV Series could be a positive platform for equal representation, and could even use the opportunity to showcase a Female Mentor, something which has only been done once before in the Assassin's Creed Heresy Novel with the introduction of Yolande of Aragon. There are so many possibilities, and it would be great to see something different for a change. Why not include a female Templar Grand Master, like we saw in the AC Unity novel, or even an all-female branch of the Brotherhood. The series has the potential to cover many different time periods and settings, so there is no excuse for a lack of representation. In general, the AC series needs to actively improve it's treatment of female characters, as it has a bad habit of killing off key females in order to allow male hero's to continue (Maria Thorpe, Elise de la Serre, AC Movie Maria, Mary Read). In the past, the deaths have acted as a motivator to drive the male characters forward, such as Elise's death in Assassin's Creed Unity, but this is something we hope stays in the past. AC Sisterhood logo by Sebastian Dell’Aria 1) Add to the Lore, Without Breaking It Overall, the Assassin's Creed Movie did a good job at keeping itself within the walls of established canon, other than a few mistakes, such as Alan Rikkin not having previous knowledge of the Apple of Eden, when Abstergo owned one in AC III. Generally, it tied itself nicely to previously established plot points, and even found a way to cross paths with Christopher Columbus, who agreed to help Aguilar in the film due to his previous relationship with the Assassins Ezio Auditore and Luis de Santángel in Assassin's Creed II: Discovery (DS). A great deal of care was taken to make sure that the movie didn't stray too far from what came before, but instead added to it. For the Netflix TV Series, Ubisoft need to be very careful not to break established canon, or it could actually damage the series by retconning previous plot points, and replacing them. To do this, Ubisoft will need a great deal of control over the project, and a firm hand when it comes to the writing process. It might even be to Ubisoft's advantage to appoint a 'Head of Assassin's Creed Lore' role for the project. On the Assassin's Creed Movie, cast members and producers were given an 'Assassins Creed Bible', a huge series of documents containing lore and the history of the franchise. Our interview with Carlo Rota (Basim and Loki) revealed that voice actors working on Valhalla were given hour-long 'Assassin's Creed talks' by former Narrative Director Darby McDevitt, filled with history, story and details. According to Business Director Aymar Azaïzia, Ubisoft currently consult members of The Mentor's Guild on lore matters. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 23rd - 29th July 2022. Black & White Special Community Share 30 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. This week we have a black and white special featuring 6 shots from the VP Community. 1) Elise de la Serre Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity This week’s first capture comes from @ JamesTiddlyQuid a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. First up we have an elegant photo of everyone’s favourite Templar. This particular shot comes from a stunning set of black and white portraits that showcase the details of Elise and her attire. I am loving the lighting and how it shows off Elise’s hair. As a character she is modelled so well and this shows how ahead of its time Unity was. this image conveys period drama vibes from the scenery, Elise's stance and the depth provided by the black and white filter, absolutely brilliant. Link to set 2) Eivor Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ warriorqueenvp a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Next up we have male Eivor looking quite vulnerable. The ability to customise your character is a major plus in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. From a VP perspective the option to add tattoos, beards, and hairstyles means many unique captures. Black and White VP is often overlooked but this shot shows the advantages to it. The way the tattoos pop against Eivor’s skin is just incredible. Check out the original tweets to see a comparison with the coloured version of the image. Link to set 3) Spartan Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ kingforever008 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Although photo number three has a slight blue haze it’s still qualifies for this showcase. What I love about this shot is how historical it looks. It reminds me of the pictures you see in museums next to exhibits. The shadows, especially across Kassandra’s face give off a mysterious, yet brutal feel. It could easily be mistaken for a statue you might find in London when playing Valhalla. Obviously the helmet gives away who this really is and RenanVP does a great job of showcasing it. 4) Amunet Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Two weeks in a row for Subject_72 but how could I not feature this unbelievable shot of Amunet? Dressed for the kill, and wearing a stare that only Aya can pull off, this capture is an incredible achievement. I imagine this is what all her target see right before the blade is brandished. I am really enjoying the blurred out background because it lets Amunet shine, it also gives of the feel of a sandstorm sweeping in. 5) Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number five comes from @ petta_velan a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . I wanted to include this capture as it’s a great representation of black and white VP. What’s confusing about Valhalla and this shot is how Eivor can look just like an assassin, but still have bulky armour on. The light shining off the armour plating brings so much light to the photo, you can almost see the colour. I think my favourite part of this capture would have to be the shadow covering Eivor’s eyes. Combined with the hood and the stance you can tell he is eavesdropping on a conversation. 6) Raven Clan Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Platform: PS5 The final capture of the week comes from @ Brentassins over on Twitter. We end the Black and White special with a stunning portrait of Eivor dressed in her black raven helmet. This piece of gear is one of my favourites in the game, it especially looks impressive when worn with a hood. You can see that look in the link below. Once again this is a capture that shows off the benefits of black and white photography. The way it highlights the golden patterns on the helmet and adds those menacing white eyes is perfection. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: Jan 31st - Feb 4th 2022 Community Share 7 Feb 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 5) Roman England Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @SignorAlexander over on Twitter. An amazing shot of Roman England crumbling under Saxon rule. I really like how there is a dull emptiness but at the same time colour and vegetation. In a game that is relatively sparse the cities really do stand out. 4) The Field of Reeds Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s second capture comes from @GioWayne86 over on Twitter. A great capture of the sun setting over ancient Greece. I get Gladiator vibes with the hero walking through the reeds. I really like the use of the trees and the building far off in the distance. It would make a great picture on the wall. 3) The Beginning Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The third capture of the week comes from @BolukbasiGuner over on Twitter. An epic conclusion to a truly wonderful game. Bayek and Aya the founders of the order. A fantastic shot showing off the powerful couple after their fight for justice across Egypt. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Carlos Ferro Interview: Da Vinci's Destiny Interview Share 31 Mar 2020 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Our community admin Colum Blackett had the opportunity to interview veteran voice actor Carlos Ferro, best known for voicing Leonado Da Vinci in the Assassin's Creed series and Dominic Santiago in Gears of War. Behind the Voice Actors lists 30 roles that Carlos has been credited with, but he has also provided additional voices such as NPC's and background characters in many games and TV shows. About: Carlos' first career in the entertainment industry was as a DJ. Leaving music for a career in theatre and television, his work eventually led to a stint as an artist in residence at Cornell University. He has since gone on to receive a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award nomination for Best Solo Performance for his portrayal of Sal Mineo in the show SAL. He has continued acting in television, both on-camera (in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Genesis) and in animation voice-over (Justice League, Spawn). He also had a short speaking role as Olivero Sisko in Big Top Scooby-Doo!. He has worked with director John Landis and actors Jerry Lewis, Harvey Fierstein and Dudley Moore. (Wiki) His most recent credited voice acting performances were for the 2019 adventure game Shenmue III, where he lent his voice to multiple characters. Col: Hi Carlos, thank you for joining us today! Please could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and the time you spent working on the Assassin's Creed series. Carlos: Thanks for having me! I’m an actor/voice actor that had the privilege of portraying Leonardo DaVinci in the Assassin’s Creed franchise! Col: In Assassin's Creed 1, you voiced the leader of the Assassin Bureau in Damascus. The character adds an element of much needed comic relief to quite a serious game. How did you find the interactions with Altair? Carlos: I wanted to give that character a bit of snark. Let’s just say, it came naturally. LOL 'Most impressive, my friend. The others said you make a mess of things, but not I. No, I was sure you'd come through. And come through you have.' Col: Have you completed AC1, and would you be interested in returning to the series if Ubisoft were to remaster it one day with additional content? Carlos: I try to complete all the games I work on. AC1 blew my mind, to be honest. I would be honored to return in any capacity. Col: When you were first brought in to work on the series, what were your initial thoughts? Could you see the franchise becoming as big as it is today? Carlos: Nobody can really predict that kind of success. Putting History, Geography, Science Fiction, and Action in a gaming context knocked me out. I wanted to be as good as the rest of the cast. Carlos regularly attends comic con conventions. Here is with Assassin's Creed Community members. Col: Do you have a favourite moment of AC1, and are there any elements that you would personally consider vital that all Assassin's Creed games should try to incorporate? Carlos: I’m a big fan of Desmond Miles. I like the idea of ancestors and what may come with them. Col: Moving onto AC2, had you ever had to speak Italian for a role before voicing Leonardo? I have. Though not as much as I do as Leonardo. Michael Corleone springs to mind. I was blessed with Dialect Supervisor Ida Darvish-Gadd being at all my sessions to make sure I didn’t slip up. Col: Most of Leonardo's key moments are in his interactions with Ezio, where he provides the role of both friend and inventor. What was it like working with Roger on these moments, and do you have a favourite? Carlos: Roger Craig Smith is one of my favorite Voice Actors. Whether we were at sessions together or I was hearing his voice in my headphones, it was very easy to get into character. My favorite scene is when I communicate to him that “women provide little distraction.” His delivery of, “I don’t get it” is perfect and hilarious. Col: Have you kept in touch with any of the other voice actors from the AC games, and have you worked with any of them on other projects since? Carlos: Video games have such huge casts, it’s thrilling to see actors I’ve worked with before or actors I admire, in the cast list. Though we rarely record together. Where I see my colleagues often is on the road at Conventions. Roger Craig Smith, Adrian Hough, Matt Ryan, Cas Anvar, Victoria Atkin, and Paul Amos are some of my favorite people and world-class actors. My dream is a full-reunion event with the fans. Col: Other than Leonardo, who else would you have liked to have voiced in the games? Carlos: I want to play an Assassin. Col: Other than the games, you also did the voiceover for Assassin's Creed: Ascendance, a short 8 minute animation where Leonardo warns Ezio about the Borgia influence in Roma. Did this project feel different to working on the games, and how long roughly did it take to record the lines? Carlos: One full day, as I recall. The process was the same but I was knocked-out by the DaVinci styling in the animation. It’s one of my favorite things. Col: Leonardo returned in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and even got his own DLC. How did you prepare to take on the role of an older, wiser Da Vinci? Carlos: Having created the character from scratch in AC2, it was pretty organic. Col: One of the reasons Leonardo remains so popular is his positive mentality, somehow always managing to see the best in humanity in the darkest of times. He is a true ally to the Assassins, but also helped to provide some of the more challenging missions in Brotherhood. Do you ever hear fans mentioning the difficulty of the Da Vinci's War Machines missions? Carlos: I hear about that Tank...all the time. LOL Personally, I love the flying machine. Col: When you meet fans at events, what are the most requested Da Vinci lines people want to hear? Carlos “HOW EXCITING!” I’m also fond of “I’ve taught a man to fly!” Col: I would like to personally thank you for signing my Hidden Blade, which I now keep in a glass cabinet. Do you own Assassin's Creed merchandise, and did you keep anything at all from your time working on the games? Carlos: I have displays from stores, figures, the flying machine. Though my favorite AC treasures are DaVinci inspired art and gifts from the fans. Leonardo Da Vinci art by Lisa Zaman. You can buy art prints by Lisa for a limited time here , the profits of which are donated to The Italian Red Cross. Col: Do you have any tips for our audience on how to get into voice acting? What would you say is the first step? Carlos: Be an actor first. Study and prepare. That was where it started for me. Col: Have you ever cosplayed as Leonardo. If not, would you ever consider doing so? Carlos: I would! But it would have to be perfect. I’m that guy. LOL I’m blown away by the craftsmanship cosplayers around the world have brought to Leonardo and Ezio. It’s beautiful. Col: Have you been following the more recent games, and where would you like to see the series to explore next? Carlos: I keep up. There was an Assassin’s Creed inspired art exhibit in Paris some time ago. There were Assassins in every time and from every country, it seemed. I remember loving a female Assassin flying through the air with laser hidden blades. I think the sky’s the limit. Literally. We would like to say a huge thank you to Carlos for joining us for this interview, and to Kim Beacham for making it possible! You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram You can also book a personalised message from Carlos on Cameo comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Cards, Blades and Detection Rolls: A Review of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice Review Share 6 May 2022 Written By: Edited By: Michael Smith Ashlea Blackett Back To Database As an Assassin Apprentice, you have been picked by the great Assassin, Ezio Auditore to help prepare a defense against the Templar Order led by Cesare Borgia. Ezio has tasked you with rescuing the four key members of his new Bureau in Venice while he hunts down his adversary in Navarra, Spain. Equipped with nothing but a parachute and the help of fellow apprentices, you must break the Assassins out of the Templar prison and escape without being detected. Can you answer your mentor’s call, or will you fall to the sword of the Templar? This is a description of the first level titled “Prisoners” in the new tabletop RPG, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice (BoV) by Triton Noir, in association with Ubisoft. From this board game comes a new way to experience Assassin’s Creed with the use of a tile constructed map and dice based combat system. With a combination of skill cards, abilities, weapons, and allies players must work together to help build the Brotherhood of Venice from nothing. A task that will be littered with a rogues gallery of enemies, familiar faces, and secrets of the past and future. 1 - 4 players can play the game, and levels are quoted to last 30 - 45 minutes each. Due to the content of the game, it is advised that players are at least 14 years old to play. Released initially as a Kickstarter, BoV was successful at reaching its initial goal by raising nearly CA $1.4M via nearly 6,800 backers. After its initial campaign, Triton Noir opened its offerings via their website where I was able to order the base game, expansions, and some additional gameplay items for a hefty price tag (nearly $500 USD). After a few months of production, I received my copy of BoV and began my adventure into a continuation of the Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood story, starting alongside the final mission of the PC and Console release title. The base game for Brotherhood of Venice is offered as a Collector’s Edition on www.triton-noir.com for $239 USD. Recently, the company announced that a retail edition would be released next year at a lower price. This would remove the included figurines for cardboard game pieces and a smaller packaging to allow more players access to their game. What's Included? Within the collector’s edition, players will find highly detailed plastic minifigures, map tiles and boards, playing cards, custom dice, tokens and counters, sticker sheets, and game booklets. When you first open the box, you will find perforated sheets that contain the tiles, player boards, compass, and game pieces alongside the Rulebook and Campaign Booklet. Once you have released the pieces from their frame, you will be greeted with a detailed sheet that shows the contents of the first tray of 140+ minifigures so that you know exactly where to store each piece when you finish your session. A second tray of figures and visual guide follow and then the final tray rests at the bottom with the mission envelopes, game piece storage, and a plethora of hidden figure boxes that are not to be opened until the campaign tells you too. The sheer amount of content found within these trays is exciting and a bit intimidating for someone that has never played a figure based a tabletop game before. Getting Started Both the Rulebook and Campaign Booklet are filled with wonderful original artworks to mentally put you in the mindset of an Assassin in Venice. From the Contents page in the Rulebook, players will find images and counts of each component of the game so that they can verify what they should have and know the names of each piece that will be used multiple times during their campaign (additional rulebook revisions have been released and are available on Triton Noir’s website). The Introduction pages, starting with Rule 0 give an overview of the game as well as steps on how to learn to play this intricate game. The players have two options, “Learning Through Play” and “Reading All the Rules Before Playing”. The first option will have you read the rule points on the page, a glossary, and how to set up your player board with a generic male or female Assassin Apprentice (Note: Players that are playing a solo game must play two assassins for the game to work properly). From here, players are directed to the Campaign Booklet to start playing. Those that choose to read the full rulebook can do so at this point and start gameplay afterwards. Each level is divided within the Campaign Book by Sequence and Memory number, much like the Genetic Memory strands in the videogame. Starting with Sequence 0, Memory 0.1 “Prisoners” players are provided a synapsis of the level for the story element and any additional gameplay notes that need to be provided before the 4 - 5 step setup. By providing an organized breakdown, players can follow at their own pace and learn the rhythm of the game before and after play. With the first step, players are provided a list of tiles to gather from the gamebox to build the grid based map that the level will take place. These tiles will layout roofs, streets, indoor rooms, and large set piece maps that can house towers, canals, and other environments. The images on the tiles vary but are easy to determine what they are considered for the map so each level can have a different feel in its corner of Venice, from grassy streets to fountains, dungeons to lavish offices and the various tiled roofs of the city. Once the map is laid out per the provided picture, players will add additional items such as objective tokens and bases, starting enemies, and reminder pieces that will be used alongside rules or conditions of the mission; for example, for this first mission, three reminder tokens are used to help remember to roll a Detection Test when entering a tile that contains a Templar Crossbowman. Lastly players set to the side of the map an Alert State token (the guard alarm in the videogame), and red dice that are used for the detection tests noted earlier. Before continuing to the second step, players are directed to return to the Rulebook and read rule points 2 - 5 to learn about Game Turns, divided into Event, Assassin, Enemy, and End of Turn Phases. These phases will help understand how event cards work, how an assassin can use their three action cubes (each), how the enemies enter the map via reinforcements and move or enter combat, and how to wrap up the turn so that the next one can begin. Next, the Assassins will open the labeled envelope for the current memory and follow the steps within. When an envelope is opened, players are greeted with a large red card to provide warning of the contents. Each mission requires reading the red card in detail to set up the Event and Equipment decks for the game without spoiling things like rewards and discoveries. For this first mission, players are asked to reveal the 4 small Equipment cards and split them between the Assassins Apprentices that are playing. These starting cards are the consumable item “Parachute” which include a new rule point (#24) to learn about Equipment cards and the differences between single use items and gear (such as weapons and armor). After the equipment deck is ready, players shuffle the included 5 Event cards and set them face down next to the map. These cards provide special circumstances for a game turn. Lastly, players are informed to leave the 5 small Reward cards in the envelope without revealing them. Last but not Least, players are given final rules and notes, sometimes Codex entries about key characters or locations of the game. For Memory 0.1, players are directed back to the Rulebook to learn about Stealth. Incognito, Exposed, Detection Tests, and Alert State are all explained in fine detail. Additionally rule point 15 teaches how to use a Fast Travel Station to enter and exit the map and end the mission. At the end of the Memory page within the Campaign Booklet, an “Important!” label is posted informing players not to turn the page until the memory is completed. If you read further, spoilers for the story and following level information will be seen which can ruin the surprise for everyone. Now that the map and decks are ready, players can turn the red card from the envelope for a cheat sheet to remind them how gameplay turns are ordered and what they can do with their action cubes.Once you have completed the memory, you can turn the Campaign Booklet page to learn how the story progresses, receive your reward cards (weapons or blueprints), and learn how to fill out your “Diary of Memories”; a checklist at the back of the Campaign Book to track XP gained and objectives met. Sheets of stickers are provided in the game box as physical trophies of your accomplishments. Seeing your XP raise as you move towards higher levels and fill out your objectives is very satisfying and a great way to motivate you to play another memory. With the first mission completed, players are able to choose one of the four Assassins from the game and start training their character to be a Master Assassin. The cast of characters are diverse and each has their own specialties. Alessandra, the tank of the group, has the ability to boost her attack strength and heal during missions without additional medicine. Bastiano is a master of stealth and has the ability to avoid Detection Tests and remain incognito during missions that would start the player in an exposed state. Claudio is a cunning and swift Assassin with abilities that allow him free use of his Hidden Blade and to draw enemies away from objectives. Lastly, Daria with her abilities to gain extra action cubes can help boost the duration of the Assassin Phase and accomplish mission objectives faster. The freed Assassins return to their Villa to recuperate and prepare for the next memory. The Campaign Book will direct again to the Rulebook so that you can choose to save your game and learn how to store your game for the next session. Gameplay Returning back to the Game Turn, I will explain more about how a level is played. Players start by turning over an Event card and reading the details printed upon it. For Event “Dark Night” one time only during this turn, players can ignore the results of 1 Detection Test and reroll any of the red dice that landed on an Exposed Eye (sets off alarm) or Exposed Alarm Eye (only exposed if alarm is active) side. This could save the Assassin from combat and allow them an extra chance to dispatch a guard or continue towards their objective. No two are the same with these cards and each replay of the memory will be different from the time before. In the Assassin Phase, actions are able to be made freely between the Assassins on the board and a player does not have to use all three of their actions before the next player can go. Players should plan out and talk with each other about what they want to do, how they want to divide objectives and how to reach their end goal. Player movement, combat, and use of skills and equipment are performed during this phase. In my first playthrough of “Prisoners, I divided my two Apprentices to the West and East of the map, each one moving to release two Assassins, using rooftops and their parachutes to take out guards without being seen and escape the map within a few turns.” The Enemy Phase continues the turn by having the player flip the Reinforcement Deck’s top card to reveal how many ranged and melee enemies enter the map, and from which entrances they enter from. The number of enemies is determined based on the number of Assassins on the map and if the alarm is in an active or inactive state. If a mission has too many enemies on the map to the point that additional guards cannot be added, the mission is considered a failure and the Assassins must start over. Once enemies have entered the map, the Event Card instructs which direction the guards will move. Each guard can move one space in the direction of the compass (unless hindered by walls or roofs with no ladder access). When you finish moving the guards, enemy combat will take place using the black dice of the game which have two icons on their sides, Attack and Defend. These determine a collective amount of damage dealt to or blocked by the Assassin. The rule points will help understand how to divide damage amongst multiple Assassins or Guards based on who is attacking. If an Assassin is brought to critical health, they have one more turn to recover via skills or healing items or be placed in the hospital for the next memory, replaced by an Assassin Apprentice (who have lesser abilities). My Thoughts on BoV I played Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice over the course of four months, starting in November of 2021. My overall playtime was somewhere between 50 - 100 hours total as I had to restart a few times due to not reading the rules correctly which resulted in hard stops because I broke the game. During my first playthrough I didn’t notice I had to play as two Assassins for a solo game and after my first sequence I realized I could not complete the 100% objective as I had no reinforcement deck and no enemies to fight. My second time I learned I was not using a mechanic correctly and had completely destroyed my progress thus far due to that error. I don’t remember what the issue was at the time but I was learning as I went and was able to finish after that second restart. In addition, my playtime was lengthened as I took photos and notated them with “Madden” style lines to share on my Twitter playthrough thread (available to all via my LinkTree pinned on my profile). Each session took me about 1 - 3 hours depending on my attention level and how I was feeling that night. Having played a few levels in a separate game with a friend, I learned that solo play can be boring at times or just a lot to manage when you have a flood of enemies surrounding you, low health, and an objective on the brink of failure. I learned how to plan my turns more and more to the point that I would nearly script my turns before rolling any dice or making any movement. Towards the middle of the story where the focus is directed towards building your Brotherhood and recruiting members, I found my desire to play to dwindle. The game was enjoyable, but the work I had to put into setting up, breaking down, and actually playing the game was time consuming. It wasn’t like the video games where I could burn through missions or entire sequences within a few hours, I had to actually build my maps and station enemies and objective points. However, once I pushed past my own hindrances and made it to the second half of the sequences, where the secret boxes were opened and new characters and environments were introduced, I fell in love with the game again. Fighting huge bosses and using weapons from other entries in the Assassin’s Creed universe, uncovering secrets and seeing fan favorites make their debut was exhilarating. I played with Alessandra and Claudio as my two characters. They had awesome artwork on both their player cards and miniatures. Alessandra’s ability to rush into a group of guards and take them all out without damage was awesome and the fact that they made her the tank compared to the hulking male that you would normally see was a breath of fresh air. Claudio was a suave swordsman similar to Edward Kenway, and has an awesome companion that he can unlock at his highest level that I won’t spoil. Seeing these two rise in level and learn new skills, finding new outfits, and being the embodiment of Ezio’s vision was the missing half of AC: Brotherhood that I wish I could have played; the half where you are the Assassin in training under Ezio and not the Master Assassin. Gameplay and story go hand in hand as I enjoyed both aspects of the game. I loved the freedom to do what I wanted on the map but from a different perspective. The rewarding snippets of story at the end of each mission fueled my desire to play and learn more about the characters and canonical story in the Assassin’s Creed lore. I did find the luck of the dice roll to be very difficult at times to the point where I was reminded of my time playing “Neverwinter” and not hitting an enemy that I was standing next to. Yet, this wasn’t bad enough to where I wanted to give up. The quality of the miniatures are fantastic in their detail, seeing the beard on Ezio’s face or the folds in the fabric of the courtesans were beautiful, but manufacturing and most likely heat during shipping warped a few pieces to the point that my Crossbowman look like they are in a Michael Jackson video, leaning forward on a crooked base, ladders that are almost twisted in a helix, and swords that are bent towards the tips of their blade. Removing the colored bases for my main characters which provide color identifiers to their unpainted figures (as I haven’t painted my figures), would begin to wear to the point that I worry they may split in half. I take very good care of my pieces but I can see where replacements would need to be ordered in the future, something that I am unaware of their being an option for outside of eBay or secondhand marketplaces. Similar to the miniatures, the envelopes have a light layer of glue holding them together and upon opening a few of them for the first time, I would rip them or watch them unfold due to the glue failing. There are protective sleeves that are sold separately for the cards and I purchased a pack for the large cards and the smaller cards, but learned once I opened my game that I didn’t have enough for all of them and would only be able to sleeve them once the envelope had been opened in the game or spoil the contents for myself. I decided not to use these sleeves but may order additional quantities to protect my cards later on. I purchased the color coded dice that are sold separately so that each Assassin has their own set of four dice that match the color of their miniature base and give more personality than the base white and gold dice that come with the game. All the dice are great to the touch and roll smoothly with no issues of figuring out what you rolled. The game pieces such as objective tokens and entrance labels are made with a good quality cardboard and I haven’t had any issue with peeling or scratches on them. The health and action cubes are a nice plastic and look very clean, but can be hard to find if you drop them on the floor. I would turn the flashlight on my phone to reflect them under my table easier. That brings me to another point, the space required to play the game can be very large. I have a circular table from IKEA that is 103 cm and at times when playing with a dual map set up, miniatures, and two player boards would be completely covered by the game. I made it work but that in itself required its own planning. Overall I think this is a great entry to the Assassin’s Creed Universe and builds on the story of the legendary Ezio Auditore in a way that doesn’t glamorize the character. I love the world building of the game and the references to the older games and mechanics of the video games. While the entry cost for this game was high, luckily there is going to be a cheaper option for those that couldn’t throw down the money required for this detailed and wonderful game. Where and What to Buy I stated earlier that the Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice game could be purchased from Triton Noir’s website for $230 USD in English or French. Additional language packs for Spanish, Italian, and German can be purchased for $59 USD each and include the Rulebook, Campaign Book, Booklets for the 3 expansion packs, and all the playing cards both large and small for the core game and expansions (849 cards total). Card sleeves to protect these cards are sold based on size in packs of 100 each for $6 - $10 USD. The character color coded dice I mentioned earlier are available for $19.00 USD and if you want to beef up your maps you can buy the Crows’ Nest tower for $56 USD which comes with a detailed tower and hay cart to perform your Leaps of Faith into. Lastly are the expansion packs. There are three in total that take place after the core game story, and require the core game box to play as they mix old game pieces and cards with new tiles and miniatures. The “Roma” expansion takes the players to Rome where Claudia Auditore is building another bureau for the Brotherhood and needs your help to stop the Followers of Romulus while searching for another artifact. In “Creed vs Crows” players can enter a PVP multiplayer format where the Assassins fight the elusive Crows of Cesare Borgia. “Tokyo XXI” has players take control of Modern Day Assassins like Layla Hassan and Rebecca Crane against the powerful Abstergo. Each expansion pack is available for $71 USD and adds a lot of new content and gameplay. I would advise those that want to get started with the game to purchase the Collector’s Edition first, or if you are into painting miniatures as there are over 140 of them in the box. The Crows’ Nest is a great element to have on the board and looks awesome when you have your Assassin perched on its sync point. The dice and protectors are nice to have but not needed and due to the price of the expansions, I would advise to play the main game first before purchasing, just in case you find you don’t like it and due to the time it takes to finish the main game (estimated 50 hours). Plus, with the retail edition of the core game releasing, there could be announcements for the expansions at a cheaper price. The retail edition is stated to have all the same gameplay and mechanics as the CE but with only the main Assassins and Ezio having figurines. All other character pieces will be standees and the secret boxes will be converted to envelopes. Make sure to keep an eye out on this as I will for an easier way to get into this game. Final Thoughts While I struggled to finish my solo playthrough of this game, I still very much enjoy Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood of Venice and would suggest that any fan of the series should purchase this game. I would highly recommend finding at least one other person to play with to make the game move quicker and have someone to uncover secrets and accomplish goals with. I plan on finishing my co-op campaign with my friend in the future while I play the expansions on the side. If you are a fan of the series, RPGs, miniatures, or board games in general, I would recommend this game. The passion and care that was put into the game by the Triton Noir team is very visible (such as the hidden message in Arabic under the lid) in this product and I look forward to seeing more from them in the future and may check out some of their non-AC titles at some point. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Mike Smith is a collector of all things Assassin's Creed and a major supporter of transmedia who joined TOWCB as a writer from 2021 - 2024 With nearly a full library of Assassin's Creed media, his work explored the universe in order of Genetic Memory. Notably, his Assassin's Creed Timeline became an essential tool for fans of the franchise looking to complete their collection and consume AC media in a particular order. Michael Smith

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 16th - 22nd July 2022 Community Share 23 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Berserker Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This first capture comes from @ calisarah1998 over on Twitter. First up this week we have a capture of Eivor deep in thought. This is a powerful photo depicting the Viking theme of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. There are true Ragnar/Norseman vibes about this capture. Checkout the full tweet below to see some impressive editing skills from @ calisarah1998. I love how the darker colour tones and the cool haircut/tattoos all add to the story of a Viking contemplating battle. Link to set 2) Reflections Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity Photo number two comes from @ Amaya_Nocturna a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP TwitterCommunity. In this next image we head to Assassin’s Creed Unity, the game of choice this week for the AC15 celebrations. It is such a shame that Unity does not have a photo mode. That being said, you would not know it judging by the shots that are in this selection. This stunning photo, which is part of a glorious set by @ Amaya_Nocturna , really shows off the beauty of buildings. I adore the use of light bursting through the glass and settling on Arno. A real Assassin’s Creed photo. Link to set 3) The Kassandra Braid Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey This week’s third shot comes from @ MoonsDonuts over on Twitter. Photo number three really caught my eye due to the different perspective. Where portraits of the protagonist are usually from the front or the side, this one gives you a birds eye view aspect as seen by the player. What I admire is how @ MoonsDonuts has managed to showcase Kassandra’s amazing hairstyle. In addition we get a great look at the spear, quiver, bow and arrows. A true Misthios pose, beware of this warrior’s fury. 4) The Lonely Viking Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @ punkncreed over on Twitter. What I love about photo number four is the peaceful simplicity. A capture that very much symbolisesthe start of Eivor’s journey. The sun poking out from behind the mountain gives off Origins vibes, yet the cold colours say otherwise. Great use of the camera angle adds scale to the shot. You just know there are some gold icons on that mountain which need collecting. 5) Paris Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity The final capture of the week comes from @ Subject_72 a member of our Assassin’s Creed VPTwitter Community. I thought it only right that we returned to Unity for the final capture of the week. Once again this photo is from a brilliant selection and it was difficult to choose just one for this showcase. I picked this image due to the level of detail and French feel. Arno looks iconic in his classic dark blue Assassin’s outfit, watching out over the city. There are some excellent details on the buildings that just make Paris feel alive. I can’t wrap up without mentioning the exceptional Statue of Liberty, a fine addition to this game. Link to set comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young