There are different forms of stealth in every game and Assassin’s Creed as a series has always had two main forms of stealth: “If no one can attack me if they can’t see me” and “No one can see me if they’re no one left”
Tank-stealth is not a new concept, it had been in many games even before Assassin’s Creed and is honestly a pretty decent method through most encounters if you’re skilled in the combat aspect of the game. In the Assassin’s Creed series, Tank Stealth was the faster method and it didn’t matter too much if you weren’t in it for 100% synchronicity. However, Odyssey was a game that made you have to weigh the consequences between the two forms of stealth. Here’s what to know!
Mercenary vs Mercenary
Typically, if you were to go into a fort and lay waste to all the guards, even if they did light the Brazier and bring in more troops, as long as you killed them too you were set. Origins had begun a step to what Odyssey had put in effect. In Origins, if you went Tank Stealth on a fort and there was a phylaki nearby, they will come to the base. And they will do everything in their power to wreck you. They’re significantly stronger than the rest of the enemies you’ve faced and have move sets and abilities you haven’t had to deal with in a common enemy. The best part about them if there were so few of them.
In Odyssey, there is a whole new system to discourage you from going ham. In you go in bow and arrows blazing and laying waste to everyone in front of you, not only will you incur a large bounty for your actions, but you will bring forth anywhere between one to five high leveled mercenaries specifically hunting for you. Just like the Phylaki in the previous game, they are stronger than the normal enemy and have special abilities. Some of them have auto fire or have animal companions with them.
The only ways out of this? Find and kill the one who set the bounty or bounties. There can be more than one if your rampage was in more than one area. Lay low until the bounty is forgotten, because out of sight out of mind is a thing even if it takes forever. This is a helpful method if you ended up with 3+ mercenaries all looking for your blood. You can also take out the mercenaries after you. This is a short term solution because if you take them out, you still have the bounty. And mercenaries will still be coming after you with the intent of claiming that bounty until it is gone.
The amount of mercenaries in Odyssey is unending as it is randomly generated, unlike in Origins as it was a set limit due to it being connected into the story. So if tank stealth is your style, you may have a tough day when every mercenary in Ancient Greece knows your name and the price on your head.
Extra Rewards!
Most Assassin’s Creed games had a stealth kill multiplier. What does this mean? The more people you take down without being seen or without anyone being aware of your specific existence, the more experience you gain from the kills.
The guards can even find a previous kill and be aware something happened, but as long as they don’t see you, you’re streak continues! This is a really good habit to have if you are one who likes to get all the skills and power!
Overpowered? Maybe not..
One big thing I noticed between Origins and Odyssey is you cannot get too overpowered. In my run through Origins, I had every skill and was powering up my archery to the point of being able to one shot one kill basically everyone and most of them didn’t need a headshot. That’s because in Origins, you could keep climbing levels while everyone else stayed lower, meaning you basically become the strongest person in all of Egypt and laugh at the foot soldiers who have a death wish.
In Odyssey, there isn’t a single space where the enemies don’t level with you, even in the starting area of Kephalonia, you get higher than the level recommended? The enemies level and the overall level recommended will correspond with your level and only be a couple levels away. With that, leveling for the sake of leveling isn’t necessarily something that helps if you’re looking at power alone. Skill is still needed and thought into where you put your skill points.
