Janissaries

Learn how to defeat the tough Janissary enemies in Assassin's Creed Revelations. Discover their attack patterns, weaknesses, and effective strategies for taking them down.

Alright, let's talk about the Janissaries. You'll start seeing these guys more and more as you get closer to the end of the game, especially around Constantinople. Think of them as the beefed-up version of the Papal Guard from Brotherhood – they're tough, they block everything, and they hit hard with both a sword and a pistol. They're immune to counter-kills and most direct attacks, which can be super frustrating at first.

Stats / Weaknesses

• Wield: Swords and Pistols
• Immunities: Kicks, Disarms, Strikes
• Weaknesses: Three Counters (only their sword strikes can be countered)

General Strategy

These guys are formidable, whether they're alone or in a group. There are only two ways to get an instant kill: either get the drop on them with your Hidden Blades before combat starts, or use a bomb to stun them during combat for an easy finisher. Otherwise, you're looking at a process of gradually weakening them with counters.

You can use any weapon to perform counters on them, but remember, it takes three successful counters on their sword strikes to bring them down. So, keep your R1 (or RB on Xbox) button held down as you wait for their sword attack. This is your cue to counter.

Now, Janissaries have two main attacks: sword strikes and pistol shots. They're actually pretty predictable once you get the hang of it. When they're not swinging their sword, they'll pull out that pistol. You've got a decent window, about three seconds, before they fire. This is your chance! You need to interrupt them quickly. A quick kick or a slash will do the trick and stop that shot before it lands. Just remember, they'll block disarms and kicks, and they're good at deflecting normal slashes, so focus on those counters and interrupting the pistol.

Also, keep in mind that Execution Streaks only work if the Janissary you target during the streak is already weakened. So, focus on those counters first!