Rope dart

Sheng Biao, or rope darts, were long-ranged weapons that could be thrown at enemies and, once anchored into the target, could be used to pull them over distances.

It was revealed by Achilles Davenport that the darts were a product of the legendary Chinese Assassin Shao Jun, which she developed after her journey to Italy to locate the Italian Mentor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and learn the secrets that allowed him to reform the Assassin Order.

Rope darts consisted of long ropes about 3–5 meters long, with metal darts attached to one end. A dart was thrown with the opposite end of the rope anchored to an object, or held in one's free hand.

Usage
Rope darts were used by the Assassin Connor during the American Revolutionary War, after they were given to him by his Mentor, Achilles Davenport.

The weapon could be thrown down from amongst the treetops to impale enemies, who could then be used as a counterbalance for the user to drop down to ground level, hanging the victim in the process. Accompanying this aerial attack, rope darts could also choke victims to death, if an overhead ledge was utilized to increase the pressure of the strangle-hold. Following this, they could also be thrown upwards to drag enemies from rooftops, or to dismount horsemen.

In open combat, rope darts could also be used to impale enemies and drag them towards the user, allowing for a close attack or for a human shield maneuver, or to wrench the intended target to the floor for a quick, instant kill.

Trivia

 * Accompanying the weapon's Chinese name, the art of wielding a rope dart is also named Sheng Biao in Chinese martial arts.
 * According to an XboxGameZone article, Connor's long-range weapon was originally a "Chain Blade." However, the development team thought that they would be taking "too much of a fantasy route" and researched a method that was more realistic, resulting in the addition of rope darts. Initially, concept art by William Wu shows that the Chain Blade was planned to be a form of the Hidden Blade.
 * When inspected closely, the penetrating end of the rope dart appears to be like what was designed for the "Chain Blade", despite being ultimately scrapped.
 * In real life, a rope dart would not be able to hold a victim's weight long enough to pull them great distances, much less hang them from trees.
 * On attempting to hang multiple bodies from the same tree branch, it would cause them to fall to the ground.
 * Connor could find rope darts on people he had killed before being taught how to use them. However, he could not use them until he was shown how to by Achilles.
 * On examination, the rope dart appears to be tucked inside Connor's left bracer.
 * The Predator achievement could be earned by hanging five enemies with rope darts.

Reference

 * Assassin's Creed III