Rope dart

"Pointy metal death on a string."

- Official Playstation Magazine's description of the Rope darts.

Rope darts were long-ranged weapons used by the Assassin Connor Kenway during the American Revolutionary War. They could be thrown down from above to impale enemies, who could then be used as a counterbalance for the user to drop down to ground level.

The rope dart was given to Connor by his Mentor, Achilles, who disclosed that it was a product of the legendary Chinese Assassin Shao Jun.

They could also be used in open combat to impale enemies and pull them towards the user, allowing for a human shield maneuver, as well as to dismount horsemen.

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

Trivia

 * The art of wielding a rope dart is called 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."
 * 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.

Source

 * Official PlayStation Magazine.
 * Game Rant: "Assassin's Creed 3" New Screenshots & Gameplay Details.
 * Eurogamer: Assassin's Creed 3: Ready for the series' revolution