Sword

Swords are melee weapons which consist of a long blade attached to a handle called a hilt.

Until the advent of firearms, swords were ubiquitous throughout the world and were among the main weapons employed by humans in warfare. Standard guards of cities and fortresses commonly equipped swords, as did members of the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order, and it was their primary means of engaging in open combat. Advances in firearm technology led to swords or other melee weapons becoming obsolete from the late 18th century onward. Nevertheless, they continued to see limited service with militaries until as late as the early 20th century. For Assassin and Templars, however, who fought their shadow war not on traditional battlefields, swords persisted as standard equipment for a longer period of time. During the Industrial Revolution in Britain, they even adapted to the changing norms by developing cane-swords, canes or walking sticks with concealed blades.

While, for army infantry and cavalry, swords were sometimes relegated as side-arms, for the Assassins and Templars, they usually acted as primary weapons with a short blade or pistol as their supporting weapon. This owed to the fact that swords have a relatively long reach, great power, and quick attack rate, though not as much as long weapons, heavy weapons or short blades, respectively. As such, among melee weapons, they can be seen as the most balanced and versatile weapons available.

Description
Forged from metal, swords are designed to inflict injury primarily through slashing and thrusting. A diverse variety of swords have existed throughout history, with variances in the applications of techniques. Basic distinctions between types of swords include whether the blade is sharpened only on a single edge or on both edges and whether the blade is straight or curved, with the latter dichotomy determining the sword's affinity for thrusting or slashing respectively. They can also either require one hand or two hands to wield although the latter are generally classified as heavy weapons instead. Conversely, shorter variants of swords are called daggers or short blades.

Third Crusade
In the High Middle Ages, guards used no other melee weapon but swords, and the guards of Masyaf regularly practiced swordplay in the courtyard, stressing how important it was to wield a blade. Maces were uncommon at the time, and the sword was a mainstay in any arsenal, even for archers.

The sword became available to an Assassin upon reaching the second rank, with more powerful, better quality swords being presented to him as he progressed. Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad began with a dull-gray sword that lacked a guard and had a curved hilt. His second sword resembled the first, though it possessed a silvery sheen and a distinct pommel.

The third sword was his personal weapon, which was constructed of a hand guard that was shaped like an eagle's wings, along with an eagle's head at the pommel. Altaïr's final sword was the Syrian Sabre. It had a curved blade, a characteristic of Arabic swords, and indicated a very high status, as the hilt and sheath were covered in gold.

Renaissance
Come the Renaissance, maces had become equally as popular as the sword, and matched them in use and availability. The first sword Ezio Auditore da Firenze obtained came from his father, and was stored in a chest hidden in the Palazzo Auditore. However, he quickly lost it when he was disarmed in his attempt to save his father and brothers from execution.

Ezio was later equipped with a similar sword, courtesy of his uncle, Mario Auditore, when he arrived at Monteriggioni. Following this, he could buy a variety of swords or maces from blacksmiths. Any unequipped weapons he later purchased were stored at the Villa Auditore's armory.

Swords and maces continued to be a central part of combat in Rome. Around this time, Ezio was more aggressive in his fights, and used a variety of new attacks against his enemies. Additionally, Ezio learned to dual-wield his Hidden Gun with his primary weapon, in order to kill an enemy from a distance, or perform an instant double kill with both his sword and gun during a kill-streak.

Age of Discovery
During the Golden Age of Piracy, the Assassin Edward Kenway used a variety of swords. He typically kept a pair on his person, dual-wielding them in combat. Despite the widespread of firearms among the militaries and other factions, various individuals also typically carried a sword for close combat.

Age of Revolution
Haytham Kenway, Edward's son, utilized a short-sword in combat during his early life, though it was ultimately lost in a in a duel with the Assassin Miko in Corsica. Years later, upon his arrival in the American colonies, Haytham used a saber during the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War.

The Assassin-turned-Templar, Shay Cormac, dual-wielded a sword and a parrying dagger, similar to the pair of 12th century Templar brothers, Shalim and Shahar.

Haytham's son, the Colonial Assassin Connor, was known to simultaneously utilize swords and his Hidden Blades in combat. Around this time, the practice of sword-wielding amongst common soldiers had declined, with greater focus being placed on flintlock muskets with attached bayonets. Only the high-ranked officers were known to carry a sword on their person.

During the French Revolution, swords were commonly used by soldiers of the French Army, as well as other organizations such as the Jacobins and Royalists. Common soldiers usually utilized sabres, while officers wielded rapiers. The French Assassin Arno Dorian and Templar Élise de la Serre each wielded a sabre.

Due to limitations and regulations regarding weaponry in London during the Victorian era, Assassins such as Jacob and Evie Frye used cane-swords, which were blades disguised with the appearance of a walking cane.

Trivia

 * Assassin's Creed II
 * All weapons on the special weapons rack could be obtained after synchronizing with the PSP, upon completion of Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.
 * The Sword of Altaïr could only be purchased from the blacksmith shop in Monteriggioni.
 * The Syrian sabre dealt less damage than the Sword of Altaïr, despite the Syrian sabre having been the best sword in Assassin's Creed.
 * The first sword that Ezio acquired was the common sword. However, when he was disarmed by a Brute during the execution of his family, it became the Syrian sabre.


 * Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
 * The Captain used a short-sword that resembled a shorter version of the Milanese Sword.
 * The Scimitar and Florentine Falchion were used by the guards, but were not purchasable from the blacksmiths. However, they could be acquired by disarming a guard while Ezio did not have a weapon equipped.

Assassin's Creed: Rogue
 * Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
 * Several of Edward's counters and executions are alterations of Connor's, many of which omit Connor's jumping or spinning.


 * The weapons board displays the french cutlass as being removed, when the french cuttoe is equipped, and vice versa.
 * The small hilted sword comes with a dagger, but the dagger is missing from the weapons board.
 * James gunn's sword/dagger also does not appear on the board.
 * In total there are 24 board slots and 23 available swords/daggers. (including DLC content).
 * Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
 * Despite the fact the game has cane-swords, they actually do not contain swords at all, rather they use thin, sharp daggers, with the scabbards acting as scythes with a blade at its bottom.