A typical bastard sword.
A bastard sword, also known as a longsword,[1] is a type of European heavy sword which is so named because it can either be wielded with one or both hands.
Description[]
The bastard sword gifted to Assassin Ezio Auditore by the Roman mercenaries' guild.
The bastard sword is a double-edged, straight sword of European origin which has been dramatically up-scaled, much like its cousins, the Scottish claymore and the German Zweihänder.[2][3] While the claymore is characterized by its distinct cross-guard and the Zweihänder typically incorporates a ricasso, the bastard sword tends to be a more general category reserved for greatswords which fall into neither of these two later designs. Its defining characteristic, however, is that it remains just light and short enough for it to be physically wielded with one hand by strong swordsmen.[3][4] Nonetheless, because a sword of this size is still optimally wielded with two hands, bastard swords sit at the border between "two families" of swords, resulting in their bastard moniker.[3]
History[]
Templar knight Verulo Gallo with a bastard sword.
The bastard sword was an innovation that arose in Europe around the late 15th century as swords became longer and heavier. During the Granada War, the Spanish Assassins under Aguilar de Nerha forged bastard swords to fight with.[5] Brutes and mercenaries of the Italian city-states and the Roman Rite of the Templar Order typically carried bastard swords or other heavy weapons, such as battleaxes.[2][6] The common Italian model of bastard swords began appearing in blacksmith shops in Rome, Italy in August 1503 alongside other variants such as the Stocco and the Spadone.[2]
Although swords of this design were becoming obsolete in European war by the 18th century, they were still sold, paired with a parrying dagger, in stores across the European colonies in North America during the French and Indian War.[4] By the time of the French Revolution, they had long ceased to be used by the French military forces but retained some value for the Parisian Brotherhood of Assassins who still purchased them from local blacksmiths.[3]
Weapon statistics[]
Spanish Renaissance (15th century)[]
| Name | Tier | Damage | Speed | Miss Chance | Modifiers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard Sword | ★ | 10-20 | 1.00 | 7% | +5 Defense | 1,200 R 15 Copper Ore 15 Tin Ore |
| Fine Bastard Sword | ★★ | 33-53 | 1.00 | 7% | +15 Defense | 4,000 R 40 Iron Ore 40 Leather Scraps 1 Bastard Sword |
Italian Renaissance (16th century)[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard Sword | 3 | 4 | 3 | 12400ƒ | Sequence 6 |
| Stocco | 3 | 5 | 5 | 17000ƒ | Sequence 7 |
| Spadone | 5 | 4 | 4 | 26100ƒ | Renovate 10 blacksmiths |
Ottoman Empire (16th century)[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Bastard Sword | 3 | 4 | 3 | 14260 
|
Sequence 4 |
| Broadsword | 5 | 4 | 4 | N/A | Complete all Mercenary Guild challenges |
Colonial America (18th century)[]
| Name | Speed | Combo | Damage | Cost | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard Sword | 4 | 3 | 5 | £18,000 | Complete "Armour and Sword" |
French Revolution (18th century)[]
| Name | Level | Damage | Parry | Speed | Range | Cost | Modifiers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bastard Sword | ◆◆ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 250₣ | Additional Damage: +25% | N/A |
Behind the scenes[]
In real-life, bastard swords are also known as longswords or hand-and-half swords. In the Assassin's Creed series, however, two-handed swords are haphazardly identified as bastard swords, longswords, or claymores without distinction, resulting in many errors.
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles
- Assassin's Creed II: Discovery
- Assassin's Creed: Project Legacy
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- Assassin's Creed: Unity
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion