A rope dart
A rope dart, or shéng biāo in Mandarin Chinese,[1] is a flexible weapon of Chinese origin that consists of a long rope with a metal dart attached at one end.
This type of long-ranged weapon can be swung at enemies, and, once anchored into the target, can be used to pull them over distances. It was a signature tool and alleged invention of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun, who shared it and its associated techniques with other branches of the Assassin Brotherhood across the world.
Description[]
Aptly named, a rope dart is created by securing a sharp, metallic blade to a long rope approximately three to five meters in length.[2] In this regard, it is akin to a whip with a sharp end, and it can be employed in a variety of ways either as a weapon or as a tool.[3]
History[]
9th century[]
Allegedly invented by the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun during the 16th century,[1] the rope dart, or at least similar weapons, have existed for much longer. During the Viking expansion into England in the late 9th century, both the Raven Clan shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir[4] and the Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq[5] wielded miniature harpoons which could be used to impale opponents and toss them in any direction.[4]
16th century[]
Shao Jun's rope dart
The most famous wielder of the rope dart was Shao Jun, who carried a variant that bore an exceptionally broad blade during her journey to Italy in 1524. Upon arriving in Tuscany, Shao Jun trained under the legendary Italian Mentor Ezio Auditore da Firenze, gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to save the nearly-extinct Assassins in China.[6]
When Shao Jun returned to her homeland two years later, she utilized the rope dart prolifically in her quest to destroy the Eight Tigers – imperial eunuchs who were part of the Chinese Rite of the Templar Order – and ultimately resurrect her branch.[7] It proved indispensable in many of her missions, serving as an assassination weapon but also as a freerunning tool,[8] by which she escaped the great fire of Macau in 1526,[9] again in a similar scenario in the Forbidden City,[10] and finally when she pursued Zhang Yong along the Great Wall in 1532.[11]
Through her mastery of the weapon, Shao Jun popularized its usage among the Brotherhood and, centuries later, was credited by the Colonial Assassin Mentor Achilles Davenport with introducing it to the Assassins of the Western hemisphere.[1]
18th century[]
Edward receiving a rope dart from Ah Tabai
In 1721, rope darts were given to the pirate Edward Kenway by Ah Tabai, the Mentor of the West Indies Assassins, after Edward had proven himself worthy of having ties with the Brotherhood.[12] He notably used one such dart to slay the infamous pirate and Sage Bartholomew Roberts during a naval battle off the coast of West Africa.[13]
The rope dart also remained popular among the Chinese Assassins during this time. It was one of the weapons of choice of the Mentor Xiao Han, who had mastered its use in combat and often employed it to disarm his enemies.[14] He notably utilized it in battle against Edward Kenway when the two Assassins encountered each other in Macau in 1725 and came into conflict over their pursuit of an Isu site in Angkor.[15]
Shortly before the outbreak of the Seven Years' War, the Colonial Assassin Shay Cormac was trained in the use of rope darts by the senior members of his Brotherhood.[16] After defecting to the Colonial Templars in 1756,[17] the rope dart remained an indispensable tool in Shay's arsenal, and he used it to slay many members of his former Brotherhood sent to hunt him down.[16]
Achilles explaining the rope dart to Ratonhnhaké:ton
During the American Revolutionar War, the Colonial Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton, Edward's grandson, was trained in the use of rope darts by Achilles Davenport beginning in late 1773,[1] and often applied it in his missions.[3] He notably used several darts to kill a group of poachers intruding on the grounds of the Davenport Homestead.[18]
19th century[]
In 1841, rope darts were used as grappling hooks by the Indian Assassin Arbaaz Mir during his quest to recover the Koh-i-Noor from the British Templars.[19]
20th century[]
In 1918, during and immediately following the execution of the Romanov family at the height of the Russian Revolution, the Russian Assassin Nikolai Orelov equipped himself with a modernized rope dart in the form of a mechanical winch custom-made by Nikola Tesla.[20] It functioned similarly to a grappling hook but could also send an electric current through the cord to short-circuit fuse boxes.[21]
That same year, Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova, infused with the genetic memories of Shao Jun by a Precursor box, used a dagger given to her by Orelov and a rope she found to fashion herself a makeshift rope dart.[22]
21st century[]
In 2016, Lin, a descendant of Shao Jun who had absorbed her skills through the Bleeding Effect, escaped the Abstergo Foundation Rehabilitation Center in Madrid with her fellow abductees by using a rope dart to fight off the guards.[23]
Techniques[]
Ratonhnhaké:ton using a rope dart to suspend a British soldier
In open combat, rope darts are generally swung at enemies from afar to impale them, following which the user can drag them in for a close-ranged attack. Techniques in conjunction with this combo include wrenching the target to the ground for a swift assassination or simply following up with a sword slash. The Colonial Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton was known to use this method to grapple enemies to be used as a human shield against hostile fire.[3] However, merely impaling an individual in a vital area like the chest or throat is normally fatal.[7]
As an assassination weapon, the rope dart has commonly been used to impale unwitting enemies from higher ground, like rooftops or treetops. The target could then be used as a counterbalance for the user to drop down to ground level, secure the other end of the rope to the ground, and hang the victim in the process. This harrowing technique was a signature tactic of Ratonhnhaké:ton[3] and his grandfather Edward Kenway, who used this tactic to kill the pirate Bartholomew Roberts.[13]
Apart from its lethality, the rope dart serves an additional purpose of psychological shock in the midst of ambushing a hostile group.[3] However, hanging enemies with the rope dart can be unnecessary at times; as aforementioned, a strike to the throat or chest is enough to be fatal, and this simpler tactic was more typical of Shao Jun.[7] Alternatively, the reverse method of yanking enemies down from their higher vantage points is also possible.[3]
Outside of combat, rope darts can be employed as traversal tools in the same manner as grappling hooks. The darts are usually durable and sharp enough to be embedded into structures, allowing the user to anchor themselves and swing them across gaps and chasms.[7]
Behind the scenes[]
Name[]
The Mandarin name shéngbiāo (繩鏢) literally translates to "rope dart".
In Scroll 16 of Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China, the name shéng biāo is introduced with its diacritics indicating the tone of each word in pinyin. While they help readers to pronounce the words correctly, these diacritics are conventionally omitted in romanization of Chinese names, a convention abided by the game itself with the sole, inconsistent exception of shéng biāo.
Historical inaccuracies[]
In Scroll 16 of Chronicles: China, it is stated that the rope dart is Shao Jun's original invention. This is historically incorrect, as the first known written description of the weapon dates to the Tang dynasty (618–907).[24] This inaccuracy was seemingly addressed in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, where Eivor can use a tool similar to the rope dart, referred to as a "harpoon" in-game, during the late 9th century.
Development[]
The rope dart first appeared in the 2011 short film Assassin's Creed: Embers in the possession of the Chinese Assassin Shao Jun. The following year, it debuted as a playable weapon in Assassin's Creed III. Concept art by William Wu[25] and an XBoxGameZone interview in 2012 by Andrien "Escoblades" Gbinigie with Ubisoft IP Director Tommy François revealed that a long-ranged weapon of the player character Connor was originally meant to be a "chain blade" that extended from the Hidden Blade similar to the Hidden Gun, but this was scrapped as it was considered too fantastical. Instead, the rope darts replaced this concept as they were deemed more realistic.[26] Exploring the game's assets reveals a planned icon and code for the weapon, suggesting it was scrapped late in development. [citation needed]
Gameplay[]
In Assassin's Creed III and its sequels, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed: Rogue, the rope dart is a supplementary combat tool. At its most basic, the rope dart can be used to grapple an enemy and pull them towards the player, following which the player may attack with their primary weapon or perform a Hidden Blade assassination. Either triggers a unique kill animation. With the human shield mechanic in Assassin's Creed III, the player also has the option to turn a pulled enemy in reaching distance into a shield against enemy fire.
A group of British soldiers hanged by rope darts
In all three games, the player can perform a unique assassination with the rope dart from tree branches, ship spars, or beams. Perched on the vantage point, the player throws the weapon at an enemy and in one motion, drags them into the air, using them as a counterbalance to drop down onto the ground and plant the other end of the rope, thereby hanging the target. Doing this expends the rope dart, and attempting to hang too many bodies from the same tree branch causes all of them to fall to the ground.
True to lore, the rope dart returned in Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China as a fundamental element of Shao Jun's moveset. It functioned differently in the 2.5D side-scroller, with Shao Jun using it automatically to extend her reach in air or ledge assassinations. Apart from this, it was also manually used by the player in freerunning; places where the rope dart could be used as a makeshift grappling hook were color-coded in red. In certain areas, the rope dart is required to advance further as it is needed to swing across gaps, while in others, it is an option for stealth, allowing the player to rappel upward to the ceiling. This gameplay of rope dart was carried over in Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India and Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia.
The harpoon featured in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which only becomes available to Eivor after being unlocked as an ability through the skill tree, is more restrictive in terms of its usage. Its primary function is to impale enemies at a distance, causing a small amount of damage, which can be increased by tossing the target into another enemy or an environmental obstacle, like a wall or tree. Alternatively, it can be used to drag the target towards Eivor for a quick execution.
Lore–gameplay inconsistencies[]
In Assassin's Creed III, rope darts can be looted from enemies, including soldiers in both the British Army and Continental Army, [citation needed] despite the fact that it is meant to be unique to the Assassins. Notwithstanding this, they can be looted even prior to the memory "On Johnson's Trail", where they are first introduced to the protagonist, Connor.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Embers (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed III
- Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India
- Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia
- Assassin's Creed film
- Assassin's Creed: Blade of Shao Jun
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
References[]
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