The Syrian Sabre
The Syrian Sabre, or Old Syrian Sword,[1] was a scimitar used by the Levantine Assassins during the Third Crusade. As one of the deadliest swords in their arsenal at the time, its usage was restricted to those who had attained the rank of Master Assassin. The sword continued to be utilized throughout the many centuries that followed, spreading even to the shops of blacksmiths in Italy, though its prestige and efficacy significantly diminished.
Description[]
As a sabre, the Syrian sabre differed from other swords in the Assassin arsenal during the Crusades by being curved and single-edged. It boasted a keen blade superior to that of the typical straight swords of this period in the Levant. The hilt itself was of elegant gold and an elaborate, majestic design. Notably, the crossguard was asymmetrical, with the rear bar tapering behind in a serpentine shape while its front counterpart curved downwards to connect with the pommel to serve as a full handguard.[2]
History[]
As a powerful weapon granted only to Master Assassins, it was the weapon-of-choice for Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad during his operations in 1191. He wielded it in his mission with Malik and Kadar Al-Sayf to Solomon's Temple[3] and in the defense of Masyaf against the Templar invasion that followed,[4] only to be deprived of it[5] upon his demotion by Al Mualim for his transgressions in the former mission.[6] Upon climbing the ladder back to the Master Assassin rank, he was bestowed with the sword once more by Al Mualim.[7] Immediately afterwards, he took it to his attempted assassination of Robert de Sablé in Jerusalem, dueling the Grand Master's decoy Maria Thorpe,[8] and then at the Battle of Arsuf where he finally slew de Sablé in a trial by combat.[9] It was with this sword that he defeated the traitorous Al Mualim upon his return from Arsuf.[10]
In the year that followed, however, he returned to employing the typical eagle-pommeled, double-edged sword of intermediate Assassins, eventually favoring it as his iconic, personal weapon.[11] The Sword of Altaïr, as it became known, ultimately superseded the Syrian sabre for Altaïr when it was refined to become one of the deadliest blades until at least the 15th century.[1][12][13]
Syrian sabres were sold by blacksmiths in Italian cities such as Florence, Venice, Forlì, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, and Rome during the Renaissance. Unlike those crafted by the Assassins in the Third Crusade, these Syrian sabres were inferior in efficacy to many contemporary Italian swords, a fact the Italian Assassin Ezio Auditore quickly learned.[1] During this period, the blacksmiths of Constantinople in the Ottoman Empire also provided these sabres to their patrons.[13] The use of the sabre also spread to Spain, where it was utilized by the Spanish Brotherhood of Assassins, who were able to forge it at their hideout in Sierra de Cazorla.[14] The weapon was so closely tied to the Assassins that millennia in 2013, Abstergo Entertainment's CCO Olivier Garneau kept a silver replica of it in his Montreal, Quebec office.
Weapon statistics[]
12th century Syria[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
| Syrian Sabre | 4* | 4* | 4* | N/A | Block 8 |
15th century Italy[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
| Syrian Sabre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2,300ƒ | Sequence 2 |
15th century Spain[]
| Name | Tier | Damage | Speed | Miss Chance | Modifiers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syrian Sabre | ★★ | 36-50 | 1.00 | 7% | +1% Critical Chance +10% Critical Bonus +1% Dodge |
4,000 Reales 50 Iron Ore 50 Tanned Leather |
| Description | ||||||
| A Syrian-style sabre, similar to those used by the Levantine Brotherhood during the Third Crusade. | ||||||
| Name | Tier | Damage | Speed | Miss Chance | Modifiers | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Syrian Sabre | ★★★ | 108-132 | 1.00 | 7% | +2% Critical Chance +20% Critical Bonus +1% Dodge |
9,000 Reales 100 Steel Ingot 100 Hardened Leather 1 Syrian Sabre |
| Description | ||||||
| A higher-quality version of the Syrian Sabre, similar to those used by the Levantine Brotherhood during the Third Crusade. | ||||||
16th century Rome[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
| Syrian Sabre | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7,920ƒ | Sequence 6 |
16th century Constantinople[]
| Name | Damage | Speed | Deflect | Cost | Availability |
| Syrian Sabre | 2 | 4 | 3 | 11,960 
|
Sequence 5 |
*In the Animus 1.28, there were no specified Damage, Speed or Deflect statistics. Weapon strength was based on ranks, with the Syrian Sabre being the last out of four.
Gallery[]
Behind the scenes[]
In the memory "Last Man Standing" from the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II, the protagonist Ezio Auditore is seen wielding this sword during the execution of his father Giovanni and brothers Federico and Petruccio, despite the fact that he had earlier retrieved the Common Sword from his father's hidden room.
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
- Assassin's Creed II
- Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed II
- ↑ Assassin's Creed
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Acquisition
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Guardian
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Eavesdropping (Masun)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Glory
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Assassination (William of Montferrat)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Assassination (Robert de Sablé)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Assassination II (Robert de Sablé)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed – Assassination (Al Mualim)
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Assassin's Creed: Revelations
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Rebellion