Bow

"While a crossbow is a blessing for an untrained army, skill with a longbow will always outperform it."

―Mario Auditore.

Ratonhnhaké:ton wielding a bow

The bow is a projectile weapon that has been used by many human civilizations, spanning over millennia.

Usage

Use of the bow by archers has been prevalent since the Middle Ages, spanning into the Renaissance. Individuals with the weapon were commonly assigned as sentries for important locations, and used their bows to attack trespassers from the rooftops that they were stationed on.

In battle, soldiers with bows were used to pick off enemies from a distance, and were effective in defending their walls during siege warfare. In the Renaissance, the crossbow became popular for this purpose as well, though a longbow was a more effective choice if used by a skilled soldier.

A team of Assassin archers

The Assassin Order used bows frequently, as they were silent, long-ranged weapons, and many individual members were known for their skill with them. The Assassin Qulan Gal helped to assassinate Genghis Khan by shooting his horse with a bow and arrow, and would later be commemorated with the bow as his Assassin Seal.

Perotto Calderon and Cipriano Enu, both Italian Assassins, acquired great skill with the bow, and were able to kill targets from up to four rooftops away with a single arrow.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Assassin Ratonhnhaké:ton wielded the bow for both combat and hunting purposes, using it to kill assassination targets and animals alike. His skill with the weapon was so honed that he could even target specific limbs of his prey.

Gallery

Bows used in the Defense of Monteriggioni

Soldiers falling to Cipriano Enu's arrows

A model of Connor's Native American bow

Connor approaching an elk with his bow

Connor aiming with his bow

Connor hunting with a bow

Connor firing his bow