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The Crusaders was a coalition army of numerous monastic/military Christian knights that declared war and set out on a Crusade to the Holy Land, aiming to forcefully reclaim it from the Muslim Saracens in the name of Christianity. Their leader was the King of England, Richard the Lionheart. They appear in the city of Acre, the Kingdom, and Arsuf. The coalition is composed of Crusader Knightly Orders such as: Richard's Crusaders, Knights Templar, Knights Hospitalier, and Knights Teutonic.
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The Crusader knight==
A Crusader knight
Richard's Crusaders can be found throughout the Kingdom, and the chain district of Acre, (where they are always Informed and very easily provoked due to the war) and are only loyal to King Richard.
Richard's English knights are commonly mistaken for Templar knights, due to the similar coloration of their uniforms. Richard's knights, however, can be distinguished from Templar knights by their crests. Templars are marked with a red cross, whereas English knights have a prancing lion.
King Richard
- Main article: Richard I of England
Richard I of England, commonly known as Richard the Lionheart, is the leader of the Crusaders. He makes only two appearances in the game, one in the city of Acre, having a conversation with William of Montferrat just before he rides off to battle and another in Arsuf before and after the battle with Robert de Sable.
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In Battle ==
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Low-Ranking Soldier===
The lowest ranking soldiers are the most common Crusaders, having no complicated armor. They are dressed in red and white, and speak English. The low-ranking Crusaders cannot grab, counter, or dodge Altaïr (only blocking with their sword), cannot break grabs, and are dispatched easily. These soldiers can be killed by just one sword/short blade counter, in which Altaïr will end up impaling the soldier, instead of just throwing him away from himself. Of course, like most guards in the game, these soldiers can be killed with just one Hidden Blade counter. Low-ranking soldiers are also known to be frightened the most during battle, especially when Altaïr pulls off intense moves. Because of this, they will usually either run away after their comrades are slain, or get on their knees and beg for mercy. The quickest way of doing this is killing their higher ranked compatriots.
Middle-Ranking Soldier
The middle-ranking soldiers are the second most common types of Crusaders. They speak French or German. These soldiers have some armor worn (heavy chain mail with plate armor, vambraces and shoulder badges), unlike their lower counterparts and seem to have a degree of combat experience. Because of this, they are harder to kill, and may take a few more hits, unless the player is using the Hidden Blade to counter. These soldiers can grab Altaïr by his robe and throw him, making them a much more deadly adversary than low ranking soldiers. If Altaïr continuously slashes at these foes, they will either counter or dodge him, and can either follow up the dodge by rushing back with a sword slash, or just staying back. These soldiers can also tolerate one sword or short blade counter, though a second one (or a single hidden blade counter) should prove successful. Altaïr can try to grab these soldiers, but there is a chance they will break his grab, and Altaïr will end up on the floor. These soldiers can still run away if frightened, but are less likely to than the lower class soldiers. The language that these soldiers speak entirely depends on the helmet they wear. The same applies to the High Ranking Soldiers and Templar Knights.
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High-Ranking Soldier ===
High ranking Crusaders attacking Altaïr.
These high-ranking soldiers are the least common types of Crusaders (excluding the Templars). These soldiers also wear red and white, but the prancing lion crest is gold instead of white and red. Also, their robes are longer than the low and middle ranking soldiers and they have additional armor (such as chain mail), and a knight's helm. Like the middle-ranker, they speak French or German and rarely English. They are easily the strongest soldiers, excluding the Templar Knights. They are usually found leading a small troop of lesser soldiers on patrol. These soldiers can take two counters before dying or a single Hidden Blade counter. Skilled in counterattacks, there is a very high chance for Altaïr's slashes to be countered, usually ending up with the Assassin being struck across the face and knocked to the ground. These soldiers also have a large chance of breaking grabs, and dodging attacks. These soldiers rarely flee from battle, usually fighting to the death.
Templar Knight
This section of the article deals specifically with the enemy type found in Assassin's Creed. For information on the Knights Templar as a faction, see Templars.
A Templar battles with Altaïr.
The toughest non-boss unit that is found in game. The Templar Knight's armor is similar to the high-ranking Crusader soldier (see above) except that they possess plate mail greaves, wear a Templar tunic, and most of the time sport bloodstains on their helms and swords. Templars speaks all three Crusader dialects (English, French, and German) and a few have even been caught speaking Arabic and Turkish. There are sixty Templar Knights lurking in secluded spots throughout the entirety of Outremer (besides Masyaf), and are even spotted in and around Saracen cities (a possible foreshadowing to their true goals). They are very hostile and will attack on sight. While usually found alone, the fight can easily attract extra guards, which can possibly ruin a mission. The Templar Knight is not much more durable than a high ranking soldier, but is more aggressive and will counter most grabs and attacks. Three counters are needed to finish a fight, but if the Templar ends up on the floor, the Hidden Blade can finish him with a single strike. A Hidden Blade can often also be used right at the beginning of the battle if you're quick, as the first thing the Templar Knight will do when he sees you is taunt you, presenting a small window of opportunity for an instant kill straightaway. When confronted by a Templar, other guards can possibly give room for the duel, though the Templar will never flee.