Basim's backstory depicts him as the master thief of Anbar. Hence, due to his sole reliance on stealth, combat mechanics in Assassin's Creed Mirage are introduced to players when Basim undergoes his training as an aspiring Hidden One. In the "A New Beginning" quest line, players can also get introduced to Throwing Knives, which happen to be one of the most overpowered tools in the game.
Due to their sheer versatility and effective ranged damage, mastering the use of throwing knives efficiently can drastically lower the game's difficulty. However, during the initial stages of the game, Basim can only carry four of these throwing knives at a time. Players can quickly run out of throwing knives if they use them repeatedly in an altercation. This can be prevented by choosing appropriate perks, play-styles, and tool upgrades. Figuring out when to use and conserve throwing knives isn't easy, so here's a guide to never running out of throwing knives in Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Every Tool, Ranked
Out of every tool in Assassin's Creed Mirage, only one can claim the spot as the best for Basim's arsenal of Assassin weaponry.
How To Stop Running Out of Throwing Knives
As the first tool to be introduced in Assassin's Creed Mirage, the throwing knives can be used relatively early in the game. It's surprisingly powerful for such an early introduction, as the tool has immense power and a range of 18 meters without any upgrades. When aimed at the head, enemies with no protection do not stand a chance against it.
Players are bound to run out of throwing knives in the early stages of the game. The easiest options for retrieving them are looting the bodies of dead soldiers, or looking around for loot-able boxes. However, when players need throwing knives before a mission, visiting nearby merchants is the safest bet. Saving up money would be a smarter choice than purchasing tools from merchants, but the option is available for players in a pinch.
The Auto Collect and Knife Recovery Perks
Once players carry on with their missions, they receive skill points which they can spend on new skills for Basim. Prioritizing the Trickster skill tree is the way to go to never run out of throwing knives. Upon accumulating six skill points, players can unlock the "Knife Recovery" skill for Basim.
This skill lets Basim pick up used throwing knives off the bodies of dead opponents. It does not matter whether they used a single knife or multiple knives to defeat the opponent in question. This skill lets players retrieve all of their used throwing knives, provided they hit the target.
This essentially lets players use unlimited throwing knives with a few conditions. These include reaching the body of the defeated opponent, and not missing the targets in question.
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The only times when the throwing knives cannot be recovered are when they miss or get deflected by armor. Hence, using the tool to disarm alarm bells or distract enemies means that they cannot be recovered. This is why the Knife Recovery Perk falls just short of providing an infinite supply of throwing knives. However, players can still loot defeated enemies thanks to their already-unlocked Auto-Collect perk, which brings in a steady supply of throwing knives back to the players.
Upgrades and Play-Style choices
If players still struggle to keep a full stack of throwing knives at their side, they are free to upgrade their throwing knife capacity to six. However, this means that they have to sacrifice a boost to the effective range, or a significant increase in damage for their Tier 1 tool upgrade for the throwing knives.
The costs for the tier 1 tool enhancement are:
- 20 Components
- 35 Steel
- 15 Leather
As for the recommended stealth playstyle, players should take out several opponents with throwing knives while maintaining a height advantage and away from enemy vision. Then, collect them back up when the area is clear. Basim can easily get through undetected and dominate enemies from afar and in the safety of height advantage.
On the other hand, situations that require combat can cause panic while using throwing knives. Players can expect to get better at it with practice. In combat with multiple opponents, players must create space by locking on to the closest enemy and staying on the move. This creates windows of opportunity for using the throwing knives without the risk of getting caught in their attacks. Aiming using L2 on PlayStation consoles is the best way to lock onto the middle torso area of the targeted enemy. Hence, flicking the aim stick up quickly can effectively switch the aim to head level, which results in critical damage.
There are eight different types of enemies in AC Mirage, and most can be taken care of with a well-placed throwing knife to the head. However, some heavily armored enemies like the Captain or Shakiriyya can deflect or minimize the effects of throwing knives.
Hence, using other tools or even throwing knives at bags full of red dust can provide a window for escape or dealing with stunned enemies head-on. Players can also break the horns used by horn-bearers to call for reinforcements or take out the oil reserves carried by flamethrower enemies.
Players must also remember that these actions do not ensure knife recovery upon usage. Hence, using them when absolutely necessary is the way to go.
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Assassin's Creed: Mirage
- Released
- October 12, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Bordeaux
- Franchise
- Assassin's Creed
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action-Adventure
