Whenever the Templar Awareness Meter is in the Aware status, performing actions that lead to meter increases may provoke a Templar attack on an Assassin Den. This shifts the status of the Den to Contested. The region surrounding it will be populated with Templars, and Marksmen booths will be occupied by Gunmen. You must infiltrate the Restricted Area and interact with the front door of the Den to trigger the Den Defense minigame and attempt to repel the assault.

Successfully completing a Den Defense leads to monetary rewards, crafting ingredients, XP for Ezio’s Assassins, and unit unlocks for future Den Defense scenarios. Failure will cause the Den to switch back to Templar control, and Ezio must once again kill the local Captain and light the Signal Fire to reassert Assassin dominance in the region.

If you have a particular penchant for this minigame, the quickest way to trigger a Den Defense is to fill the meter by any method you deem appropriate, then enter a Templar Den and kill a few Templars in open conflict. If all Dens are under Assassin control, you’ll just need to pick on Ottomans instead.

If you would prefer to avoid Den Defense situations, assigning an Assassin to a Den and completing both parts of his or her Master Assassin training (see page 96) will cause that Den to become “locked”, rendering it immune to future Templar attacks.

Defense Strategy

Preparations and Opening Tactics

Before the battle, study the varieties and numbers of each enemy type you will face during the siege. This will enable you to decide which units to choose using the Edit function. Consult the reference tables for advice on the relationships between different Assassin and Templar units.

When the battle begins, a slightly risky opening strategy will pay off over the course of the engagement. Depending on how many Morale points you start with, position at least two Leaders on rooftops immediately, then quickly position a handful of affordable Crossbowmen on the rooftops close to the first Templar wave. Aim to have all available rooftops occupied by a Leader after a couple of waves to maximize Morale generation: each one contributes two points every ten seconds, which soon stacks up.

This tactic leaves you with very few units for the first few waves, so it’s pivotal that you fire Ezio’s Pistol constantly to support your Crossbowmen. If an early wave should feature a large group of opponents, use a single Cannon burst to destroy them as they arrive...