Side Activity Achievements

This section of our guide focuses on achievements and trophies earned by engaging with the various side activities available in Assassin's Creed II. While not directly tied to the main story, these activities offer a rich layer of gameplay, from challenging races to strategic assassinations, and are crucial for achieving 100% completion. Many of these achievements require you to actively seek out and complete specific tasks that go beyond the core narrative, often rewarding you with florins, experience, or even new equipment.

Successfully tackling these side activities not only pads your Gamerscore or Trophy list but also deepens your understanding of Renaissance Italy and Ezio's world. You'll participate in races, deliver letters, perform assassination contracts, and even manage your Monteriggioni villa. We'll break down each achievement, providing tips and strategies to make your pursuit of them as efficient and enjoyable as possible, ensuring you don't miss any opportunities to earn those coveted digital accolades.

No-hitter: Complete the "Beat Up" side mission without taking any damage. These missions are marked with a fist icon on your map. The key here is to counter-attack effectively. Wait for the enemy to attack, press the counter button (Square on PlayStation, X on Xbox 360, Y on Wii U, Left Mouse Button + Right Mouse Button on PC), and then follow up with a quick combo. If you find yourself struggling, try to isolate enemies or use environmental objects to your advantage.
Sweeper: Sweep 5 guards off their feet at once using a broom. Brooms are typically found near market stalls or civilian areas. Locate a group of at least five guards, equip a broom (you'll need to disarm a civilian holding one, or find one lying around), and then perform a sweeping attack (hold the attack button). This might take a few attempts to line up correctly.
Messer Sandman: Stun 4 guards at once using sand. To do this, you'll need to have sand equipped as a secondary weapon. Find a group of four or more guards, get close enough, and then use the sand attack (Triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox 360, X on Wii U, Q on PC). This is most easily done when guards are clustered together, perhaps during a chase or a confrontation.
Fly Swatter: Kick a guard while flying with the Venetian Gondola. This achievement is specific to Venice. You'll need to find one of Leonardo's flying machines. Once airborne, fly over a guard and perform an aerial kick (press the attack button while above them). This requires some precision in piloting the flying machine.
Showtime: Throw a smoke bomb at a group of 4 guards. Smoke bombs are a valuable tool for crowd control. Equip a smoke bomb and throw it into a cluster of four or more guards. This will temporarily disorient them, allowing you to escape or perform other actions.
Doctor: Perform 10 air assassinations on Doctors. Doctors are the robed, non-hostile NPCs who can heal you. You'll need to find them in various cities and perform an air assassination from a rooftop or ledge. They are usually found in market areas or near injured civilians.