How efficient would "traditional" assassins be today?

[orangebandguy]

Their attire seemed to work for them in Assassin's Creed.

Everyone must be blind as to how inconspicuous they look.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

They could probably kill simple targets. But they wouldn't be able to handle the top brand stuff.

 

[sms_117b]

He would be just as efficient and probably a damn sight smarter, no vantage point for a single shot, no, no, no, this assassins poisoning favourite foods, dropping acid and striking from shadows, along other tricks and tools of the trade.

 

[Danny Ocean]

That, my friend, is a great book series. I just finished the first book, but I love it. So, had to add that in :] And I love AC II. Beat the first game ^.^

OT: Modern assassins? Well, for one, the blade would be much more preferred, a lot more quieter than a noisy gun. And easier to hide, while getting a sure kill. Second, with all the modern technology, assassins would probably be caught before they could carry out with their Deader... Whoops, I meant target ;]

Would it though? If you don't silence them before they can call out- a likely occurrence with a blade- then a simple cry for help will see you eviscerated by lead. I was under the impression silenced weapons were actually quite quiet. Certainly more so than the inevitable tussle with a man carrying a knife.

Besides, if traditional assassins still worked, why then hell do we not still have them? It's simple logic. Assassins now use guns because it's difficult if not impossible to stab the guy: he's probably wearing a bullet proof and so stab proof vest, is surrounded by guards, probably has his own gun, with a good area of clearance between him and the crowd, and other precautions.

Really, this is a bit of a silly question, and I think we all know it.

But then again, perhaps an important but not so important guy could probably fall prey to a knife-wielding assassin, but then why not just shoot him when he's on the way to his car from a nice safe distance?

 

[Amnestic]

That, my friend, is a great book series. I just finished the first book, but I love it. So, had to add that in :] And I love AC II. Beat the first game ^.^

OT: Modern assassins? Well, for one, the blade would be much more preferred, a lot more quieter than a noisy gun. And easier to hide, while getting a sure kill. Second, with all the modern technology, assassins would probably be caught before they could carry out with their Deader... Whoops, I meant target ;]

Would it though? If you don't silence them before they can call out- a likely occurrence with a blade- then a simple cry for help will see you eviscerated by lead. I was under the impression silenced weapons were actually quite quiet. Certainly more so than the inevitable tussle with a man carrying a knife.

Besides, if traditional assassins still worked, why then hell do we not still have them? It's simple logic. Assassins now use guns because it's difficult if not impossible to stab the guy: he's probably wearing a bullet proof and so stab proof vest, is surrounded by guards, probably has his own gun, with a good area of clearance between him and the crowd, and other precautions.

Really, this is a bit of a silly question, and I think we all know it.

But then again, perhaps an important but not so important guy could probably fall prey to a knife-wielding assassin, but then why not just shoot him when he's on the way to his car from a nice safe distance?

Because it's not "cool" enough, apparently.

Practicality above all. You use the best tools for whatever job you're given. Whether that's a blade-in-the-crowd, poison or a high powered sniper rifle from five streets away.

Doing anything less will likely get you killed or worse, captured.

 

[Ph33nix]

ineffective. you can't get close enough to important people to kill them.

This, hence why assassins these days use guns; they have adapted to the times.

well "traditional" implies that they useblades

 

[Tdc2182]

Running around in a monks hood with a sword and couple of knives on your back is unfortunately noticable. Traditional assassins dont call themselves assissns anymore. There is a group that is called ____ (something with an a like arcimist or somethin) group that goes out in pairs to do Jason Bourne type stuff. They are full of overacheivers from armed forces. My bro did some work with one of the guys once.

 

[Julianking93]

Considering the security people have now (especially the people usually targeted by assassin's) it would be impossible to get close enough to them to kill them with a blade.

The only way to go now is with a sniper rifle, though, I do prefer blades to guns

 

[Alphavillain]

How macabre. I'd love to give some advice, but I can't divulge my working methods.

 

[mindclockwork]

maybe there are "assassins" around here nowadays too, theyre just so damn good in it that no one knows about them... yet.

 

[Razavn]

I suppose it depends on your definition of "traditional assassin". Because Kylar from the Night Angel trilogy, and infact any wetboy noted, is not necessarily traditional with the use of those magical orbs, the names of which I've forgotten! With todays technology at their disposal (without resorting to ballistics) they could do pretty well.

I believe you are talking about the ka'kari (I think anyways). Anywho, I believe that a tradtional assassain trick would only work once because it is so unexpected afterwards everyone's guard will be up and it would no longer be effective.

P.S. I loved that series of books...I own all three and I hope he writes some more not neccesscarily about Kylar but maybe in the same universe.

 

[Xojins]

ineffective. you can't get close enough to important people to kill them.

This, hence why assassins these days use guns; they have adapted to the times.

well "traditional" implies that they useblades

Yes... and they would be ineffective... hence why assassins these days use guns...

 

[Cmwissy]

I've never understood this whole thing about Assassin's need to use daggers in gaming and popular culture; too me an assassin uses whatever is best at the time and never get's stuck with one weapon; a 'I'm trained in 16234 types of karate' kind of thing.

Too me an assassin should be able to use any weapon effectively to get a job done; if he can't he's not a good assassin.

 

[Lord George]

Well considering real life assassins are just thugs with a clear target, no they would simply use guns.

 

[Ultrajoe]

So, I'm rereading the Night Angel Trilogy

I read that recently, I find it to be a greasy but delicious guilty pleasure... like Dan Brown or Matthew Reilly.

 

[firedfns13]

They wouldn't. Especially in America, where it is ILlegal to NOT have a gun.

I don't own a gun. I did at one point own 2 paintball markers and at the moment I own an airsoft version of the Colt 1911.

If those traditional assassins used something like a poison syringe, they could get away. I figure it wouldn't be too hard to accidentally brush into someone, and then said person has a heart attack. It's just like in Tom Clancy's "Teeth of the Tiger".

 

[Schlorgan]

They'll be coming for you next just for doubting them

 

[Xvito]

They wouldn't. Especially in America, where it is ILlegal to NOT have a gun.

I don't own a gun. I did at one point own 2 paintball markers and at the moment I own an airsoft version of the Colt 1911.

If those traditional assassins used something like a poison syringe, they could get away. I figure it wouldn't be too hard to accidentally brush into someone, and then said person has a heart attack. It's just like in Tom Clancy's "Teeth of the Tiger".

Actually, that is not far off, one of the more successful assassins of all time used a canister filled with lethal gas. He killed a great many people before getting caught. I do, however, not recall his name at this point in time.

 

[Slycne]

What's a "traditional" assassin though? Tradition implies an inherited practice or pattern that is still in use despite practicality, ineffectualness or others say so. A dagger wielding assassin is no more traditional then a foot soldier with a spear. Efficiency is also hard to measure. Do you mean efficiency is always guaranteeing a kill, cost, time involved, risk of discovery, etc?

To answer the spirit of the question - not very. Risk increases as distance to the target decreases. Plenty of better ways to make some dead these days then to stick a dagger in their back.

For anyone interested in assassin literature though, I would highly recommend the Vlad Taltos series.