Assassin's Creed Syndicate: Complete Guide

A practical guide to Assassin's Creed Syndicate on PC: choosing between Jacob and Evie, skills and gear, taking over London's boroughs, the Rooks, collectibles, DLC, and a full achievement plan now that Steam achievements exist.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the December 2024 Steam update that added achievements. This is a finished single-player game; check the linked sources if something differs.

Steam achievements note: Ubisoft added 56 Steam achievements on 12 December 2024. They are awarded retroactively, so old saves that already completed things will pop them. The game still runs through Ubisoft Connect on PC, so you need a Ubisoft account.

Quick Start

Two protagonists, one progression bar. Jacob and Evie Frye share XP and level (max level 10), but each twin learns skills separately and has a few exclusive skills. Switch between them freely outside missions from the map or menu.
Get the Rope Launcher early and use it constantly. It rappels you straight up buildings and fires zip-lines between rooftops. It makes London's wide streets trivial to cross.
Level before you push story. Enemy levels are tied to boroughs. Fighting enemies several levels above you is punishing, so do borough activities as you go.
Take over boroughs for XP, money and allies. Each borough has activity types that, once cleared, unlock a gang war against the Blighter leader. Winning turns the borough over to your Rooks.
Upgrade the Rooks. Gang upgrades on your train hideout make recruited Rooks tougher and more useful, and reduce the pressure from street fights.
Evie for stealth, Jacob for brawls. Both can do everything, but Evie's stealth skills (like Chameleon) make infiltration missions easier and Jacob's combat skills make gang wars and fist fights faster.
Craft upgrades, don't just buy them. Materials from chests and activities feed crafting. Higher-level weapons and outfits come from crafting and gang upgrades.
Carriages are both transport and weapons. Hijack them, ram enemy carriages, and use them to chase down targets.

Characters and Combat

Jacob vs Evie

	Jacob Frye	Evie Frye
Strength	Close-range combat, multi-finishers, crowd fights	Stealth and infiltration
Signature skills	Late combat skills that improve counters and multi-kills	Chameleon (stay nearly invisible while standing still in stealth), stealth-focused perks
Best for	Gang Wars, Fight Clubs, Bounty Hunts with lots of guards	Templar Hunts, stealth assassinations, Child Liberation
Achievement link	"Bartitsu" (every Fight skill as Jacob)	"Phantom" (every Stealth skill as Evie)

Combat basics

Syndicate combat is rhythm-based:

Attack chains build combo; counter when the prompt appears, break defence on blocking enemies, and dodge unblockable gunfire.
Multi-finishers trigger when several enemies are low on health; they are the fastest way to end big fights ("Whirlwind of Death" wants 50).
Air assassinations from zip-lines ("Blade from Above") and stealth kills from hiding spots are strong openers.
Guns shoot enemies before they fire at you (a counter-shot window when an enemy aims), which is what "Most Unsporting" tracks.

Weapons and tools

Type	Examples	Notes
Brass knuckles	Various crafted and unlocked knuckles	Fast hits; brawler style
Kukri	Nepalese curved knives	Balanced speed and damage
Cane-sword	Sword concealed in a cane	Longer reach, stylish combos
Revolvers	Compact revolvers	Ranged burst; limited ammo
Rope Launcher	Traversal gadget	Climb and zip-line anywhere
Throwing knives, smoke bombs, voltaic bombs	Consumables	Crowd control and silent kills
Hallucinogenic darts	Consumable	Turn enemies on each other ("Opium Scourge" wants four at once)

London and the Rooks

Victorian London is split into seven boroughs: Westminster, the Strand, the City of London, Whitechapel, the Thames, Southwark and Lambeth. Each borough starts under the Blighters, the Templar-backed gang, and has its own recommended level.

Borough takeover activities

Activity	What you do	Tips
Gang Stronghold	Clear a Blighter base and complete its objective	Optional constraints feed "Flawless Conqueror"
Templar Hunt	Track and eliminate a Templar target	Stealth with Evie is simplest; "Unqualified Success" needs three with challenges
Bounty Hunt	Capture or kill a target and deliver them	Bring targets back alive ("Thieftaker") for better rewards
Child Liberation	Free child labourers from factories	Stealth; five complete "Children's Aid Society"
Gang War	Final street brawl against the borough's gang leader	Recruit Rooks beforehand and level up first

Clearing all boroughs earns "Street Sweeping". Borough control also increases your income and makes Rooks easier to recruit on the street.

Associates and side activities

London's associates offer mission lines and loyalty rewards. They include figures such as Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Frederick Abberline, Henry Green, Ned Wynert and Clara O'Dea. Reaching Loyalty 1 with all of them earns "A Broad Base", and maxing one earns "Bedfellows, Strange or Otherwise".

Other activities: Fight Clubs ("Bare-Knuckle Champion" for three wins), Street Races ("A Quarter-Furlong at a Time" for first place in three), Raids on trains and boats ("Treasure Hunter" for ten), cargo escorts ("Guardian Angel" for ten), and Crowd Events ("Ordinary Criminal" for twenty).

Story Progression

The game is set in 1868 London, during the Industrial Revolution, as the Frye twins arrive to break the Templar grip on the city. The main story runs across nine Memory Sequences, each with its own achievement (from "A Spanner in the Works" for Sequence 1 through "Shall We Dance?" for Sequence 9). There is also a World War I simulation set in the future, accessed through a rift, that earns "The War at Home". Aim for 100% synchronisation (all optional mission objectives) if you want "Mentor"; you can replay memories from the menu to clean up missed objectives.

Levelling rule of thumb: each 1,000 XP grants a skill point. Doing a few borough activities between story sequences keeps you at the recommended level without grinding.

Collectibles

Collectible	Achievement	Notes
Secrets of London	"Godlike"	Small collectibles hidden across every borough; unlock them all for the achievement
Pressed Flowers	"Language of Flowers"	Small floral collectibles spread across the boroughs
Beer Bottles	"Cerevisaphile"	Sample every beer brand in London
Royal Letters	"A Life in Letters"	Letter collectibles; track remaining ones per borough on the map
Historical Posters	"Student of History"	Scattered posters around the boroughs
Viewpoints	"Chimney Sweep"	Synchronise all to reveal the map; do these as you enter each borough
Chests	(no direct achievement)	Crafting materials and money; many are locked and need lockpicking skills

Tip: Synchronise viewpoints first in each borough; it reveals nearby activities and helps you plan collectible sweeps. Clear one borough completely before moving on so you are not criss-crossing London later.

DLC

DLC	Released	What it adds
Jack the Ripper	15 December 2015 on consoles, 22 December 2015 on PC	A standalone story set in 1888 where Evie hunts the Ripper in the East End; new fear-based tools. "Ripperologist" and "Are you scared yet?" come from here.
The Last Maharaja	1 March 2016	Missions where Jacob and Evie help Duleep Singh
The Dreadful Crimes	11 April 2016 on PC (PS4 first)	Murder investigation cases with clue-based puzzles

Several achievements are tied to Jack the Ripper, including "Ripperologist" (100% sync), "A well-kept secret", "The new terror of Whitechapel" (unlock 50% of skills), "Put the fear of you into them", "Keep calm and carry on" and "Are you scared yet?" (frighten 200 enemies). Budget time for them if you want the full list.

Achievement Plan

Natural story progress: the nine Sequence achievements, "Wonder of the Age" (Level 10), "Artisan" (craft a Level 10 item), "Keys to the City" (all Gang Upgrades), "Multitalented" (ten Perks).
Combat counters: "Blade in the Crowd" (50 assassinations), "Whirlwind of Death" (50 multi-finishers), "Brutal" (30 complete Brutal Takedowns, a Jack the Ripper mechanic), "Queensbury Rules" (combo level 40), "Most Unsporting" (50 shots before they shoot).
Vehicle counters: "Furious" (destroy 20 vehicles by ramming), "You Wouldn't Steal a Policeman's Helmet" (hijack 20 police vehicles), "Without a Grudge" (5,000 destructibles with a carriage), "No Ticket" (kick 50 enemies off trains), "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU" (flip five vehicles by shooting their horses).
Setups worth planning: "Look Out Below" (kill three enemies with hanging barrels; dropping one load on a group is the quickest way), "Needle in a Haystack" (five kills from the same haystack), "Opium Scourge" (hallucinogenic dart on four enemies), "Friends at My Back" (a gang of five Rooks).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rushing the story underleveled. Later sequences expect you to have cleared boroughs; high-level Blighters can kill you in a few hits.
Never upgrading the Rooks. Gang upgrades make recruited Rooks tougher and more useful in Gang Wars.
Ignoring stealth. Many missions are easier and give better sync with Evie and a quiet approach.
Buying gear you can craft. Materials pile up; crafting is the main source of high-end equipment.
Forgetting optional objectives. "Mentor" needs 100% sync in the main memories, so check objectives before starting a mission.

Advanced Tips

Zip-line air assassinations open most fights on your terms; stack them for "Blade from Above".
Use carriages as mobile cover in chases, and ram pursuers off the road.
Clear Child Liberations with Evie and gang wars with Jacob to spend less time on each.
Replay memories to fix missed optional objectives instead of starting a new save.
Recruit Rooks before Gang Wars and Strongholds; they soak damage and turn big fights in your favour.

FAQ

Does Assassin's Creed Syndicate have Steam achievements? Yes, since 12 December 2024. There are 56, awarded retroactively for progress you already made.

Do I need Ubisoft Connect? Yes. The Steam version launches through Ubisoft Connect and needs a Ubisoft account.

What is the level cap? Level 10. Each 1,000 XP earns a skill point.

Should I play as Jacob or Evie? Both. Story missions pick the twin for you; in open-world play, use Evie for stealth activities and Jacob for combat-heavy ones.

Is there multiplayer? No. Syndicate is single-player only.

Can I miss achievements permanently? Very few. Collectibles, borough activities and counters can all be finished in free roam after the credits, and memories can be replayed for 100% sync. The main risk is simply forgetting a counter, so glance at the achievement list before you finish the last borough.

Why are my Steam achievements not unlocking? They are tied to progress tracked by the game. Launch through Steam with Ubisoft Connect signed in to the same account as your save; retroactive unlocks are awarded when the game syncs your existing progress.

Is Jack the Ripper worth it? Yes if you want the full achievement list or more Evie story; several achievements depend on it.