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So I have the Mute ability in one of my sets but I'm having a tough time figuring out how to actually use it. It's supposedly prevents any Templar around me within a certain distance from being able to kill, stun or use their abilities. I figure the orb that forms around me shows the region it's supposed to affect. However it doesn't seem to be working for me at all.

If I'm on the hunt and use it on a target, they almost always are able to contest the kill or stun me. Likewise when I'm being defensive, my pursuer is able to just run up to me and kill me. Yet somehow, if other people manage to use it on me, it always seems to affect me. It doesn't seem to matter if I use it only when close or preemptively for the approach.

In case it matters, I'm playing the PC version and it seems I'm connecting laggy hosts every once in a while. Kills, stuns or contested kills I know I should have gotten don't seem to register for me at times. But even if this is causing problems, why isn't it working even when I use it before they're anywhere near striking distance and if I try to compensate for the lag?

How the heck am I supposed to use this thing?

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Ok something I'm specifically looking for: Is there a delay? As in does it take time to arm? Everyone that has used it on me hits me instantly. Why isn't that working for me? Does that orb that forms mean that's the area it will affect? Does it only affect Templars that were within the orb when I used it or does it affect anyone that moves into it. – Jeff Mercado Dec 7 '11 at 4:19

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Unfortunately the ability is incredibly buggy is greatly affected by lag. Just be aware that if you have a terrible connection with the host, you will have a lot of trouble using this ability. A lot of times it's hit-or-miss. But you have the highest chance of success if you use it on flat ground (sloped surfaces messes it up a lot) and you aren't too close your target.

There's one thing I've never realized about until now, the duration of the Mute is incredibly short. Uncrafted, it is 1.5 seconds to be exact. So you really need to be in position and time it right for it to be useful. So no using it too early to create a safe zone, you gotta wait til your target is close enough for you to make your move but not too close where they can overtake you. Also you must use it before they attack/stun/use an ability, it will not cancel it out.

Once I've realized this, I've been able to to make greater use of this ability. No more stunning then dying of poisoning, mute them so they can't poison you and you get your uncontested stun.

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I'm starting to think that mute is incredibly buggy and will only work sometimes. Maybe only if you have a decent connection with the host. If you don't, you're SoL. – Jeff Mercado Dec 11 '11 at 12:37
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Mute is actually just as useful as smoke bombs... if you know how to use them... for example I do.

click mute when your target/pursuer is roughly on the edge of the distance your mute will reach... press mute and then close the distance to kill/stun.

In AC, 1.5 seconds is actaully a lot longer than you believe.

It is extremely useful to use in a team with smoke... specially in Manhunt, when you are hiding.. the smoke will do its job... and the mute will allow you to stun that last pursuer and allow for a nice run away... or you can mute, and then during the stun animation... to catch those foolish enough to run at you... smoke... they will run in... you will stun and run away happily.

It did take me a while to get use to mute, and I hated it in AC:B... However in AC:R it is by far the most improved ability IMO

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Ok so it looks like a timing issue for me. I found mute more useful in general when compared to smoke (when it worked AFAIK). I swear I've tried doing it at different times ranging from very early to very late and I could never get a consistent timing. I even gave up kills and stuns just to test this and let others go after me. Those tests might have worked better if I was playing with someone I knew and could give me feedback. But over time I think I figured some things out. Like a lot of things are affected by whether or not targets are aware of you and are walking or running up to you. – Jeff Mercado Mar 3 '12 at 4:18
up vote -1 down vote

Very simply: don't use it.

All the benefits of muting someone are also achieved by throwing a smoke bomb, with the added bonus of visually impairing your enemy as you make a hasty retreat. Also, the smoke bomb lasts longer.

I also seem to rememeber that the smoke bomb cooldown is less than the mute cooldown. Mute does trigger slightly faster though. But I'd suggest using smoke bomb over mute.

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Every ability has its own specific purpose. Smoke bombs and mute have their own. Smoke can stop just about everyone that approaches on the ground but it cannot save you from those that attack from above. Mute can do that. And it can be used for quick incapacitation, better on the defensive, especially to help protect allies. This is not a choice over which one is better, it's a choice over which gets the job done. Just so you know, I have smoke bombs in all of my sets because I know they're that good ;) – Jeff Mercado Jan 9 '12 at 18:36
If I'm not mistaken, Mute only works in a small radius around you. That would mean that you would have to trigger it while your killer is already jumping down at you, but then the kill-animation is already triggered so I doubt that it can save you. You'd have to anticipate someone jumping of a roof even if you could mute them that far away... – Flater Jan 10 '12 at 12:02
On the contrary, it has a pretty large radius (6 meters). Yes you would have to anticipate an attack to prevent an aerial attack but that's true for any attacker really, you need to anticipate their moves in any situation. – Jeff Mercado Jan 10 '12 at 17:42
Most buildings are higher than 6m. Anyone standing at 6m , you could easily spot walking not far above you own head. I doubt it's useful, but I see your point :) – Flater Jan 11 '12 at 8:30

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