Assassin's Creed and Wargaming - Nizari Ismailites in Persia and Syria

While Assassin’s Creed is a great game that brought the Order of Assassins to light as a force of good opposing the evil Templars, it is obvious that reality was quite different. The same goes for Marco Polo’s tales about the leader of the Assassins in his travelogue, The Travels of Marco Polo (known in Czech as Milion).

"Alete is a region where a very evil prince ruled, who was called the Old Man of the Mountain. I, Marco, will relate what I heard about him in that region from many people. This prince, along with the entire nation he ruled, was a follower of Muhammad. He devised an unprecedented wickedness to breed brave, insidious killers or gladiators, generally called Assassins—hashish-eaters. Thanks to their courage, he could kill whomever he wanted, so everyone feared him."

— Marco Polo, Milion (translated from Latin by Václav Bahník, Odeon Publishing, 1989, translated to English by AI).

In today’s Historical Interlude, we will take a trip to the very foundations of Islam, to distant Persia, and to the Levant.

Fida'i by Gripping Beast/Wargames Illustrated

Theological Interlude

It is impossible to explain the history of the Nizari Ismailis without a brief theological interlude. Anyone who has completed at least primary school knows that Islam exists and is divided into Shia and Sunni branches. For those who want to know more, Wikipedia can help; I will focus on what directly concerns the Assassins.

One of the fundamental differences in Islamic theology is, first and foremost, who is the legitimate successor to Muhammad. Whether it was Abu Bakr, Muhammad’s close friend, or Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law. The Shias chose Ali, while the Sunnis chose Abu Bakr. Due to the strict unification of secular and religious power, two competing caliphates existed side-by-side in the later Middle Ages: the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, representing the Sunnis, and the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo, where the caliph was simultaneously the Ismaili Imam.

Two new terms, and they just keep coming! While in Sunni theology an imam is simply the one who stands in front—meaning the one who leads the prayer (and this can be absolutely anyone, usually the best scholar of faith in the community)—the caliph is a military and political leader. He is elected, fallible, and does not alter dogmas, but merely protects them. Neither possesses divine inspiration. Thus, the entire Sunni system is highly decentralized.

In contrast, there is only one Shia Imam at any given time. He is endowed with divine guidance, must be a blood relative of the Prophet, and is infallible and sinless in interpreting the hidden meaning of the Quran.

Naturally, Shia sects further divide based on which imam they recognize as the true successor. And this is where the Ismailis enter the scene. During the lifetime of the 6th Imam, a major schism occurred. Ismail, the originally chosen successor, died before his father (the 6th Imam). At least, this is claimed by the majority of Shias (the Twelvers), who accepted that the father had to choose a new successor. Their lineage then continued until the 12th Imam, who, according to them, was taken by God out of our world (into occultation) to return at the end of times as the Mahdi. Hence, "Twelvers." (Ahem. Dune? Could Frank Herbert have drawn inspiration from here?).

However, the "Seveners" decided to follow the lineage of the true seventh imam—Ismail. The Ismailis did not believe that Ismail had actually died. According to them, his death was merely faked to protect him from Sunni rulers. The subsequent imams lived in hiding until they triumphantly established the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt in the 10th century. This caliphate ultimately lasted over two hundred and fifty years, and its demise was triggered by another schism in 1094, when the Imam-Caliph Al-Mustansir died after a long 60-year reign.

According to the Nizari Ismailis, he had designated his eldest son, Nizar, as his successor. Remember, the old imam chooses the new one based on divine guidance and is infallible, right? However, after the ruler's death, the powerful vizier Al-Afdal staged a palace coup and declared Nizar’s younger, more pliable brother, Al-Musta'li, as the designated successor. At that time, the vizier held immense power, had most of the officials and the army on his payroll, and knew exactly how to navigate palace politics.

Nizar fled to Alexandria, gathered an army with heavy participation from Berber tribes, and revolted. Long story short: he lost, was captured, and was likely bricked up alive in Cairo. Yet, a faction of Ismailis indignantly declared Nizar to be the only true imam. According to them, his descendants went underground as hidden imams, and his loyal followers left Cairo.

Entering Hasan-i Sabbah…

Hasan-i Sabbah

The Assassins

With the benefit of hindsight, it is entirely obvious that the idea of acquiring and maintaining Christian overseas territories—given the logistics, transportation, demographics, and political realities of the era—was completely absurd. Yet, Hasan-i Sabbah managed to create a state within a state in a dominantly Sunni environment, founding a community that endures to this day. True, just like the rest of the Middle East, the state he founded did not survive the onslaught of the Mongols (the Ilkhanate) and the Mamluks; however, unlike other sects, the Nizaris survived.

Hasan-i Sabbah likely came from Yemeni royal blood. He was a highly educated man, not only in matters of faith—capable of quoting Quranic interpretations across a wide range of schools—but also highly proficient in fields such as linguistics, mathematics, astronomy, alchemy, medicine, and architecture. He was born and raised in Iran, where he initially belonged to the Twelvers. However, numerous Ismaili missionaries were active in the region. At a young age, Hasan converted to Ismailism and embraced the concept of the mission—da'wa, the spreading of the Ismaili faith. In 1078, he arrived in Cairo, where he became a follower of Nizar. He returned to Persia in 1081 and continued spreading the faith. Taking advantage of the fact that the mountain tribes detested both their newly imposed Seljuk lords and Arab dominance, he gradually converted them. This led to his bloodless capture of the fortress of Alamut in 1088.

In 1095, Nizar died. Hasan immediately declared Nizar as the sole Imam and severed ties with Cairo. Since Nizar was dead, Hasan needed a way to resolve the situation. He declared that the Imam was once again hidden, that he was in contact with him, and that he would rule as his representative—the Hujja. Something akin to a Pope, to use an analogy. According to Nizari tradition, Nizar’s young son or his pregnant wife was also smuggled from Egypt to Alamut. This "problem" was resolved by the fourth ruler of Alamut: in 1164, forty years after Hasan's death, he openly declared himself Imam as the formerly hidden descendant of Nizar. His lineage rules the Nizari Ismailis to this day in the person of His Highness Prince Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, the 50th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslims.

We can think what we want about it—to what extent Hasan exploited the situation, or whether he truly saved Nizar’s lineage—but Hasan built a functional, decentralized state that controlled around 200 castles, fortresses, strongholds, and watchtowers in inaccessible mountainous regions in Persia alone. These sites served as centers for the Ismaili da'wa. Given the precarious situation of the Shia Nizari population in the Levant and surrounding areas, Hasan-i Sabbah dispatched Ismaili missionaries (da'is) to ensure their protection. Consequently, the Assassins eventually seized about 15 castles in the Jabal Bahra mountain range (the coastal mountain strip) in the Holy Land, becoming close neighbors of the Hospitallers at Krak des Chevaliers.

Assassins facing franks from William Marschall's retinue during sandstorm

Assassinations

The fundamental problem was limited manpower, their status as a minority in a Sunni environment, and, of course, the immediate war with the Seljuks, who were occupying Persia. This was partially mitigated by the strategic placement of their castles. Given his absolute secular and spiritual power, Hasan created a military and administrative system that successfully addressed this asymmetry.

The first element was decentralization. The castles were ruled by military commanders (Kiya), who answered to provincial governors (muhtashams). These individuals were autonomous, often highly successful military commanders, and simultaneously leading da'is who directed the mission. In Syria, the famous Rashid ad-Din Sinan held the position of Chief Da'i of the Levant for a long time; individual missionaries answered to him while autonomously managing their own castles and surrounding communities.

Hasan was a known ascetic who reportedly had his own son executed for drunkenness. He demanded asceticism and absolute obedience from his subordinates at all levels, a doctrine known as ta'lim. The Nizari followers were thus raised in a system of iron discipline, and fulfilling the orders of their superiors was a direct religious duty. We all know the myth of the promised paradise as a reward. However, this is not unique to the Ismailis; it is a standard part of Quranic surahs.

The Fida'iyun (singular fida'i) are what we would call today either intelligence agents, special forces operatives, or suicide terrorists—depending on your point of view. They were selected young men from the rank-and-file believers (mustajibs). They had no higher education in faith, but they were rigorously trained in combat and infiltration. The key requirements were flawless physical condition and high intelligence. Along with this came the ability to withstand interrogation and absolute loyalty. However, there was no hashish or paradise gardens with virgins at Alamut. That is a pure myth.

The Rafiq (plural rufaqa) ranked in the hierarchy between the fida'i and the da'i. It means "companion" or "comrade" and could be likened to a high-ranking non-commissioned officer. A rafiq was also far more educated in the doctrines of the Nizari Ismailis, such as the exoteric (zahir) and esoteric (batin) dimensions of texts, the authority of the Imam, the authoritative teaching of ta'lim during the time when the Imam is hidden, and the doctrine of precautionary dissimulation (taqiyya). But that would be another long and boring text.

So, how was it with the assassinations? There are around a hundred documented successful killings. Dozens more remained at the attempt stage, and of course, historical lists only include major names. They do not include "accidents," like when some Sunni warlord in a remote outpost, who campaigned against the Shia community, happened to "fall backward onto an axe" while riding through an oasis… Regarding the assassination attempts, I remind you that Nizari doctrine speaks of both apparent and hidden meanings. Therefore, even an unsuccessful assassination attempt—or a threatening sign left for Saladin with a dagger on a pillow in his strictly guarded tent—carried a far greater and more devastating psychological weight for the enemy than a apparently failed assassination.

Fida'i Footsore Miniature

Wargaming

Miniatures of fida'is are offered, for example, by studios like Footsore Miniatures or Wargames Illustrated in 28mm. They usually feature a duo in a classic Arabic kaftan and turban. However, as an Assassin model, you can practically choose almost any miniature for your tabletop. Since one of the core doctrines of the Nizari Ismailis was the permission to deny their faith for survival (taqiyya), these killers were trained in infiltration to the point of perfectly adopting the lifestyle of their opponent. Thus, an Assassin operative—or an entire raiding party—could look like absolutely anyone who happened to be near the target. Including Crusader knights.

When it comes to gaming systems, the popular SAGA: Age of Crusades includes the Assassins in the Mutatawi'a faction, where sacrificing (killing) your own miniatures grants devastating combat bonuses on the battleboard. It is obvious that this makes no sense from a historical standpoint, but SAGA is simply a game built on myths and the pop-culture expectations of players.

The Crusader States expansion for the game Lion Rampant places the Assassins alongside the Muslim principalities. While it offers a points discount for eliminating the enemy commander, it limits command skills of your own da'i, which is also quite unrealistic in the context of how the order actually functioned back then. 

In The Barons' War: Outremer, within the Forces of Islam retinue list, you can select Ismaili as your regional Askar trait. Subsequently, a single eligible model in your retinue can be upgraded to an Assassin.

The man-to-man skirmish game Outremer: Faith and Blood by Osprey Publishing introduces the Hashashin specifically as a potent but expensive mercenary agent that any player can recruit to bolster their warband.

Last but not least, it is worth mentioning that for the skirmish game Ruckus, a dedicated micro-game titled Assassins and Templars: A Ruckus Game was released in Wargames Illustrated magazine, focusing purely on clashes between these two orders.ConclusionThe Assassin state eventually fell under the swords of the advancing Mongols (Persia, 1256) and the Mamluk Sultan Baibars (Syria, 1270). 

However, the Nizari branch itself survived. Today, it is the most progressive movement in the Islamic world. It recognizes equality between men and women, the wearing of the hijab is a voluntary choice for women, and the community focuses heavily on modern education and humanitarian aid.The global Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which was taken over by the 50th Imam, Aga Khan V (Prince Rahim al-Hussaini), following his father's death in 2025, is one of the largest development agencies in the world. Furthermore, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture takes care of preserving and restoring cultural heritage across the entire religious spectrum. Modern Ismailis are today considered a crucial peaceful bridge between East and West.