Mythologized throughout the centuries- from Marco Polo to Freya Stark, and, in modern times by the game company Ubisoft, the Assassins, lacking in numbers, employed asymmetrical warfare to their advantage, calculating their attacks for the maximum psychological and political impact.
Whilst their assassinations were frequently done publicly and in crowded spaces, another method was to leave a dagger with a note under the pillows of powerful political figures, suggesting a breach in their security.