The Master Thief of Anbar is the first main quest in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which does a great job of setting up the plot for the game. In this lengthy quest, Basim performs many tasks, including stealing a ledger for the Hidden Ones, infiltrating a beautiful Winter Palace, and breaking down over the death of innocents.
While narrating a compelling story, the quest also excels at helping you learn the basics, such as stealth, pickpocketing, and eagle vision. You are also introduced to a host of interesting characters, two of whom share a strong relationship with Basim. If you’re looking for a detailed guide that walks you through this quest, the following guide has your back.
Starting The Quest
The Master Thief of Anbar quest begins immediately after Basim wakes up from a nightmare and is consoled by Nehal. He then remembers a contract assigned by Dervis to deliver something for the Hidden Ones.
Your initial objective involves following Nehal as she leads you to a vantage point. After gaining a brief view of the city, you and Nehal begin parkouring through the rooftops of Anbar. The duo eventually stops at a rooftop and exchanges a brief conversation.
Stealing & Pickpocketing
After the conversation, Nehal takes Basim to a busy market and asks him to steal an unattended money pouch. Approach the money pouch and hold Y on the controller to successfully steal the pouch. Following this, return to Nehal and follow her directions to now pickpocket a merchant.
Before proceeding to pickpocket the merchant, tap the left D-Pad to enable eagle vision, which will only highlight pouches containing valuables. While the merchant is unaware, approach them and press Y on the controller, which will bring up a mini-game. Press Y again as the bigger square enters the blue bar to successfully complete the pickpocket.
Nehal will ask you to pickpocket another merchant in the market. Again, follow the methods mentioned above to successfully complete the pickpocket.
Meeting Dervis
After earning the pompous “Master Thief of Anbar” title from Nahel, you must meet up with Dervis, who is located just a few hundred meters away. Follow the quest marker to quickly make your way to Dervis’ place.
Dervis will brief you about the contract you’re supposed to complete for the Hidden Ones, which involves stealing a ledger from a heavily guarded enemy camp. As you leave Dervis’ place, Nehal states that she wouldn’t be joining on this mission, leaving you all alone to deal with what’s ahead.
Stealing The Ledger
As you reach the enemy encampment where the ledger is guarded, Basim will hide in the cover of the grass and eavesdrop on the nearby enemies. You’ll learn that a chest has been stored in a room with the ledger, and the key is being held by another guard.
Basim’s movement in the grass attracts a guard’s attention, who approaches to inspect the grass. When the guard is close enough, tap R1 on your controller to knock out the guard. Next, it’s advised to reach higher ground, like the rooftop of a house, to stay out of the enemy’s sight. While it’s possible to take out every enemy in the encampment, things will quickly turn against you if you’re detected. Being unarmed will make Basim’s life harder when dealing with multiple guards. So, stick to the shadows and away from open combat.
Once you’re on high ground, tap the left D-Pad to enable eagle vision and look around for a guard with the key symbol on him. He is located within a house in the camp. You will first need to take out the guard standing at the room’s entrance before taking out the guard with the ledger room key. With the guard taken out, loot his body by holding Y on the controller to collect the ledger key.
The ledger room will be marked with the quest marker, enabling you to easily track and reach it. Unlock the ledger room and collect the ledger from the table. The ledger should be glowing in yellow color.
Returning To Dervis
When you return to Dervis’s place, you find a hooded figure, Roshan, standing with Dervis. As you give the ledger to Dervis, both Roshan and Dervis get into the details on the ledger, and you learn that Roshan is after a specific chest.
Basim expresses his interest in helping Roshan by stealing the chest for her. However, Roshan condescends Basim, saying that the task isn’t meant for street thieves.
After Roshan leaves Dervis’s place, a kid outside Dervis’s place tries to steal his coin purse. However, you catch him in the act. After a small lighthearted exchange between Basim and the kid, you learn about a black chest, hidden inside the Winter Palace.
Going To The Winter Palace
Having learned of the special chest, Basim decides to go after it, despite Nehal’s disapproval. Seeing how stubborn Basim is, Nehal decides to join Basim and ensure his safety or talk him out of stealing the chest.
Now, you must follow Nehal as she leads you to the Winter Palace. After reaching a vantage point, the duo wait for nightfall before breaking into the palace.
While there are two ways to enter the Winter Palace, it is recommended to follow Nehal, as she keeps you away from enemies and leads you directly to the chest room door. However, once you reach the door, you learn that it requires a key to unlock, which is held by a guard patrolling the nearby garden.
Activate eagle vision and use the cover of grass to approach the guard. Take him out and loot his body to collect the key. Return to Nehal and unlock the door leading into the palace.
Stealing The Chest
As you enter the palace, you’ll notice the chest being guarded by a Caliph, who also meets up with a group of masked figures. One of the members of the masked figures inspects the contents of the chest and commands the Caliph to protect the chest with his life.
After the group of masked figures leaves the palace, you must stealthily approach the black chest while avoiding any guards. Once you reach the chest room, Basim will break open the chest to find a mysterious artifact. When he picks up the artifact, a strange holograph appears in front of him. But soon, the Caliph enters the scene and demands Basim to hand over the artifact while expressing his own fear of what may ensue now that he failed to protect the chest.
The Caliph will try to choke Basim, but Nehal will stab the Caliph and kill him. The entire Winter Palace goes into high alert, and the guards begin chasing Basim. You’re now required to outrun the guards and reach your hideout.
At the hideout, Basim once again takes a look at the mysterious artifact, but as soon as it begins to react, he throws it on the ground. Basim, then, momentarily falls asleep, only to witness another nightmare and wake up to find Roshan sitting beside him.
Warning Dervis & Others
A worried Basim, unwilling to follow Roshan, decides to ensure the safety of Dervis and Nehal. Reaching Dervis’ place is not going to be easy while the Caliph’s guards are searching for you. So, it’s recommended to use the roofs to minimize exposing yourself to the guards as you follow the quest marker.
As you reach Dervis’ place, Basim is horrified to find that the guards have punished the people around Dervis’ place by killing them and hanging them from poles. Basim falls to his knees and remorse his actions, and shortly Nehal finds him and tries to comfort him.
An enraged Basim pushes Nehal away blames her for the Caliph’s death and wishes to never see her again. Soon, footsteps start growing louder, and Basim begins to make a run for his life.
Reaching The Docks & Meeting Roshan
To reach the docks, follow the quest marker and avoid running into enemies. It is again advised to stick to rooftops to minimize confrontation with guards. After you reach the Docks, Basim will spot Roshan emerging from a nearby water body, and before Basim can approach her, he is caught by the Caliph’s guards.
After taking a good look at Basim and verifying his identity, the guards draw their swords and point them at Basim. Before the guards could land a blow, Roshan comes to his rescue and the duo eventually escapes the Caliph’s guards with a leap of faith, a sloppy one for Basim, bringing the quest to its conclusion.