To effectively track and eliminate the Phylakes bounty hunters in Assassin’s Creed Origins, follow these detailed steps to ensure your success:

Tracking Phylakes
– Introduction to Phylakes: These elite bounty hunters become available as you progress through the main story and acquire the Hidden Blades. They first appear after your first kill.
– Quest Activation: Upon defeating your initial Phylake, the side quest “Phylakes’ Prey” is activated, tasking you with eliminating all Phylakes throughout the game.
– Enemy Levels: Prepare for high-level encounters, as Phylakes range from level 20 to 40+, making them formidable foes.
– Map Indicators: Keep an eye on in-game notifications and map markers that signal their whereabouts, aiding your tracking efforts.

How to Defeat Phylakes
1. Wait for Them to Dismount: Most Phylakes begin their pursuit on horseback. Follow them quietly until they dismount, making the fight more manageable on foot.

2. Utilize Fire Bombs: Equip the Fire Bombs skill, and when the opportunity arises, throw 1-2 bombs at the Phylake. This will ignite them, causing not only immediate damage but also panic. While they’re burning, follow up with arrows or melee attacks to maximize damage.

3. Stealth Assassination: When Phylakes are on foot, approach them unobserved for stealthy assassination moves. Use environmental elements such as tall grass or rooftops for cover and vantage points to get the drop on them.

4. Engage in Smart Combat:
– For heavily armed Phylakes, like those wielding 2-handed clubs, avoid direct blocking. Instead, use hit-and-run tactics by striking quickly and retreating.
– For faster opponents using sickle swords, focus on precise parries and dodges to minimize damage intake.

5. Environmental Awareness: Leverage your surroundings during combat. Move through buildings and foliage to break the Phylake’s line of sight and create opportunities for surprise attacks.

Additional Tips
– Select Your Battles Wisely: Aim to engage Phylakes in isolated or less populated areas to avoid being outnumbered by potential reinforcements.
– Mount Advantage: Consider using your mount strategically by attacking from horseback before the Phylake has a chance to dismount.
– Patience and Strategy: Maintain patience throughout encounters. Use the terrain for cover and choose your moments to strike carefully.

Rewards
– Successfully defeating all Phylakes unlocks the legendary Black Hood outfit and provides access to rare legendary weapons, making the challenge not only engaging but also rewarding.

By employing a mix of stealth, environmental tactics, fire bomb attacks, and effective combat strategies, you can track down and eliminate all the Phylakes in Assassin’s Creed Origins with confidence. Good luck on your hunt!