Update
This Elusive Target is returning to Hitman 3 on March 11. Unlike previous visits, anyone can tackle this mission and use it to advance their progress towards new suits on the Elusive Target line, even if they’ve already killed The Collector before. The target will only be available for ten days, though, so it’s worth jumping into the game and completing the mission early.
Original article
The Collector is the first Elusive Target in Hitman 3 to be set in one of the game’s new locations. This time around, it’s Dartmoor, and the target is a murderous thief who can’t stand for anyone to have something he desires. On top of killing the target, this mission has an optional objective of collecting the painting he was after. In this guide, we’ll show you how to complete both objectives with a rank of Silent Assassin.
Elusive Target Warning
As with every Elusive Target, you have only one chance to get things right. Once you start completing objectives, such as grabbing the painting or killing the target, you can’t restart. If you’re spotted after completing an objective, you’ve ruined the Silent Assassin run forever. If you can, try to follow our guide, but subdue the target instead of killing him. This way, you can follow the path and get used to it before completing the objectives in the true run.
Loadout
For this run, Agent 47 won’t be changing his outfit for the entire mission, making it a Suit Only run as well. Therefore, our starting location is behind the mansion, near the greenhouse. Pick any suit. The one we’ve chosen is from The Greed Enumeration Escalation. You will also need a tranquilizer gun, a lethal syringe, and the coin.
Step 1: The target
From your starting position, move towards the greenhouse and take the crowbar that’s sitting on the pile of boxes near the two gardeners at the back of the building. As long as you’re crouched, they won’t notice you. Now, move behind the guard to the front of the greenhouse and sneak in. For this mission, the building isn’t locked.
You need to take down the gardener in here, so subdue her. Now, use your tranquilizer to shoot the guard sat in a chair to your left. These shots count as accidents, so if anyone finds the body, it won’t ruin your rating. Now, hide the gardener’s body in the crate around the corner.
Move to where the guard’s sleeping body is and wait for the target to enter the greenhouse. While you do, grab the boat key off the table.
Below is a map reference for the boat key.
The target will enter the building and head left to the lab equipment there. His bodyguard will follow. You need to wait until they’re both facing away from you. Hit the bodyguard in the head with the crowbar, and use the lethal syringe on the target. Hide the bodyguard’s body in the crate because he won’t count as an accident. The target will though, so you can leave him where he is.
Step 2: The painting
The next thing to do is get the painting. It’s up in Alexa Carlisle’s office, so there’s a lot of climbing ahead of you. Before you leave this area, check the floor where your target died. He drops a craft knife item that’s useful for this next part.
To get to the mansion, leave the greenhouse through the exit that faces the building. Take the path through the hedges that leads diagonally right and crouch as you go.
Take the first right and keep heading toward the building. Go through the hedge gap next to a guard and take the two gaps in the hedge ahead of you that are almost lined up.
You’re nearly there now. Wait for the patrolling guard to be out of the way, then head out of the maze, up the two staircases, and go left. This will lead you back towards the main stairs down to the garden.
There will be a guard ahead of you that you need to tranquilize. Wait until the NPC in the hall to his right has started her cleaning animation before taking him out. Otherwise, she’ll come out and spot you. Once he’s down, run over and climb the drainpipe on the wall next to him.
Below is a map reference for this drainpipe.
At the top, take the right ledge and vault through the window into the bathroom. There’s a razor in here that you need to grab if you didn’t pick up the hobby knife earlier.
Head out of the bathroom, across the walkway, through another doorway and left out of the nearest window.
Below is a map reference for this window.
There’s a drainpipe to the right of this window once you’ve vaulted out of it. You need to climb up there and vault onto the balcony above. Now take the drainpipe in front of you all the way up as well. Watch out for the guards as you do this.
Once you’re up, go inside and head down the stairs until you reach the painting of a woman. You can interact with it and cut it out. This will complete your optional objective.
Step 3: Exit
To leave this area, head back up the stairs, down the drainpipe, then back over the ledge and down the other drainpipe. These are the ones you climbed up to get to the painting.
Once on the ledge, move left past the window you vaulted out of. You’ll have to hang onto the ledge as you approach the corner. As soon as possible, vault up onto this new balcony.
The guard here needs to be knocked out, so throw something hard at him. It’s worth hiding his body in the room beyond the doors if you have the chance. This will give you all the time you need to find an exit. Then, you need to unlock the shortcut on the ladder to get down. This will permanently unlock the shortcut for you in this location.
Once you’re down, you have two choices: you can either sneak through the bushes to the boat and exit that way, or you can take the bridge exit nearby. The bridge exit requires you to distract the NPCs there, so it’s riskier. If you’d rather play it safe, take your time and use the boat exit.
