Update
The Iconoclast has returned to Mendoza in Hitman 3. We’ve run through the Elusive Target a couple of times to ensure our method still works and can confirm it’s fully functional. However, if you’ve completed this mission before, now is your opportunity to mess around and try something different, so it’s worth taking your time, watching your target, and seeing if you can get a more impressive kill.
Original article
The Iconoclast is the second Elusive Target to grace a location that’s exclusive to Hitman 3. Joanne Bayswater is in Mendoza to acquire some new clients for her agency, a rival to the ICA, and it’s down to Agent. 47 to stop her in her tracks. In this guide, we’ll cover how to complete this mission with the rank of Silent Assassin.
Elusive Target Warning
Before we start, note that this mission is very different from Escalations or user-generated Contracts. Once you start it, you’ll have one chance to complete it. You can restart and replan the mission as many times as you want until you start completing objectives. The only objective for this mission is killing the target, so once she’s dead, you can’t restart. Practice the route without killing the target a couple of times to get used to any issues that might come your way. Then, once you’re comfortable with it, you can proceed with a true run and kill them.
Loadout
We want to make this route as accessible as possible. With that in mind, you don’t need to use any items that require unlocking. Instead, you can use the default starting location and default loadout for Agent 47.
Step 1: Become a waiter
The first thing you need to do is grab the waiter disguise. Since the starting location is in the car park, you’ve also got to get into the party first. To do this, sneak around the smoking guest in the middle of this area and take their invitation.
Below is a map reference for this invitation.
With an invitation in hand, head to the guards and show it to them. This will let you into the party. You now need to make your way up to the top floor of the exterior of the party. This is where there is a bar and a few covered tables. Once you’re up there, it’s important to keep to the left of the area. Your target is dressed in white against the balcony. If she starts to move, then you’ll need to restart. For this route to work, she needs to remain still until we trigger her movement.
To get a waiter disguise, hop inside the large planter on the left-hand side, where a waiter is conveniently leaning against the low wall. Subdue him and dress up in his disguise.
Below is a map reference for this disguise.
Step 2: Get the poison
Now that you’re dressed as a waiter, it’s time to pick up some poison. Drop Agent 47’s pistol in the flowers and head up the stairs to your right. You’ll need to get frisked at the top, but without the pistol, you’ll pass through easily. Head up the stairs at the front of the house and turn right along the veranda. Follow this path, and you’ll soon see a drainpipe that you can climb.
Below is a map reference for this drainpipe.
Once you’ve climbed the drainpipe, you’ll be trespassing. This means that you need to be aware of any NPCs in the area at all times. Don’t let them see you. For the poison, you need to vault the balcony and head inside the apartment. You need to find the bathroom door, to the right of the bed.
Below is a map reference for the bathroom door.
Pick up the car key on the bedside table before you go in. This is important for your exit. You’ll find some lethal pills inside the bathroom near the window. Take them, then head back to the part the way you came.
Step 3: Poison the food
Once you’re at the party, you need to poison some food. Find the bar with the wine on it. This should be near the doors that lead into the winery on this same rooftop level. To the left of this location is some food, but it’s guarded by a waiter who will see through your disguise. When the waiter isn’t looking your way, flip a coin to his right to draw his attention away from the food.
When you’ve successfully lured his attention away, poison the food with the lethal pills. Now it’s time to get things started.
Head over to the target and start their patrol. You can do this by walking up to them. After that, they’ll go about their routine and will eat the poisoned food.
See below for a map reference for the target.
You can head to the car exit, up in the villa car park, as soon as you’ve triggered the target’s patrol. Alternatively, you can hang out at one of the tables to watch her die. Lethal pills count as an accidental kill, so even though everyone will find the body, it won’t affect your Silent Assassin rating.
Alternative speedrun method
We do have a second option for those who want to get an extremely quick kill on this target. For this, you’ll need to start with a tranquilizer gun and lethal syringe in the Tasting Room starting location. As soon as you start the mission, run up to the target. There’s no particular rush since she’ll stay still until you trigger her patrol.
As soon as you reach the target, wait for both her and her bodyguard to turn away from you. This is when you need to shoot the bodyguard with the tranquilizer gun. Since this counts as an accident, you won’t suffer in your score. You’ll also need to shoot the man on the bench nearby with the tranquilizer gun. Otherwise, he’ll see what you’re about to do.
With both of these witnesses out of the way, sneak up to your target and use the lethal syringe to kill her. This counts as an accident as well, so her body being found doesn’t kill your score. After this, any exit will work.
The key with this method is speed. You must take out both potential witnesses and the target before they get too close to the rest of the NPCs in the area. If you don’t, people will see you killing the target, and that Silent Assassin rank will be gone forever.
