What good are daggers?

I've gotten to Venice and I have never so much as drawn my dagger (well, not on purpose. Thanks, obnoxiously twitchy weapon selector!). I haven't felt like anything was particularly difficult while using only my main weapon and hidden blades for melee work.

Am I missing out on any dagger awesomeness? Any special tricks that require the dagger to perform? Or is it just another piece of assassin bling?

Solution 1:

Same disclaimer as last time: It's been a while since I played this game... and don't have access to my copy (it's on loan to a friend half an ocean away), but if I recall...

Daggers seemed, at least from my own personal observation, much easier to counter-kill with them, and not so good to outright battle with. The sword seemed just the opposite. Sword was nice for outright battle, but not so much for countering. I never really used the hidden blade much for anything beyond starting a fight or making quick work of a lone guard.

As for the special tricks, I've no idea.

Solution 2:

I liked daggers because they are good for close fights with multiple people. Easy to counterkill with daggers.

In the first game I passed the whole game with a dagger after I got it. It was not the only weapon but it was the best to counter kill. Of course if you willing to risk it, it can be fun to fight with hidden blades, it can not be really used as offensive weapon but great as counter attack weapon.