In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, the choice between playing as Yasuke or Naoe opens up a multitude of problem-solving strategies, especially with the variety of tools at your disposal. Here’s a comprehensive guide on all the tools and how to upgrade them to enhance your gameplay experience.
All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players can access five distinct tools, with two unlocked through story progression. Let's dive into each tool's functionality and strategic use:
Grappling Hook
Naoe's Grappling Hook is a game-changer for exploration, enabling you to latch onto and ascend structures effortlessly. This tool is perfect for reaching high vantage points to survey enemy movements or swiftly traverse large gaps by swinging between points.
Kunai
The Kunai is a powerful throwing knife that delivers significant damage, crucial for stealth kills. While it's lethal against regular foes, upgrades are essential to penetrate the armor of stronger enemies, ensuring you can take them down with precision.
Smoke Bomb
The Smoke Bomb is a versatile tool that creates a cloud of smoke upon impact, ideal for breaking enemy sightlines during escapes or initiating surprise attacks in combat. It's a must-have for both defensive and offensive maneuvers.
Shuriken
Shurikens, the classic ninja throwing stars, are perfect for navigating heavily guarded zones. Although they don't pack the punch of Kunai, they can stagger foes and trigger environmental hazards like explosive barrels, making them invaluable for stealth operations.
Shinobi Bell
For players favoring non-lethal tactics, the Shinobi Bell is your tool of choice. Throwing it creates a diversion, drawing enemy attention away from your position. Upgrades can enhance its range and visual appeal, making it an effective crowd control mechanism.
Related: How to Play the Assassin’s Creed Games in Order
How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist
Upgrading your tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is vital for mastering the game. Here’s how you can enhance each tool using Mastery Points through the Tools skill tree, except for the Grappling Hook:
Grappling Hook
The Grappling Hook has a single upgrade option in the Shinobi Tree. For 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2, you can unlock the Ascension Boost passive, which significantly accelerates Naoe’s climbing speed, making ascents more efficient and less detectable.
Kunai
To maximize the Kunai's effectiveness, focus on Kunai Assassination Damage upgrades, which increase the health segments removed per throw. Enhance its armor-piercing capabilities with the Armor Piercing passive skill, and ensure no Kunai is wasted with the Everlast upgrade, allowing immediate retrieval.
Smoke Bomb
Once you unlock the Smoke Bomb, aim to extend its duration with the Enduring Haze upgrade, adding 10 crucial seconds to your stealth window. Further enhance its utility with Widespread, expanding the area of effect to obscure more enemies.
Shuriken
Upgrade your Shurikens with Bank Shot, enabling them to ricochet between targets with escalating damage. Additionally, Triple Threat lets you throw three Shurikens simultaneously at the cost of one, amplifying your stealth and combat options.
Shinobi Bell
Enhance the Shinobi Bell's distraction capabilities with Golden Bell, making it more visually appealing to enemies. Follow up with Louder Chimes to increase its effective radius by five meters, luring more enemies with a single throw.
That’s everything you need to know about the tools and their upgrades in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and guides, check out The Escapist.
*Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.*
