In the intricate world of *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, mastering the art of assassination is key, especially when playing as Naoe, who thrives in stealth and shadow. While she excels in covert operations, Naoe is also capable of handling direct confrontations with the right preparation. To maximize her potential, here are the top skills to prioritize for Naoe in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, focusing on skills achievable up to Knowledge Rank 3.
Recommended Videos Best Skills to Get First for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Katana
- Dodge Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances your defensive capabilities, allowing you to strike back effectively after evading an attack.
- Melee Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Boosts your melee damage, crucial for both stealth and direct combat.
- Counter Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Turn enemy aggression against them with powerful counterstrikes.
- Eviscerate – Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): A devastating finishing move that maximizes damage output.
With these skills, Naoe becomes a formidable defensive force, ready to capitalize on enemy mistakes. If you're adept at dodging and deflecting, these skills will allow you to counterattack effectively, deal significant damage, and finish off opponents with Eviscerate.
Kusarigama
- Entanglement – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Ideal for crowd control and building up afflictions on enemies.
- Affliction Builder – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases the effectiveness of affliction buildup, enhancing your combat versatility.
- Big Catch – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Allows you to manipulate even large enemies, dealing additional damage.
- Multi-Target Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your ability to handle multiple foes simultaneously.
- Cyclone Blast – Kusarigama Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 7 Mastery Points): Unleash a powerful area attack to clear groups of enemies.
These skills make Naoe a versatile combatant, whether facing a single target or a group. Entanglement aids in controlling and afflicting enemies, while the other skills help manage multiple foes and keep them at bay, delivering impactful strikes.
Tanto
- Shadow Piercer – Tanto Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 5 Mastery Points): Amplifies damage, perfect for exploiting vulnerable enemies.
- Gap Seeker – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your ability to target weak points, increasing overall damage.
- Backstab – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Increases damage dealt from behind, crucial for stealth kills.
- Backstabber – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Further boosts damage from back attacks.
- Back Breaker – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points): Maximizes damage against armored targets when striking from the back.
These skills are tailored for maximizing damage with the Tanto, enhancing Naoe's ability to take down enemies quickly and efficiently, even those with armor. Utilizing the R2/RT attack to spin behind enemies ensures you can target their vulnerable spots for increased damage.
Tools
- Smoke Bomb – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Provides a quick escape or sets up for a chain of assassinations.
- Larger Tool Bag I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Increases the number of tools you can carry, enhancing your strategic options.
- Shinobi Bell – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Lures enemies away, creating openings for stealth attacks.
- Enduring Haze – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Extends the duration of smoke bombs, giving you more time to act.
- Kunai Assassination Damage I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Boosts the damage of kunai assassinations, perfect for long-range kills.
- Shuriken – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Useful for disabling alarms and triggering explosives, adding to your tactical toolkit.
These tools enable Naoe to manipulate guards effectively, clearing paths to your targets. Use Shuriken to disable alarms, Shinobi Bell to divert attention, and Kunai for long-distance assassinations. If spotted, deploy the Smoke Bomb to either escape or execute a series of assassinations.
Shinobi
- Ascension Boost – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Speeds up climbing, crucial for navigating the environment swiftly.
- Vault – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Reduces fall damage, allowing for more daring maneuvers.
- Igan Roll – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances mobility, helping you evade and reposition quickly.
- Heighten Senses – Shinobi Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): Slows down time, giving you more room for error in crowded areas.
These skills keep Naoe hidden and agile, enabling her to reach her objectives without alerting enemies. Faster climbing, reduced fall damage, and the ability to slow time are invaluable for navigating complex environments.
Assassin
- Executioner – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances assassination damage, making your strikes more lethal.
- Improved Ground Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Increases the effectiveness of ground assassinations.
- Double Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Allows you to take down two targets simultaneously.
- Assassination Damage I – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Boosts the damage of your assassinations, ensuring swift kills.
- Reinforced Blade – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points): Strengthens your Hidden Blade, making it more effective against tougher foes.
These skills are best utilized with the Tanto, enhancing Naoe's ability to execute swift and silent kills. Dual assassinations and increased damage against larger enemies make her a deadly assassin. However, be cautious as you progress, as you'll encounter enemies with higher health that may resist your initial attempts until you further upgrade your skills.
By focusing on these skills, you'll be well on your way to becoming the ultimate assassinating shinobi in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and strategies, be sure to visit The Escapist.
