In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, mastering Naoe's skills is essential for excelling in both stealth and direct combat scenarios. Naoe's approach to eliminating targets revolves around stealth and strategic use of tools, yet she's also capable in head-on fights when properly prepared. Here’s a guide to the best skills you should prioritize for Naoe, up to Knowledge Rank 3, which you can achieve by engaging actively with the game's initial regions.
Best Skills to Get First for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Katana
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- Dodge Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances your ability to counterattack after dodging.
- Melee Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Boosts your melee damage, crucial for effective combat.
- Counter Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Allows you to swiftly retaliate against enemy attacks.
- Eviscerate – Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): A powerful finishing move to end fights decisively.
With these skills, you'll become a defensive powerhouse, ready to exploit aggressive enemies by dodging, deflecting, and delivering devastating counters.
Kusarigama
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- Entanglement – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances affliction buildup, useful for controlling enemies.
- Affliction Builder – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases the rate at which you apply afflictions.
- Big Catch – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Improves your ability to handle larger enemies.
- Multi-Target Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your effectiveness against multiple foes.
- Cyclone Blast – Kusarigama Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 7 Mastery Points): A powerful ability to deal with groups or a single strong target.
These skills turn you into a formidable force against both groups and individual targets, allowing you to control the battlefield with ease.
Tanto
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- Shadow Piercer – Tanto Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 5 Mastery Points): Delivers a potent attack, ideal for exploiting vulnerabilities.
- Gap Seeker – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases damage when attacking from the back.
- Backstab – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Enhances damage from stealth attacks.
- Backstabber – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Further amplifies backstab damage.
- Back Breaker – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points): Increases the effectiveness of attacks against armored enemies.
These skills focus on maximizing damage output, particularly against vulnerable or armored targets, making you a lethal assassin.
Tools
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- Smoke Bomb – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Provides a quick escape or opportunity for stealth kills.
- Larger Tool Bag I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Increases the number of tools you can carry.
- Shinobi Bell – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Useful for luring enemies away from your path.
- Enduring Haze – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Extends the duration of your smoke bomb.
- Kunai Assassination Damage I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Boosts the damage of kunai assassinations.
- Shuriken – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Enables you to disable alarms and trigger explosives from a distance.
These tools enhance your ability to manipulate and control the battlefield, making it easier to reach and eliminate your targets.
Shinobi
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- Ascension Boost – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Speeds up your climbing, vital for stealth navigation.
- 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 your ability to evade and reposition quickly.
- Heighten Senses – Shinobi Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): Slows down time, giving you more precision in crowded areas.
These skills are crucial for maintaining stealth and efficiently navigating the environment without detection.
Assassin
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- Executioner – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases assassination damage, making your strikes more lethal.
- Improved Ground Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Enhances the effectiveness of ground assassinations.
- Double Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Allows you to take out two targets simultaneously.
- Assassination Damage I – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Further increases your assassination damage.
- Reinforced Blade – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points): Strengthens your Hidden Blade, making it more effective against tougher enemies.
These skills are perfect for swift and silent eliminations, particularly when using the Tanto, ensuring you can take down multiple or stronger targets with ease.
By focusing on these skills for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you'll be well-equipped to become Japan's most feared assassinating shinobi. For additional guidance, don't hesitate to explore resources on The Escapist.
