Assassin's Creed Shadows Mastery Explained Featured

Mastery Paths Breakdown and Recommended Abilities for Naoe and Yasuke in AC Shadows

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Learn everything about the Mastery Paths in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. We will give you a full ability breakdown, how to unlock the locked abilities, tell you which are the recommended abilities, and explain the pros and cons of every Mastery Path.

What are Mastery Trees

Mastery Trees are how you unlock new abilities and strengthen your martial prowess and utility. Yasuke and Naoe each have six Mastery Trees that can be upgraded to fit your playstyle.

The top row for both characters can be broken down as a Balanced Weapon (Katana/Long Katana), Area of Effect Weapon (Kusarigama/Naginata), and a DPS Weapon (Tanto/Kanabo). Naoe’s bottom row focuses on utility while Yasuke’s has a bigger emphasis on ranged weaponry.

You can reset your masteries for free while you’re out of combat if you want to reassign points or put them somewhere else.

Knowledge Points and Mastery Points

When you select a tree, you’ll see how it branches off into numerous passive and active abilities. Many of these abilities are blocked off by your Knowledge Rank or they require specific tasks to be complete such as clearing one of the many objective circles.

Fully Unlocked Mastery Tree Example
Each row is unlocked with a new knowledge rank, up to rank 6.

We have guides on all the various activities you can do to gain knowledge points. These often involve mini-games, quick time events, platforming, or locating hidden objects.

Temple IconTemples
Shrine IconShrines
Kuji-kiri IconKuji-kiri (for Naoe only)
Kata IconKata (for Yasuke only)
Horse Archery IconHorse Archery (for Yasuke only)
Kofun IconKofun
Hidden Trail IconHidden Trail (for Naoe only)

Mastery Points act as the currency needed to fill out passive and active abilities. You’ll gain one mastery point as you level up but you can also obtain them by killing Samurai Daisho and Objective Board targets.

Taking down Samurai Daisho is one of the best ways to get mastery points, but sneaking into a castle and tracking them down can be tricky and time consuming, but is worth the time and effort.

Defeat Samurai Daisho

Objective Board targets are found under the Objectives Menu and include groups such as the Shinbakufu, Twisted Tree, Pirate Alliance, and more.

Objectives Board

Active and Passive Abilities

You can equip up to three active abilities at a time. Two of these are weapon abilities, while the other comes from the Samurai or Shinobi tree.

Each weapon tree has three active abilities, so you’ll need to pick two that you favor or need for your current situation.

You can assign abilities to one of you keys or button inputs. Some builds favor unfilled ability slots, so you also have the ability to unassign your inputs as well. You cannot swap active abilities while in combat.

Assign Abilities

When an active ability says it deals a percentage of ability damage, this means that it’ll deal damage equal to your weapon’s Ability Damage value. For example, if you use a weapon ability with 25% ability damage with a weapon that has 1,000 ability damage, the ability will deal 250 damage.

Ability Damage Value

A good time to use active abilities is when you’re surrounded by numerous attackers. Activating an active ability grants you temporary invulnerability, allowing you some breathing room and sometimes the chance to reposition.

The passive abilities are broken down between Global Passives and Weapon-specific Passives. Weapon-specific passive abilities only apply when you have that weapon equipped.

If you gain stats from a global passive from one tree, you’ll gain this bonus while using any other qualifying weapon (ranged bonuses can’t apply to melee weapons for example). The global passives are always found in the left column, but there may be weapon-specific passives in this left column.

Global Passives

Naoe’s Mastery Trees

Naoe’s talents are more in-line with traditional Assassin’s Creed style gameplay. What she lacks in ranged weaponry, she makes up for with great tools and numerous utility passives.

Katana

The katana is a solid choice for any situation. It rewards good parries and dodges, can provide an armor shred, give minor crowd control, and allows you numerous ways to make an enemy vulnerable.

Katana Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Katana MasteryKatana Passive: Increase Katana damage by 3-120% for mastery points spent in the Katana tree.
2Melee ExpertGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Melee Weapons by 2/5/9/13%
3Dodge AttackKatana Passive: Use a light attack after a dodge to launch a fast counter-attack and quickly get back to the enemy.
4Tidal WaveKatana Ability: An extremely fast strike dealing 25% ability damage and making the enemy vulnerable.
5Affliction EffectivenessGlobal Passive: Increase damage on Afflicted Enemies by 2/6/12/18%. An enemy is Afflicted when suffering from Bleed, Poison, or Daze.
6GeneratorKatana Passive: Dodge Attacks generate 10% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit. At rank 2, Dodge Attack’s damage is increased by 40%. At Rank 3, Dodge Attacks generate 15% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
7Counter AttackKatana Passive: Parry at the last moment to turn your Deflect into a counter-attack.
8Second WaveKatana Passive: Tidal Wave can now be chained 2 times in a row. At rank 2, Tidal Wave’s damage is increased by 40%. At rank 3, targets are left Vulnerable for an extra 2 seconds.
9EviscerateKatana Ability: Strike an enemy, dealing 75% ability damage and pushing them away. Half as effective on large enemies.
10Momentum BuilderGlobal Passive: Increase damage with consecutive hits by 1/3/6/9%
11No MercyKatana Passive: Successful Dodge Attacks make the target Vulnerable. At rank 2, Dodge Attack damage increases by 60%. At rank 3, dodged attacks make enemies vulnerable for an extra 3 seconds.
12Guard BreakerKatana Ability: Unleash 9 strikes, each dealing 10% ability damage and breaking armor. Half as effective on large enemies.
13OutclassEviscerate now has its full effect on large enemies. At rank 2, increase Eviscerate damage by 40%.
14Swift StepKatana Passive: Counter Attack can now be performed on flurry attacks. At rank 2, Counter Attack’s damage is increased by 40%.
15No QuarterKatana Passive: Guard Breaker now has its full effect on large enemies. At rank 2, Guard Breaker’s damage is increased by 40%.
16SmokescreenYou can now drop a smoke bomb after Eviscerate’s push. At rank 2, Eviscerate’s damage increases by 60%.
17UnstoppableKatana Passive: Guard Breaker can no longer be blocked or parried. At rank 2, Guard Breaker’s damage increases by 60%.
18Third WaveKatana Passive: Tidal Wave can now be chained 3 times in a row. At rank 2, Tidal Wave’s damage increases by 60%. At rank 3, targets are left vulnerable for an extra 2 seconds.
Unlocked after completing The Kabukimono
19HardenedKatana Passive: Counter Attack can now be performed on unstoppable attacks. At rank 2, Counter Attack’s damage is increased by 60%.

Tidal Wave

Tidal wave is easily one of the best abilities in the game as it can make up to 3 separate targets vulnerable on demand.

This works great as an opener, to reset your attack combos, or to interrupt flurry and unlockable attacks. It also acts as a gap-closer for chasing down ranged enemies.

Guard Breaker

I recommend this over Eviscerate in most situations. You’ll often run into armored opponents which can be a hassle to deal with. The ability to shred their armor entirely means they’ll die that much quicker when followed up by Tidal Wave.

The upgrades are necessary as without the full effects or damage boost, you might not shred through all of an enemy’s armor.

Counter Attack

Early on the extra damage is nice, but it’s the Swift Step and Hardened upgrades you’re after. Being able to interrupt flurry attacks and block previously unblockable attacks is too useful to turn down. When you get good at parrying, there isn’t anyone who can stop you in a combat scenario.

When to use the Katana

The katana is good in any situation. While it lacks significant area damage, you can chip away at multiple enemies by parrying with Counter Attack. With the katana, you’ll be ready for ANY situation whether you’re fighting squishy, armored, melee, or ranged opponents.

Kusarigama

The Kusarigama is Naoe’s Area of Effect weapon. It’s heavy attack will hit anyone in a wide circle around Naoe while its light attack uses the sickle for single targets. If you’re looking to keep your distance from your enemies, you’ll want to use the Kusarigama.

Kusarigama Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Kusarigama MasteryKatana Passive: Increase Katana damage by 3-120% for mastery points spent in the Katana tree.
2Affliction BuilderGlobal Passive: Increase Affliction building up 1/3/6/9%.
3EntanglementKusarigama Passive: Before hitting an enemy with a Posture attack, hold down a light or heavy attack to entangle them. Throw regular enemies in any direction.
4Feral OutburstKusarigama Ability: Launch Naoe towards a single enemy and unleash a flurry of 4 strikes dealing 16% ability damage to each.
5Big CatchKusarigama Passive: Entanglement now has its full effect on large enemies.
6Exposed WoundPassive/Active: Feral Outburst’s final strike makes the target Vulnerable. At rank 2, increases Feral Outburst’s damage by 40%. At rank 3, the target is Vulnerable for an extra 3 seconds.
7Quick StrikeKusarigama Passive: After any attack, momentarily pause and then use a light or heavy attack to launch 2 extra strikes.
8Multi-Target ExpertGlobal Passive: Increase damage when hitting people by 3/8/15/22%.
9Cyclone BlastKusarigama Ability: Swing the Kusarigama in large circles around Naoe, dealing 8% ability damage per hit and pushing back struck enemies.
10CatalystKusarigama Passive: After a combo ender, use a light or heavy attack to extend the combo with a Quick Strike. At rank 2, increase Quick Strike’s damage by 40%.
11Tug of WarKusarigama Passive: When pulling an enemy towards Naoe, perform a powerful attack that deals 50/75/100% ability damage and knocks them down.
12Lasting StormKusarigama Passive: Cyclone Blast now performs 4 additional swings. At rank 2, increase Cyclone Blast damage by 40%.
13Feral FrenzyKusarigama Passive: Feral Outburst now unleashes 2 extra strikes. At rank 2, Feral Outburst’s damage is increased by 60%.
Unlocks after completing The Winter Raiders
14Snake BiteKusarigama Ability: Wrap the chain of the Kusarigama around a single enemy’s foot to knock them out and deal 40% ability damage.
15Critical ProficiencyGlobal Passive: Increase Critical Damage by 2/6/12/18%.
16Hard FallKusarigama Passive: After getting up, the enemy is afflicted by Daze. At rank 2, Snake Bit damage is increased by 40%. At rank 3, Daze on affected targets lasts an extra 2 seconds.
17DazedKusarigama Passive: Quick Strike now inflicts 15% Daze buildup with each strike. At rank 2, Quick Strike damage is increased by 60%. At rank 3, Daze buildup is now 20%.
18Enhanced ImpactKusarigama Passive: Cyclone Blast’s last hit pushes back the enemies significantly further. At rank 2, Cyclone Blast damage is increased by 60%.
Unlocked after completing The Hunters of Kyonyo
19Knock OutKusarigama Passive: Increase knockdown duration by 10 seconds. At rank 2, Snake Bite’s damage is increased by 60%. At rank 3, the knockdown duration is increased by 15 seconds.

Feral Outburst

You’ll want this to get the Exposed Wound passive that allows you to get on-demand vulnerability on a target.

Cyclone Blast

This is must-have especially with Lasting Storm upgrade. With all those swings, you will easily apply Affliction on a large group of enemies around you. What type of affliction you’ll want depends on your playstyle:

For a defensive playstyle, use a daze kusarigama. Afflicting multiple enemies with Daze will make them miss their attacks while allowing you to use heavy Quick Strikes without interruption.

For more crowd control, use a poison kusarigama. The small ticks of damage are nice and the occasional pause to vomit on opponents helps keep them still for further attacks.

For more DPS, use a bleed kusarigama to make a large group of enemies take bleed damage.

Multi-Target Expert

The kusarigama is Naoe’s best area of effect weapon, this is a must if you wish to use this weapon a lot.

When to use the Kusarigama

The kusarigama works best in tight areas filled with enemies. It shines in forts and castles, but I wouldn’t recommend it for combat near civilians. With the large area attacks, you could hit civilians and force a desynchronization, causing you to reload.

If you enjoy combat over stealth, this would pair well with the katana. The katana would be your go-to for single targets while the kusarigama makes up for the katana’s lack of area damage.

Tanto

The Tanto is for those who want an energetic, dual-wielding experience. While wielding the tanto, Naoe also draws out her hidden blade and has the option to assassinate targets while in combat.

Tanto Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Hidden Blade & Tanto MasteryTanto Passive: Increase Kusarigama damage by 3-120% for mastery points spent in the Tanto tree.
2Gap SeekerGlobal Passive: Increase Armor Piercing by 3/9/18/27%.
3Leap StrikeTanto Passive: While holding down a light of heavy attack, press Dodge and a direction to leap toward the target and strike.
4Shadow PiercerTanto Ability: Throw the Tanto, then dash forward to stab the target and make them Vulnerable, dealing 40% ability damage with each strike.
5BackstabberGlobal Passive: Increase damage from behind by 2/6/12/18%.
6Escape StrikeTanto Passive: While holding down a light or heavy attack, press Dodge to perform a strike and backward dodge. At rank 2, increase Leap Strike and Escape Strike damage by 40%.
7Shadow BarrageTanto Ability: Naoe will automatically perform a quick evade before getting hit, lasting 20 seconds and up to 7 hits. Does not work on Grab attacks.
8BackstabTanto Passive: Light Posture attacks that hit an enemy’s back trigger Weak Point attacks.
9Blood RushTanto Passive: Leap Strike and Escape Strike generate 25% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit. At rank 2, increase Leap Strike and Escape Strike damage by 60%. At rank 3, Leap Strike and Escape Strike generate 15% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
10Invigorating KillTanto Passive: Shadow Piercer generates 50% of an Adrenaline Chunk on kill. At rank 2, increase Shadow Piercer damage by 40%. At rank 3, Shadow Piercer generates 75% of an Adrenaline Chunk on kill.
11Back BreakerTanto Passive: Posture attacks performed behind an enemy now have 100/120/150% Armor Piercing.
12Hidden HandTanto Ability: Sheath your Tanto and extend the Hidden Blade in its classic form to perform an Assassination while in combat.
13Shadow ReachTanto Passive: Increase Shadow Piercer throw distance by 10 meters. At rank 2, increase Shadow Piercer damage by 60%. At rank 3, increases Shadow Piercer’s throw distance by 15 meters.
14Endless BarrageTanto Passive: Each kill while Shadow Barrage is active increases all damage by 5%. At rank 2, increase Shadow Barrage duration by 5 seconds or up to 1 additional hit. At rank 3, each kill while Shadow Barrage is active increases all damage by 8%.
15Critical ThinkerGlobal Passive: Increase Critical Chance by 1/2/4/6%.
16Hidden OnslaughtTanto Passive: +1 Health Segment removed when used against unaware enemies. At rank 2, Hidden Hand cooldown decreased by 5%. At rank 3, Hidden Hand cooldown decreased by 7%.
17ContemplationTanto Passive: Increase Shadow Barrage duration by 10 seconds or up to 3 additional hits. At rank 2, increases Shadow Barrage damage by 10%. At rank 3, damage increases by 15%.
Unlocked after completing Yamabushi Imposters
18Broken SpiritTanto Passive: Hidden Hand cannot be blocked or parried. Bosses reduce damage to 3 Health Segments with Hidden Hand. At rank 2, Hidden Hand cooldown decreased by 10%. At rank 3, cooldown is decreased by 13%.
19Healthy StingTanto Passive: Weakpoint Attacks triggered from behind an enemy restore 5/7/10% Health.

Shadow Piercer

Use this to close the gap between you and a ranged enemy. Alternatively, use it as a finisher as you’ll get 80% of your Adrenaline Chunk back with the Invigorating Kill passive.

Hidden Hand

This is your instant-kill ability. The ability to perform a mid-combat Assassination is too good to pass up as the damage it does scales with your Assassination Damage.

Backstab

Backstab requires you to be good with positioning and dodging to make good use of it. The 100% armor piercing with a heal on top of a weak point attack is great for fighting enemies like Samurai Daisho.

When to use the Tanto

The tanto works best when fighting a single or a few targets at a time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by multiple opponents as this weapon favors dodging over parrying. It’s an excellent weapon to apply afflictions with due to the speed it applies them via light attacks.

It may seem weak at first due to the small hits, but these are fast small hits that’ll quickly add up. If you take some time to increase your mastery with it, it’ll reward you with armor piercing and instant kills with mid-combat assassinations.

Tools

Naoe’s tools allow her to actively sabotage the environment or enemies quietly. Whether you’re using this branch for stealth or combat, it’s incredibly useful and is one of Naoe’s best skill trees to invest in.

Tools Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Tools MasteryTools Passive: +1-15% chance to refill a Tool on use with mastery points spent in the Tool Tree.
2Tool ProfessionalTools Passive: Increase damage with Tools by 3/9/18/27%.
3Smoke BombTools Passive: Aim and throw a smoke bomb that breaks all lines of sight.
4KunaiTools Passive: Aim and throw a Kunai that deals 400% damage. Headshots on unsuspecting enemies will remove 1 Health Segments.
5Quick ThrowTools Passive: Aim and throw the equipped tool at the closest enemy or object.
6Larger Tool Bag ITools Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all tools. +1 Kunai, +1 Shuriken, +1 Smoke Bomb, +1 Shinobi Bell.
7Shinobi BellTools Passive: Aim and throw a Shinobi Bell that distracts nearby enemies.
8Enduring HazeTools Passive: Smoke Bomb has its duration increased to 10/14 seconds.
9Kunai Assassination Damage ITools Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Kunai.
10ShurikenTools Passive: Aim and throw a Shuriken that deals 100% damage. Staggers enemies and can be used on the environment.
11Adrenaline GeneratorGlobal Passive: Increase Adrenaline Gain by 3/8/15/22%.
12Golden BellTools Passive: Shinobi Bell is now golden, and its shine can attract enemies from afar.
13Armor PiercingTools Passive: Kunai now have 50% Armor Piercing. At rank 2, increase Kunai damage by 10%. At rank 3, Kunai have 75% armor piercing.
14Larger Tool Bag IITools Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all tools. +1 Kunai, +2 Shuriken, +1 Smoke Bomb, +2 Shinobi Bell.
15WidespreadTools Passive: Smoke Bomb has its radius increased to 5 meters. At rank 2, increases Smoke Bomb radius to 7 meters.
Increased after completing The Pirate Alliance
16Kunai Assassination Damage IITools Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Kunai.
17Bank ShotTools Passive: Shuriken can now bounce between targets. At rank 2, increase Shuriken damage by 10%. At rank 3, Shuriken damage is increased by 20%.
18Tool Affliction ProficiencyTools Passive: Increase Affliction buildup with tools by 2/5/9/13%. An enemy is Afflicted when suffering from Bleed, Poison, or Daze.
19Louder ChimesTools Passive: Shinobi Bell has its radius increased to 5 meters.
20Triple ThreatTools Passive: Naoe can now throw 3 Shurikens at the same time for the cost of 1. At rank 2, increase Shuriken damage by 15%. At rank 3, Shuriken damage is increased by 30%.
Unlocked after completing The Tournament
21Larger Tool Bag IIITools Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all tools. +1 Kunai, +2 Shuriken, +1 Smoke Bomb, +2 Shinobi Bell.
22EverlastTools Passive: Kunai have a 50% chance to not break on hard impacts. At rank 2, increase Kunai damage by 15%. At rank 3, Kunai have a 75% chance to not break on hard impacts.
23Kunai Assassination Damage IIITools Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Kunai.
Unlocked after completing Kurai Eikyou

Pretty much every option in the Tools tree is extremely useful, but here are some options that you must have:

Kunai Assassination Damage I, II, III

While not as powerful as your Hidden Blade, it’s worth investing in your kunai damage for better ranged assassinations. Save it for squishier enemies until you can get armor or the passive that prevents kunai from breaking on hard impact.

Smoke Bomb

This is great if you’re surrounded by enemies in combat. Pop one of these to disappear and you can get the option to assassinate so long as you’re hidden with the smoke. Pair this with the Double Assassination with a tanto and you can wipe out large groups easily.

Shuriken

These are good for one of two things:

  1. Destroying light source
  2. Applying afflictions

If you’re sneaking at night, it’s important to destroy light sources quietly. You want to save your kunai for ranged assassinations, so throwing shurikens is the best way to snuff out any lights.

With Bank Shot and Triple Threat, you can use these to easily spread afflictions against groups of enemies. Remember to use armor that has tool affliction buildup to achieve this effect.

Larger Tool Bag I, II, III

The more tools you have, the more times you can assassinate at range, destroy lights, disappear with smoke bombs, etc.

Shinobi

The Shinobi tree is primarily comprised of utility options to make sneaking around far more efficient. If you love stealth gameplay and becoming one with the shadows, you’ll want to invest in this tree.

Shinobi Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Shinobi MasteryShinobi Passive: Increase health by 2-50% with mastery points spent in the Shinobi Tree.
2ProdigyGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Abilities by 2/5/9/13%.
3GrabShinobi Passive: Grab an enemy while undetected. Once grabbed, you can move with them and knock them out.
4Grappling HookShinobi Passive: Allows you to use the Grappling Hook.
5Shallow Water BreatingShinobi Passive: Allows Naoe to breathe through a reed while remaining still in shallow water.
6Grab AssassinateShinobi Passive: After grabbing an enemy, you can Assassinate them. At rank 2, removes 1 additional Health Segments with Grab Assassinations.
7Ascension BoostShinobi Passive: While using the Grappling Hook, Naoe can climb much faster.
8VaultShinobi Passive: After deflecting an attack, press Dodge jump over an enemy and make them Vulnerable.
9Igan RollShinobi Passive: Press Dodge before hitting the ground to reduce fall damage.
10EvasiveGlobal Passive: Increase damage after a Vault by 2/6/12/18%.
11Lightning KicksShinobi Ability: Knock down the 2 closest enemies and deal 15% ability damage to each.
12Heighten SensesShinobi Ability: While undetected, time slows down around Naoe for 8 seconds. Aborts on enemy contact.
13Destabilizing VaultShinobi Passive: Increase Critical Chance by 25/27/30% over 10 seconds after using Vault.
14ImmobilizedShinobi Passive: Increase the knockdown duration by 5 seconds. At rank 2, increase Lightning Kicks damage by 40%. At rank 3, increases the knockdown duration by 6 seconds.
15Extended PerceptionShinobi Passive: Increase Heightened Senses duration by 4 seconds. At rank 2 and 3, increase damage with Tools during Heightened Senses by 10/15%.
16Ninja FallShinobi Passive: Igan Roll now negates all fall damage.
17EfficientGlobal Passive: +3/8/15/20% less Cooldown with abilities.
18Quick Knock OutShinobi Passive: Knock out after Grab can now be performed faster.
19High VaultShinobi Passive: Throw a Shuriken mid-air on a successful Vault.
20Sweep the LegShinobi Passive: Lightning Kicks can now perform 1 additional leg sweep on a nearby target that is not already knocked down. At rank 2, increases Lightning Kicks damage by 60%. At rank 3, Lightning Kicks now performs 2 additional leg sweeps.
Unlocked after completing Fallen Soldiers
21Critical InsightShinobi Passive: Duration of Heightened Senses is reset on a successful assassination. Can only be reset once per activation. At rank 2, +1 Health Segments removed on Assassinations during Heightened Senses.
Unlocked after completing The Yokai

Igan Roll

Get Igan Roll and its upgrade Ninja Fall as soon as you can. Since Naoe has a higher emphasis on platforming, you’ll need the damage reduction on falls.

This ability becomes overpowered when you get Ninja Fall. So long as you time your roll right, you can survive any height without any damage. You will no longer need Leaps of Faith to scale down high elevations.

Vault

Aside from being fun to use, the Destabilizing Vault upgrade is a great addition for Critical Chance builds. Even if you’re not stacking Critical Chance, the bonus to it is useful for any of Naoe’s weapons.

Ascension Boost

Naoe spends a lot of time scaling up walls with the Grappling Hook. It’s also when she’s the most vulnerable or easily seen. The sooner you can climb up a roof and go prone to hide, the better.

Assassin

The Assassin tree will provide you options to live out the classic Assassin’s Creed experience. This primarily affects your assassinations and adds buffs to your Eagle Vision. It’s also the only way to increase Naoe’s Adrenaline Chunks.

Assassin Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Assassin MasteryAssassin Passive: Increase Adrenaline Gain on Assassination by 5-50% with mastery points spent in the Assassin tree.
2ExecutionerGlobal Passive: Increase damage on vulnerable enemies by 2/6/12/18%.
3Ground AssassinateAssassin Passive: Assassinate regular enemies while they are on the ground and remove health segments.
4Shoji Door AssassinationAssassin Passive: While using a Katana, Naoe can Assassinate a target through a shoji panel.
5Hidden BladeAssassin Passive: Assassinate regular enemies and remove 2 Health Segments.
6Eagle VisionAssassin Passive: Highlight enemies around you.
7Night CrawlerGlobal Passive: Increase damage during the night by 2/6/12/18%.
8Improved Ground AssassinateAssassin Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segments with Ground Assassinations. At rank 2, removes 2 additional Health Segments on Ground Assassinations.
9Double AssassinateAssassin Passive: While using a Tanto, Naoe can Assassinate two targets standing close together with a single attack.
10Assassination Damage IAssassin Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Assassinations.
11Vigor IAssassin Passive: Increase Naoe’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
12Reinforced BladeAssassin Passive: Hidden Blade can now be used against large enemies.
13Improved SenseAssassin Passive: Eagle Vision now lasts an extra 10 seconds after deactivation. At rank 2, lasts an extra 15 seconds.
14FrontrunnerGlobal Passive: Increase damage while Health is full by 2/6/12/18%.
15Vigor IIAssassin Passive: Increase Naoe’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
16Assassination Damage IIAssassin Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Assassinations.
17Rush AssassinateAssassin Passive: While using a Kusarigama, Naoe can close the distance and deal Assassination Damage to a single target.
18Hand of the CreedAssassin Passive: Hidden Blade can no longer be denied when enemies see Naoe coming.
19Vigor IIIAssassin Passive: Increase Naoe’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
20Assassination Damage IIIAssassin Passive: Naoe removes 1 additional Health Segment with Assassinations.
Unlocked after completing The Godai Shinobi

Assassination Damage I, II, III

How could one not invest in the series’ iconic weapon? There are many occasions where it’s far simpler to assassinate durable enemies than fighting them in combat,

Shoji Door Assassination

This is great for infiltrating castles as they’ll never see you coming. Lure in enemies with your whistle while behind a shoji door. This allows you to easily clear out areas while remaining hidden behind the door as they’ll ignore the pile of bodies in front of the door.

Double Assassinate

If you like assassinating over prolonged combat, Double Assassinate is a necessary passive to have. Even if you don’t like using a tanto, having one equipped is great for clearing out groups of enemies. Try double assassinating groups while hidden with a smoke bomb!

Vigor I, II, III

Having more than one Adrenaline Chunk is great for any weapon. You can pull off fun combos such as using the Katana’s Tidal Wave, Eviscerate, then another Tidal Wave.

Yasuke’s Mastery Trees

Yasuke’s talents are more combat heavy which makes for some energetic and visceral combat. What he lacks in universal passive abilities, he makes up for with having a weapon for any combat situation.

Long Katana

The Long Katana is a solid weapon of choice and typically has twice the damage output of Naoe’s katana. If you like combat that rewards parrying with the added chance to decapitate your foes, you should use the Long Katana.

Long Katana Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Long Katana MasteryLong Katana Passive: Increase Long Katana damage by 3-120% with points spent in the Long Katana tree.
2Sheathed AttackLong Katana Passive: Hold Guard and use a light or heavy attack to sheathe the Katana and launch a stronger strike that can break the target’s guard.
3Power DashLong Katana Ability: Dash to a single enemy, dealing 50% ability damage, then move behind them to make them Vulnerable.
4RiposteLong Katana Passive: Release Parry right after blocking a hit to perform an immediate Riposte.
5Combat ExpertGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Melee Weapons by 2/5/9/13%.
6Energizing DefenseLong Katana Passive: Riposte now restores 5% Health. At rank 2, increase Riposte damage by 40%. At rank, restores 8% health.
7Adrenaline BuilderGlobal Passive: Increase Adrenaline Gain by 3/8/15/22%.
8Sheathed PostureLong Katana Passive: Sheathed Attack can now become a Posture attack by holding the light or heavy attack buttons. At rank 2, increase Sheathed Attack damage by 20%.
9PaybackLong Katana Ability: Deal 3 powerful strikes to a single enemy, dealing 35% ability damage and restoring 10% health.
10Samurai ShowdownLong Katana Ability: Taunt up to 3 different enemies and attack them, dealing 15% ability damage to each.
11Armor AvoidanceLong Katana Passive: Power Dash now has 100% Armor Piercing. At rank 2, increase Power Dash damage by 40%. At rank 3, Power Dash has 75% Armor Piercing.
12OverrunLong Katana Passive: Increase Payback damage by 1% per 1% Health missing. At rank 2, increase Payback damage by 40%. At rank 3, increases Payback damage by 2% per 1% Health missing.
13Defensive StrikeLong Katana Passive: Riposte now has 100% Critical Chance when performed against a Flurry Attack. At rank 2, increase Riposte damage by 60%.
14Melee Weapon Armor DamageGlobal Passive: Increase Armor Damage with Melee Weapons by 3/9/18/27%.
15Adrenaline BoostLong Katana Passive: Sheathed Attack generates 10% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit. At rank 2, increase Sheathed Attack damage by 30%. At rank 3, Sheathed Attack generates 15% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
16ShatterLong Katana Passive: Increase Samurai Showdown Armor Damage by 50%. At rank 2, increase Samurai Showdown by 40%. At rank 3, increase Samurai Showdown Armor Damage by 75%.
17UnstoppableLong Katana Passive: Payback can no longer be blocked or parried. At rank 2, increase Payback damage by 60%.
18Call of HonorLong Katana Passive: Samurai Showdown can now taunt up to 4 different enemies. At rank 2, increase Samurai Showdown damage by 60%.
19Chained Power DashLong Katana Passive: Power Dash can now be chained a second time. At rank 2, increase Power Dash damage by 60%.
Unlocked after completing The Kabukimono

Power Dash

This is your gap closer and on-demand Vulnerability option. What makes it very useful is the distance you cover with this ability. If you’re surrounded, dash to a far away enemy to reposition yourself as you’re invincible during the animation.

Payback

This ability is great for 1 on 1 combat as you’ll prevent them from acting for a moment while healing 10% of your health. With the Overrun and Unstoppable upgrades, it makes an excellent finisher against durable opponents such as Samurai Daisho, Guardians, and Bosses.

Riposte

Riposte with Energizing Defense is a great way to heal yourself if you’re low on rations. You can minimize your need for rations when you combine this with Payback and the Samurai tree’s Regeneration passive.

When to use the Long Katana

There is no combat scenario where the Long Katana isn’t useful. It has great single target and area damage with versatile abilities. It may lack the raw power of the kanabo or the range of the teppo and bow, but it’s a weapon that’ll never disappoint you if you take the time to practice your parries.

Naginata

The Naginata is Yasuke’s area of effect and crowd control weapon. It rewards keeping your distance from opponents and if needed, it will create said distance. If you want to be a one-man army, the Naginata is an excellent choice for that goal.

Naginata Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Naginata MasteryNaginata Passive: Increase Naginata damage by 3-120% for mastery points spent in the Naginata tree.
2One Man ArmyGlobal Passive: Increase damage when hitting multiple enemies by 3/8/15/22%.
3Far ReachNaginata Passive: Enemies hit by the tip of a Naginata take 15% more damage.
4Crescent StrikeNaginata Ability: Jump to an enemy and swing the Naginata in a large arc in front of you, dealing 25% ability damage and pushing them back.
5WhirlwindNaginata Passive: Hold Parry and press light attack, heavy attack, heavy attack, light attack, heavy attack for a powerful combo dealing 5% more damage with each strike.
6Combo Ender Armor PiercingGlobal Passive: Increase Armor Piercing with Combo Enders by 4/12/24/36%.
7Lethal ReachNaginata Passive: Increase Critical Chance with Far Reach by 15/17/20%.
8ImpaleNaginata Ability: Impale an enemy, dealing 15% ability damage and moving with them up to 13 meters. On release, they become Vulnerable.
9Deep CutNaginata Passive: Crescent Strike now inflicts 35% Bleed buildup. At rank 2, increase Crescent Strike damage by 40%. At rank 3, Crescent Strike now inflicts 40% Bleed buildup.
10Lethal ChargeNaginata Passive: Impale now moves further with the impaled enemy. At rank 2, increase Impale damage by 40%.
11OnslaughtNaginata Ability: Unleash a flurry of 8 strikes on a single enemy, dealing 15% ability damage each. Half as effective on large enemies.
12Rising StormNaginata Passive: Whirlwind generates 10% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit. At rank 2, increase Whirlwind damage by 40%. At rank 3, Whirlwind generates 8% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
13Piercing MomentumGlobal Passive: Increase Armor Piercing with consecutive hits by 2/6/12/18%.
14Fatal ReachNaginata Passive: Far Reach generates 5/7/10% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
15Stampeding ChargeNaginata Passive: Impale now pushes back enemies on the path. At rank 2, increase Impale damage by 60%.
16Disabling StrikeNaginata Passive: Crescent Strike now knocks down enemies. At rank 2, increases Crescent Strike damage by 60%.
Unlocked after completing The Hunters of Kyonyo
17Broader OnslaughtNaginata Passive: Onslaught now has its full effect on large enemies. At rank 2, increases Onslaught damage by 40%.
18Ultimate OnslaughtNaginata Passive: Onslaught can no longer be blocked or parried. At rank 2, increases Onslaught damage by 60%.
Unlocked after completing The Winter Raiders
19Persistent StormNaginata Passive: After performing the first strike, use a light attack or heavy attack in any order to keep the Whirlwind going. At rank 2, increases Whirlwind damage by 60%.

Crescent Strike

Crescent Strike is excellent for giving yourself some breathing room. With the enemies pushed away, you can make better use of the Far Reach passive. This pairs very well with Bleed buildup naginatas, allowing you to trigger bleed on numerous opponents at once with enough skill.

Onslaught

The naginata has great area damage, but sometimes you run into that particularly tough enemy with a lot of armor and health. Onslaught is good to have for occasional single-target damage.

Whirlwind

The naginata’s basic attacks are in an arc or semicircle in front of Yasuke. With Whirlwind, you can have a wider area of effect by attacking in a short radius around you.

One Man Army

Increasing damage when hitting multiple enemies is necessary for the naginata if you want to make the most use of it.

When to use the Naginata

The best case scenario for the naginata is to use it in tight quarters with multiple enemies. If the area is too open, it only allows enemies to more easily evade your swings.

The naginata is also great for those who favor a defensive playstyle. This is seen with some naginatas such as the Celestial Blade or Sage’s Reach. These particular naginatas favor blocking over parrying and dodging, emphasizing the naginata’s defensive nature.

Kanabo

The Kanabo is Yasuke’s high DPS weapon. It’s slow but it’ll hit like a truck with their high Posture DPS and Ability Damage. It lacks great defenses, but who needs defense when you can kill opponents in a couple hits?

Kanabo Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Kanabo MasteryKanabo Passive: Increase Kanabo damage by 3-120% for mastery points spent in the Kanabo tree.
2DevastationKanabo Passive: Switch attack type at the end of a combo to trigger an additional combo ender.
3Spine BreakerKanabo Ability: Grab an enemy with the Kanabo, dealing 50% ability damage and knocking out regular enemies. Half as effective on large enemies.
4Forward MomentumKanabo Passive: When you hit an enemy, press light attack or heavy attack to chain your next attack faster.
5Combo Ender DamageGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Combo Enders by 2/6/12/18%.
6TurmoilKanabo Passive: Devastation combo enders generates 50% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit. At rank 2, increase Devastation damage by 40%. At rank 3, Devestation combo enders generate 35% of an Adrenaline Chunk on hit.
7Power SurgeKanabo Passive: Each successful Forward Momentum before a Combo Ender increases its damage by 15/20/25%.
8Ability MasterGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Abilities by 2/5/9/13%.
9Irresistible ForceKanabo Passive: Increase Spine Breaker knockout duration by 10 seconds. At rank 2, increase Spine Breaker damage by 40%. At rank 3, knockdown duration increases by 15 seconds.
10Crushing ShockwaveKanabo Ability: A downward strike that deals 90% ability damage, disables the targets, and staggers all enemies in a 3 meter radius.
11Infinite DevastationKanabo Passive: Press the opposite attack input after a Devastation to perform a second one. At rank 2, increase Devastation damage by 60%.
12Slugging RampageKanabo Ability: A series of spinning strikes that deal 20% ability damage each and sends everyone nearby flying backwards.
13Unstoppable StrengthKanabo Passive: Spine Breaker now has its full effect against large enemies. At rank 2, increase Spine Breaker damage by 60%.
14Greater ShockwaveKanabo Passive: Crushing Shockwave now afflicts enemies with Daze. At rank 2, increase Crushing Shockwave Damage by 40%. At rank 3, Daze lasts an extra 2 seconds.
15Damage ReductionGlobal Passive: Increase Damage Reduction by 1/3/6/9%.
16Slugging TorrentKanabo Passive: Slugging Rampage now lasts longer. At rank 2, increase Slugging Rampage damage by 40%. At rank 3, Slugging Rampage has 15% increased reach.
17Constant PressureForward Momentum no longer requires hit confirmation. Press light attack or heavy attack at any time to chain your attack quicker.
18Slugging FuryKanabo Passive: Slugging Rampage now lasts even longer. At rank 2, increase Slugging Rampage damage by 60%. At rank 3, Slugging Rampage nhas 15% increased reach.
19Absolute ShockwaveKanabo Passive: Increase Crushing Shockwave size by 67%. At rank 2, increase Crushing Shockwave damage by 60%. At rank 3, Crushing Shockwave’s size increases by 100%.

Spine Breaker

Spine Breaker is a great way to put down tougher opponents. When they’re knocked out, you can follow up with a ground attack for a large chunk of damage.

Crushing Shockwave

You’ll want Crushing Shockwave as it has the highest ability damage scaling out of all the kanabo abilities. It’s also necessary to deal with group fights as it’ll give you some room when you need it.

Get the Greater Shockwave upgrade to daze enemies hit by Crushing Shockwave. When they come to attack you, they’ll end up missing and make themselves sitting ducks against your kanabo.

Forward Momentum

The kanabo is one of the slowest weapons in the game, so any boost to its rate of attack is a welcome addition.

Ability Master

While ability master only increases ability damage by 9% at max rank, keep in mind you’re using a kanabo. The kanabo’s ability damage easily goes into the thousands, so you’re adding hundreds of extra damage to your abilities.

When to use the Kanabo

The kanabo can be used in any combat situation if you have the skill. Otherwise, it’s best against small groups, single targets, and combat encounters with little to no ranged enemies.

It’s glaring weakness is how easy it is for you to be interrupted mid-swing. This can be fixed by dazing your enemies or using the engraving from Boulder Fall.

With its lack of defensive potential, a great Samurai ability to pair this with is Battle Cry with Healing Shout. This will allow you to focus on attacking as you regenerate health.

If you really want to be an absolute beast in combat, the Samurai Stand ability is great as it’ll turn all your swings into Posture attacks.

Teppo

The world advances and firearms are being introduced into warfare. The Teppo is a matchlock firearm that offers insane damage at a distance. This comes with the tradeoff of having a slow rate of fire.

Ability NameDescription
1Teppo MasteryTeppo Passive: Increase Teppo damage by 3-120% with with mastery points spent in the Teppo tree.
2Armor DamageGlobal Passive: Increase Armor Damage by 3/9/18/30%.
3Steady HandTeppo Passive: While aiming, remain still for a short time to zoom in further and increase damage by 10%.
4Armor BusterTeppo Ability: Reload the Teppo and follow up with a shot that deals 100% ability damage and breaks the target’s armor.
5Larger Pouch ITeppo Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all ammo. +4 ammo, +2 Special Ammo.
6ConcentrationTeppo Passive: Steady Hand now also slows down time for 5 seconds. At rank 2, increase Steady Hand damage bonus by 40%. At rank 3, Steady Hand slows down time for 8 seconds.
7Close QuartersTeppo Ability: Swing the Teppo at an enemy, dealing 60% ability damage, knocking them down and automatically shooting them.
8Teppo TempoTeppo Passive: After a successful dodge, hold the heavy attack button at the end of the dodge to shoot the attacker.
9Reload SpeedTeppo Passive: Increase Teppo Reload Speed by 2/5/9/13%.
10Locked InTeppo Passive: Steady hand can no longer be interrupted. At rank 2, increase Steady Hand damage bonus by 60%.
11Explosive SurpriseTeppo Ability: Throw a gunpowder pouch and automatically shoot it to create an explosion that deals 35% ability damage.
12Radial EffectTeppo Passive: Armor Buster sends fragments of armor flying in every direction, dealing 50% ability damage in a 4 meter radius. At rank 2, increase Armor Buster damage by 40%. At rank 3, deals 105% ability damage.
13Teppo’s MightTeppo Passive: Close Quarters now has 25% Armor Piercing. At rank 2, increase Close Quarters damage by 40%. At rank 3, Close Quarters has 35% Armor Piercing.
14Steel BulletsTeppo Passive: Unlock a new Bullet type that makes the target Vulnerable. At rank 2, targets are Vulnerable for an extra 3 seconds.
15Larger Pouch IITeppo Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all ammo. +4 ammo, +2 Special Ammo.
16Explosive BarrageTeppo Passive: Explosive Surprise is chained a second time. At rank 2, increase Explosive Surprise damage by 40%.
17Target VulnerabilityTeppo Passive: Teppo Tempo now makes the enemy Vulnerable. At rank 2, increase Teppo Tempo damage by 40%. At rank 3, Teppo Tempo makes targets Vulnerable an extra 3 seconds.
18Concussion BulletsTeppo Passive: Unlock a new Bullet type that builds up the Daze affliction. At rank 2, increase Daze buildup with Concussion Bullets by 2%. At rank 3, increase Daze buildup by 5%.
19Range Weapon ExpertiseGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Ranged Weapons by 1/3/6/9%.
20Deep ImpactTeppo Passive: On hit, Armor Buster now pushes enemies away. At rank 2, increase Armor Buster damage by 60%.
21Brutal TakedownTeppo Passive: Close Quarters now automatically knocks out the target. At rank 2, increase Close Quarters damage by 60%.
22Shrapnel BulletsTeppo Passive: Unlock a new Bullet type that builds up the Bleed affliction. At rank 2, increase Bleed buildup with Shrapnel Bullets by 2%. At rank 3, increase Bleed buildup by 5%.
23Larger Pouch IIITeppo Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all ammo. +4 ammo, +2 Special Ammo.
24Explosive WarfareTeppo Passive: The explosion from Explosive Surprise now knocks down anyone caught in the blast. At rank 2, increase Explosive Surprise damage by 60%. At rank 3, targets knocked down by Explosive Surprise are afflicted with Daze.
25Quick AimTeppo Passive: Teppo Temple uses a faster reloading technique. At rank 2, increase Teppo Tempo damage by 60%.
Unlocked after completing The Pirate Alliance

Armor Buster

The more you invest into Armor Buster, the better it gets. It’s not enough to destroy armor, but you can turn it into a weapon by turning it into shrapnel.

Explosive Surprise

The teppo’s basic attack is great single target damage, so you’ll want some area damage in case you’re fighting groups. The Explosive Barrage is necessary for more damage. A good thing to note is that Explosive Barrage only consumes one bullet despite firing two shots.

Steady Hand

Steady Hand allows you to use one strength the teppo has over the bow, the ability to zoom in further on a target. Concentration is good to have for mid-range combat so you have more time to line up a headshot.

Larger Pouch I, II, III

The more ammo you have, the longer you can use your teppo. It doesn’t need explanation beyond that.

Reload Speed

This is necessary to help remedy the teppo’s primary weakness, its slow reload speed.

When to use the Teppo

While the teppo has range that exceeds the bow, it’s best suited for mid-range combat. A great combo to use is to fire your teppo, use Explosive Surprise with Explosive Barrage, fire your teppo again, then use Armor Buster to reload and take one last shot.

You must use your shots wisely as you won’t find a lot of ammo out in the field. You’ll typically want to restock at vendors or a kakurega. The teppo is a great weapon, but you will run out of ammo eventually. Be sure to practice your melee weapons so you can keep up the fight when you’re out of bullets.

A fun way to use the teppo is to fast travel to a castle or fort and fire upon all the helpless enemies below. Just be sure to take out any alarm bells before you do this.

Samurai

The Samurai Tree will provide Yasuke with various defensive and utility options. If you’re looking to increase your durability, you can’t pass on the Samurai tree. It also has some great active abilities that compliment any of Yasuke’s weapons.

Samurai Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Samurai MasterySamurai Passive: Increase Health by 2-50% with mastery points spend in the Samurai tree.
2RegenerationGlobal Passive: Restore 1/3/6/9% of Yasuke’s maximum Health when killing an enemy.
3Brutal AssassinationSamurai Passive: Perform Yasuke’s own version of an Assassination and remove 4 Health Segments.
4Link AttackSamurai Passive: Swap weapons during a combo to transition into a quick attack while switching to your alternate weapon, extending your combo. Ranks 2 and 3 increase Link Attack damage by 20% and 50% respectively.
5War KickSamurai Ability: Perform a powerful kick on an enemy dealing 20% ability damage and pushing them away. Half as effective on large enemies.
6Bull RushSamurai Passive: While Sprinting, regular enemies will be knocked back and some doors will break on impact. Half as effective on large enemies.
7Improved Brutal AssassinationSamurai Passive: Yasuke can now perform his Brutal Assassination against large enemies.
8Heavy ImpactSamurai Passive: War Kick now has its full effect on large enemies. At rank 2, increase War Kick damage by 40%.
9Crash CollisionSamurai Passive: Bull Rush can now deal 15% ability damage on contact. At rank 2, increase Bull Rush damage by 40%. At rank 3, Bull Rush can now deal 42% ability damage on contact.
10Vigor ISamurai Passive: Increase Yasuke’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
11Stronger, Smarter…Global Passive: +3/8/15/20% less Cooldown with Abilities.
12Assassination Damage ISamurai Passive: Yasuke removes 2 additional Health Segments with Assassinations.
13Impenetrable DefenseSamurai Ability: Immediately counter every attack received for 20 seconds and up to 5 hits.
14Battle CrySamurai Ability: Stagger all enemies within 10 meters of you.
15Big ImpactSamurai Passive: Bull Rush now has its full effects on large enemies. At rank 2, increase Bull Rush damage by 60%.
16Vigor IISamurai Passive: Increase Yasuke’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
17Unbreakable GuardSamurai Passive: Impenetrable Defense now makes attackers Vulnerable. At rank 2, increase Impenetrable Defense damage by 40%. At rank 3, Impenetrable Defense makes attackers Vulnerable for an extra 3 seconds.
18Defensive BreachSamurai Passive: +100% damage on enemy collisions. At rank 2, increases War Kick damage by 60%. At rank 3, +150% damage on enemy collisions.
Unlocked after completing Fallen Soldiers
19OutnumberedSamurai Passive: For each enemy affected by Battle Cry, increase damage by 4% for 10 seconds. At rank 2, increase Damage Reduction during Battle Cry by 5%. At rank 3, increase damage by 6% for 10 seconds for each enemy affected by Battle Cry.
20Samurai StandSamurai Ability: Enter a frenzy, turning all your attacks into Posture attacks for 10 seconds.
Unlocked after completing Nobutsuna’s Students
21Strength BuilderGlobal Passive: Increase damage per filled Adrenaline Chunk by 1/3/6/9%.
22Assassination Damage IISamurai Passive: Yasuke removes 2 additional Health Segments with Assassinations.
Unlocked after completing The Godai Shinobi
23Healing ShoutSamurai Passive: Battle Cry now restores 50% of maximum health over 10 seconds. At rank 2, increase Damage Reduction during Battle Cry by 10%. At rank 3, Battle Cry now restores 65% of maximum health over 10 seconds.
24Samurai FrenzySamurai Passive: When killing an enemy, Samurai Stand duration is increased by 3 seconds. At rank 2, increase damage during Samurai stand by 5%. At rank 3, increases damage during Samurai Stand by 10%.
25Vigor IIISamurai Passive: Increase Yasuke’s Adrenaline Chunks by 1.
26Absolute ProtectionSamurai Passive: Impenetrable Defense can now work against all Unstoppable Attacks, except Grab attacks. At rank 2, increases Impenetrable Defense damage by 60%.
Unlocked after completing Yamabushi Imposters
27Eternal SamuraiSamurai Passive: While in Samurai Stand, Health is locked at 10%, causing all enemy attacks to be non-lethal. At rank 2, increase damage during Samurai Stand by 10%. At level 3, increases damage during Samurai Stand by 20%.

Impenetrable Defense

Impenetrable Defense will provide you a moment of invulnerability. The guaranteed parries are just the cherry on top and allow you to focus solely on attacking. Do note that you can’t use other abilities while Impenetrable Defense is active.

Regeneration

Yasuke is made for combat, so take advantage of that by gaining back some health with each kill.

Brutal Assassination

While Yasuke isn’t very stealthy at close range, it’s good to have the option to assassinate a lone enemy. It’s also a great way to open combat if you use it on a beefy enemy such as a guardian.

Vigor I, II, III

You’ll want to get this when you can to pull off ability combos with any of your other weapons.

Bow

Bow proficiency is just as important to samurai as katana proficiency. The bow in Assassin’s Creed Shadows helps Yasuke by providing him a stealthy way to take out enemies from a distance.

Bow Tree
Ability NameDescription
1Yumi Bow MasteryIncrease Bow damage by 3-80% with mastery points spent in the Bow tree.
2Swift HandBow Passive: Increase Draw Speed by 3/8/15/22%.
3Marksman’s ShotBow Passive: When hitting the target’s head with a Posture Shot, fire a second arrow.
4Staggering BlastBow Ability: Shoot a powerful arrow at the target, dealing 60% ability damage and pushing them back.
5Poison ArrowsBow Passive: Unlock a new Arrow type that builds up the Poison affliction. At rank 2 and 3, increase Poison buildup with Poison Arrows by 2% and 5% respectively.
6Larger Quiver IBow Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all arrows. +10 Arrow, +3 Special Arrow.
7Marksman’s StanceBow Passive: Marksman’s Shot is now a Posture Shot
8Clear MindBow Ability: Time slows down around you for 10 seconds while aiming.
9Silent ArrowsBow Passive: Unlock a new Arrow that has 50/60/75% Armor Piercing and removes 3 Health Segments with headshots on unsuspecting enemies.
10Critical DamageGlobal Passive: Increase Critical Damage by 2/6/12/18%.
11Marksman’s TouchBow Passive: Marksman’s Shot now has 50/70/100% Armor Piercing.
12Retreating ShotBow Ability: Shoot 4 arrows at the closest enemy, dealing 10% ability damage each time while evading incoming attacks.
13Headshot LockBow Passive: Staggering Blast now automatically aims at the head. At rank 2, increase Staggering Blast damage by 40%.
14Kyudo MasterBow Passive: Release when the Bow flashes to trigger Kyudo Master, enabling a longer Posture Window and a faster Reload Time for 5 seconds.
15Silent Arrows IIBow Passive: Yasuke removes 2 additional Health Segments with Silent Arrows.
16Larger Quiver IIBow Passive: Bow Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all arrows. +10 Arrow, +3 Special Arrow.
17Retreating BarrageBow Passive: Retreating Shot now fires more arrows: +1. At rank 2, increase Retreating Shot damage by 40%. At rank 2, fires +2 more arrows.
18Effective MindsetBow Passive: While Clear Mind is active, each kill increases damage by 15%. At rank 2, increase damage during Clear Mind by 5%. At rank 3, each kill increases damage by 20% while Clear Mind is active.
19Temporal MasteryBow Passive: Kyudo Master now slows down time for 2 seconds on the next shot. At rank 2, this becomes 3 seconds.
20Silent Arrows IIIBow Passive: Yasuke removes 2 additional Health Segments with Silent Arrows.
Unlocked after completing Kurai Eikyou
21Headshot DamageGlobal Passive: Increase damage with Headshots by 2/5/9/13%.
22Retreating ArsenalBow Passive: Retreating Shot now fires more arrows: +1. At rank 2, increase Retreating Shot damage by 60%. At rank 3, Retreating Shot now fires +2 more arrows.
23Level-HeadedBow Passive: While Clear Mind is active, Headshots increase the duration by 0.75 seconds. At rank 2, increase damage during Clear Mind by 10%. At rank 3, headshots increase the duration by 1 second.
Unlocked after completing The Yokai
24Serrated ArrowsBow Passive: Unlock a new Arrow type that builds up the Bleed affliction. At rank 2 and 3, increase Bleed Buildup with Serrated Arrows by 2% and 5% respectively.
25Larger Quiver IIIBow Passive: Bow Passive: Increase maximum capacity for all arrows. +10 Arrow, +3 Special Arrow.
26Hunter’s MarkBow Passive: Staggering Blast now automatically applies the Daze affliction. At rank 2, increase Staggering Blast damage by 60%. At rank 3, the Daze affliction applied by Staggering Blast lasts an extra 3 seconds.
27Reflexive PoiseBow Passive: Kyudo Master now automatically makes all shots Posture Shots.

Clear Mind

When you’re firing arrows at a group of enemies while hidden, they’ll be coming your way as they search for you. Clear Mind is a great ability to take down enemies before they find you thanks to time being slowed.

Larger Quiver I, II, III

When fully upgraded, you can have 40 arrows, 15 poison and serrated arrows, and 5 silent arrows. With 75 arrows at your disposal, clearing out castles and forts quietly should be no issue.

Silent Arrows I, II, III

These arrows are the best arrows you can get. As your ranged assassination option, save these for durable enemies such as Samurai Daisho, Guardians, and Objective Targets.

Kyudo Master

The bow requires time to deal its full damage. This is gained through posture shots and Kyudo Master’s Reflexive Poise upgrade can turn all your shots into Posture Shots instantly for 5 seconds.

When to use the Bow

The bow is best used from a distance to quietly take out enemies. Try to find a good vantage point a good distance away from the place you’re trying to infiltrate. Save your regular arrows for enemies without armor and take out the ones you can instantly kill first.

From there, take down the durable enemies with your Silent Arrows. The bow is also a solid option for mid-range combat but it lacks in area damage. Unlike the teppo, it’s very easy to find ammo for the bow. Look for arrow boxes near the perimeter of forts, or atop castle walls.

Unlockable Abilities

Many of the final abilities at the end of a branch are locked behind a quest. When you complete these quests, these unlock and you’re able to invest Mastery points into them. Here are the unlockable abilities and which quests you get them from:

Naoe’s Locked Abilities

Naoe AbilityMastery PathQuest that unlocks it
Third WaveKatanaThe Kabukimono
Feral FrenzyKusarigamaThe Winter Raiders
Enhanced ImpactKusarigamaThe Hunters of Kyonyo
ContemplationTantoYamabushi Imposters
WidespreadToolsThe Pirate Alliance
Triple ThreatToolsThe Tournament
Kunai Assassination Damage IIIToolsKurai Eikyou
Sweep the LegShinobiFallen Soldiers
Critical InsightShinobiThe Yokai
Assassination Damage IIIAssassinThe Godai Shinobi

Yasuke’s Locked Abilities

Yasuke’s AbilityMastery PathQuest that unlocks it
Chained Power DashLong KatanaThe Kabukimono
Ultimate OnslaughtNaginataThe Winter Raiders
Disabling StrikeNaginataThe Hunters of Kyonyo
Quick AimTeppoThe Pirate Alliance
Samurai StandSamuraiNobutsuna’s Students
Absolute ProtectionSamuraiYamabushi Imposters
Silent Arrows IIIBowKurai Eikyou
Level-HeadedBow The Yokai

Advanced High-tier Mastery Passives

After Mastery Rank 6, you will be able to spend additional Mastery Points on new passives for each character from the newly opened Ranks 7 through 9. They follow a familiar formula from previous Assassin’s Creed Shadows where each Mastery Point spent increases the given bonus by a small percent.

You can Reset the Mastery Points spent in these advanced grids also for free and at any time. The grids offer identical bonuses, but you still have to spend Mastery Points for each character. They are not shared.

This means that you can decide to invest in Stealth perks and Assassinations for Naoe, while boosting Open Combat performance for Yasuke.

Below you can read the full list of Passives available for unlocking. The values listed are per Mastery Point spent. There is a limit of 20 points you can spend on an individual passive.

Rank 6

  • Increase Posture attack damage by +1.50%
  • Increase Headshot damage by +1.50%
  • Increase Armor Damage by +1.50%
  • Increase damage with Afflictions by +2%
  • Increase damage when hitting vulnerable enemies by +1.50%

Rank 7

  • Increase damage with Melee Weapons by +1.50%
  • Increase damage with Ranged Weapons / Tools by +1.50%
  • Increase Armor Piercing by +1.50%
  • Increase damage with Abilities by +1.50%
  • Increase Critical Damage by +3%

Rank 8

  • Increase damage by +1%
  • +1% less Cooldown with Abilities
  • Increase Maximum health by +1.20%
  • Increase Adrenaline Gain by +2.50%
  • Increase Critical Chance by +0.20%

Rank 9

  • Increase damage when hitting multiple enemies by 2.50%
  • Increase damage with combo enders by 2%
  • Increase damage on Afflicted enemies by 1.50%
  • Increase damage during the night by 2%/Increase damage reduction from melee hits by 0.50%
  • Gain 1.50% Adrenaline when detected/Increase damage reduction from ranged hits by 0.80%

Rank 10

  • Increase damage with consecutive hits by 0.30%
  • Increase damage on next hit after a kill by 5%
  • Increase damage on next hit after using an ability by 5%
  • Increase damage on next hit after a Dodge by 1.60%. Increase damage on next hit after a Parry by 2.40%
  • Increase damage on next hit after hitting an enemy with a tool by 2.40%/Increases damage on next hit after breaking armor by 5%

We have a comprehensive guide to how gear works in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which ties in with the Mastery Paths to weapons and how to use abilities in the game.

Mastery Level

After you reach the current level cap 60, you will continue to earn XP, but it will be towards a new Mastery Level system. Mastery Levels work in a similar way to previous modern Assassin’s Creed games.

Mastery Levels in Assassin's Creed Shadows

You will continue to earn the same XP from quests and activities, but it will build up Mastery Levels. One Mastery level grants you one Mastery Point, this opening an endless flow of Mastery Points if you are willing to farm XP.

Siow

Siow

A Native American with two college degrees. Siow has a deep love for Star Wars, culinary arts, science fiction, and horror. He prefers MMORPGs, FPS, and Action games.
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