Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tools and Upgrade Guide

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, players can choose between Yasuke and Naoe, each offering unique approaches to tackling challenges. Here’s a comprehensive guide on the tools available and how to upgrade them to enhance your gameplay experience.

All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, you'll have access to five distinct tools, with two becoming available as you progress through the story. Here's a detailed look at each tool:

Grappling Hook

Naoe's Grappling Hook is a game-changer for exploration. It allows you to latch onto structures and ascend without needing handholds, making it easier to reach high vantage points and observe enemies. You can also use it to swing across large gaps, enhancing your mobility and strategic positioning.

Kunai

The Kunai is a lethal throwing knife perfect for silent takedowns. It can instantly kill common enemies, but upgrades are necessary to penetrate the armor of more formidable foes. This tool is essential for those who prefer stealth and precision in eliminating targets.

Smoke Bomb

The Smoke Bomb is a versatile tool that can be used both defensively and offensively. It creates a smoke cloud upon impact, breaking enemy lines of sight for quick escapes or creating confusion in battle to set up assassinations and deal swift damage.

Shuriken

The Shuriken, a traditional throwing star, is crucial for navigating heavily guarded areas. While it doesn't deal as much damage as the Kunai, it can stagger enemies and trigger environmental interactions like sabotaging alarms or detonating barrels. Its silent nature makes it ideal for stealth operations.

Shinobi Bell

For players who favor distraction over direct confrontation, the Shinobi Bell is invaluable. When thrown, it attracts enemies within its range, allowing you to clear paths or set up crowd control. Upgrades can increase its range and effectiveness, making it a powerful tool for strategic gameplay.

Related: How to Play the Assassin’s Creed Games in Order

How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Upgrading your tools in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* is crucial for enhancing their effectiveness. Most tools can be upgraded using Mastery Points through the Tools skill tree, except for the Grappling Hook. Here’s how to upgrade each tool:

Grappling Hook

The Grappling Hook's only upgrade is found in the Shinobi Tree. For 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2, you can unlock the Ascension Boost passive, which significantly speeds up Naoe’s climbing, making it harder for enemies to detect you as you ascend.

Kunai

To maximize the Kunai's damage, focus on the Kunai Assassination Damage upgrades, which increase the health segments removed with each throw. Enhance its armor-piercing capabilities with the Armor Piercing passive skill, and use Everlast to ensure every Kunai can be retrieved without breaking.

Smoke Bomb

After unlocking the Smoke Bomb, extend its duration with the Enduring Haze upgrade, giving you an additional 10 seconds to exploit the smoke. Further enhance its effectiveness with Widespread, which increases the area of effect, allowing you to obscure more enemies at once.

Shuriken

Upgrade the Shuriken with Bank Shot, enabling it to bounce between targets with increasing damage. Triple Threat allows you to throw three Shurikens at once for the cost of one, providing more options for stealth and combat scenarios.

Shinobi Bell

Enhance the Shinobi Bell with the Golden Bell upgrade, which increases its ability to attract enemies. Follow up with Louder Chimes to extend its effective radius by five meters, making it more effective at drawing enemies away from your path.

That’s everything you need to know about the tools and their upgrades in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and guides, be sure to check out The Escapist.

*Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.*