"Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Tools and Upgrade Guide"

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, players can choose between Yasuke and Naoe, each offering unique gameplay styles and tools for tackling challenges. Here's a comprehensive guide on all the tools at your disposal and how to upgrade them to enhance your experience in the game.

All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Players have access to five essential tools in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, with two unlocking through story progression. These tools are crucial for both exploration and combat:

Grappling Hook

Naoe’s Grappling Hook is a game-changer for exploration, allowing you to latch onto structures and ascend without handholds. It's perfect for reaching strategic vantage points swiftly and even for swinging across large gaps, enhancing your stealth and reconnaissance capabilities.

Kunai

The Kunai is a lethal throwing knife ideal for silent eliminations. It’s effective against common foes but requires upgrades to penetrate the armor of more formidable enemies. This tool is essential for players focusing on stealth and precision.

Smoke Bomb

The Smoke Bomb serves as both a defensive and offensive tool, creating a smoke cloud to break enemy lines of sight. Use it to escape detection or to sow confusion in combat, setting up opportunities for stealth kills or quick attacks.

Shuriken

Shuriken, the classic throwing stars, are vital for navigating heavily guarded areas. While they don’t deal as much damage as Kunai, they can stagger enemies and trigger environmental hazards. Their silent nature and upgrade potential for ricocheting make them highly versatile.

Shinobi Bell

For those who prefer diversion over direct confrontation, the Shinobi Bell is perfect. Throwing it draws enemy attention away, clearing paths or setting up better crowd control. Upgrades enhance its range and distraction power, making it invaluable for strategic play.

How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Upgrading tools in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* is done via the Tools skill tree using Mastery Points, except for the Grappling Hook. Here’s how to enhance each tool:

Grappling Hook

The Grappling Hook can be upgraded with the Ascension Boost passive under the Shinobi Tree for 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2. This speeds up Naoe’s climbing, making ascents quicker and stealthier.

Kunai

To maximize the Kunai’s impact, upgrade its Assassination Damage to remove more health segments per throw. Enhance its armor-piercing capabilities with the Armor Piercing passive, and use Everlast to ensure retrievability without breakage.

Smoke Bomb

After unlocking the Smoke Bomb, extend its duration with the Enduring Haze upgrade, adding 10 seconds to its effect. Widespread increases its area of effect, making it easier to block multiple enemies from spotting you.

Shuriken

Upgrade your Shuriken with Bank Shot to enable ricocheting between targets, increasing damage with each bounce. Triple Threat allows you to throw three Shurikens at once for the cost of one, offering more options in stealth and combat scenarios.

Shinobi Bell

Enhance the Shinobi Bell with Golden Bell to increase its visual appeal and distraction power. Follow up with Louder Chimes to extend its effective radius by five meters, allowing you to lure more enemies with a single throw.

Mastering these tools and their upgrades in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* can significantly enhance your gameplay experience. For further guidance, visit The Escapist for more tips and tricks.

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