Top Skills to Unlock First for Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, the dual protagonists offer diverse approaches to tackling challenges, and this extends to the skill sets available for Yasuke, the game's formidable samurai. To help you harness Yasuke's potential from the early stages, here are the top skills to prioritize for an impactful start.

Best Skills to Get First for Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Long Katana

Sheathed Attack – Long Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 2 Mastery Points)
Riposte – Long Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 2 Mastery Points)
Energizing Defense – Long Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Payback – Long Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points)

These skills not only allow you to defend and counter effectively but also ensure your attacks pack a punch while restoring any lost health. This combination will keep you robust and resilient during early combat encounters.

Naginata

Far Reach – Naginata Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 2 Mastery Points)
One Man Army – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Lethal Reach – Naginata Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 2 Mastery Points)
Impale – Naginata Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points)

With these skills, you can keep enemies at a distance while inflicting significant damage and boosting your critical hit chances. This setup is particularly effective in crowd control situations, and the Impale ability can clear paths or cluster enemies for devastating attacks.

Kanabo

Forward Momentum – Kanabo Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point)
Spine Breaker – Kanabo Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 3 Mastery Points)
Power Surge – Kanabo Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Crushing Shockwave – Kanabo Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points)

These skills enhance your power and speed, allowing you to obliterate foes swiftly. Crushing Shockwave is invaluable for managing crowds, while Spine Breaker offers a window to heal and regroup before unleashing a devastating ground strike.

Teppo

Steady Hand – Teppo Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 2 Mastery Points)
Armor Damage – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Concentration – Teppo Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Teppo Tempo – Teppo Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point)
Explosive Surprise – Teppo Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points)
Reload Speed – Teppo Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)

Leveraging the Teppo's high damage output, these skills enable you to control the battlefield by slowing time and enhancing your reload speed. Explosive Surprise and Teppo Tempo offer strategic options to create distance or transition smoothly into melee combat.

Samurai

Brutal Assassination – Samurai Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 2 Mastery Points)
Regeneration – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Improved Brutal Assassination – Samurai Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Assassination Damage I – Samurai Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points)
Impenetrable Defense – Samurai Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points)

These skills empower Yasuke to execute lethal assassinations, even against elite enemies. The added benefit of regeneration across all skills ensures sustained health recovery, while Impenetrable Defense provides crucial protection in tight spots.

Bow

Swift Hand – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points)
Marksman’s Shot – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point)
Larger Quiver I – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points)
Silent Arrows – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points)
Kyudo Master – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 2 Mastery Points)
Silent Arrows II – Bow Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points)

These skills enhance Yasuke's ability to eliminate threats silently and efficiently. With faster reload and draw speeds, along with increased arrow capacity, you can take down armored foes before they even notice your presence.

That's everything you need to know about the best skills to prioritize for Yasuke in the early stages of *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and guides, be sure to explore additional resources at The Escapist.