Best Naoe Skills to Unlock First in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Image Credit: Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Naoe starts off a little squishy and not super strong in direct combat. But she’s a stealth machine, and with the right skills early on, you can turn her into a sneaky powerhouse who stabs first and asks zero questions later. Here’s a simple guide to help you pick the best early skills for her, so you’re not stuck throwing smoke bombs in random directions and hoping for the best.
How Skills Work (Quick Version)
Mastery Points = Earned by leveling up and doing quests; used to unlock skills.
Knowledge Points = Unlock new tiers of skills in Naoe’s trees. The higher your Knowledge Rank, the higher up the tree you can go.
You earn Knowledge Points by doing activities like Kuji-kiri, Kofun tombs, Hidden Trails, etc.
Best Early Skills (Knowledge Level 1)
Smoke Bomb (Tools Tree)
Throw a smoke bomb to disappear like a ninja. Break line of sight, escape, or set up an easy stab. Super versatile.
Executioner (Assassin Tree)
More damage to Vulnerable enemies. Worth leveling up to do +12% extra damage when enemies are weakened.Quick Throw (Tools Tree)
Fast tool throw. Let’s you instantly chuck kunai or smoke bombs at the nearest enemy. Great in chaos.Gap Seeker (Tanto Tree)
More armor piercing. Helps with armored enemies who don’t take damage easily.
Melee Expert (Katana Tree)
Boosts your melee damage. Not flashy, but super helpful since Naoe isn’t great at brawling. Stack it up for a total of +9% melee damage.Shadow Piercer (Tanto Tree)
Throw your tanto, then dash in for bonus damage and make enemies Vulnerable. Big damage, especially when combined with the right weapon.Prodigy (Shinobi Tree)
Slightly boosts ability damage. Not essential, but helpful once you start spamming abilities.
Best Skills After Ranking Up (Knowledge Level 2)
Assassination Damage (Assassin Tree)
Let’s you take out tougher enemies in one stab. No more “almost dead” enemies surviving your sneak attack.Shadow Barrage (Tanto Tree)
Auto-dodge for 20 seconds. You’re basically untouchable for a bit. Lifesaver in messy fights.Vault (Shinobi Tree)
Parry → Vault over enemy → Make them Vulnerable. It’s fancy and also super useful when combo’d with other damage boosts.Backstabber (Tanto Tree)
More damage from behind. Pairs well with Vault for big bonus damage.Backstab (Tanto Tree)
Hits from behind trigger weak points. Helps keep enemies Vulnerable longer.Shuriken (Tools Tree)
Throw tiny ninja stars for damage and utility. Good for distracting or finishing off low-health enemies.Shinobi Bell (Tools Tree)
Throw it to lure enemies away. Classic stealth tool.Improved Ground Assassinate (Assassin Tree)
Ground kills do more damage. Handy when dropping onto enemies from above.Double Assassinate (Assassin Tree)
Take out two enemies at once. Perfect for crowded areas.Larger Tool Bag (Tools Tree)
Carry more tools (1 extra of each). Always good.Igan Roll (Shinobi Tree)
Roll to avoid fall damage. Useful if you like jumping off rooftops like a maniac.Nightcrawler (Assassin Tree)
Extra damage at night. Random, but free damage boost if you’re a nocturnal assassin.
Final Blurb
If you’re aiming for stealthy chaos with a side of occasional panic-fighting, these early skills for Naoe will get you rolling. Focus on smoke bombs, sneaky stabs, and making enemies Vulnerable. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment — half the fun is figuring out which skills make you feel unstoppable, or at least slightly less likely to get wrecked by a samurai with a big sword.
