Assassin’s Creed Shadows: All Tools and How to Upgrade

With the option to play as Yasuke or Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players have so many options when it comes to solving a problem. Here’s what you need to know about all tools and how to upgrade them in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In total, players will gain access to five different tools in the game, with two being unlocked as part of the story progression. They include:

Grappling Hook

One of the key advantages Naoe has over Yasuke in exploration is the Grappling Hook. This allows you to cling onto structures and climb up without using any handholds. This is extremely useful in finding the best positions to observe the enemy and makes it easy to reach higher vantage points quickly. You can even use it to swing from point to point, crossing huge gaps.

Kunai

A sharp throwing knife that can inflict heavy damage with every hit, these tools are invaluable to all who want to remain undetected but still need to eliminate specific targets. Throwing them at common enemies will kill them immediately, but upgrades will be required against more powerful foes who usually don armor to protect themselves.

Smoke Bomb

An explosive that produces a cloud of smoke on contact with any surface in the environment, the Smoke Bomb is both a defensive and offensive tool. You can use it to instantly break any line of sight with enemies who have detected you, making it possible to escape. On the flip side, use it during the heat of battle to confuse your enemies, and leverage the element of surprise for assassinations and fast damage.

Shuriken

The traditional throwing star that is indispensable to all shinobi, the Shuriken is an excellent tool to have when exploring heavily guarded areas. It does not hit as hard as the Kunai, but it can stagger enemies. More importantly, you can use it to trigger environmental interactions, such as sabotaging alarm bells or detonating explosive barrels. They are silent and can be upgraded to ricochet among targets for more damage.

Shinobi Bell

For those preferring to distract rather than to attack, the Shinobi Bell can be thrown to divert enemy attention elsewhere. The sound of the bell will entice all in its range, and if you upgrade it further for added distance and even a gold shimmer, it will be able to distract even more enemies. This can clear the path ahead for you, or set things up for better crowd control.

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

How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

All of the tools in the game can be upgraded with Mastery Points using the Tools skill tree except the Grappling Hook. In fact, you won’t even get access to the Shuriken, Shinobi Bell, and Smoke Bomb without unlocking them first.

Grappling Hook

The only upgrade available for the Grappling Hook is under the Shinobi Tree. For 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2, you can unlock the Ascension Boost passive, which speeds up Naoe’s climb significantly. This makes it harder for enemies to detect you as you ascend buildings with ease.

Kunai

For the Kunai, you would want to amplify its damage as much as possible. This can be done with Kunai Assassination Damage upgrades, which remove more health segments with every throw. Its damage and armor-piercing capability can also be enhanced using the Armor Piercing passive skill, and Everlast ensures that every Kunai thrown can be retrieved immediately with no breakage.

Smoke Bomb

After unlocking the Smoke Bomb, the next upgrade will be to extend its duration. Unlocking Enduring Haze gives you 10 more seconds to take advantage of the smoke, which is very useful in all situations. If that’s not enough, Widespread will enlarge the area of effect of the tool, helping to block even more enemies from seeing you.

Shuriken

With plenty of Shuriken at her disposal, Naoe can then make it even better with Bank Shot, a passive upgrade that now sees Shuriken bouncing between targets, with increasing damage with each level. Finally, Triple Threat lets you throw three Shurikens at once for the cost of just one, giving you one more option in stealth and combat.

Shinobi Bell

The Shinobi Bell can be upgraded with Golden Bell, which improves its ability to catch the enemy’s eye, making it more viable as a distraction. This can then be followed up with Louder Chimes, which increases the effective radius by five meters, helping to lure more unwitting victims with just one throw.

That’s all the vital parts to know about all tools and how to upgrade them in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. For more assistance with the game, please search The Escapist.

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