Top Skills to Prioritize for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In the thrilling world of *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, mastering the art of assassination with Naoe requires a strategic approach to skill acquisition. Naoe excels in stealth and shadow tactics, but she's also adept in direct confrontations with the right skills. Here's a detailed guide on the best initial skills to unlock for Naoe, categorized by her skill trees, up to Knowledge Rank 3. These can be achieved swiftly by engaging consistently with open-world activities in the starting regions.

Katana

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• Dodge Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances your defensive capabilities, allowing you to counter aggressive foes effectively.
• Melee Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Boosts your melee damage, making you a formidable opponent in close combat.
• Counter Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Capitalizes on your dodging skills to deal significant damage when countering.
• Eviscerate – Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): A powerful finishing move that can end fights quickly.

With these skills, Naoe becomes a defensive powerhouse, ready to exploit enemy aggression and deliver punishing blows.

Kusarigama

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• Entanglement – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Great for building affliction and controlling enemies, especially when upgraded.
• Affliction Builder – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your ability to apply and manage afflictions on enemies.
• Big Catch – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Allows you to manipulate even larger enemies for extra damage.
• Multi-Target Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Improves your effectiveness against multiple foes.
• Cyclone Blast – Kusarigama Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 7 Mastery Points): A powerful area-of-effect attack that can clear crowds.

These skills make Naoe a versatile fighter, capable of handling both groups and single targets with ease.

Tanto

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• Shadow Piercer – Tanto Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 5 Mastery Points): Amplifies damage, especially against vulnerable enemies.
• Gap Seeker – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your ability to exploit enemy weaknesses.
• Backstab – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Increases damage when attacking from behind.
• Backstabber – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Further boosts damage to enemies' backs.
• Back Breaker – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points): Delivers devastating strikes to armored foes.

These skills turn Naoe into a lethal assassin, capable of dealing massive damage with precise strikes.

Tools

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• Smoke Bomb – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Essential for stealth and escape, allowing you to vanish from sight.
• Larger Tool Bag I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Increases your tool capacity for more strategic options.
• Shinobi Bell – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Lures enemies away from your path.
• Enduring Haze – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Extends the duration of your smoke bombs.
• Kunai Assassination Damage I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Boosts the damage of your kunai for long-range kills.
• Shuriken – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Useful for disabling alarms and triggering explosives.

These tools empower Naoe to manipulate her environment and enemies, setting the stage for successful assassinations.

Shinobi

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• Ascension Boost – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Speeds up your climbing, crucial for navigating the game's vertical landscapes.
• Vault – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Reduces fall damage, keeping you agile and safe.
• Igan Roll – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances your mobility and evasion.
• Heighten Senses – Shinobi Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): Slows down time, providing a critical advantage in crowded areas.

These skills ensure Naoe remains undetected and agile, crucial for executing missions without raising alarms.

Assassin

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• Executioner – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your assassination capabilities, making every strike count.
• Improved Ground Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Increases the effectiveness of ground assassinations.
• Double Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Allows for simultaneous takedowns, saving time and reducing risk.
• Assassination Damage I – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Boosts the damage of your assassinations.
• Reinforced Blade – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points): Strengthens your Hidden Blade, crucial for dealing with tougher enemies.

Best paired with a Tanto, these skills make Naoe a deadly assassin capable of quick, silent eliminations.

By prioritizing these skills, you'll transform Naoe into the ultimate stealth assassin in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more detailed guides and tips, be sure to visit The Escapist.