Assassin’s Creed Shadows Beginner Guide: Naoe, Yasuke, Stealth & Combat
Assassin’s Creed Shadows beginner guide covering Naoe and Yasuke, Observe, stealth, combat, parkour, Mastery Points, weapons, information gathering and choosing the right protagonist for each approach.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Beginner Guide: Naoe, Yasuke, Stealth & Combat
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Beginner Guide: Naoe, Yasuke, Stealth & Combat
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is built around two protagonists with deliberately different strengths. Naoe is a fast shinobi Assassin built around stealth and agility, while Yasuke is a powerful samurai designed for sustained direct combat.
Learn What Each Protagonist Does Best
Naoe
Naoe excels at:
- Stealth.
- Parkour.
- Assassination.
- Fast movement.
- Using darkness and tools.
Yasuke
Yasuke excels at:
- Direct combat.
- Blocking and parrying.
- Heavy weapons.
- Armored encounters.
- Longer open fights.
Use Observe
Both characters have access to Observe.
Use it to find:
- Targets.
- Enemies.
- Loot.
- Objectives.
- Points of interest.
Information Replaces the Old Eagle-Scout Habit
Shadows does not rely on a companion eagle that automatically reveals an entire base.
You need to scout more deliberately and interpret the environment yourself.
Choose the Character for the Situation
If a location is dense with guards and darkness provides hidden paths, Naoe may have a natural advantage.
If the objective is likely to become a prolonged open fight, Yasuke may be easier to control.
Learn Naoe's Stealth Tools
Naoe can use:
- Eagle Vision.
- Smoke bombs.
- Kunai.
- Shuriken.
- Grappling-hook movement.
- Darkness and prone movement.
Learn Yasuke's Combat Tools
Yasuke can block attacks in addition to dodging and parrying.
He also has access to heavier weapon styles built for direct confrontation.
Light and Heavy Attacks
Ubisoft documents both light and heavy attacks as combat fundamentals.
Light attacks are faster; heavy attacks apply more force and can be useful for staggering enemies.
Posture Attacks
Holding an attack charges a Posture Attack.
These are especially useful for breaking guarding enemies.
Dodge and Parry
Both protagonists can dodge.
Both can also respond defensively through parry/deflect systems, though the animations and tactical consequences differ between Naoe and Yasuke.
Weapons Change Combat Style
Weapon choice is significant.
Naoe's options include weapons such as:
- Katana.
- Kusarigama.
- Tanto and Hidden Blade.
Yasuke can use weapons such as:
- Long Katana.
- Naginata.
- Kanabo.
- Yumi Bow.
Mastery Points
Ubisoft confirms that progression awards Mastery Points that can be spent in Mastery trees.
Use them to improve the weapons and abilities you actually rely on.
Do Not Spread Mastery Everywhere Immediately
Build one useful combat or stealth path before purchasing many unrelated abilities.
Parkour
Naoe is much more agile than Yasuke, but both characters have traversal systems.
Learn:
- Controlled climbing.
- Parkour down.
- Safe descent.
- When sprinting improves movement and when it creates noise.
Changing Seasons and Environments
Ubisoft describes Shadows as having changing weather, seasons and reactive environments.
Pay attention to how lighting and surroundings affect approach routes instead of treating every location identically.
Gather Intelligence
Ubisoft explicitly describes information as a weapon.
Use:
- Scouting.
- Observation.
- Your network of allies and spies.
- Environmental clues.
Beginner Routine
- Observe the objective area.
- Choose Naoe or Yasuke according to the approach.
- Use stealth when it reduces unnecessary fights.
- Use the correct weapon for the encounter.
- Spend Mastery Points on abilities you actually use.
- Learn when to disengage instead of forcing every fight.
Common Beginner Mistakes
- Playing Naoe and Yasuke exactly the same way.
- Skipping Observe.
- Entering every location through the front gate.
- Ignoring darkness and sound.
- Using only light attacks in open combat.
- Spreading Mastery Points across too many unrelated weapon trees.
Bottom Line
Assassin’s Creed Shadows becomes easier once you treat Naoe and Yasuke as complementary tools. Scout first, choose the protagonist whose strengths fit the mission, use stealth and parkour with Naoe, direct power with Yasuke, and specialize Mastery Points around the weapons and abilities you actually enjoy.