In *Assassin's Creed Shadows*, Naoe thrives in the art of stealth and assassination, navigating the shadows with precision and cunning. While her skills are tailored for silent takedowns, she's also equipped to handle direct confrontations with the right preparation. To maximize Naoe's potential, here are the top skills to prioritize up to Knowledge Rank 3, achievable through diligent engagement in the game's initial regions.

Katana

• 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 every strike count.
• Counter Attack – Katana Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Turn enemy aggression into your advantage with powerful counterattacks.
• Eviscerate – Katana Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): Finish off fights with devastating force, capitalizing on your defensive prowess.

These skills transform you into a formidable defender, ready to exploit enemy mistakes and deal significant damage.

Kusarigama

• Entanglement – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Ideal for controlling crowds and building up afflictions.
• Affliction Builder – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Amplifies your ability to inflict debilitating effects on enemies.
• Big Catch – Kusarigama Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Increases your effectiveness against larger foes.
• Multi-Target Expert – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Enhances your combat efficiency when facing multiple enemies.
• Cyclone Blast – Kusarigama Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 7 Mastery Points): Unleash a powerful area attack to clear out groups of enemies.

Master these skills to become a versatile force capable of handling both groups and solo targets with ease.

Tanto

• Shadow Piercer – Tanto Ability (Knowledge Rank 1, 5 Mastery Points): Delivers devastating damage, especially against vulnerable targets.
• Gap Seeker – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases your critical hit chance, amplifying your damage output.
• Backstab – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Enhances your damage when attacking from behind.
• Backstabber – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Further boosts your backstab damage.
• Back Breaker – Tanto Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 3 Mastery Points): Deals massive damage to armored enemies, exploiting their vulnerabilities.

These skills focus on maximizing your damage output, making you a lethal assassin even against heavily armored foes.

Tools

• Smoke Bomb – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1 Mastery Point): Perfect for creating distractions and escaping when spotted.
• Larger Tool Bag I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Increases your tool capacity, allowing for more strategic options.
• Shinobi Bell – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Lure guards away from your path, making stealth operations smoother.
• Enduring Haze – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Extends the duration of your smoke bombs for more effective escapes.
• Kunai Assassination Damage I – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Enhances the damage of your kunai for longer-ranged kills.
• Shuriken – Tools Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Use these to disable alarms or trigger explosives, clearing your path.

These tools enhance your ability to manipulate and control the battlefield, ensuring you can reach your targets undetected.

Shinobi

• Ascension Boost – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 2 Mastery Points): Speeds up your climbing, crucial for navigating the game's environments.
• Vault – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Reduces fall damage, allowing for more daring maneuvers.
• Igan Roll – Shinobi Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 1 Mastery Point): Enhances your mobility and evasion capabilities.
• Heighten Senses – Shinobi Ability (Knowledge Rank 3, 5 Mastery Points): Slows down time, giving you a strategic edge in crowded areas.

These skills ensure you remain undetected and agile, crucial for a stealth-focused playstyle.

Assassin

• Executioner – Global Passive (Knowledge Rank 1, 1/2/3 Mastery Points): Increases your assassination damage, making your strikes more lethal.
• Improved Ground Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Enhances your ability to take down enemies from the ground.
• Double Assassinate – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Allows you to take out two targets simultaneously, a crucial skill for efficiency.
• Assassination Damage I – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 2, 3 Mastery Points): Further boosts your assassination damage.
• Reinforced Blade – Assassin Passive (Knowledge Rank 3, 4 Mastery Points): Strengthens your hidden blade, making it more effective against tougher enemies.

These skills are essential for executing swift and silent takedowns, especially when using the Tanto as your primary weapon.

By focusing on these skills, you'll transform Naoe into the ultimate shinobi assassin in *Assassin's Creed Shadows*, adept at navigating Japan's shadows with lethal precision. For more tips and strategies, be sure to visit The Escapist.