In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, the choice between playing as Yasuke or Naoe offers players diverse strategies for tackling challenges. Here’s a detailed guide on all the tools at your disposal and how to enhance them for a better gaming experience.

All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, you'll unlock a total of five tools, two of which become available as you progress through the story. Let's delve into each tool:

Grappling Hook

Naoe's Grappling Hook is a game-changer for exploration. It allows you to attach to structures and ascend without handholds, perfect for reaching high vantage points and observing enemies discreetly. You can also use it to swing across large gaps, enhancing your mobility and stealth capabilities.

Kunai

The Kunai is a lethal throwing knife that can instantly kill common enemies. It's essential for silent takedowns. However, to deal with armored foes, you'll need to upgrade it to penetrate their defenses more effectively.

Smoke Bomb

The Smoke Bomb is versatile, serving both defensive and offensive purposes. It creates a smoke cloud that breaks enemy sightlines, enabling escapes or surprise attacks during combat. It's a crucial tool for managing enemy engagements.

Shuriken

Shuriken, the classic ninja throwing star, is vital for navigating guarded areas. While less damaging than the Kunai, it can stagger enemies and trigger environmental hazards like explosive barrels. Its ability to ricochet between targets can be upgraded for increased effectiveness.

Shinobi Bell

For those who prefer diversion over direct confrontation, the Shinobi Bell is perfect. When thrown, it attracts enemies within its range, allowing you to manipulate their movements. Upgrades can extend its reach and add visual effects, enhancing its distraction capabilities.

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

How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Upgrading your tools in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* is crucial for enhancing your gameplay. You'll use Mastery Points in the Tools skill tree to upgrade all tools except the Grappling Hook. Here’s how to upgrade each tool:

Grappling Hook

The only upgrade for the Grappling Hook is the Ascension Boost passive under the Shinobi Tree. For 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2, this upgrade significantly speeds up Naoe’s climbing, making ascents quicker and stealthier.

Kunai

To maximize the Kunai’s effectiveness, focus on Kunai Assassination Damage upgrades to increase the health segments removed per throw. Enhance its armor-piercing capability with the Armor Piercing passive, and use Everlast to ensure the Kunai can be retrieved without breaking.

Smoke Bomb

After unlocking the Smoke Bomb, upgrade its duration with Enduring Haze, adding 10 more seconds of cover. Further, Widespread expands the area of effect, allowing you to obscure more enemies from view.

Shuriken

Upgrade your Shuriken with Bank Shot to enable them to bounce between targets, increasing damage with each hit. Triple Threat allows you to throw three Shurikens at once for the cost of one, providing more options in both stealth and combat scenarios.

Shinobi Bell

Enhance the Shinobi Bell’s distraction capabilities with Golden Bell, which makes it more visible to enemies. Follow up with Louder Chimes to increase the effective radius by five meters, drawing more enemies into its range with a single throw.

Mastering these tools and their upgrades will significantly enhance your gameplay in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and guides, be sure to visit The Escapist.

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