There are six allies you can find and unlock in AC Shadows. In this Allies tier list, we'll look over who you should have by your side, and who's best staying at home.
As you delve into the world of AC Shadows, you'll come across a variety of quests that necessitate your assistance for several individuals scattered throughout the land. Although their effectiveness may vary, these allies can support you in combat scenarios. Each of the six allies brings unique skills and attributes to the table, making them more suitable for certain challenges while still being useful overall. By understanding their strengths and weaknesses, you can strategically select the right ally for each situation to enhance your gameplay experience and overcome obstacles more efficiently.
In the following guide, we will rank each of the allies in a tier list to see how they rank for both Naoe and Yasuke. We'll also pair up allies in a separate combo list at the end.
Allies Tier List in AC Shadows
| Tier | Allies |
| S | Yaya - Ibuki |
| A | Katsuhime |
| B | Oni-yuri - Gennojo |
| C | Yagoro |
Yaya
Yaya was our main ally during our review time with AC Shadows, and while we honestly did not utilise the system much, when we did, Yaya came in handy. She's great at distracting enemies with her pure presence alone, rather than with a specific weapon or distraction tool. If you want a buddy to join the fight, take some aggro and do some damage, Yaya is the one for you.
Ibuki
Ibuki is like Yaya, but instead of being all fight, Ibuki is more about smarts. Ibuki joins the fight by doing impact damage. However, their real power comes once you level them up, and they start breaking the enemy's armour. This isn't so important early, but as you move into the late game and start taking down higher-level castles, Ibuki moves into the S+ tier easily. Ibuki is fairly easy to get as well, opening up to players shortly after Yasuke becomes available to play.
Katsuhime
Katsuhime is another strong fighter. However, they use ranged attacks, which can limit their impact. Her Daze affliction buildup is useful during fights, and she's capable of defending herself well and dragging enemies away. However, as mentioned, her main drawback is her use of a ranged weapon. Notably, a Teppo, which is also very slow.
Oni-yuri
Oni-yuri is the first of our neiche allies. Oni-yuri can be found fairly easily, but her abilities make her useful only in certain situations. Oni-yuri starts combat by putting an enemy to sleep; her stage 2 spell adds a poison bomb to the attack. Her final passive slows to reinforcements that come when enemies ring a bell, which again is a bit niche. Oni-yuri has her uses, but works best as a second ally, rather than your main one early on.
Gennojo
Gennojo is much like Oni-yuri, as he is good at pulling away or removing one foe from the game. Gennojo does it slightly differently from Oni, instead acting more as a straight aggro ally for enemies. Starting the fight by using a startling bomb can have a great impact in some scenarios, and the second passive of drawing away a foe is great, but you have no way of selecting the foe. Lastly, much like Oni-yuri, the third passive, which makes servants not inform enemies of crimes they see you commit. This is great, but very niche and only useful in castle raids.
Yagoro
Yagoro is an odd one. Yagoro can assassinate one enemy on fewer than three health chunks. With upgrades, this can become five, and also affect a second enemy. The problem is, in the thick of combat, being able to assassinate someone isn't that great, so the only real use is using it before combat. It has slightly more use for Yasuke, but only just. There is one much bigger issue with Yagoro, however, and that's the fact that they are not unlocked until after the game is completed. This removes 90% of the players of AC Shadows who use them. Though even without this fact, we doubt many people would opt for Yagoro.
Best Allies Combo in AC Shadows
Below are two "good" combos of allies that we think are a good way to set them up if you like. Neither combo is game-changing, but if you want to optimise your allies, this is what we advise.
Yaya and Ibuki
Basically, take the two strongest fighting allies and go to town on the enemy. These two will come in handy for late-game content, with harder enemies. This is especially so for Naoe, who isn't as strong in a straight-up fight. It's a little overkill, but if you enjoy fighting, just stick with these two.
Yaya or Ibuki + Oni-yuri or Gennojo
The alternative combo is to go for a bit of damage and a bit of subterfuge. The combo doesn't really matter, just go for the pair that you like the most. But with this combo, you get a nice mix of raw combat assistance, with a way of distracting or disabling one enemy.
FAQ
Can you miss out on an ally
Yes, it's fairly easy to not realise and lose out on an ally. The wrong chat option will lead to them not wanting to join you later. You normally get a second chance; however, the game gives you a chance to learn their character.
Does Canon mode effect ally recruitment
Canon mode will also stop Gennojo's recruitment as an ally; this is not a bug, so be careful. Canon mode will also lock off certain romance options as you have no choice which option your character can select.
How do you rank up your allies
You can upgrade your allies at a Dojo, with level 3 being required for the Veteran rank.
