Yasuke is the second character you unlock in Assassin's Creed Shadows and as a result we start with way more skill points to spend.
Yasuke is all about power and raw damage. Unlike Naoe, he specialises in fighting and taking on targets head-on. Yasuke has four weapon options, which allow him to play a different role from Naoe. One thing that's similar to Naoe is that Yasuke also has a Katana, though it is called a Long Katana for him. His other four weapons are much more unique. The Kanabo and Naginata trees act as the "big weapon" trees, where you will find large maces, spears/polearms. Lastly, we have the Teppo (gun) and a bow. Both of these act as the ranged weapons of Yasuke, with the bow being the silent option, while the Teppo is louder but does way more damage.
In this guide, we'll examine where you should place your first few points in the talent tree. We'll also include how we would spend your first points in each category and highlight a few must-have talents and why at the end.
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Best Skills to Unlock First as Yasuke
Below are the skills we think are best to acquire "first." The Long Katana should be acquired first; after that, do as you please. We've listed the abilities below, along with their cost, but the order isn't necessarily a priority.
| Skill row | Ability (Cost) | Description/reason |
| Long Katana | Riposte (2) - This ability is unlocked during story progression | Yasuke performs a backward thrust with his long katana after deflecting an attack. - A great passive ability |
| Long Katana | Sheathed Attack (2) | Players can grab the katana while sheathed and launch a powerful strike, breaking the enemy's guard. - A nice combo starter, but a bit cumbersome to perform. |
Naginata |
Crescent Strike (5) | Yasuke swings the Naginata in a large arc, pushing enemies back and dealing 25% ability damage. - Great for controlling large groups of enemies. |
Naginata |
Far Reach (2) | Attacking enemies with the tip of the Naginata from a distance will inflict 15% additional damage. - This is a great ability that adds a small damage bonus to every hit. |
Naginata |
Whirlwind (2) | Unlocks a powerful combo for Naginata that deals 5% additional damage on every hit. - More damage is good. |
| Kanabo | Spine Breaker (3) | Yasuke grabs an enemy in a bear hug with the Kanabo and deals 50% ability damage. This can knock out smaller enemies. Nothing like a good hug, though your enemies will not be fond of it. |
| Kanabo | Forward Momentum (1) | Launch attacks from Kanabo in quick succession. A good damage combo ability |
| Kanabo | Devastation (1) | Triggers an additional combo ender towards the end of a combo. Adds an extra attack to the end of the combo. |
| Teppo | Armor Buster (3) | Shoots a charged shot from Teppo at an enemy, dealing 100% ability damage and breaking the target's armor. - Amazing at dealing with larger enemies, breaking their armor. |
| Teppo | Steady Hand (2) | Remain still while aiming to zoom in further and deal 10% additional damage to enemies with the shot. - Useful to make sure you land a shot, plus the extra damage helps. |
| Teppo | Teppo Tempo (1) | After dodging an enemy attack, hold the attack button to quickly shoot them with the Teppo. - A nice attack if you remember to use it |
| Bow | Staggering Blast (3) | Shoot a powerful arrow at the enemy, dealing 60% ability damage and pushing them back. - A great way to take out ranged enemies |
| Bow | Poison Arrows (2) | Unlock a new type of arrow that inflicts poison affliction on enemies. A niche ability, but one that has uses if you can land it on a group of enemies. |
| Bow | Silent Arrows (2) | Unlock a new type of arrow that deals 100% armor piercing and can remove 2 health segments on headshots. - The arrow version of Armor Buster, which can work as a sort of assassination attack. |
| Samurai | Brutal Assassination (2) | Start a battle by brutally assassinating the first enemy. - Yasuke's way of assassinating an enemy. It's not as subtle as Naoe's, but it does the job. |
| Samurai | Impenetrable Defense (4) | Yasuke will immediately counter every attack that receives up to five hits. - An amazing way of dealing with a group of enemies that are attacking you non-stop. |
| Samurai | Battle Cry (3) | Yasuke will unleash a roaring battle cry that will stagger all enemies within 10 meters. - Again, a good way of dealing with large groups. |
Best Early Long Katana Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Riposte | Yasuke performs a backward thrust with his long katana after deflecting an attack. |
|
Sheathed Attack |
Players can grab the katana while sheathed and launch a powerful strike, breaking the enemy's guard. |
| Power Dash | Dash to a single enemy, dealing 50% ability damage, then move behind them to make them Vulnerable |
Pro Tip: There's not much to say about Long Katana. It's a great place to spend early points, and it's a reliable weapon.
Best Early Naginata Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Crescent Strike | Yasuke swings the Naginata in a large arc, pushing enemies back and dealing 25% ability damage. |
| Far Reach | Attacking enemies with the tip of Naginata from a distance will inflict 15% additional damage. |
| Whirlwind | Unlocks a powerful combo for Naginata that deals 5% additional damage on every hit. |
Pro tip: Naginata is our weapon of choice as we played as Yasuke, and the abilities above are some amazing starting options. Whirlwind is a great option, but Far Reach is the secret sauce.
Best Early Kanabo Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Spine Breaker | Yasuke grabs an enemy in a bear hug with the Kanabo and deals 50% ability damage. This can knock out smaller enemies. |
| Forward Momentum | Launch attacks from Kanabo in quick succession. |
| Devastation | Triggers an additional combo ender towards the end of a combo. |
Pro tip: Spine Breaker is a great option and perfectly plays into the build's fantasy.
Best Early Teppo Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Armor Buster | Shoots a charged shot from Teppo at an enemy, dealing 100% ability damage and breaking the target's armor. |
| Steady Hand | Remain still while aiming to zoom in further and deal 10% additional damage to enemies with the shot. |
| Teppo Tempo | After dodging an enemy attack, hold the attack button to quickly shoot them with the Teppo. |
| Concentration | Steady Hand now also slows down time for 5 seconds - rank 2 increased damage by 40% |
| Larger Pouch 1 | Increase maximum capacity for all ammo. +4 for normal ammo, +2 for special ammo |
Pro tip: The Teppo is a great way to soften up a big enemy early, so Armor Buster is a great option, alongside Steady Hand and Concentration.
Best Early Bow Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Staggering Blast | Shoot a powerful arrow at the enemy, dealing 60% ability damage and pushing them back. |
| Poison Arrows | Unlock a new type of arrow that inflicts poison affliction on enemies. |
| Silent Arrows | Unlock a new type of arrow that deals 100% armor piercing and can remove 2 health segments on headshots. |
Pro tip: The Bow is the closest thing to stealth Yasuke has, and it works well for picking off ranged enemies.
Best Early Samurai Talents for Yasuke
| Ability | Description |
| Brutal Assassination | Start a battle by brutally assassinating the first enemy. |
| Impenetrable Defense | Yasuke will immediately counter every attack received up to five hits. |
| Battle Cry | Yasuke will unleash a roaring battle cry that will stagger all enemies within 10 meters. |
Pro Tip: Samurai is Yasuke's only non-weapon skill tree, and as such, is full of useful talents and bonus damage abilities. We've selected a few above, but most of the stuff in here is good.
FAQ
Which is the Best Yasuke Weapon to Focus on?
The Long Katana will feel like the right option early, but as you progress, the Naginata quickly became our go-to weapon.
Can you Reset Your Abilities?
You can reset all of the points in any Mastery tree at any time, and each can be done separately.
How to Get More Knowledge?
The best way to get Knowledge is to do the activities around the map with an orange icon. In our Tips and Tricks guide, we've highlighted several good options.
