In *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*, the choice between playing as Yasuke or Naoe offers diverse approaches to tackling challenges. Understanding the tools at your disposal and how to enhance them is crucial for mastering the game. Here's an in-depth look at all the tools and the methods to upgrade them in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*.

All Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist

Players can access five different tools in the game, with two unlocked through story progression. These tools are essential for both exploration and combat:

Grappling Hook

Naoe's Grappling Hook is a game-changer for exploration, allowing you to latch onto structures and ascend without handholds. It's perfect for reaching high vantage points swiftly and can be used to swing across large gaps, enhancing your ability to observe and evade enemies.

Kunai

The Kunai is a lethal throwing knife that can instantly eliminate common enemies. It's crucial for stealth kills, but upgrades are necessary to penetrate the armor of more formidable foes, ensuring you can take down any target silently and efficiently.

Smoke Bomb

The Smoke Bomb is a versatile tool that creates a smoke cloud upon impact, useful for both defense and offense. It can break enemy lines of sight for a quick escape or be used in combat to confuse enemies, setting up perfect opportunities for assassinations and swift attacks.

Shuriken

The Shuriken, a traditional throwing star, is vital for navigating heavily guarded areas. While it doesn't deal as much damage as the Kunai, it can stagger enemies and trigger environmental interactions like sabotaging alarms or detonating barrels. Its silent nature makes it ideal for stealth, and upgrades can enhance its ricochet capabilities.

Shinobi Bell

For those who prefer distraction over direct confrontation, the Shinobi Bell is invaluable. Throwing it diverts enemy attention, and upgrades can increase its range and allure, making it an effective tool for crowd control and setting up strategic moves.

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

How To Upgrade Tools in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Image Source: Ubisoft via The Escapist

Upgrading tools in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows* is done through the Tools skill tree using Mastery Points, except for the Grappling Hook. Here's how to enhance each tool:

Grappling Hook

The Grappling Hook's only upgrade, Ascension Boost, is found in the Shinobi Tree. For 2 Mastery Points at Knowledge Rank 2, this upgrade significantly speeds up Naoe's climbing, making it easier to ascend buildings undetected.

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 capabilities with the Armor Piercing passive skill, and use Everlast to ensure thrown Kunai can be retrieved without breaking.

Smoke Bomb

After unlocking the Smoke Bomb, upgrade its duration with Enduring Haze, adding 10 seconds to its effect. Further enhance its utility with Widespread, which increases the area of effect, allowing you to obscure more enemies at once.

Shuriken

Upgrade the Shuriken with Bank Shot to enable ricocheting between targets, with damage increasing per level. 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, making it more effective at drawing enemy attention. Follow up with Louder Chimes to increase its effective radius by five meters, allowing you to lure more enemies with a single throw.

That’s all you need to know about the tools and their upgrades in *Assassin’s Creed Shadows*. For more tips and guides, be sure to check out The Escapist.

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