Best Yasuke Mastery skills in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Here are the best skills for Yasuke in AC Shadows
Wondering what the best skills are for Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows? Yasuke is the playable samurai character of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and he is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to combat. Oda Nobunaga calls him a 'one-man army' near the beginning of the game, and this is an apt description. When it comes to plowing a blade through multiple contenders in a matter of seconds or kicking someone towards the moon, Yasuke has no equal. He's not great at stealth, sure, but if you're struggling to survive in a tough battle, his skills are fantastic.
In this guide, we'll outline the best Yasuke Mastery skills you should be prioritising in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Assassin's Creed Shadows: Best Yasuke skills
Yasuke has access to six Mastery trees, listed below. You can unlock skills within each tree by spending Mastery Points, which are gained by leveling up, as well as killing Targets and Samurai Daisho.
However, you can only access the upper rows of each Mastery tree by increasing your Knowledge Rank. Knowledge Ranks are gained by exploring the world and taking on side objectives.
Resetting Masteries can be done at any time from each Mastery tree menu, so don't be afraid to experiment and see what works for you. Here are the six Mastery trees:
Long Katana
Yasuke's long katana is both lengthier than Naoe's and more intimidating, as benefiting his status as Oda Nobunaga's bodyguard. While I personally prefer the naginata, the long katana strikes a great balance between speed and power. While not listed here, if you want to have fun with your foes, take the skill Samurai Showdown to taunt enemies right before you skewer them. Nice reference to the classic fighting game series, there!
The best long katana skills are:
- Power Dash → Armor Avoidance → Chained Power Dash
- Sheathed Attack → Sheathed Posture → Adrenaline Boost
- Payback → Overrun → Unstoppable
Power Dash → Armor Avoidance → Chained Power Dash
Power Dash (available at the start of the game) is the first of Yasuke's skills you're introduced to in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it's a good one. Use it to dash through an enemy, dealing 50% ability damage and leaving them Vulnerable to a follow-up strike.
Upgrading Power Dash is a no-brainer if you like the long katana. The subsequent Masteries are Armor Avoidance (Knowledge Rank 4 required), which grants Power Dash armor piercing capabilities, and Chained Power Dash (Knowledge Rank 6 required), which lets you dash a second time.
Sheathed Attack → Sheathed Posture → Adrenaline Boost
Enemies with a strong guard are one of your major impediments in combat. Yasuke can break guard stances easier than Naoe with the super effective slash that is Sheathed Attack (Knowledge Rank 1 required).
If you want to make a habit of slicing through all guarding foes, then it pays to take Sheathed Posture (Knowledge Rank 3 required), which turns Sheathed Attack into a Posture attack, which basically means that it's more powerful. Finally, go with Adrenaline Boost (Knowledge Rank 5 required) to generate 50% of an Adrenaline chunk upon a successful hit, letting you stay in the fight.
Payback → Overrun → Unstoppable
Payback (Knowledge Rank 3 required) lets you deal three solid strikes, each of which restore 10% health. While Yasuke is much less in danger of losing health during a fight than Naoe, it's still important to keep his HP out of the red while doing a flurry of quick attacks.
You can supplement this by taking Overrun (Knowledge Rank 4 required), which amps up Payback damage by 1% per 1% of your missing health. Unstoppable (Knowledge Rank 5 required) goes one step further, making Payback unblockable.
Naginata
The naginata is my preferred weapon for Yasuke thanks to its balance. While not as back-breakingly powerful as the kanabo or as self-explanatory as the long katana, the naginata delivers with a nice combination of damage and AoE attacks that can destabilise an oncoming mob.
The best naginata skills are:
- Crescent Strike → Deep Cut → Disabling Strike
- Impale → Lethal Charge → Stampeding Charge
- Whirlwind → Rising Storm → Persistent Storm
Crescent Strike → Deep Cut → Disabling Strike
The naginata is a polearm with extensive reach, and it pays to have a Mastery skill that takes advantage of this. Crescent Strike (Knowledge Rank 1 required) makes Yasuke jump towards an enemy and swing his naginata in an arc that deals 25% ability damage and pushes anyone in its range backwards.
Deep Cut (Knowledge Rank 3 required) and Disabling Strike (Knowledge Rank 5 required) only improve on this, respectively inflicting bleed on enemies and then knocking them backwards. All three of these Masteries are excellent for clearing the fray in a battle and ensuring that Yasuke is the last man standing.
Impale → Lethal Charge → Stampeding Charge
Impale (Knowledge Rank 3 required) lets you run at a guy, impale him, and move him up to 13 meters. Your opponent will be Vulnerable afterwards, and you can complete this vicious act by taking Lethal Charge (Knowledge Rank 4 required), which makes you move further with your impaled enemy, and Stampeding Charge (Knowledge Rank 5 required), which pushes back any other mooks who happen to be standing in your way.
The Impale Mastery branch is a little unpredictable, since you after all are stabbing someone through the chest and dashing forward. It works best in wide courtyards and other open areas, but if you can get used to its flashy and wild nature, it remains one of the most fun and brutal moves in Yasuke's arsenal.
Whirlwind → Rising Storm → Persistent Storm
One of Yasuke's more complex combo moves, activating Whirlwind (Knowledge Rank 2 required) requires some quick button presses. It's worth it to deliver a series of attacks that deals 5% more damage with each strike.
Whirlwind goes further with Rising Storm (Knowledge Rank 4 required) and Persistent Storm (Knowledge Rank 6 required), which generate Adrenaline and let Yasuke spam the attack with a single button combo instead of a series of presses. This, along with Crescent Strike, will go a long way towards improving any Yasuke build focused on AoE damage.
Kanabo
A huge club with spiked ridges, the kanabo is extremely powerful in Yasuke's hands for swatting away enemy samurai like flies. All that impact comes with a detriment to speed, but if you enjoy heft, it's hard to deny the satisfaction that comes from smashing the kanabo into the earth and seeing contenders crumple.
The best kanabo skills are:
- Slugging Rampage → Slugging Torrent → Slugging Fury
- Spine Breaker → Irresistible Force → Unstoppable Strength
- Crushing Shockwave → Greater Shockwave → Absolute Shockwave
Slugging Rampage → Slugging Torrent → Slugging Fury
Slugging Rampage (Knowledge Rank 4 required) makes Yasuke spin like a tornado, extending his kanabo outwards and knocking everyone astray. The upgrades for this are super simple - Slugging Torrent (Knowledge Rank 5 required) and Slugging Fury (Knowledge Rank 6 required) simply make Yasuke spin longer.
This is an AoE skill to get trash mobs off of your back, pure and simple. Like many of Yasuke's abilities, its big and bold and a tad unpredictable, but the rush that comes from using it against multiple low level foes is unparalleled.
Spine Breaker → Irresistible Force → Unstoppable Strength
Grabbing someone in Assassin's Creed Shadows usually means that you'll slowly choke them out. Spine Breaker (Knowledge Rank 1 required), in comparison, means that you'll squeeze them until they pop, dealing 50% ability damage and knocking out regular-sized enemies.
In order to make this backbreaker more flexible, upgrade it with Irresistible Force (Knowledge Rank 3 required), which increases its duration by 10 seconds, and then Unstoppable Strength (Knowledge Rank 4 required), which makes it fully effective against large enemies.
Crushing Shockwave → Greater Shockwave → Absolute Shockwave
If you're carrying a big stick, you might as well slam it on the ground to send everyone skyward. Crushing Shockwave (Knowledge Rank 3 required) does just that, dealing 90% ability damage, disabling targets, and staggering everyone in a 3 metre radius.
Greater Shockwave (Knowledge Rank 4 required) goes one step further, inflicting enemies with the Daze condition, and Absolute Shockwave (Knowledge Rank 6 required) increases Crushing Shockwave's size by a ridiculous 167%. You'll move mountains with this Mastery!
Teppo
The teppo is Yasuke's gun, and the name literally means "iron cannon" if you were wondering. This is an old school firearm through and through, and the reloading process is slow as heck. Invest in the passive skill Reload Speed if you're going to use the teppo, and it will pay off to also take Larger Pouch and Larger Pouch II for increased ammo reserves.
The best teppo skills are:
- Explosive Surprise → Explosive Barrage → Explosive Warfare
- Armor Buster → Radial Effect → Deep Impact
- Close Quarters → Teppo's Might → Brutal Takedown
Explosive Surprise → Explosive Barrage → Explosive Warfare
I find it tough to use the teppo while in the throes of combat, but Explosive Surprise (Knowledge Rank 3 required) helps. This interesting Mastery skill makes Yasuke toss a gunpowder pouch upwards and shoot it to make a burst that deals 35% ability damage.
Explosive Barrage (Knowledge Rank 4 required) lets you chain Explosive Surprise a second time, and Explosive Warfare knocks down everyone caught in the explosion, which is pretty handy and a nice demonstration of the power of guns in the 1500s.
Armor Buster → Radial Effect → Deep Impact
Going up against a well-protected opponent in Assassin's Creed Shadows is a pain in the rear, so knock 'em away with Armor Buster (Knowledge Rank 1 required), which makes Yasuke reload and deliver a follow-up shot that deals 100% ability damage and shatters a target's armor.
Radial Effect (Knowledge Rank 3 required) is similar to a shrapnel effect, making any armor fragments that fly off an enemy deal 25% ability damage within 4 metres. Finally, Deep Impact (Knowledge Rank 5 required) pushes enemies away on a hit.
Close Quarters → Teppo's Might → Brutal Takedown
I mentioned before that I run into difficulty using the teppo in close combat. If you're like me, take Close Quarters (Knowledge Rank 2 required) to use your teppo as a slugger, dealing 60% ability damage, knocking your foe to the ground and then shooting them in the face. Super satisfying!
Teppo's Might (Knowledge Rank 3 required) and Brutal Takedown (Knowledge Rank 5 required) are simple enough follow-ups - the former makes Close Quarters deal 25% armor piercing damage, and the latter makes Close Quarters automatically knock out the target.
Samurai
Yasuke's samurai Mastery skills are an interesting combination of abilities that assist in the midst of combat. There are some traversal skills, like the door-breaking Bull Rush, which you start the game with. And then there's a move reminiscent of the Sparta Kick in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, as well as Yasuke's own version of the hidden blade assassination manoeuvre.
The best samurai skills are:
- Brutal Assassination → Improved Brutal Assassination → Assassination Damage I → Assassination Damage II
- Impenetrable Defense → Unbreachable Guard → Absolute Protection
- War Kick → Heavy Impact → Defensive Breach
Brutal Assassination → Improved Brutal Assassination → Assassination Damage I → Assassination Damage II
Yasuke isn't a proper assassin, so he needs to invest in a Mastery skill if he wants to kill people like Naoe. The appropriately named Brutal Assassination (Knowledge Rank 1 required) might lack finesse, but is essential for ensuring that you can sneak up behind someone in a stealth situation and insta-kill them.
There are three tiers of improvement here - Improved Brutal Assassination (Knowledge Rank 2 required), Assassination Damage I (Knowledge Rank 3 required), and Assassination Damage II (Knowledge Rank 5 required), each of which make Yasuke remove additional health segments with successful assassinations. He might never be quite as sneaky as Naoe, but Yasuke can certainly hold his own.
Impenetrable Defense → Unbreachable Guard → Absolute Protection
A superb tanking ability, Impenetrable Defense (Knowledge Rank 3 required) makes Yasuke counter every attack for 20 seconds, for a maximum of 5 hits. Popping this before a big fight ensures that you'll emerge victorious.
Unbreachable Guard (Knowledge Rank 4 required) and Absolute Protection (Knowledge Rank 6 required) are useful add-ons if you want to see this Mastery branch to its end - Unbreachable Guard makes attackers Vulnerable, and Absolute Protection ensures that Impenetrable Defense works against all unstoppable attacks except for grabs.
War Kick → Heavy Impact → Defensive Breach
War Kick (available at the start of the game) is the Assassin's Creed Shadows' version of the Sparta Kick from Odyssey, and it is fantastic. Whenever Yasuke kicks someone he sends them somersaulting through the air like a ragdoll, and the base version of this skill is already very nice, dealing 20% ability damage on top of the pushback.
To make War Kick effective on large enemies, you'll need Heavy Impact (Knowledge Rank 2 required). Taking Defensive Breach (Knowledge Rank 4 required) is the final step on your journey to truly wrecking with a single kick, as it deals +100% damage on enemy collisions.
Bow
Yasuke's bow is his best option for ranged stealth kills. Quieter and less fussy than his teppo, the bow is a valuable companion, especially when you take the passives Swift Hand and Headshot Damage. The Large Quiver passive and its associated upgrades are also useful.
The best bow skills are:
- Staggering Blast → Headshot Lock → Hunter's Mark
- Clear Mind → Effective Mindset → Level-Headed
- Silent Arrows → Silent Arrows II → Silent Arrows III
Staggering Blast → Headshot Lock → Hunter's Mark
Staggering Blast (Knowledge Rank 1 required) is your starting bow skill, and fires an arrow that deals 60% ability damage and pushes the target back.
Like all ranged weapons, the bow works best when you use it on someone's cranium. Headshot Lock (Knowledge Rank 3 required) does this for you, automatically making Staggering Blast aim at the head. Hunter's Mark adds one final cherry on top, automatically making enemies dazed whenever you hit them with Staggering Blast.
Clear Mind → Effective Mindset → Level-Headed
Whether or not you decide to use your bow in the middle of a fight is up to you, but Clear Mind (Knowledge Rank 2 required) makes time slow for 10 seconds while aiming and is supremely useful in such scenarios. It's only natural to go with Effective Mindset (Knowledge Rank 4 required) next, which increases the damage of each kill when Clear Mind is active by 15%.
Last but not least is Level-Headed (Knowledge Rank 5 required), which ensures that any Headshots done while Clear Mind is active increase the duration of the overall slowness by 4 seconds - meaning you can keep 'bullet time' going for quite a long while indeed.
Silent Arrows → Silent Arrows II → Silent Arrows III
Silent Arrows (Knowledge Rank 2 required), Silent Arrows II (Knowledge Rank 3 required), and Silent Arrows III (Knowledge Rank 4 required) are all passives that simply serve to make Yasuke's arrows stronger.
This Mastery skill starts by offering up 100% armor piercing, and the later tiers remove additional health segments. You don't necessarily need the Silent Arrows Masteries to survive with the bow, but investing in them ensures that your arrows shoot straight and decimate without any questions.
That completes our guide on the best Yasuke Mastery skills; now go out there and wreck your enemies like a true samurai. If you'd rather play as a ninja, see our guide to Naoe's best Mastery skills. We also have a detailed comparison between Yasuke and Naoe, as well as how to change characters if you're just starting out with Assassin's Creed Shadows.