5 Essential Combat Tricks To Become a Better Assassin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Here are the 5 essential combat tricks and tips that will make you a more effective and lethal assassin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Assassin's Creed Shadows All Legendary Armor Set for Naoe and How to get them? — Five essential combat tricks to become a better Assassin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows (Image via Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has ushered in a new era in the franchise. Since the shift towards the RPG genre, many fans have complained about the lack of emphasis on stealth in the AC titles, especially when the entire IP was built around primarily stealth and parkour. AC Shadows is a sign that the developers have finally heard the fans, because it brings more focus onto its stealth mechanics and gameplay and nudges the franchise back to its roots.

Now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows might not have the same stealth we saw in AC 1 or 2. The stealth aspect in AC Shadows is more nuanced and aims to reward brains instead of brawn. That is why, in this article, we will tell you about the 5 best combat tricks in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that will make you a more lethal assassin.

5 Essential Combat Tricks in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is quite different from the AC titles we have seen since the direction shift towards the RPG genre. The developers have put significant emphasis on stealth, which pushes players to learn about both of the characters and tailor their approach accordingly. Shadows compromises the assassin fantasy a little to reward clever stealth. For example, players cannot one-shot every enemy with their hidden blade with default settings and will have to strategize to accomplish their task, which encourages brains over brawn.

Because of these reasons, players will need to learn how the stealth mechanics work and how they can use them to their advantage. So, here are the 5 essential combat tricks in Assassin’s Creed Shadows that will make you a master assassin.

5. Use the Environment to Your Advantage

ss from the game — Use every bit of the environment (Image via Ubisoft)

We have seen environmental combat in many games before, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows is no exception. In the game, you must be aware of your surroundings at all times to bend the environment to your advantage. Any room or area you walk into will have many different objects that can be used as weapons, distractions, and more.

You can use explosive barrels and chandeliers to kill your enemies without direct contact and snuff out candles and lanterns with shurikens to hide in the dark. These small tricks will help you greatly when you are trying to infiltrate a place with multiple enemies, as well as trying to assassinate a specific target.

4. Smoke Bombs Are Your Best Friend

SS from Shadows — Smoke bombs are overpowered in AC Shadows (Image via Ubisoft)

If you have played any AC titles before, then you would already know that smoke bombs in these games are always overpowered. Fortunately, Shadows shares this trait with the previous titles, and with the help of one smoke bomb, you can clear out multiple enemies without direct combat. The smoke bomb in the game was intended to be a tool that would help you escape a tricky situation.

However, either by development oversight or intentional gameplay decisions, players can perform direct assassinations on multiple enemies if they are within the radius of a smoke bomb. Because of this, it is quite possible to take out entire groups of enemies without breaking a sweat.

3. Climb Whenever in Doubt

The enemies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows cannot comprehend the fact that a shinobi can climb to the rooftops of buildings. It is based on the difficulty level you choose, but the normal NPC in Shadows does not look up or search the roofs. This is a huge advantage for the players and especially Naoe, since whenever you are in trouble, you can simply climb to the top of the buildings or walls and vanish. In addition to that, Naoe’s climbing and parkour skills are quite good, so using them always feels smooth and fun.

2. Hide in Plain Sight

Hide in grasses — Find the hiding spot anywhere (Image via Ubisoft)

Assassin’s Creed is one of the first franchises to introduce social stealth. This term refers to the ability to blend into your surroundings, including crowds, to become indistinguishable in the eyes of your enemy. AC Shadows features a lot more stealth mechanics, and you must understand them well to become a master assassin. You can use many objects to distract your enemies and use others to create cover or hide.

For example, the shinobi bell draws a guard to a certain position while throwing a kunai at a lamp, which will extinguish the flame and create shadows for you to hide in. By using these properly, you can hide almost anywhere in Shadows. However, some of the more prominent hiding spots are:

Shadows
Tall Foliage
Storage Crates
Folding Screens
Straw Piles.

1. Understand the Dynamic Weather System

The weather system adds a completely new dynamic to the game (Image via Ubisoft)

The Dynamic Weather System in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a huge addition to the franchise. It has immense potential, and many players have already figured that out. It adds a different dynamic and nuance to AC Shadows’ world and stealth. The different times of the day and the weather affect the environment greatly. For example, enemies will have trouble spotting you in the dark, so the night would be the ideal time to infiltrate a fortress or take out a target.

Furthermore, the rain will limit enemy visibility as well as mask your footsteps to a certain extent. So, gaining a good understanding of the game’s weather system and using it to your advantage can be a crucial part of being a master assassin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

We provide the latest news and create guides for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Meanwhile, you can check out the following AC Shadows articles or catch us playing games on Twitch and YouTube:

5 Essential Combat Tricks To Become a Better Assassin in Assassin’s Creed Shadows