Daze stands out as one of the most captivating affliction types in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Instead of directly damaging opponents, it causes them to miss attacks and prevents them from effectively blocking incoming strikes. Because of this unique characteristic, daze pairs exceptionally well with posture attack buffs, enabling players to deal significant damage to enemies who are dazed and disoriented. Naoe’s unique passive skill amplifies her Kusarigama’s daze accumulation, positioning her as a top contender for daze strategies in the game.
This daze-centric build showcases Naoe’s versatility within AC Shadows and highlights the numerous strengths of the Kusarigama. Daze serves as an effective all-purpose affliction, enhanced by the availability of the Winds of War legendary Kusarigama—an early-game weapon that excels in daze buildup. The strategy itself is straightforward: inflict daze on enemies, then deliver a crushing blow.
Optimal Daze Weapon for Naoe in AC Shadows
The Winds of War Legendary Kusarigama: A Top Choice for Daze Builds
Engravings related to afflictions adapt to the specific type (poison, daze, or bleed) once applied to a weapon. Among the recommendations for engravings, the Bloodletter Kusarigama at Kashiwara Fort offers an engraving that triggers daze upon entanglement, making it particularly useful against large targets like Samurai. However, the Stone Heart Kusarigama found in Veiled Tumulus Kofun presents a better option—spreading daze through combo enders, allowing for effective daze buildup across multiple foes.
Best Armor & Trinkets for Naoe’s Daze Build
The Noh Masterstroke Costume: Essential for Affliction Builds
While dedicated daze effects are absent from legendary armors within AC Shadows, the Noh Masterstroke Set proves advantageous for all affliction builds. This costume enhances bleed buildup on your tools and spreads affliction buildup to nearby enemies upon eliminating an afflicted target. Notably, the Noh Masterstroke Mask grants +20% adrenaline gain from affliction buildup, solidifying this armor set as the optimal choice for various afflictions.
Consider supplementing the Noh Masterstroke Costume with the All Tool Affliction Buildup engraving—specifically for daze—available from a merchant in Kamayama, Tamba. Coupled with the Winds of War weapon, you can achieve impressive adrenaline gain using the Flight of the Ubagabi legendary trinket. Enhance your abilities further with the 15% stat boost for only using a Kusarigama from the Fluttering Moth trinket.
Top Daze Skills & Abilities for Naoe
Utilize Affliction Globals and the Kusarigama Daze Passive
To maximize your daze build, prioritize key global passives such as Katana Affliction Effectiveness, Affliction Builder for Kusarigama, and Damage with Affliction from Knowledge Rank 6. Investing in mastery points specifically for Tools is crucial, with an emphasis on the Tool Affliction Proficiency passive. The Quick Strike passive, especially its advanced form, Dazed, is vital, as it adds 15% daze buildup with each successful Quick Strike. Frequent use of Quick Strikes will ensure rapid daze application.
For effective abilities, choose Snake Bite as your main single-target damage skill, while the Hard Fall passive will further augment your daze effects, causing enemies to become dazed after recovering from a Snake Bite. Cyclone Blast acts as a powerful option for spreading daze across groups, facilitating numerous swings with the Kusarigama. Together, Cyclone Blast and Snake Bite create a formidable duo that overwhelms opponents, and with the boosts from your trinkets and engravings, you’ll leave enemies dazed and vulnerable.
Overall, Naoe’s daze build is anchored around the Winds of War Kusarigama while focusing on affliction enhancements from global passives and gear. Regular use of posture attacks, Quick Strikes, and Snake Bite will effectively incapacitate foes, allowing you to unleash charged posture attacks to secure decisive victories, whether against solitary targets or in larger skirmishes with Cyclone Blast. As with all strategies in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, feel free to tailor these suggestions to suit your personal gameplay style.