Mastery points are the key to unlocking powerful skills and abilities in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, letting you tailor your playstyle as you navigate feudal Japan’s shadows. Whether you’re leveling up, taking down formidable Samurai Daisho in castles, or completing challenging assassination targets, mastering how to efficiently earn these points will give you the edge you need to dominate the game’s vast skill trees. Dive into our guide to discover the fastest and smartest ways to rack up mastery points on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox-and become the ultimate assassin in the shadows.
What are mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are essential skill points used to unlock abilities within the game’s skill trees for both main characters, Naoe and Yasuke. You earn mastery points primarily by leveling up through gaining experience points (XP) from completing quests, defeating enemies, and engaging in various activities across Japan. Additionally, you can acquire extra mastery points by eliminating powerful foes such as Samurai Daisho in castles, taking down special targets like The Onryo, and completing optional bounties. Each mastery point allows you to unlock specific skills, with more advanced skills requiring more points, making mastery points crucial for customizing and enhancing your characters’ combat and stealth capabilities.
Mastery points are used for unlocking skills via the skill tree and shouldn’t be confused with knowledge points, which are used for expanding the number of skills you’re able to unlock in each mastery skill tree.
Mastery points are used for unlocking the individual skill on the skill tree. The more advanced the skill, the more mastery points it’ll cost. If you want to flesh out a ton of different skill trees, you’ll need to collect a ton of mastery points.
How to get mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are primarily earned by leveling up your characters, Naoe and Yasuke, through gaining experience points (XP) from various activities. Additional effective ways to acquire mastery points include defeating Samurai Daisho found in castles-each Daisho defeated grants one mastery point-and completing optional assassination targets and side quests. Clearing castles is considered the fastest and most rewarding method, as you not only earn mastery points for each Daisho killed but also receive a lump sum of XP and can open legendary chests containing powerful gear. Engaging in these activities consistently will help you accumulate mastery points quickly to unlock and enhance your skills in the game.
You’ll get mastery points as you level up, at a rate of one mastery point per level. You can gain XP by completing quests, taking down enemies, and doing just about any form of completable content in the game.
You can also earn mastery points from a few kinds of activities, including the following:
- Killing Samurai Daisho in castles, which will reward you with one point per kill
- Defeating The Onryo, big baddies that have quest prerequisites that bring you closer to the target
- Clearing optional bounties associated with organizations like The Kabukimono
You can see the castles on the map as objectives (obscured by question marks until you get close enough) and inspecting the map icon will tell you how many Samurai Daisho (and mastery points) there are at that castle. The Onryo and other optional targets are viewable via the Objectives menu. The harder the target, the more mastery points you’ll get.
What hidden locations offer the fastest way to earn mastery points in Shadows
The fastest way to earn mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is by targeting hidden locations with Samurai Daisho in castles. Each Samurai Daisho you stealthily assassinate grants an instant mastery point, and castles often have multiple such enemies, allowing you to rack up several points quickly in one area. The best approach is to climb to the highest vantage point (Eagle Point) in the castle to spot these enemies using observation mode, then silently take them out one by one from rooftops or bushes to avoid alerting other guards. Clearing all Samurai Daisho in a castle also unlocks a legendary chest with valuable gear and perks. Early-game castles with multiple Samurai Daisho provide the quickest mastery point farming spots, and visiting several such locations consecutively can yield a substantial number of mastery points fast.
Which hidden locations in Shadows are best for quick mastery points
The best hidden locations for quick mastery points in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are the early-game castles and palaces that contain multiple Samurai Daisho enemies. These castles typically have 2 to 6 Samurai Daisho, each granting an instant mastery point upon stealthy assassination. By climbing to the highest vantage point (Eagle Point) in the castle, you can use observation mode to spot these enemies easily and then take them out silently one by one to avoid alerting other guards. Clearing all Samurai Daisho in a castle also unlocks a legendary chest with valuable gear and additional rewards. Early castles are recommended because their enemies are manageable, allowing you to efficiently farm 2-3 mastery points within 30-45 minutes at a single location. After finishing one castle, moving on to other similar castles in the region can help you accumulate mastery points rapidly.
