Best Engravings | Assassins Creed Shadows Wiki

The best engravings in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are paramount to doing well in combat. The best engravings offer incredible perks and bonuses that will make your abilities, stats, and weapons shine. Engravings differ based on the specific weapon and armor type the character uses. They also differ in rarity, allowing for different bonuses and features. The best engravings stand out in their particular category for Naoe and Yasuke. 

How Engravings Work

• First Perk (Fixed) – Every item comes with a core perk that cannot be changed. This provides a unique, built-in bonus, such as increased attack speed, faster stamina regeneration, or additional affliction buildup.

• Unlocking the Second Perk – Weapons and armor of Rare or higher rarity have a second perk slot, which can be unlocked at the Blacksmith. This allows you to engrave an additional bonus that suits your build.

• Legendary Perks – Legendary gear comes with exclusive perks that provide powerful, game-changing effects. These perks are unique to Legendary items and offer advantages not found in lower-tier gear.

• Swapping Perks – You can change your engraved perk at any time by revisiting the Blacksmith. This allows players to experiment with different playstyles and adjust their builds for specific challenges.

Best Engravings in Assassin's Creed Shadows

Best Naoe Engravings

Katana Engravings (Precision & Affliction)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Posture Attack remains charged after Dodge	—	Enables fluid, uninterrupted combat.
Affliction Buildup is not lost over time	Atakebune in Settsu	Keeps poison/bleed pressure going without needing to refresh.
Create an area of effect on hit with Dodge Attacks	Rumored to be held by a shadow organization	Adds AoE utility for stealth-melee hybrid builds.
Instantly charge Posture attacks after using a Tool	Assassinate the Fox	Amazing synergy for aggressive tool-focused builds.
Trigger Affliction on Deflect	Investigate a Yokai known as the Yuki Onna	Adds affliction utility even when playing defensively.

Kusarigama Engravings (Affliction & AoE Control)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Trigger Affliction on Entanglement	Kashiwara Fort, Iga	Affliction-based crowd control with every hook.
+200% damage on enemy collisions	—	Insane burst damage if you knock enemies into walls.
Spread Affliction Buildup with Combo Ender	Veiled Tumulus, Wakasa	Spreads poison/bleed to nearby targets.
Posture attacks on Dazed enemies break armor	Assassinate the Wise	Destroys tanky enemies quickly.
Charge Posture Attacks when hitting multiple enemies	Kashiwabara Fortress, Omi	Keeps pressure high during group combat.

Tanto Engravings (Speed & Chain Assassination)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Slow down time on Escape Strike	Tozuku's Lair, Settsu	Helps reposition or land finishing hits safely.
+6% damage with consecutive hits	Takagi Otsuka Fort, Harima	Encourages rapid, aggressive stabbing playstyle.
Increased Impact with all attacks	Chasuriyama Kofun, Tamba	Useful across the board – higher stagger and break potential.
Shadow Piercer removes 2 Health Segments on hit	Assassinate Masatoshi Nakahara	Amplifies one of Naoe’s strongest stealth moves.
Weakpoint Attacks make enemies Vulnerable twice	—	Enables extended kill chains with repeated takedowns.

Headgear Engravings (Stealth / Utility Focused)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
+1 Health Segment removed on Assassinations	Naoe’s personal journey (Legendary)	Boosts stealth kills, great for high-level targets.
+1 Health Segment removed on Assassinations with Kunai	—	Enhances ranged stealth gameplay using tools.
Slow down time when detected	—	Grants a short window to react—escape or counter.
Ground Attacks now remove 2 Health Segments on hit	Defeat the Shibakufu	Ideal for follow-up finishers after knockdowns.
Critical Chance with Tools +5%	Koriyama Gear Vendor (Yamato)	Lethal boost for tool-based stealth kills.

Light Armor Engravings (Survivability / Aggressive Shinobi)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
+2 Health Segments removed on Assassinations	Naoe's personal journey	Crucial for one-shot stealth takedowns.
Restore 20% Health after using a Tool	—	Sustain for tool-focused assassination loops.
Avoid death and gain immunity for 8 seconds	Grave of the Three Emperors (Wakasa)	Clutch escape or recovery option.
Attacks have 3% chance to remove 1 Health Segment	—	Adds chip damage pressure to every hit.
Dead bodies release poison cloud when investigated	Nagahama Castle (Omi)	Creates chaos in enemy patrol routes.
Enemies are less efficient at detecting sound	—	Boosts stealth while sprinting or using tools.

Trinket Engravings (Stat Boosts & Synergy Focus)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
+2% Tool Damage per Mastery Point in Tools	Chest at Ogura Peak (Yamashiro)	Massive boost for kunai / shuriken builds.
+10% to Stats on equipped Katana / Tanto / Kusarigama	—	Flat stat bump for all weapon types.
+2% Critical Damage per Mastery Point in Katana	Torike Cave (Kii)	Perfect for katana-focused crit builds.
+1% Vulnerable Damage per Mastery Point in Assassin	Hitsugatake Cache (Yamato)	Synergizes with vulnerability - focused stealth loops.
+15% to Stats with only a Katana equipped	—	Powerful for single - weapon specialization.

Best Yasuke Engravings

Helmet Engravings (Defense / Damage Scaling)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Trigger Samurai Stand on death (once per combat)	Nagusano Falls, Harima	Grants a second life during combat – a true lifesaver.
Reduce damage taken by 5% per enemy in conflict	Yama Camp, Yamato	The more enemies around, the tougher Yasuke becomes.
Automatically perform a Weakpoint attack on a successful Parry	Narutaki Falls, Tamba	Delivers huge burst damage when parrying enemies.
Deal 50% damage to the attacker on Parry	Protector’s Helmet	Punishes enemies who strike first. Strong counter synergy.
Slow down time after a successful Dodge	Miki Castle, Harima	Grants precious reaction time for follow-ups or escape.

Armor Engravings (Survivability / Utility)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Can Parry Unblockable Attacks	Nijo Palace, Yamashiro	Removes major threat – parry red attacks safely.
Restore 8% Health on kill	Rumored to be held by hired ronin in Kii	Provides passive sustain in longer fights.
50% chance to negate projectiles	—	Significantly reduces threat from ranged enemies.
+200% Ranged Damage while out of combat	Tsuruga Castle, Wakasa	Massive bonus for stealth bow/teppo play.
Restore 10% Health on next hit after Parry	Himeji Castle, Harima	Rewards defensive mastery with a strong heal.

Amulet Engravings (Flexible Stat Scaling)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
+10% to Stats on Long Katana / Naginata / Kanabo / Bow / Teppo	Merchants in Kyoto, Yoshino, Obama, Takeda, Negoroji	Scales main stats based on weapon loadout.
+10% to Stats on equipped Helmet/Armor	Sold by merchants	Adds bulk and durability to tank builds.
+25% of an Adrenaline Chunk on kill	Merchant in Kameyama	Enables frequent ability use with Yasuke.
+2% Critical Damage per Mastery Point in Long Katana	Rumored to be held by a secret society	Essential for Katana - focused crit builds.
+1% Arrow Nock Speed per Mastery Point in Bow	Bow challenge in Kii	Helps boost bow DPS and responsiveness.

Long Katana Engravings (Precision + Posture)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
+20% Adrenaline Gain	—	Lets you activate skills more frequently.
Sheathed Attacks are Postured and make enemies Vulnerable	Kamikura Shrine, Kii	Great for initiating a fight with a strong opener.
1 Health Segment removed after Armor Break	Rumored to be held by hired ronins in Kii	Punishes armored enemies instantly.
Riposte makes enemies Vulnerable	Defeat a nefarious group in Yamato	Encourages reactive, skillful parrying.

Kanabo Engravings (Raw Power & Disruption)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Attacks cannot be interrupted	Rumored to be held by a nefarious group in Yamato	Lets you swing freely in chaotic fights.
Devastation knocks out enemies	Yakami Fort in Tamba	Turns your heavy hits into finishers.
Create an AoE on Combo Ender hit	Kanki Castle in Harima	Great for crowd control and disruption.
Instantly charge Posture attacks by alternating attack types	Kajimiya Cemetery in Omi	Keeps your offense fast and rhythmic.
Breaking Armor spreads shrapnel	Rumored to be held by a shadow organization	Adds AoE punishment to tank busters.

Naginata Engravings (Range + Crowd Control)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
First strike makes enemies Vulnerable every 8s	—	Free Vulnerable setup on initiations.
Instantly charge Posture attacks on Light / Heavy hit	Amanohashidate in Tamba	Keeps Yasuke aggressive and fast.
Blocking automatically parries regular attacks	Defeat Nobotsuna's student Yuki no Kata	Massive boost to defense and counterplay.
Stack +10% damage on next hit with each block	—	Rewards defensive play with offensive bursts.
Increased Impact on Sprint Attacks	—	Excellent for initiating engagements.

Bow Engravings (Stealth Sniping & Multi-Target)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Fire multiple arrows in a single shot	Reward from Ota Gyuichi crest quest	Excellent for crowd control and AoE burst.
+10% Critical Chance with Posture Attacks	Sold by merchant	Boosts crit potential during staggered fights.
Charged arrows become Posture Shots	Stored within Azuchi Castle in Omi	Great for cracking armor from range.
Instantly charge arrows	Rumored to be held by a nefarious group in Yamato	Massive QoL boost for mid-combat sniping.
Retreating Shot pushes enemies back	Stored within Inariyama Fort in Harima	Adds space and defensive utility.

Teppo Engravings (Burst Fire & Utility)

Engraving	How To Get	Why It's Good
Chamber two bullets instead of one	Kamikoga's Ippon Sugi, Omi	Doubles shot output — perfect for quick eliminations.
Suppress firing noise	Genbao Fort, Wakasa	Lets Yasuke use the Teppo in stealth scenarios.
Drastically reduce reload time	Hidden inside Takagi Kofun, Harima	Solves one of the weapon’s biggest drawbacks.
Shoot multiple bullets in one shot	Defeat Asari Nobutane	High burst damage, ideal for clearing tight groups.
Kill enemies below 25% Health on headshots	Namikiri Fudoson Shrine, Yamashiro	Reliable finisher for elite or armored enemies.