Guide: Assassin's Creed Odyssey Best Skills - Which Abilities You Should Buy

What are the best skills in Assassin's Creed Odyssey? Much like in Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey has a skill tree that gradually opens up as you play through the game. When you level up, you gain ability points that you can spend to unlock skills, and although there are level requirements or story progression requirements for some abilities, you're mostly free to pick and choose whatever skills you want, creating your own play style in the process.

Skills come in two types:

• Active - Most of these skills can be mapped to your action bar, which means that they're usable in battle. Most, but not all of these skills are essentially special combat moves, and either have a cooldown after use, or they require adrenaline. Adrenaline is gained as you deal damage with normal weapon attacks, dodge incoming blows, or parry.
• Passive - These skills are always enabled as soon as you buy them -- you don't have to worry about using them or making sure that they're activated. Some provide instant boosts to your character's effectiveness, while others grant you useful abilities that aren't necessarily limited to combat.

Skills in Assassin's Creed Odyssey are broken down into three distinct categories, from left to right on the Abilities screen:

• Hunter - Hunter skills focus on long range attacks with your bow. By investing heavily in the Hunter skill tree, you can transform your hero into a deadly marksman, picking off targets from a distance before they even know what's going on.
• Warrior - Warrior skills focus on up close and personal melee combat. By investing heavily in the Warrior skill tree, you can transform your hero into an unstoppable fighter, bolstering both damage output and survivability.
• Assassin - Assassin skills focus on stealth and efficient killing. By investing heavily in the Assassin skill tree, you can transform your hero into a ruthless hitman, stalking targets from the shadows and striking with deadly precision.

While the skill categories themselves are somewhat self-explanatory, the beauty of Assassin's Creed Odyssey's system is that you can mix and match abilities from different categories to create a hero who's unique in how they play.

You can focus entirely on one skill category, being an expert in close combat with Warrior abilities, for example, or you could invest heavily in Assassin skills while also grabbing a few choice Hunter abilities so that you can thin the enemy ranks from a distance before sneaking in. The choice is yours.

What are the best skills in Assassin's Creed Odyssey?

In this guide, we'll be taking a look at each skill and breaking them down, looking at how effective and practical they are, and whether they're worth spending your ability points on.

Below, we've split all of the skills based on their category. We'll start with skills that are immediately available, before moving onto skills that are only unlocked once you reach a certain level.

Hunter Skills

Sixth Sense

Type: Passive

What it does: Slows time when you're spotted by an enemy, allowing you to fire at least one arrow at them, potentially killing them before they can attack or sound the alarm.

Is it worth it? Sixth Sense is a handy skill to have, especially when you're deep in enemy territory and one wrong move can mean that you're surrounded, but ideally, if you're playing a stealthy character, then you won't want to be seen in the first place. In that sense, its usefulness in top level gameplay is somewhat limited.

Usefulness: Useful

Spread Shot

Type: Active

What it does: Allows you to shoot three arrows at the same time, dealing big damage to whatever or whoever you're aiming at.

Is it worth it? Spread Shot is a standard damage dealing ability if you're playing a Hunter-based character. Aim it just right and you can also take out multiple enemies in one go, which can be great in bigger battles. Spread Shot does exactly what it says on the tin and will rarely let you down, but it's perhaps outclassed by some other Hunter skills.

Usefulness: Useful

Predator Shot

Type: Active

What it does: Shoots a powerful arrow that travels farther and can be controlled in midair.

Is it worth it? Predator Shot can be great for taking out pesky sentries or even stronger foes from a distance. The big damage increase means that it can also be used to knock sizeable chunks of health off boss enemies or mercenaries before engaging them in direct combat.

Usefulness: Very useful

Arrow Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Allows you to equip paralyzing arrows that knock enemies out instead of killing them. These arrows need to be crafted, however.

Is it worth it? Arrow Master is really only worth buying if you're big on non-lethal gameplay. Obviously if you want to leave as many foes alive as possible then it'll make your time a lot easier, but otherwise it's very specialised.

Usefulness: Specialised

Multi-Shot

Type: Active

What it does: Targets multiple enemies with your bow, allowing you to take out whole groups from a distance.

Is it worth it? Multi-Shot is brilliant for taking out groups of lesser enemies, even if you're in the middle of a fight. A very effective skill.

Usefulness: Very useful

Devastating Shot

Type: Active

What it does: Fire off a very high damage arrow that also increases fire and poison arrow build up.

Is it worth it? Devastating Shot deals huge damage and makes your fire and poison arrows that much more effective. It can quickly become a go-to Hunter skill when the going gets tough and you need to eliminate an enemy quickly, or if a boss foe needs to be taken down a peg.

Usefulness: Very useful

Beast Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Lets you tame an animal that you've knocked out. That animal will then follow you and fight by your side until it's killed. However, boss animals cannot be tamed.

Is it worth it? Beast Master can be a big help -- having an ally with you always is, especially against single boss enemies -- but you obviously have to go out and actually find an animal first. Not only that, but you have to knock it out rather than kill it. Still, the ability can be a lot of fun, even if it's not hugely practical.

Usefulness: Useful

Rain of Destruction

Type: Active

What it does: Let loose a volley of arrows from the sky, potentially hitting multiple enemies at once as long as they're within the skill's area of effect.

Is it worth it? Rain of Destruction is good for taking out small groups of foes from a safe distance. It does pretty high damage, too, but obviously, your enemies need to be close together. As such, it's quite a situational skill, but still useful.

Usefulness: Useful

Archery Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Increases all Hunter damage, and you no longer use up regular arrows when using Hunter skills.

Is it worth it? Archery Master is a must-buy skill if you make regular use of your bow. The across-the-board damage increase is huge, and the need to never worry about using up your regular arrows when firing off abilities is a very nice bonus.

Usefulness: Essential

Overpower Bow Strike

Requires: Archery Mastery

Type: Active

What it does: Fire an explosive arrow that does massive damage.

Is it worth it? Overpower Bow Strike does absolutely huge damage to anything it hits. Although it's a lot more costly to use, it makes similar skills like Devastating Shot look weak by comparison. Great for putting down boss enemies, or when it's used as a last resort to get a dangerous foe off your back.

Usefulness: Very useful

Ghost Arrows of Artemis

Requires: Archery Mastery, Overpower Bow Strike

Type: Active

What it does: Lets you fire a ghost arrow that can travel through solid objects such as walls, shields, and even other enemies.

Is it worth it? Ghost Arrows of Artemis is an incredibly fun skill, and can be used to take enemies totally by surprise. Shooting though solid objects means that your enemy won't have a line of sight to you, so it's a fantastic skill for stealthy characters in particular. The increased damage is decent, too.

Usefulness: Very useful

Warrior Skills

Bull Rush

Type: Active

What it does: Shoot off at speed and charge through any enemies in your path, dealing damage and knocking them down.

Is it worth it? Bull Rush is an easy-to-use damage dealing skill. Line it up right and you can hit multiple targets, but its most useful feature is its ability to knock opponents down, leaving them open to more attacks. A skill you can't really go wrong with.

Usefulness: Useful

Spartan Kick

Type: Active

What it does: Boots an opponent, sending them flying backwards and dealing increased damage. It's also a non-lethal attack.

Is it worth it? Spartan Kick is a very versatile skill. It does good damage, knocks enemies away -- giving you time to regroup -- and it can launch foes off heights, taking them out of the fight completely. What's more, it doesn't kill (unless your foe is booted off a lethal height), meaning that you can use it on opponents that you want to recruit. An all-round great ability.

Usefulness: Very useful

Charged Heavy Attack

Type: Active

What it does: Lets you charge up your normal heavy attacks, increasing their damage and either knocking them away on impact or breaking their guard.

Is it worth it? Charged Heavy Attack is another extremely useful skill to have in your arsenal. It gives your offence another dimension in combat, and breaking through a tough enemy's guard without having to use an ability should never be sniffed at. A very, very easy recommendation.

Usefulness: Essential

Second Wind

Type: Active

What it does: Heals a portion of your health on activation.

Is it worth it? When the going gets tough and you're close to death, Second Wind can be a lifesaver -- quite literally. With one simple activation, you can be back in the fight. Useful for any and all styles of play.

Usefulness: Essential

Weapons Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Increases all Warrior damage.

Is it worth it? Weapons Master provides a base increase to all Warrior damage, which you simply can't fault. Given the amount of combat scenarios in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, increasing your standard weapon damage is a no-brainer no matter how you play.

Usefulness: Essential

Shield Breaker

Type: Active

What it does: Tears an opponent's shield away and does damage.

Is it worth it? Shield Breaker can be a great skill to have around, if only because enemies with shields can be a real pain in the neck. The skill lets you remove their shields from the equation, opening them up to all kinds of attacks. That said, most enemies don't actually have shields, so it's situational.

Usefulness: Useful

Ring of Chaos

Type: Active

What it does: Lets loose a shockwave that stuns and damages surrounding enemies.

Is it worth it? Ring of Chaos is perfect for crowd control. If you find yourself surrounded, using it can quickly turn the tables, potentially killing off weaker foes while also stunning stronger ones, leaving them open to follow-up attacks.

Usefulness: Very useful

Gear Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Increases your overall armour rating so that you take less damage from all sources.

Is it worth it? Gear Master gives you a base increase to your overall damage resistance, potentially making you much harder to kill. Well worth it and useful for any character.

Usefulness: Essential

Flaming Attacks

Type: Active

What it does: Sets your weapons and arrows ablaze for a time, adding fire damage and burning enemies over time.

Is it worth it? Flaming Attacks is a good way to boost your damage output. Burning can be a surprisingly effective way to kill off lesser enemies with ease, while also chipping down bosses. A difficult skill to knock.

Usefulness: Very useful

Fire Mastery

Requires: Flaming Attacks

Type: Passive

What it does: Makes your fire attacks more effective so that foes are easier to burn.

Is it worth it? Fire Mastery is an obvious choice if you're a fan of Flaming attacks -- it makes the skill much more deadly.

Usefulness: Very useful

Overpower Attacks

Type: Active

What it does: Lets you use very powerful weapon-specific special attacks.

Is it worth it? Overpower Attacks do huge damage and can be enough to give you an advantage in any fight as long as you have the adrenaline to spend. That said, the attack depends on the weapon you're using, and some strikes are a little better than others. Still, for pure damage, the skill can't be knocked.

Usefulness: Very useful

Battlecry of Ares

Requires: Overpower Attacks

Type: Active

What it does: Allows you to enter a temporary rage mode, increasing all damage. You also can't be killed while it's active.

Is it worth it? Battlecry of Ares is an immensely powerful skill, essentially giving you invincibility for a short period of time. Against tough bosses it can be a lifesaver, giving you the opportunity to finish especially deadly foes off even if you're at death's door. Having said all that, you can still get hit and be staggered during Battlecry of Ares, so time can run out if you're not careful. Despite being invincible, you can't just run in and mash buttons.

Usefulness: Very useful

Assassin Skills

Shadow Assassin

Type: Passive

What it does: Increases the damage of your assassinations, and also makes it so assassinated enemies are looted automatically.

Is it worth it? If you like to assassinate, then Shadow Assassin is a must-buy. Assassinations are the most powerful attacks in the game, and this makes them even stronger.

Usefulness: Essential

Venomous Attacks

Type: Active

What it does: Adds poison to your weapons and arrows. When hit with poison attacks, enemies can become poisoned, and they take damage over time. These enemies also grow weaker, dealing less damage, and taking more.

Is it worth it? Much like the Warrior's Fire Attacks, Venomous Attacks can be great for whittling down tough enemies or killing lesser foes quickly. Poison also weakens opponents, making them easier to fight against overall. It's hard to find fault with this skill.

Usefulness: Very useful

Poison Mastery

Requires: Venomous Attacks

Type: Passive

What it does: Makes your poison more effective.

Is it worth it? A must-buy if you're a fan of Venomous Attacks. Poison Mastery makes it into a much deadlier skill.

Usefulness: Very useful

Revelation

Type: Active

What it does: Sends out a pulse that detects loot and nearby enemies.

Is it worth it? Revelation highlights containers and chests that can be looted, saving you a lot of time. It also highlights nearby enemies, which, again, saves time. It's a shame that you actually have to spend an ability point to get this functionality, but ultimately, it's worth the price, unless you like checking every single jar, envelope, box, and chest manually.

Usefulness: Essential

Rush Assassination

Type: Active

What it does: Lets you assassinate targets from a distance, teleporting you to them with the Spear of Leonidas.

Is it worth it? Rush Assassination is fantastic for getting from one side of an enemy camp to the other, all while taking out an enemy in the process. More advanced players can even use it during battle, zipping away from danger, or using it to kill a pesky archer who's standing at a distance.

Usefulness: Very useful

Vanish

Type: Active

What it does: Stuns enemies with a flashbomb, allowing you to flee, hide, or attack.

Is it worth it? Vanish is something of a get-out-of-jail card. Using it stops foes in their tracks, and if you're on the back foot, it can be just what you need in order to get to safety. You can also use it as a way to open foes up to your attacks, making Vanish a versatile ability.

Usefulness: Very useful

Critical Assassination

Type: Active

What it does: Makes your assassinations do much more damage at the cost of adrenaline.

Is it worth it? Critical Assassination can be a great choice for stealthy players. Assassinations are already the most damaging attacks in the game, and this is just an even more deadly version.

Usefulness: Very useful

Hero Strike

Type: Active

What it does: A quick strike that can be used both in an out of combat.

Is it worth it? Hero Strike is a fast and easy-to-use skill, but there are arguably attacks that do a better job, especially when it comes to damage. Still, it's not a bad move, and can be a decent combo finisher.

Usefulness: Useful

Call to Arms

Type: Active

What it does: Summons one of your lieutenants who'll distract enemies for a period of time.

Is it worth it? Call to Arms is a helpful skill to have if you're playing stealthy. It can keep whole groups of enemies off your back for extended amounts of time, making it a decent fallback plan. What's more, if you have an especially storng lieutenant, you can double up against tricky opposition.

Usefulness: Very useful

Slow Time

Type: Active

What it does: Temporarily slows time.

Is it worth it? Slow Time is probably the most versatile skill in the game. You can use it to open enemies up, or you can use it to dodge incoming blows. You can even use it to quickly get around guards, or slow time so that you can pull off more than one assassination before your foes have a chance to move. Easy to use and very, very effective if you know what you're doing.

Usefulness: Essential

Stealth Master

Type: Passive

What it does: Decreases noise from movement and assassinations, making it harder for guards to hear you.

Is it worth it? For stealthy characters, Stealth Master is an obvious choice. You can go on to assassinate whole camps without once making a sound.

Usefulness: Very useful

Shadow of Nyx

Requires: Stealth Master

Type: Active

What it does: Allows you to become invisible for a period of time. However, you must be out of combat.

Is it worth it? Shadow of Nyx lets you disappear on the spot, completely fooling any pursuing enemies. An Assassin-based character can potentially get a lot of use out of it.

Usefulness: Very useful