What Are The Best Builds in AC Odyssey?
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey lets you annihilate your targets in a multitude of ways: firing arrows as a sharpshooting, Legolas-like archer; slashing and smashing foes head-on as a savage, Jon Snow-esque combatant; and/or craftily stabbing enemies from the shadows like Arya Stark.
The three skill trees in Odyssey—Hunter, Warrior and Assassin—offer a variety of abilities that allows you to build many different character set-ups. It’s entirely too easy to misspend those coveted ability points (like I’ve done) as you’re learning the game’s systems and figuring out your playstyle.
While you can reset your abilities at any time for a reasonable fee, wouldn’t you rather spend your drachmae on new gear, upgrades and engravings? Or, maybe you’re nearing the end of your odyssey and looking for the very best build.
Either way, we have you covered with these three amazing builds:
3. Cunning Assassin (Best for early to mid-game)
The Shadow Assassin skill makes taking guards out a cinch.
Like to cleverly sneak to your targets for that ultra satisfying assassination? If you prefer the quiet, stealth-first playstyle of the older Assassin’s Creed games, then consider the Cunning Assassin build.
A great character setup for early and mid-level players, its high assassin damage will let you subtly dispatch foes. Bonuses to sneaking make fort infiltration a breeze.
Intoxicating your enemies, staying hidden and escaping when you’re overwhelmed are keys to thriving as an assassin in Ancient Greece. And don’t forget to hide those bodies!
Essential abilities
- Shadow Assassin boosts assassination damage and automatically loots your enemy. When upgraded, crit damage increases (tier 2), and assassinations refill adrenaline (tier 3). No-brainer here.
- Venomous Attacks applies poison to your weapons and arrows. Once you hit your enemies with enough poison they become intoxicated. They’ll receive damage over time, and their armor and damage output will weaken—which in turn make your attacks stronger. This helps compensate for the Assassin’s lack of warrior abilities and damage.
- When fully upgraded, the cooldown disappears, meaning you’ll constantly be intoxicating foes during combat.
- Vanish stuns nearby foes with a blinding flash of light. Useful when your cover is blown and enemies get too close for comfort. Just pop it and creep around the corner, or to the nearest tall grass. You’ll reopen opportunities to deal that sweet, sweet assassin damage while your confused pursuers rummage the area like children playing hide-and-seek.
- Be mindful that attacking enemies while they’re stunned will interrupt the stun. Make sure you’re fleeing and breaking the enemy’s line of sight to set yourself up for an assassination attack that will turn the tide of battle.
- Rush Assassination utilizes the magical Spear of Leonidas to teleport your character to stab a foe for 100% assassin damage. You can also chain the attack to an additional enemy. Useful for taking out multiple patrols without breaking stealth.
- Upgrading lets you chain up to three additional enemies and increases damage, so you can end many fights before they even begin.
- Hero Strike is arguably the most indispensable ability in the assassin’s toolkit. You attack with a single strike of the almighty Spear of Leonidas for 60% Assassin damage. Can be used in active conflict. Hero Strike is the golden ticket to making your assassin viable in regular combat.
- While 60% might not seem like much, keep in mind that your assassin damage is always much higher than your warrior damage. Six-tenths of this relatively large number winds up being a significant amount of damage in open combat.
- Hero Strike can also follow an unsuccessful assassination. Sometimes a sneak attack is not enough to kill an enemy, and Hero Strike will almost always finish your target off after a surprise blow to the back.
- Critical Assassination is a super sneak attack, dealing double assassin damage. Use this skill instead of regular assassination attacks whenever you can.
- Stealth Master drastically improves your sneaking. It reduces noise made while moving and assassinating (tier 1), makes you less visible to enemies while crouching (tier 2) and increases all damage done outside of combat at night (tier 3). Absolutely instrumental for staying undetected.
Other helpful abilities
- Slow Time makes you run faster than Hermes for 5 seconds (tier 1), 7 sec (tier 2) or 10 sec (tier 3). Useful for circling around a group of foes during combat (if you choose to engage instead of fleeing) and creating space for ranged offense in active conflict. Can also be used as an alternative to Vanish.
- Predator Shot nicely complements a stealthy playstyle. You fire a remote controlled arrow that travels further than a normal arrow and deals 430% hunter damage (tier 1), 500% hunter damage (tier 2), or 500% hunter damage (tier 3), which can put down most enemies with one headshot. If done from a safe enough distance, you won’t be spotted.
- Sixth Sense slows time when an enemy spots you. If you aim your bow, it’ll snap to your target’s chest and deal an extra 50% hunter damage (tier 1), 75% hunter damage (tier 2), or 100% hunter damage (tier 3). A quick and easy way to eliminate pesky patrols, so you can get back to sneaking.
- Second Wind heals you. ‘Nuff said.
Gear
Your best bet for a primary weapon is something that lands quick hits like a sword or daggers. They ensure rapid poison buildup and are great for 1v1 combat.
For a secondary weapon, use something that inflicts sweeping damage like a staff, spear, heavy blade or blunt. Their long reach will come in handy when you’re travelling and a pack of overly aggressive wolves ambushes you like a squad of guerilla soldiers.
Prioritize gear that buff critical stats, assassin and poison damage.
Recommended gear:
- Primary weapon: Xiphos of Dionysos increases Hero Strike damage +20%, assassin damage +15% and crit damage +25%. You get this sword from completing the main story quest “A Bloody Feast” in episode 7.
- Secondary weapon: Hermes’s Kerukeion increases poison damage and buildup +15%, assassin damage +15% and further boosts poison damage +20%. You can get this staff from completing the side quest “Let My Patients Go” in Boeotia. Pairs nicely with the Snake Armor Set (see below).
- Ranged weapon: Fanged Bow turns all normal arrows into poison arrows, increases assassin damage +15% and poison damage +20%. You can get it by looting the legendary chest in the cave of Mt. Zas in the Cove of Zeus, on Naxos Island.
- The Pirate Armor Set grants a +15% boost to assassin ability damage and further increases regular assassin damage. You can get it by eliminating every cultist in the Gods of the Aegean Sea line.
- The Snake Armor Set enhances your poison by increasing its damage and weakening effect +10%, while also boosting assassin damage. You can get it by taking out every cultist in the Eyes of Kosmos line.
2. Versatile Mercenary (Best for flexibility)
Following this surprise attack with Rush Assassination, if you're quick enough, would yeild fortuitous results.
Don’t want to worry about getting squished in combat? Want to be effective in all three playstyles? A hybrid build is great if you want to explore and enjoy the game’s many activities.
You’ll appreciate the capability to adapt on-the-fly to unexpected situations, such as bloodthirsty mercenaries charging you while you’re assaulting forts, rabid wild animals rushing you in the wilderness, or encountering an enemy captain that you want to recruit for your ship.
You’ll be able to handle multiple foes in combat, while still being capable of assassinating most enemies in one shot.
Hunter abilities
- Multi-Shot targets several enemies at once for increased hunter damage. Use it in conjunction with Slow Time to suppress groups of enemies. Also effective in conquest battles, given all the opportunities you have to move around and position yourself for ranged, multipronged aggression.
- Archery Master increases hunter damage +20%, and using hunter abilities no longer consumes arrows (tier 1); boosts hunter damage +30% and headshot damage +20%, and refills partially drained adrenaline bars outside of combat (tier 2); buffs hunter and headshot damage +40%, and slows down time when aiming your bow in midair (tier 3).
- Tip: Tier 2’s attribute—passive adrenaline refill—can be your best friend. If your adrenaline is low in between conflict engagements, hunt deer. Just one fallen stag is enough to refill one adrenaline bar.
- Sixth Sense (see above) will reduce your headaches when you want to play stealthy.
- Arrow Master is extremely helpful in recruiting lieutenants for your ship. You only need to spend one ability point to unlock paralyzing arrows. Stealthy knockout attacks are not enough to deal with Legendary lieutenants, so paralyzing arrows are a boon when you’re trying to non-lethally take out enemy captains in active combat.
Warrior abilities
- Ring of Chaos generates a blast that knocks down enemies in your immediate vicinity while inflicting increased warrior damage. Use it when you’re overwhelmed in CQC and need breathing room for your next move.
- Second Wind (see above) is crucial for any build.
- Overpower Attacks use three adrenaline segments for massively powerful melee attacks, reminding us that Assassin’s Creed has always had some of the most visually pleasing animations in gaming. Use it when you have adrenaline to spare and need to dish out some quick, significant damage.
- Weapons Master buffs warrior damage +20% (tier 1); warrior damage goes up +30% and crit chance increases +5% (tier 2); +40% boost to warrior damage, +10% crit chance increase, and using both light and heavy attacks during a combo boosts the finishing move’s damage (tier 3). So, make sure to alternate between light and heavy attacks when you’re hacking and slashing at your foes.
- Gear Master increases armor +30% (tier 1); increases armor +60%, and incoming ranged damage decreases -5% (tier 2); increases armor +90%, incoming ranged damage decreases -10% and a 10% chance that attacking enemies will stagger (tier 3). Greatly improves your defense to make you withstand more damage.
Assassin abilities
- Slow Time (see above), coupled with the Dagger of Kronus, is key to the deadliness of this build(more on that below). Use this ability to position yourself for striking enemies in the back.
- Shadow Assassin (see above) so you’re able to actually assassinate foes in one hit.
- Stealth Master (see above) to improve your sneak.
- Rush Assassination (see above) for clearing out forts.
Gear
While you can be flexible with your weapons in a jack-of-all-trades build, this particular build employs daggers for melee weapons. Focus on perks that buff critical stats, give chances to ignore damage and boost assassin damage.
Make sure you complete the side quest “Journey’s End” in Elis for the Atlantean Blade, which carries the +30% armor penetration perk. You should engrave this on your daggers to help compensate for this build’s relatively low warrior damage. The +2% damage restored as health perk is also great, which you get from the Achilles/Amazon set, attained by eliminating every cultist in the Heroes of the Cult line.
Recommended gear:
- Primary weapon: Arachne’s Stingers apply poison to every melee attack, boost assassin damage +15% and poison damage +20%. Poison’s effects will further help compensate for this build’s relatively low warrior damage. You can get these daggers by defeating the mercenary whose name ends with “the Weaver.”
- Secondary weapon: Dagger of Kronus grants a +40% damage bonus when attacking from behind, buffs warrior damage +15% and damage with daggers +15%. When paired with Slow Time, it becomes a tool of death while you (literally) run circles around your enemies.
- Ranged weapon: Fanged Bow (see above)
- Head: Eye Patch boosts Assassin damage +18%, dagger damage +24% and crit chance at full health +16%.
- Arms: Athenian Gauntlets increase Assassin damage +18%, crit chance +8% and crit damage +40%.
- Chest: Mercenary Breastplate grants +18% Assassin damage, +40% crit damage and +32% poison damage.
- Waist: Mercenary Belt gives +18% Assassin damage, +80% crit damage while full health and +8% crit chance.
- Legs: Brawler’s Boots boost Assassin damage +18%, crit damage while full health +80% and crit chance while full health +16%.
1. Critical Master (Best for efficient killing)
With this build, you can rest assured that you'll be a murder machine.
Want to tear through enemies with just a few attacks? If you’re into min/maxing, the Critical Master build is for you. It gives you a 100% chance of landing critical hits.
Yes, you’ll see those popping yellow damage numbers with every strike. You’ll need to be a high level to pull this off—at least level 91, as gear level 91 and up can carry +10% and +20% crit chance while full health. These perks are necessary for reaching 100% crit chance.
You’ll also have very high assassination damage, as constantly landing critical hits means you don’t need to worry about warrior and hunter damage.
I imagine you’ve put a good amount of hours into Odyssey if you’re able to work this build, so enjoy the fruits of your labor!
Advised abilities
- Battlecry of Ares channels your misthios’s godly power to deal +20% more damage for 10 seconds, and enemy attacks can’t kill you during this time (tier 1); +35% damage for 15 sec (tier 2); +50% more damage for 20 sec, and hits from the enemy increase attack power. Best used at the beginning of fights so the cooldown starts sooner, allowing you to use this devastating ability more often.
- Overpower Attacks (see above) for big damage in open combat.
- Gear Master (see above) for more resilience.
- Second Wind (see above) is invaluable for this build. A good chunk of your increased crit chances will come while you’re at full health, so it’s important to heal if need be.
- Hero Strike (see above) for active conflict and following up on assassin attacks.
- Critical Assassination (see above) for better assassinations.
- Rush Assassination (see above) for chaining one-shot kills.
- Shadow Assassin (see above) for better assassinations.
- Archery Master (see above) for adrenaline bar refill.
- Arrow Master (see above) for knocking out lieutenants for your ship.
Gear
Perks are the meat and potatoes of this build. You generally want to equip items that boost assassin damage, crit chance and crit damage.
Make sure you visit Hephaistos’s Workshop in Malis to purchase the +10% crit chance perk, in case you can’t find gear that natively has crit chance perks. It’ll also behoove you to seek out the Anigmata Ostrakas that improve the crit chance while full health perk: Hand Docked, Rightful King, Stadium Love, To the Edge of the World and Odor in the Court.
If your gear alone doesn’t add up to 100% crit chance, spend your ability points on the mastery levels that enhance crit chance. Invest leftover points into crit damage, total armor(since this build is a bit squishy)and cooldown duration for all abilities, so you can use Battlecry of Ares and Hero Strike more often.
Recommended gear:
- Primary weapon: Minotaur’s Labrys buffs warrior damage +25%, crit damage +50% and reduces Overpower Attacks cost to two adrenaline bars. You can get this heavy blade from defeating the minotaur in the side quest “He Waits” in Messara.
- Secondary weapon: Harpe of Perseus boosts hunter damage +15%, crit damage +25% and -25% cooldown duration for all abilities. You can get this sword from killing Medusa in the side quest “Writhing Dead” in Lesbos.
- Ranged weapon: Hunter’s Bow buffs crit chance +10%, warrior damage by +24% and assassin damage by +20%.
- Head: Mercenary Hood gives +50% crit damage, +20% crit chance while full health and +24% assassin damage.
- Arms: Gauntlets of Ares boost assassin damage +14%, all damage +5% and +15% crit damage.
- Chest: Restored Mycenaean Armor grants +24% warrior damage, +50% crit damage and +60% total armor. The increased armor helps you withstand more damage. There are no chest pieces with crit chance perks, so this one is great for its increased crit damage.
- Waist: Mercenary Belt boosts assassin damage by +24%, crit chance by +10% and crit damage while full health by +100%. You can get it by defeating the mercenary whose name ends with “the Sacrificial.”
- Legs: Athenian Buskins grant +20% crit chance while full health, +100% crit damage while full health and +24% warrior damage.
