For players looking for a classic Assassin’s Creed experience, it’s possible to put together a build in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that echoes the style of Altaïr and his early successors. With a traditional Assassin’s Creed build, Eivor can infiltrate any place and move through it like a deadly ghost. In battle, Eivor’s power is channeled into a style that has cunning and finesse. If things get too hot, players can even pull the classic assassin move, and disappear in a cloud of smoke.
There are a lot of familiar skills in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla for long-time fans of the franchise, although they’re scattered among a lot of intense warrior skills. Some skills have undergone notable development to adapt to Eivor’s unique Viking Assassin interpretation of Assassin’s Creed. Others will be more nostalgic. Bodies can become booby traps, but more importantly, assassinating from the shadows is highly rewarded. With the stealthiest skills of each skill tree, everyone from Ezio Auditore da Firenze to Bayek would give this build a nod of approval.
11 Assassin Carry (Raven Tree)
For ultimate stealth players, the Assassin Carry skill will make hiding bodies a seamless operation. Eivor can automatically pick up and carry assassination targets with this skill.
This skill will be appreciated by players who want a perfect stealth run, as they can quickly find hiding spots when their targets are exposed. Or the opposite: players can throw bodies to draw attention away from the direction Eivor wants to go.
10 Heal On Kill (Bear Tree)
An assassination will heal Eivor with the Heal On Kill skill. This is a valuable skill for players using stealth gear who may get scraped up in direct combat, so long as they can get Eivor back into stealth mode. This is fortunately much easier in Valhalla than in previous games.
Although Heal On Kill doesn’t echo classic Assassin’s Creed skills as much as some others, it’s valuable for players who rely on assassination and remaining hidden. Combined with adrenaline-building stealth skills, Eivor can easily make up for the times when players can't avoid open combat.
9 Light-Fingered (Raven Tree)
For players who miss the band of thieves around Ezio in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, Light-Fingered will scratch this itch. All Eivor has to do is approach loot, and it’s automatically pocketed.
This skill doesn’t work with more important chests, or with high-profile targets who have to be checked for a pulse. Still, it cuts down on the time it takes to comb through areas hunting for silvers and rations.
8 Stealth Adrenaline (Wolf Tree)
Adrenaline is a precious resource in Valhalla, and Stealth Adrenaline is the perfect choice for Traditional Assassins. This skill awards an adrenaline point every time Eivor loots a chest or picks a pocket while in stealth.
Players who want to make their sneaky habits work for them will appreciate this skill, because it opens up easy out-of-combat ways to keep using Eivor’s special abilities. There is plenty of loot scattered around the game, and looting Eivor’s targets also counts.
7 Advanced Assassination (Raven Tree)
Advanced Assassination is a must for any player hoping to stay undetected. Elite enemies can be taken down with a timing-based attack with this skill. Although Valhalla doesn’t punish players for momentarily breaking stealth to take down an enemy, it sometimes draws the whole camp down on Eivor if the fight makes too much noise.
Elite enemies are the only major obstacle to Eivor ghosting through unwary Saxon villages and fortifications, and this skill makes them fair game. The timer isn’t difficult to master, either.
6 Cunning Shot (Wolf Tree)
Sniping enemies from afar is a classic Assassin’s Creed tactic, and the Cunning Shot skill awards this predilection with adrenaline. Even if stealth players have exhausted their adrenaline points while creeping around an area, thinning the archers will give Eivor the energy boost needed for more spectacular feats.
Another one of the benefits of this skill is that it can be used with any kind of bow. Although stealth players may end up favoring predator bows, they will still get the adrenaline if they favor other bows, as long as they make the shot while in stealth.
5 Assassin Cantrip (Raven Tree)
Assassin’s Creed players need not fear that their vanishing trick won’t work in Valhalla. Eivor can stealthily exit the scene in a puff of smoke with Assassin Cantrip. Eivor can only throw the smoke bomb after a successful parry, though, so does require a little more planning compared to the previous games. Ezio would not complain!
This skill is definitely part of the classic experience, and it’s a tactically sound choice for Traditional Assassins who want to disengage when they please. It’s also useful for confusing and assassinating enemies when Eivor is surrounded.
4 Perfect Attack (Bear Tree)
For players who appreciated chain attacks from the first several Assassin’s Creed games, Perfect Attack will give them the satisfaction of being able to amplify Eivor’s damage with each fast strike.
The Traditional Assassin build relies on stealth, but as with the previous games, there are situations in Valhalla where Eivor will need to fight openly. Players who stick to Raven armor will mainly see their advantages out-of-combat, so it’s a good idea to offset that with battle skills that rely on speed and finesse.
3 Master Counter Roll (Raven Tree)
Master Counter Roll is one of the coolest moves Eivor can make in battle. While it doesn’t do a lot of damage on its own, it positions Eivor for a perfect backstab opportunity while staggering the enemy.
This skill is especially useful for elite enemies, who will outclass a stealth build based on brute force alone. Traditional Assassins have always danced around tough enemies, and this move is Valhalla’s unique spin on battle fluidity.
2 Stealth Recon (Wolf Tree)
Stealth Recon is a handy upgrade for a Traditional Assassin’s Creed build. When Eivor is crouched and undetected, all enemies in the area are highlighted. Tracing routes and observing assassination opportunities become easy with this skill, while still requiring the thought and planning that players are used to from the old games.
This skill makes constant use of Eagle Vision unnecessary while assessing a target location, making it most useful for players who intend to sneak through areas without being spotted even once. This on-the-ground view also complements Synin’s raven-view assessment without rendering it obsolete.