Assassin's Creed Shadows: How to beat Pond (Yamabushi)

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, the Yamabushi Imposters are a faction masquerading as the revered Yamabushi monks. They are spread across the map, and you must find and defeat them. Pond Yamabushi is one of these imposters that you need to defeat as part of the Yamabushi questline. He can be tricky to handle because of how the fight starts and the speed of his attacks.

Here’s a detailed guide on how to find Pond Yamabushi and take him down efficiently.

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Defeating Pond Yamabushi in Assassin's Creed Shadows

1) Find Pond Yamabushi

Travel to the Omi region to find Pond Yamabushi (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Ubisoft)

You can find the Pond Yamabushi in the western part of the Omi region. To locate him, head to the Three-Trunked Tree. However, you won’t see him right away.

To trigger the fight, you need to meditate at the nearby Kuji-kiri spot. Once you’ve meditated, Pond Yamabushi will ambush you from behind, starting the battle immediately. Be ready to react quickly once he appears.

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2) Be prepared for an ambush

Pond Yamabushi will ambush from behind (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Ubisoft)

Since Pond Yamabushi ambushes you, you won’t be able to land a stealth attack to weaken him at the beginning of the fight.

Pond Yamabushi fights with a single katana and relies on quick, successive attacks. He typically uses a sequence of three consecutive strikes. The good news is that all of these attacks can be blocked or deflected if you time them right.

After deflecting his combo, you’ll have a brief window to launch a counterattack.

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3) Watch for fight patterns

Focus on his fighting patterns to defeat him (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Ubisoft)

Watch for a pattern where he follows a regular strike with an unblockable attack. Unblockable moves are marked in red, so you need to dodge them instead of trying to block them. Learning the timing of these attacks will help you avoid damage and create an opening for your own strikes.

Remember, improved gear can make a big difference in both attack power and defense, so try to level up before engaging in the fight. Stay patient, watch his attack patterns, and focus on deflecting and countering.

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Beating Pond Yamabushi will give you 3,000 XP, 2 Mastery Points, and the Long Katana – The Monk’s Amendment. You’ll also get an Engraving – Ration on Headshot and a Letter Found on a Yamabushi Imposter.

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Defeating Pond Yamabushi in Assassin’s Creed Shadows comes down to patience and pattern recognition. Block and deflect his regular attacks, dodge his unblockable strikes, and counter when you see an opening. Keep your gear upgraded, and you’ll take him down without too much trouble.

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Check out our other Assassin's Creed Shadows guide:

• Assassin's Creed Shadows: How to beat Big Sueki (Kabukimono)

• Assassin's Creed Shadows: How to beat Grave Dancer (Kabukimono)
• How to pet dogs and cats in Assassin's Creed Shadows
• How to get Hidden Blade in Assassin’s Creed Shadows