You’ve spent hours stalking through the high grass of Iga, maybe even cleared out a few pesky fortresses as Yasuke, and now you’re standing in a quiet valley in the Izumi Settsu province. This is your canvas. Honestly, when Ubisoft first announced the AC Shadows hideout designs system, a lot of us figured it would be another static "click to upgrade" village like Ravensthorpe.
It isn’t.
This is a full-blown sandbox. We’re talking about an acre of land where you can actually place buildings, rotate them 90 degrees, and connect them with covered walkways called Engawa. It’s kinda like The Sims meets feudal Japan, but with more katanas and tactical scouting networks. If you just "plop and drop" your buildings near the entrance to save time, you’re missing the point (and the aesthetic).
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Why Your Hideout Layout Actually Matters
Look, the Hideout isn't just a place to pet your Shiba Inu—though you should definitely do that because it’s adorable. The way you structure your base impacts how fast you level up and how much support you get in the field. Every building has a "tile footprint." You have to manage space.
The centerpiece is the Hiroma. It’s Miss Tomiko’s house. You can’t move it, which is a bit of a bummer for those of us who want a perfectly symmetrical layout, but you can change its style. Most players make the mistake of clumping everything right in front of the Hiroma. Don't do that. It makes the space feel cluttered and "gamey." Instead, try creating "districts."
- The Working District: Put your Stables and Forge near the main path. You’ll be visiting these the most to upgrade gear and manage your resource smuggling.
- The Training Grounds: Tuck your Dojo into a back corner. It feels more authentic to have your allies training in a secluded area. Plus, it gives you room to place weapon racks and practice dummies.
- The Zen Zone: This is where the themed rooms like the Tera (Altar) and Jinja (Shrine) go. Surround them with ponds, mossy rocks, and those pink Sakura trees.
The Forge is non-negotiable. Seriously. You need it to hit level 40 and eventually level 60 with your gear. If you aren't upgrading this, you're going to hit a massive damage wall in the late-game provinces.
The Secret to High-End Customization
Basically, there are two types of buildings: Main Rooms and Traditional (Themed) Rooms. You get the Stables and Hiroma for free. The rest? You’ve got to scavenge for Wood, Crops, and Minerals.
The real magic happens with the "Connectable Rooms." You can snap them together to create complex compounds. Some players have even built literal mazes out of garden walls and hedges to lead into a central shrine. If you find the right "Ornament Vendor" (there's a great one in Yamato), you can buy specific aesthetics like the Daimyo roof style. These stocks refresh every season, so check back often.
Essential Rooms You Need to Build ASAP
- The Kakurega: This is your fast-travel hub. It unlocks safehouses across Japan. Without it, you’re doing a lot of unnecessary running.
- The Study: Want more Scouts? Build this. It also narrows down your quest search zones by 25%, which saves a ton of time when you're hunting down elusive targets.
- The Gallery: This is for the fashion-forward shinobi. It lets you save and swap equipment loadouts. Once you start getting Legendary gear, this becomes a lifesaver.
- Tera & Jinja: These are the "buff" rooms. The Tera gives you a flat 10% XP boost. The Jinja makes those Boons you get from world shrines 20% more effective.
Making It Look Like a Real Village
If you want a "human" feel to your AC Shadows hideout designs, stop thinking about efficiency for a second. Think about the flow. Use the "Small Room," "Medium Room," and "Large Room" options to fill gaps. These don't have perks. They’re just for show. You can fill them with wall art you’ve painted via the Sumi-e activity or display your favorite armor sets.
Ponds and light sources are your best friends here. Placing stone lanterns along a path toward the Dojo looks incredible at night. And yeah, you can actually move almost everything later. If you hate where your Forge is, just enter "Improve Hideout" mode and shift it. No cost. No penalty.
One weird detail: you can actually "paint" animals into existence. If you find a fox or a tanuki in the wild and successfully complete the Sumi-e painting mini-game, they’ll show up in your hideout. It makes the place feel alive.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Build
If you’re just starting out or looking to renovate, follow this workflow to maximize your efficiency without sacrificing the vibe:
- Focus on the Stables first. Upgrade them to Level 2 immediately so your stockpiles only cost one Scout to tag. This doubles your resource income.
- Hunt for Ornament Vendors in every new town. They sell the "Garden Gravel" and "Bamboo Fences" that make the terrain look professional rather than just a patch of grass.
- Don't ignore the "Engawa" walkways. Use them to connect your Dojo to your Main Rooms. It keeps the "indoor" vibe consistent and looks way better than separate buildings floating in a field.
- Clear Regional Alerts using your Scouts. Once your Kakurega is Level 2, use your extra Scouts to lower the heat in provinces where you're struggling.
The Hideout is your retreat from the chaos of the Sengoku period. Take the time to make it feel like home. Whether you want a functional military outpost or a peaceful Zen garden, the tools are there. Just remember to keep that Forge upgraded—pretty gardens won't help you much when a Ronin is swinging an odachi at your head.