Lara Croft is an excellent heroine, but in Rise of the Tomb Raider, you can make her even more capable. Throughout the game, you can earn skill points and spend them on abilities that upgrade the protagonist or her equipment.
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The title is kind in that it doesn't give you a complicated skill tree to figure out. Instead, all of the abilities in the game are separated into three groups: Brawler, Hunter, and Survivor. And the skills are also organized into tiers from one-three. There are plenty of these abilities, so it can be difficult to know which are the most important to get. Of course, your preference for upgrades will depend slightly on your playstyle, but here are the best overall skills.
Brawler Skills
Thick Skinned – Take Less Damage From Gunfire And Melee Attacks
Even if you're the stealthiest player in the world, you'll likely get into some firefights during your adventure. And some of the best outfits in the game won't provide you much protection. Therefore, Thick Skinned is a useful skill to have as it makes Lara a bit more durable from bullets and melee attacks. It's especially vital on the harder difficulties when Trinity soldiers pack more of a punch.
You don't need to do any grinding to get the ability as it is in the first tier of the Brawler skills. Plus, it allows you to unlock the improved version, Heart of Stone, later in the game, making you even tougher to kill.
Iron Hide – Take Less Damage From Explosions And Fire
While not essential early in the game, Iron Hide is a strong skill to get later on when enemies begin using flammable weaponry. They are particularly fond of using fire to force you to break cover. And on the highest difficulties, fire and explosives kill you very quickly.
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As it's a tier-one ability, you only need a single skill point to get Iron Hide. It is a small price to pay to decrease your chances of burning to death.
Deadly Force – Improve The Speed Of Stealth Finishers
If you're a stealth player, then you're probably going to spend plenty of time creeping up to enemies to silently end them. Unfortunately, the initial stealth takedown in the game is slow as you need to mash buttons to pull it off successfully. But with Deadly Force, you can stealthily kill enemies pretty much instantly, so it's a good idea to pick it up.
It'll take a little while to unlock this ability as it is a tier two skill. Thus, to get the opportunity to purchase Deadly Force, you first need to get eight other skills. The price is worth it for stealth players and completionists, as a couple of the game's trophies require the ability.
Hunter Skills
Breath Control – Increase Your Steady Aim Time With Bows
Since the 2013 reboot, Lara has become synonymous with bows. However, in Rise of the Tomb Raider, she's not the best at holding them steady after she's charged up her shot. Breath Control is useful because it enables Lara to steady her aim (when using a charged shot) for a lot longer. As you'll likely be using the bow a lot throughout the game, it's a great skill to have.
Breath Control can be one of the first abilities you acquire as it's on tier one. And later, you can get the improved version named Nerves of Steel.
Animal Instincts – Survival Instinct Makes Animals Glow
During the adventure, you'll regularly need to acquire resources that allow you to craft equipment. One of the best ways to get the materials you need is by hunting animals. The Animal Instincts skill helps you find and track creatures. Not only does the ability make animals glow while using Survival Instincts, but their footprints and blood trails are also illuminated.
You don't need to wait a long time to get the skill as it's another one that's on the first tier. It's probably not the first skill you want to pick up, as you won't be doing much crafting early in the game. But after a couple of hours into the adventure, it's a smart purchase.
Finesse – Earn Bonus XP For Chaining Headshots, Stealth Kills, And Death From Above Kills
The Finesse skill rewards you for playing well, specifically for getting certain types of kills in succession. And the game is very forgiving in what it considers a chain as there's no timer, and it doesn't seem to matter if you miss the odd headshot. So, boosting your XP is very easy with this skill equipped.
You'll need at least eight other abilities before unlocking this one, as it is on the second tier. Once you do, though, it will become much easier to earn additional skill points.
Survivor Skills
Avid Learner – Earn Bonus XP From Survival Caches, Documents, Relics, And Challenges
Perhaps the most useful skill in the game is Avid Learner. With it equipped, anytime you collect something or do a challenge, you will get extra XP. And as things like Survival Caches and Documents are littering the map, this ability can really help you to level up.
Plus, you get the skill right away are it's on the first tier. You would be smart to go for it early, too, as any collectible you pick up without the ability equipped is a bit of a waste.
Crafting Mastery – Craft Large-Capacity Ammo And Resource Pouches
With this skill, you're able to make bigger quivers and pouches in the crafting menu. If you do just that, then you'll be able to carry more bows, ammo, and resources. As a result, you will be less likely to run out of important supplies. Plus, this ability also increases how much ammo you can craft on the run, too.
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Crafting Mastery is another tier-two skill, meaning you need to unlock eight other abilities to get your hands on it. But the wait isn't too bad as you probably won't need the extra bullets until you start fighting more enemies later in the game.
Death Cloud Arrows – Increase The Size And Duration Of Toxic Clouds
How do you make one of gaming's most badass heroines even more deadly? You make her poison arrows extra effective, and that's what the Death Cloud Arrows skill does. It increases the size and duration of the poisonous clouds that the arrows make.
It takes a while to unlock this ability as it is on tier three. You need at least 19 skills purchased to get the opportunity to claim this one. Plus, you can't improve poison arrows if you don't have any, so you'll first need to reach the point in the story where you acquire those toxic projectiles.
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