To end 2020, Marvel’s Avengers added the Kate Bishop DLC. Titled Taking AIM, the expansion focused on the young archer searching for her lost mentor, Clint Barton. It’s revealed that after the Avengers fell from grace on A-Day, Barton was soon captured by A.I.M. along with director Nick Fury. Since that fateful day, Bishop has made it her top priority in finding Barton and taking down Monica Rappaccini in the process.
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From the onset, Bishop might not seem all that exciting to play until you discover her ability to teleport. Players will notice the distinct similarities between her ability to teleport compared to various A.I.M. subordinates, and that’s because Bishop stole a teleportation device. Crystal Dynamics released the second part of the Hawkeye DLC, Future Imperfect, in March that pushed Barton into the spotlight.
Following the events of the Bishop DLC, Barton and the Avengers journey to the not-so-distant future to try and find Fury amid the apocalyptic wasteland. Depending on the source material, Barton is either portrayed as a founding member of the Avengers or one of the longest-tenured heroes of the group. Regardless, it was only a matter of time until he and Bishop arrived in Marvel's Avengers, so here's a complete guide on everything you need to know about the pair of sharpshooters.
Teleporting Over Grappling
Bishop
By utilizing her acquired teleportation device, Bishop can traverse environments in style by blinking around the place. Instead of having to jump onto ledges like the other primitive Avengers, Bishop can simply teleport to a ledge and pull herself up. Aside from teleporting onto ledges, Bishop utilizes Quantum Energy to teleport behind or on top of enemies for an unsuspecting melee attack. Each of her Quantum attacks drains intrinsic energy.
| Quantum Blitz | Bishop teleports over to an enemy and attacks them with a sword strike that has a ten percent increased chance to inflict Critical Attack damage |
| Quantum Strike | After performing Quantum Blitz, Bishop can execute a series of follow-up teleport attacks on a target, each with a five percent higher chance of dealing critical damage than the previous attack; the last hit in the combo is a Light Combo Finisher that inflicts increased damage |
| Quantum Saber | Bishop teleports above an enemy and plunges her sword downwards at the target, slamming them into the ground and creating a shockwave that staggers surrounding enemies |
| Quantum Lift | After a successful Parry, Bishop's blade becomes infused with quantum energy and she launches enemies into the air |
| Quantum Arc | After a successful Parry, Bishop sends out a powerful shockwave of energy that can hit multiple enemies |
Barton
Barton is a bit more old school, instead choosing to use a grappling mechanism attached to his bow in the same fashion as Natasha Romanoff. Unfortunately in Barton's case, there isn't an upgrade skill to traverse faster with his grapple like Black Widow. But just like Romanoff, Barton can utilize his grapple to swing himself toward an enemy for up-close melee attacks. These grapple attacks drain intrinsic energy to perform.
| Swordsman's Prodigy | Barton fires a grapple arrow to a target and quickly zips towards them and attacks with a powerful sword slash |
| Expert Swordsman | Adds another sword strike to the end of Swordsman's Prodigy |
Arrow Types
Both Bishop and Barton carry three types of arrows, and although the names vary slightly between the two archers, they’re relatively the same. For Bishop, she sports Razor, Scatter, and Explosive arrows, while Barton carries Razor, Cluster, and Pulsar.
Bishop
Most of the time you’ll rely on the standard Razor arrows, and headshots deliver more critical damage than regular body shots. Bishop tends to lean toward adding destructive capabilities to her arrows and can inflict a reliable debuff that works to her advantage. And if overwhelmed by enemies, she has a nifty technique to escape sticky situations.
| Demolition Charge Arrow | Bishop's arrow will stick to surfaces and can be manually detonated to launch enemies in the air |
| Demolitions Expert | Can fire up to three demolition chare arrows at additional targets |
| Equalizer | Allows Bishop to fire a Demolition Charge Arrow while in mid-air |
| Disruptor Arrow | With Razor Arrows equipped, Bishop can fully charge the arrow to produce a Disruptor Arrow, which applies the Disruption debuff; the debuff lasts for six seconds and increases Ranged Critical Attack Chance from any source by 25 percent |
| Trick Shot | Allows Bishop to pierce multiple targets with the Disruptor Arrow, applying the Disruption debuff to all targets hit by the attack |
| Archer's Mark | Bishop marks up to three enemies by briefly targeting them with the reticle; a single target can be marked multiple times for increased damage focus, but if targets move too far away or off-screen, the arrows won't seek them out |
| Smoke Screen Arrow | Bishop fires an arrow that creates a cloud of smoke and inflicts additional Stun damage to enemies inside the smoke |
| Fade Away | Allows Bishop to shoot a Smoke Screen Arrow in mid-air |
| Perfect Draw | For both Bishop and Barton when aiming a Razor arrow, the reticle with flash and if timed properly, the shot will deal the following benefits: 20 percent damage increase, high impact, 20 percent critical chance increase, and a stagger reaction |
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Barton
Many of Barton's attacks are best-suited when facing multiple enemies. Sure, he's able to pick them off one by one, but he excels at being able to wipe out multiple foes at a time. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed by an onslaught of Synthoids, be glad to have these abilities at Barton's disposal.
| Implosion Arrow: | Barton fires a specialized arrow that draws nearby combatants towards its epicenter |
| Instant Implosion | Allows Barton to fire an Implosion Arrow in mid-air |
| Split Shot Arrow | Barton fires an arrow that splits into multiple projectiles that seek out different targets |
| Splintering Fire | While in mid-air, Barton fires two split shot arrows that fragment into multiple projectiles that seek out targets |
| Tripwire Shot | With Cluster Arrows equipped, Barton fires three arrows with an energy tripwire running between them and deals damage to anything it comes into contact with; the tripwire is also capable of knocking enemies off their feet |
| Boomerang Arrow | Barton fires an arrow that travels in an arc hitting enemies in its path before returning |
| Aerodynamic Finesse | Barton shoots another arrow after catching the Boomerang Arrow that ricochets between multiple targets |
| Perfect Draw | For both Bishop and Barton when aiming a Razor arrow, the reticle with flash and if timed properly, the shot will deal the following benefits: 20 percent damage increase, high impact, 20 percent critical chance increase, and a stagger reaction |
Bishop’s Heroic Abilities
Just like every other member of the Avengers, Bishop and Barton have three unique Heroic abilities. Bishop’s Support ability causes a bit of confusion for enemies and can be a rather fun ability to use, while her Assault and Ultimate take her Quantum skillset to the next level.
| Decoy (Support) | Bishop throws a hologram projector of herself that distracts enemies from attacking actual Heroes for 15 seconds; the hologram can create actual Quantum Arrows to shoot at nearby targets, providing additional offensive support |
| Warp Arrow (Heroic) | Bishop fires an arrow that teleports her to the point of impact, creating a quantum explosion that deals damage to all nearby enemies |
| Quantum Overdrive (Ultimate) | When activated, Quantum Overdrive continuously overcharges the intrinsic meter for 20 seconds with Quantum Energy that overflows to power up Ranged and Melee Attacks; also increases Melee damage by 15 percent |
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Once the majority of Bishop's basic techniques are unlocked, she has a plethora of upgrade options for her Heroic abilities. One key upgrade to unlock for Bishop is Afterimage. With Afterimage, Bishop can create a quantum bridge and instantly switch places with the hologram. Not only is she able to instantaneously traverse the battlefield with ease, but teleporting will also create a shockwave at both the start and end locations that will stagger nearby enemies.
Bishop can also cause the hologram projector to Self-Destruct, causing a large explosion that damages nearby enemies. Some of the specialization choices can be a bit difficult depending on which type of role Bishop will have on the team. She's capable of being a complete offensive threat from long-range and up-close, but can also provide a bit of defensive support, if necessary.
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Decoy Specialization 1:
- Afterglow: Triggering Afterimage will regenerate Willpower and Intrinsic energy
- Cover Fire: Bishop's Decoy rapidly fires three shots at the target before moving onto the next one, increasing the total damage against each enemy
- Quantum Field: Heroes standing near the Decoy are granted the benefits of the Shadowjacket ability, reducing incoming damage by 35 percent; buff duration is three seconds
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Decoy Specialization 2:
- Photon Surge: Triggering the Decoy to Self-Destruct will refund some Support Heroic energy; the sooner it's detonated after deployment, the larger the amount of energy is refunded
- Probability Matrix: Bishop's Decoy will alternate between firing Quantum Arrows and Charged Quantum Arrows, which detonate on impact and launch enemies into the air
- Healing Light: There's a 20 percent chance Bishop's Decoy will generate Regen Packs as it deals damage; defeating enemies with the Decoy increases this chance
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Warp Arrow Specialization 1:
- Jumper: Stores a second charge for Warp Arrow
- Wormhole: Creates a temporary set of portals that can be used by Heroes to quickly teleport between locations
- Singularity: Warp Arrow no longer teleports Bishop to the impact location and instead creates a gravity well that pulls in nearby enemies; while caught in the effects of the singularity, enemies take intermittent damage and after the Quantum Energy depletes, the Warp Arrow explodes and damages nearby enemies
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Warp Arrow Specialization 2:
- Void Walker: Stores an additional charge for Warp Arrow
- Cloak of Oblivion: Increase the duration of the Shadowjacket ability generated when using Warp Arrow by two seconds; teammates using a Wormhole also receive the benefits of Shadowjacket
- Gravity Crush: Increases the damage inflicted by Warp Arrow by 15 percent
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Quantum Overdrive Specialization 1:
- Quantum Storm: Converts Quantum Arrows into rapid-firing Quantum Energy Bolts, which will lodge into targets and trigger a Quantum Detonation, if enough bolts are embedded into a single combatant
- Quantum Scythe: Sword attacks send out energy projectiles that pass through multiple enemies
- Quantum Pulse: While Overdrive is active, using the Blink, Blink Jump, or Blink Dash abilities creates a small energy explosion
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Quantum Overdrive Specialization 2:
- Quantum Flux: Defeating enemies while Quantum Overdrive is active grants an immediate boost of Willpower and regenerates additional Willpower over time
- Quantum Accelerator: Assault Heroic energy builds 50 percent faster while Overdrive is active
- Quantum Magnifier: Damage from all Quantum Energy-infused attacks is increased by ten percent while Quantum Overdrive is active
Other important upgrades for Bishop include Lightshow, Flux Overflow, Quantum Shroud, and Edge of Eternity. The first two extend the durations for Decoy and Quantum Overdrive by ten seconds, respectively. Quantum Shroud is a useful defensive skill, as it activates an energy field that absorbs 20 percent of incoming damage. If you prefer melee attacks, Edge of Eternity extends the Quantum Energy around Bishop's sword, increasing its damage by 15 percent and overall impact.
Barton’s Heroic Abilities
Barton is one of the few characters that possess a healing Support ability in his Recovery Arrow. Which, subsequently, means our seasoned archer can succeed in a defensive role. But don't be fooled by his defensive Support ability, because Barton possesses two quite strong and effective offensive Heroic abilities.
| Recovery Arrow (Support) | Barton fires an arrow that deploys nanobots over a local area which recovers Willpower for any Hero within range; duration is ten seconds |
| Nightstorm Arrow (Assault) | Barton targets a bombardment zone and fires an arrow that rains down multiple explosive projectiles over the designated area |
| Hunter's Arrow (Ultimate) | Barton fires an A.I. smart arrow that seeks out targets and deals large amounts of damage as it pierces enemies up to ten times |
Barton can upgrade the number of targets Hunter's Arrow hits to 15 and 20 with the upgrades Enduring Flight and Broken Wing, respectively. Because of the defensive nature of his Support ability, it's not a surprise that Barton can further upgrade the ability to provide additional defensive assistance. Although Bishop might be the flashier of the Hawkeyes, she doesn't have the necessary skillset to make a defensive impact like Barton. And because Barton has a leg up on his prodigy in that category, he can be a bit more valuable as being a more complete hero. The specialization options for his Heroic abilities offer quality damage-increase traits, but also some elemental effects, as well.
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Recovery Arrow Specialization 1:
- Field Medic: Extends the duration of the nanobots by five seconds
- Critical Care: All Heroes affected by the nanobots have a 20 percent increased Critical Attack Chance and 20 percent greater weak point and Critical Attack Damage
- Nanite Shield: Nanobots provide Heroes with a defensive barrier that will absorb 20 percent of incoming damage and reduce the impact of enemy attacks
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Recovery Arrow Specialization 2:
- Strong Medicine: Increases the initial amount of Willpower recovered by 75 percent and the amount recovered over time by 100 percent
- Heroic Recharge: Enemies defeated within the nanobot swarm area have a 30 percent chance to drop a Heroic Orb
- Intrinsic Gifts: Enemies defeated within the nanobot swarm area have a 60 percent chance to drop an Intrinsic Orb
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Nightstorm Arrow Specialization 1:
- Ion Surge: Nightstorm Arrow projectiles are charged with electricity and emit electric bursts that inflict Shock damage after the initial impact
- Hail Storm: Nightstorm Arrow projectiles are imbued with sub-zero cores that create a lingering frost cloud on the impact that continuously applies Cryo damage to enemies within the target zone for five seconds after the bombardment ends
- Fire Devil: Nightstorm Arrow projectiles are equipped with high yield explosives that create a vortex of fire inside the bombardment zone, dealing Plasma damage and launching enemies into the air
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Nightstorm Arrow Specialization 2:
- Fatal Domain: Increases the size of the bombardment zone by 50 percent
- Falling Sky: Increases the duration of the Nightstorm Arrow's effect, dealing additional damage to enemies inside the bombardment zone
- Strike Point: Increases the status build-up for all damage dealt by the Nightstorm Arrow by 30 percent
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Hunter's Arrow Specialization 1:
- Twin Talons: Barton fires two Hunter's Arrows charged with electricity, increasing the overall damage dealt and applying Shock damage to all affected targets
- Dive Bomb: Hunter's Arrow attaches an explosive charge each time it hits an enemy; shooting the enemy or hitting them with a melee attack will detonate the charge
- Marked Prey: Hunter's Arrow will prioritize the currently targeted enemy, allowing for concentrated damage against a specific target
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Hunter's Arrow Specialization 2:
- Hunter's Resolve: Recovers five percent Willpower each time the Hunter's Arrow hits an enemy
- Bird In The Hand: Enemies defeated by the Hunter's Arrow have a 25 percent chance to drop a Heroic Orb
- Hawk's Cry: Hunter's Arrow taunts enemies it hits, drawing aggro away from nearby Strike Team members
Bishop's Mastery
On top of upgrading basic and special abilities, the Avengers also have Mastery skills to unlock. Similar to the specialization skills, only one Mastery skill can be unlocked per upgrade column. These skills typically see an increase in various attributes and can make life a bit easier on the battlefield. So in other words, they shouldn't be ignored.
Due to Bishop's teleportation abilities being heavily incorporated into her melee abilities, focus on unlocking those Mastery skills first. It's also important to equip gear that increases her Might, Valor, and Proficiency, as those factor toward her overall damage, critical damage, and chance. Having a solid Ranged rating is also a must, allowing Bishop to deal serious damage with Warp Arrow and Quantum Overdrive.
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Melee Upgrade:
- Flying Solo: Increases Critical Attack damage while juggling enemies in the air by 20 percent
- Half Private Eye: Increases the Critical Attack damage of Sprint and Dodge attacks by 15 percent
- Shot Taker: Decreases the impact of enemy attacks at the start of a Signature Attack, reducing the chance of being interrupted
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Melee Upgrade:
- Ego Bruiser: Increases the Stun damage of all melee attacks by ten percent
- Competitive Streak: Increases the damage of all Combo Finishers by 15 percent
- Lasting Impression: Increase the damage dealt by the explosion on the Demolition Charge Arrows by ten percent
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Takedown Upgrade:
- Taking Charge: Performing a Takedown generates an Intrinsic Orb
- Half Super Hero: Performing a Takedown generates a Heroic Orb
- Combat Therapy: Performing a Takedown forces enemies to drop a Regen Pack
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Ranged Upgrade:
- Heavy Draw: Increases damage and impact when shooting enemy weak points with Razor Arrows; damage receives ten percent bonus, impact increase from low to medium
- True Shot: Reduces spread when firing the Scatter Shot Arrows, making it easier to hit a single target with multiple arrows
- Concussive Blast: Increases the Stun damage of Explosive Arrows by 15 percent
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Ranged Upgrade:
- Pincushion: Trick Shot will now pin a single enemy instead of passing through targets; pinned enemies will remain stuck to walls, floors, or ceilings for several seconds until they can break free
- Sure Shot: Increases damage to the fully charged Scatter Shot Arrows deal by five percent for each mark on the target
- Recurve Prodigy: Reduce the time it takes to fully draw and charge the explosive arrows by 20 percent
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Ranged Upgrade:
- Quick Draw: Successfully performing the Perfect Draw on all three shots of the ranged combo with Razor Arrows will trigger the Quick Draw buff, making the next shot of any arrow type instantly charged
- Archer's Prowess: Fires two additional arrows when using the Scatter Shot Arrows
- Scorching Surprise: Ranged Power Attacks with Explosive Arrows will instead shoot a Demolition Charge Arrow; Demolition Charge Arrrows attach to surfaces and have a time-delayed, proximity-triggered explosive arrowhead that launches targets into the air when detonated
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Intrinsic Upgrade:
- Quantum Capacitor 1: Increases the maximum amount of intrinsic Quantum Energy that can be held by 15 percent
- Quantum Precision: Increases the Critical Attack Chance of the Intrinsic Light and Heavy Attacks by 15 percent
- Quantum Actuator: Reduces the intrinsic energy cost of the Blink Jump and Blink Dash abilities by 15 percent
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Intrinsic Upgrade:
- Quantum Capacitor 2: Increases the maximum amount of intrinsic Quantum Energy that can be held by 15 percent
- Quantum Might: Increases the damage of all intrinsic attacks by 20 percent
- Quantum Regenerator: Increases the rate at which the intrinsic energy regenerates by 30 percent
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Intrinsic Upgrade:
- Quantum Capacitor 3: Increases the maximum amount of intrinsic Quantum Energy that can be held by 15 percent
- Quantum Fortitude: Increases the Stun damage of the Intrinsic Light and Heavy Attacks by 25 percent
- Quantum Optimizer: Reduces the intrinsic energy cost of the Intrinsic Light and Heavy Attacks by 15 percent
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Intrinsic Overcharge:
- Overcharge Mastery: Reduces the amount of Overcharge meter energy drained when taking damage by 20 percent
- Overcharge Surge: Defeating enemies while Overcharged adds to the buff duration by one second
- Overcharge Elementalist: While Overcharged, attacks increase enemy status meters ten percent faster
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Intrinsic Overcharge:
- Overcharge Finisher Boost: Increase the amount of Overcharge meter energy gained from all Combo Finishers by ten percent
- Overcharge Precision Boost: Increases the amount of Overcharge meter energy gained from Range Critical Attacks by five percent
- Overcharge Dynamo: Collecting Intrinsic Orbs will gain 15 points of Overcharge meter energy
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Intrinsic Overcharge:
- Critical Overcharge: Critical Attack Chance of melee attacks is increased by ten percent while Overcharged
- Precision Overcharge: Ranged Attack damage is increased by ten percent while Overcharged
- Resilient Overcharge: Reduces damage taken by ten percent while Overcharged
Barton's Mastery
Unlike Bishop, Barton is far better suited at long-range combat. Yes, Bishop is a capable archer, but her ability to infuse her blade with Quantum Energy makes her a formidable fighter up-close, while Barton prefers to fire away from a safe distance. When it comes to unlocking Barton's Mastery skills, target his Ranged Upgrades first and foremost, then move on to his Intrinsic Upgrades. His Melee Upgrades should be the last Mastery skills to unlock.
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Melee Upgrade:
- Skilled Duelist: Increases the damage of all Combo Finishers by 15 percent
- On The Move: Increases the damage of all Sprint and Dodge attacks by 20 percent
- Sharp Fragments: Increases the damage inflicted by Split Shot Arrows by 15 percent
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Melee Upgrades:
- Stunning Show: Increases the Stun damage of all melee attacks by 20 percent
- Damage Dealer: Increase the Critical Attack Chance for melee Attacks by 15 percent
- Inescapable Blast: Increases the impact of the Implosion Arrow, causing tougher enemies to be drawn into the area of effect
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Takedown Upgrade:
- Intrinsic Burst: Performing a Takedown generates an Intrinsic Orb
- Heroic Burst: Performing a Takedown generates a Heroic Orb
- Regenerative Burst: Performing a Takedown forces enemies to drop a Regen Pack
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Ranged Upgrade:
- Heavy Draw: Increases damage and impact when shooting enemy weak points with Razor Arrows; damage receives ten percent bonus, Impact increases from low to medium
- Cluster Damage: Increase the Stun damage from Cluster Arrows by 20 percent
- Pulsar Charge: Reduces the time it takes to fully draw and charge Pulsar Arrows by 30 percent
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Ranged Upgrade:
- Shockwave: Triggers a shockwave when firing a fully charged Razor Arrow that staggers nearby enemies
- Tripwire Spread: Increases the spread of the Tripwire Shot, allowing it to affect more targets
- Energized Pulsar: A fully charged Pulsar Arrow will fire partially energized, triggering a larger explosion if detonated immediately; continue aiming the charged Pulsar Arrow to fully energize it before firing
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Range Upgrade:
- Perfect Marksman: Each Perfect Draw shot that hits an enemy adds a Marksman buff that increases Ranged Attack damage by ten percent; the buff can stack up to five times for a short duration
- Ensnared Targets: Increases the damage inflicted by both regular and charged Cluster Arrows by 20 percent
- Superpowered Pulse: Detonating a fully energized Pulsar Arrow will trigger a quick implosion effect, pulling enemies into the blast radius of the arrow
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Intrinsic Ability Upgrade:
- Return Fire: After successfully performing a Perfect Dodge, triggers a Light or Heavy Counterattack
- Salt in the Wound: Boomerang Arrow automatically targets enemy weak points when fired, inflicting additional damage on impact
- Parting Gifts: Using the Swordsman's Prodigy ability attacks an explosive charge that detonates after the attack
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Intrinsic Ability Upgrade:
- Energy Boost: Increases the base regeneration speed of Intrinsic energy by 25 percent
- Honed Instincts: Reduces the cost of Intrinsic Attacks by 20 percent
- Room For Error: Reduces the Intrinsic charge penalty when failing to Counter against strong or unblockable attacks by 50 percent
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Intrinsic Ability Upgrade:
- Extended Disruption: Increases the duration of the Disruption debuff on enemies by 50 percent
- Volatile Rockets: Increases Rocket Arrow damage by 25 percent
- Off-Balance: Inflicts 20 percent more Stun damage to Parried enemies
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Intrinsic Overcharge Upgrade:
- Overcharge Efficiency 1: Reduces the amount of Overcharge energy drained when taking damage by 25 percent
- Archer's Choice: Increases the amount of Overcharge energy gained from all Ranged Critical Attacks by 15 percent
- Multi-Talented: Increases Melee Attack damage by 20 percent and Ranged Attack damage by ten percent while Overcharged
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Intrinsic Overcharge Upgrade:
- Overcharge Efficiency 2: Reduced the amount of Overcharge energy drained when taking damage by 25 percent
- Points For Style: Increases the amount of Overcharge energy gained from all Combo Finishers by ten percent
- Heroic Resolve: While Overcharged, defeating enemies has a 15 percent chance to spawn Heroic Orbs
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Intrinsic Overcharge Upgrade:
- Critical Might: Increases Critical Attack damage by 20 percent while Overcharged
- Sustained Will: Defeating enemies while Overcharged restores 20 percent Willpower
- Overcharge Endurance: Increases the Locked On buff duration when defeating enemies by two seconds
For equipping gear, focus on Barton's Valor for increasing his Critical Damage rating. Because of his effectiveness in the long-range, he needs to have a very high critical and range damage rating. Defensively, bumping up his Resilience will result in a faster charge rate for his Support ability, allowing more uses of Recovery Arrow.
Most high-level gear items will have buffs attached to them; keep an eye out for Targeted Invulnerability. Gear with this buff typically increases the percentages that hitting an enemy with a ranged critical attack grants an Invulnerability Buff. Another defensive buff to look out for is Critical Protection. This buff increases the percentage of being granted a Defense Buff after performing a takedown.
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