TIER

SKILL

DESCRIPTION/NOTES

PREREQUISITES

1

Thick-Skinned

Take less damage from enemy gunfire and melee attacks. Cumulative with the Tier 3 skill Heart of Stone.

Extremely useful early in the game when your other skills and resources are limited, also when playing on the more challenging difficulty settings.

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1

Iron Hide

Take significantly less damage from explosions and fire.

You can probably wait a while before taking this one, but it is a useful skill once you reach the Soviet Installation and start encountering tougher enemies that use these types of attacks. Crucial when playing on harder difficulty settings where Lara's health doesn't regenerate automatically.

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1

Dodge Counter

Incapacitate unarmored enemies while dodging with a well-timed press of the Dodge button.

Not as crucial as it was in the previous game but still very helpful in dealing with enemies stronger than Lara. If you choose this 25% to 30% into the game and continue to build on it with the Duelist Reflexes, Dodge Kill, and Dodge Kill Mastery skills, Lara will be able to hold her own against even the toughest armored enemies later in the game.

The Dodge mechanics are reviewed several times in the walkthrough, including this section in the Soviet Installation.

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1

Efficient Killer

Enemies killed in stealth will be automatically looted for resources.

One of the least useful skills of all, since it's almost always possible to search enemies after killing them. If you don't choose this skill, you may miss a few items when dragging enemies into water or knocking them off ledges, but just about any other skill is better.

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1

Duelist Reflexes

Increased timing window available for a Dodge Counter and earn extra XP when successfully performing a Dodge Kill.

Not a high priority early on but very useful as you start using the Dodge Counter/Kill skills more frequently.

Dodge Counter (above)

1

Fast Healer

Bandage wounds more quickly. Effect is cumulative with the Tier 2 skill Field Medic.

Codex*

1

Inner Strength

Health is instantly restored once per combat encounter when critically injured.

Codex*

2

Deadly Force

Stealth finishers are faster and kill enemies with brutal force. Press Melee to kill nearby, unaware enemies.

Very useful, especially about halfway through game, when this will help you pass through enemy-infested areas undetected.

Any 8 skills

2

Stealth Landing

Landing from jumps and drops is always silent and generates no noise for enemies to detect.

Any 8 skills and Lightfoot (Tier 1 Survivor skill)

2

Dodge Kill

Kill unarmored enemies during a Dodge Counter with a perfectly timed press of the Melee button.

Any 8 skills and Dodge Counter (above)

2

Death From Above

Knife kill foes instantly when leaping down on them from above. Press Melee to attack when indicator prompt appears.

Becomes more useful about halfway through the game, when this will help you pass through enemy-infested areas undetected.

Any 8 skills and Combat Knife (unlocked during story progression)

2

Field Medic

Bandage wounds more quickly. Effect is cumulative with the Codex Skill Fast Healer (above).

More important on the harder difficulty settings where Lara's health does not regenerate automatically.

Any 8 skills

3

Heart of Stone

Take significantly less damage from enemy gunfire and melee attacks. Effect is cumulative with the Tier 1 skill Thick-Skinned.

Very useful, especially on harder difficulty settings where Lara's health does not regenerate automatically.

Any 19 skills

3

Adrenaline

Resist damage from enemies for a short period of time after a successful stealth kill.

After killing an enemy while in stealth, you'll notice the screen flashes monochrome for a few moments showing the Adrenaline effect in action.

Any 19 skills

3

Dodge Kill Mastery

Instantly kill armored enemies during a Dodge Counter with a perfectly timed press of the Melee button.

Any 19 skills, Dodge Kill (above), and Combat Knife (unlocked during story progression)

3

Silent Killer

Stealth kill enemies without alerting nearby foes.

Any 19 skills and Stealth Landing (above)

3

Strong Medicine

Resist damage from enemies for a short period of time after bandaging wounds in combat.

Not as important if you're playing on the lower difficulty settings but quite useful on harder settings and later in the game when fighting multiple tough foes. Works similarly to the Adrenaline skill above.

Any 19 skills

TIER

SKILL

DESCRIPTION/NOTES

PREREQUISITES

1

Arrow Retrieval

Gain a chance at recovering arrows when looting enemies or prey killed with the bow.

This skill is not as important in Rise as it was in the previous game, since you're now able to craft arrows as well as find them. Unless you find yourself running out of arrows frequently, you can wait to take this skill. Note that you can only retrieve arrows by looting kills. There's no way to pick up arrows that miss their target.

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1

Breath Control

Increase steady aim time on charged bow shots.

This skill is absolutely crucial and should definitely be among the first chosen. You'll be using the bow throughout the game, and this skill will make it much more effective.

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1

Scavenger

Increase the amount of ammunition looted from enemy corpses.

Non-essential. There's plenty of ammo in the game, so unless you frequently find yourself running out of ammo, don't bother with this one until later.

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1

Animal Instincts

Animals glow when using Survival Instinct. Larger animals leave footprints and blood trails that are easy to follow.

Very useful. If you don't take it early on, be sure to pick it up by the middle of the game when you find yourself doing more hunting in order to upgrade your equipment. Also handy for sneaking up on wolves and big cats, since it helps you to target them before they spot Lara.

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1

Master of the Land

Reveals when an exotic animal is nearby (with an on-screen pop-up) and lets you pinpoint its location using Survival Instinct.

Not very important if you follow the walkthrough since most exotic animals are noted.

Animal Instincts (above)

1

Anatomical Knowledge

Sense the location of animal hearts using Survival Instinct for a chance at inflicting massive damage. Does not apply to bears or large cats.

Codex*

1

Geologist

Mining ore veins yields more Magnesite and can also recover Chromite Ore.

Once unlocked this skill works passively. When collecting ore, some of it may be Chromite instead of Magnesite. Chromite can be used for crafting certain weapon upgrades and outfits. (See Weapons and Crafting.)

Codex*

2

Double Shot

Simultaneously fire two arrows at separate locked targets while zoomed in with a fully drawn bow.

Choose this around halfway through the game, when you start meeting more enemies in small groups.

To use Double Shot once you've unlocked it, hold Aim to draw your bow as usual, aim and then zoom in by clicking the right stick or pressing Z on the keyboard. Hold the Fire button to charge your shot. The targeting reticle will turn into a red diamond indicating the first target is locked. Sweep the right stick or mouse to target a second nearby enemy. Finally release the Fire button to shoot both targets simultaneously.

Any 8 skills

2

Nerves of Steel

Fully charged bow aiming remains steady for significantly longer.

Another crucial choice which builds on the Tier 1 skill Breath Control. Like Breath Control, Lara employs this passive skill automatically every time you use a charged bow shot.

Any 8 skills

2

Dead Eye

Headshot indicator will appear when successfully aimed at an enemy's head.

Not as important as Breath Control and Nerves of Steel, but still very useful. You can still make headshots without the special reticle this skill confers, but it does make things easier.

Any 8 skills

2

Finesse

Earn bonus XP for successfully chaining headshots, stealth kills, and Death from Above kills. Longer chains increase bonus multipliers.

If you're playing a stealthy game (and I hope you are) Finesse can give you HUGE XP bonuses. I highly recommend taking this skill as soon as you unlock Tier 2.

The trick to using Finesse is to chain headshots and other stealth attacks without being noticed. Each successful stealth kill increases the XP multiplier, but once enemies spot Lara, the chain is broken and the Finesse bonus no longer applies.

Any 8 skills

2

Naturalist

Increase the amount of natural crafting resources gathered from each source.

Useful but not crucial. There are plenty of resources in most areas even without the Naturalist bonus. Go for the skills highlighted in red before taking this one.

Any 8 skills

2

Survivalist

Increase the amount of man-made crafting resources gathered from each source.

Useful but not crucial. There are plenty of resources in most areas even without the Survivalist bonus. Go for the skills highlighted in red before taking this one.

Any 8 skills

2

Ancient Abilities

Quickly fire two successive arrows without delay. Cannot be used simultaneously with the Double Shot or Triple Shot skills.

To use this skill once it's unlocked, fire an arrow as usual, then quickly press the fire button again. You'll see a slight distortion in the surrounding air as the second, rapid-fire arrow is released.

I find the Double Shot and Triple Shot Hunter skills more useful, but since you get this one from a Codex you won't have to sacrifice another skill in order to take it.

Codex*

3

Triple Shot

Simultaneously fire up to three arrows at separate locked targets while zoomed in with a fully drawn bow.

The mechanics are the same as for Double Shot, above. Once you have the second target selected, sweep the mouse or right stick to select a third. Then release the Fire button to shoot. Note that the three targets do need to be fairly close together or Lara won't be able to lock on.

Especially effective when combined with True Shot (below) and Finesse (above) which gives bonuses for chaining stealth kills.

Any 19 skills and Double Shot (above)

3

True Shot

Locked shots for Triple Shot (above) now automatically target heads instead of bodies.

True Shot also works when you only select two targets, but it can't be unlocked until you have Triple Shot. It is especially effective when using the Compound Bow, which does the most damage per shot.

NOTE: Enemies wearing helmets are immune to instant-kill headshots until you unlock armor-piercing arrows late in the game.

Any 19 skills and Triple Shot (above)

3

Bow Expert

Execute a close-range bow finisher and improve chances of looting special arrows from enemies. With the bow selected, press Melee when the prompt appears to finish an incapacitated enemy.

Non-essential. The optional "Expert" finishers just aren't as useful here as they were in the previous game. If you like them for style reasons, by all means take them, but I prefer to invest points in the Dodge Counter progression for close combat and the Double Shot progression and special arrow upgrades (Tier 3 Survivor, below) for long-range attacks.

Any 19 skills

3

Pistol Expert

Execute a close-range pistol finisher and improve chances of looting hollow-point bullets from enemies. With the pistol selected, press Melee when the prompt appears to finish an incapacitated enemy.

See the note under Bow Expert (above).

Any 19 skills and any Pistol (unlocked during story progression)

3

Rifle Expert

Execute a close-range rifle finisher and improve chances of looting grenades from enemies. With the rifle selected, press Melee when the prompt appears to finish an incapacitated enemy.

See the note under Bow Expert (above).

Any 19 skills and any Rifle (unlocked during story progression)

3

Shotgun Expert

Execute a close-range shotgun finisher and improve chances of looting Dragonfire (incendiary) shells from enemies. With the shotgun selected, press Melee when the prompt appears to finish an incapacitated enemy.

See the note under Bow Expert (above).

Any 19 skills and any Shotgun (purchased from the Supply Shack or unlocked during story progression)

3

Classically Trained

Increase the number of arrows that can be rapidly shot without redrawing from the quiver to three.

NOTE: I think this requires the Ancient Abilities skill (above). In any case, the mechanics are the same.

Codex*

TIER

SKILL

DESCRIPTION/NOTES

PREREQUISITES

1

Rapid Crafting

Faster crafting of throwable objects and ammo when on the run.

Not as important early on but well worth taking when combat encounters become more frequent and involve larger groups of enemies.

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1

Resourceful Combatant

Enemies killed or knocked out with crafted, handheld objects yield more XP.

Non-essential unless you rely heavily on improvised explosives.

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1

Incendiary Bombs

Craft explosive bombs from red gas cans and deadly proximity mines from enemy radios.

Fun but not at all essential.

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1

Lightfoot

Land safely without damage from substantial heights. Press Dodge/Roll to roll when landing.

When Lara hits the ground after taking a long jump or falling from a moderate height, just tap the Dodge button (Shift/Circle/B) to somersault and come up standing. Note that Lara can still die from a long fall, so be careful.

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1

Avid Learner

Earn bonus XP from Survival Caches, Documents, Relics, and Challenges.

TAKE THIS SKILL FIRST. Since there is not much danger early in the game, you won't need combat skills. With Avid Learner, the XP bonus means you'll unlock all subsequent skills faster.

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1

Eye for Detail

Find Challenge objects more easily using Survival Instinct.

If you plan to follow the walkthrough, this skill will not be necessary, every challenge object is shown in screenshots and on the annotated level maps. The Collectibles Guide also includes all Challenges. But if you're playing freestyle, Eye for Detail is very useful. For more about Challenges, see the Controls and Gameplay Tips page.

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1

Iron Grip

Climbing on rock and ice surfaces is significantly faster.

Codex*

2

Crafting Mastery

Craft large-capacity ammo and resource pouches at base camps and increase the amount of ammo crafted on the run.

Very useful but can wait until after the most important skills are chosen. (See the Crafting page for details.)

Any 8 skills

2

Body Trap Specialist

Craft traps on enemy corpses that detonate a deadly poison gas cloud when investigated.

Fun but not at all essential.

Any 8 skills

2

Grenadier

Craft explosive grenades for the rifle grenade launcher that inflict heavy damage and destroy metal barriers.

I highly recommend buying the Rifle Grenade Launcher around the time you reach the Geothermal Valley, since it will help you defeat a challenging mini-boss much more easily. This important skill will allow you to make your own grenades instead of just finding them. The walkthrough includes several reminders about this.

NOTE: When you purchase the Grenade Launcher attachment, it is automatically applied to every rifle in your inventory. Every rifle uses the same type of grenade. However, a different type of grenade is used for Grenade Arrows, which are unlocked during story progression.

Any 8 skills and Grenade Launcher (purchased from the Supply Shack)

2

Hollow-Point Bullets

Craft high-damage pistol bullets that expand on impact for increased lethality.

Non-essential unless you rely heavily on the handgun.

NOTE: This skill initially requires the Revolver, but once you've unlocked hollow-point bullets, they can be used with any handgun.

Any 8 skills and Revolver (unlocked during story progression)

2

Dragonfire Shells

Craft incendiary shotgun shells that wreak havoc by lighting enemies on fire and igniting other flammable objects.

Very useful later in the game when you begin to encounter tougher, more heavily armored enemies.

NOTE: This skill initially requires the Pump-Action Shotgun, but once you've unlocked Dragonfire shells, they can be used with any shotgun.

Any 8 skills and Pump-Action Shotgun (unlocked during story progression)

2

Demolitions Expert

Advanced techniques give all crafted handheld items an increased detonation radius.

Non-essential unless you rely heavily on improvised explosives. More effective when combined with the Resourceful Combatant and Incendiary Bombs skills, above.

Any 8 skills

2

Bright Eyes

Sense traps when nearby (automatically triggering a red glow in Survival Instinct).

Codex*

2

Natural Instincts

Reveal where nearby natural crafting resources are located, both on the map and while using Survival Instinct.

When you check your in-game map, nearby resources will now be marked with colored dots. If you like, you can then highlight them and press A/Enter/X to set a local waypoint or player beacon allowing you to find them more easily. (screenshot)

Codex*

3

Arrow Climber

Press Melee mid-jump to jam climbable broadhead arrows into soft wood surfaces.

Convenient but not at all essential. You can easily get through the entire game without it.

Any 19 skills and Broadhead Climbing Arrows (unlocked during story progression)

3

Intuitive

Survival Instinct shows nearby relics, documents, monoliths, and strongboxes—even through walls. Crypt entrances are revealed on the map.

If you plan to follow the walkthrough or Collectibles Guide, this skill is not necessary, but if you're playing freestyle, it can be very useful.

Any 19 skills

3

Napalm Arrows

Upgrade Fire Arrows to increase the range of the fire burst that erupts on impact.

Useful but keep in mind that the larger blast radius means Lara is more likely to take damage from her own arrows.

Any 19 skills and Fire Arrows (unlocked during story progression)

3

Death Cloud Arrows

Increase the size and duration of the toxic cloud created by Poison Arrows.

Extremely useful from the time you are first able to unlock it all the way through the end of the game, when some of the toughest foes will be vulnerable to poison.

Any 19 skills and Poison Arrows (unlocked during story progression)

3

Cluster Bomb Arrows

Upgrade Grenade Arrows to disperse additional explosives on impact.

Useful but keep in mind that the extra detonations mean Lara is more likely to take damage from her own arrows.

Any 19 skills and Grenade Arrows (unlocked during story progression)

3

Greek Fire

Fire Arrows and Molotov Cocktails do more damage and burn armored enemies.

Codex*