Although exploration is perhaps the central theme ofStarfield, combat also plays an important role in proceedings. As such, players will definitely want to turn their attention toward the Combat skill tree at some point, as it’s here that they’ll find 17 highly effective skills that can really help to turn the tide in battle.
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The best Combat skills inStarfieldallow players to make minced meat out of their enemies, either by tearing through their defenses with critical hits or blowing them away with brute force. Many of the Combat skills are geared toward specific firearms, but savvy skill point investors will likely opt for the ones that bolster the attack power of multiple weapon types.
Those looking for a list of every Combat skill inStarfieldcan find onehere.
Rank 4
Ballistic weapons range is increased by 30%.
Many of theCombat skills inStarfieldboost damage for one particular type of weapon, which can be useful for those with a firearm of choice. However, anyone who likes to mix things up a little or those who prefer to use the last high-damage weapon that they looted may prefer a skill that works across numerous weapon types, such as Ballistics or Lasers.
Given that ballistic weapons are probably the more common of the two, most will likely settle for the former, though both are solid picks when all’s said and done. To upgrade the Ballistics skill, players just need to get a certain amount of kills while using any Ballistics weapon. It works the same way for Lasers too, as it does for any ofthe weapon certification skills.
Increase critical hit chance with non-automatic ranged weapons by 15%.
Critical hits using a non-automatic ranged weapon without a scope do double damage and those with scopes knock down enemies on the next shot.
Marksmanship is another Combat skill that can work across a wide variety of weapons. Once players have upgraded it to Rank 4 it can double the amount of critical hit damage dished out by scopeless non-automatic weapons, which can make a huge difference when up against some of the game’s tougher enemies.
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Toupgrade the Marksmanship skill, players will just need to get a set number of ranged critical hits, which will probably happen organically for most people. The skill pairs well with some of the stealth-focussed Physical skills, but it arguably shares the most synergy with another one of the skills found inStarfield’s Combat skill tree.
Increase headshot critical damage by 50% with ranged weapons.
Rank 2
Increase critical damage to enemy legs by 50% with ranged weapons.
Rank 3
Increase all critical damage to enemies by 50% with ranged weapons.
Ranged critical hit kills increase your critical hit chance with all ranged weapons by 25% for 20 seconds.
Whether or not Marksmanship and Sharpshooting go together quite as well as Stealth and Concealment do in the Physical skill tree is a matter for debate, but they make for a deadly combination nonetheless. Together, they massively increase the chances of landing a critical hit while also ramping up the amount of damage that each one dishes out to foes.
As is the case for anyone who is trying to increase the rank of Marksmanship, players can upgrade the Sharpshooting skill by dealing ranged critical hits. Those having trouble landing crits can use meds or food to increase their chances, but, as is often the case inBethesda games, a few well-placed headshots will usually do the trick.
Reload Energy and EM weapons 30% faster.
Reload Particle Beam weapons 30% faster. 50% chance to avoid getting interrupted while reloading.
Chance on hitting enemies to increase reload speed for all weapons by 50% for 15 seconds.
Having to reload a weapon in the middle of a firefight can be incredibly frustrating, not to mention perilous to one’s health. Sadly, there’s nothing players can do to get around this inStarfield, but they can at least decrease the amount of time that it takes to reload their weapon with the help of the Rapid Reloading skill.
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Not only does this allow the playable character to reload ballistic, EM, and particle beam weapons much faster, but at Rank 3, it also greatly decreases the chances of being interrupted during a reload. To upgrade the Rapid Reloading skill, players need to reload an empty clip a set number of times, which some may find to be a little unnerving.
Attacks ignore 50% of a target’s armor.
Enemy armor is decreased by 25% for 6 seconds after a critical hit.
The most deadly enemies inStarfieldtend to be humans, which means that armor typically ends up playing a role in most damage calculations. Thankfully, players can minimize the effectiveness of an enemy’s armor with the Armor Penetration skill, and even decrease it for a limited time if they’re able to land a crit.
To upgrade the Armor Penetration skill, players will need to kill a certain amount of enemies using non-automatic weapons. It’s well worth the effort to do so, as at max rank, Armor Penetration is easily one of the best Combat skills inStarfieldand a must for just about any damage-focussed build.
Starfieldis available now for PC and Xbox Series X|S.
