General tips for playing Rise of the Tomb Raider

This is just a few tips for players just starting the game.
What to do and not to do. How to use your skillpoints etc.
No full walktrough as there are plenty great guides out already...

General Starting tips

You need materials to upgrade your wepons and to create gear (such as very important ammo pouches, bigger bags etc.) that you really would benefit from having as soon as possible.

Use Q (pc) - Survival Instinct all the time to reveal lootable cashes, items etc.

Pick everything you can until you are full. [crafting bigger material bags can be helpful, but not until other important parts has been upgraded]



Craft as often as possible
When you find a camp - remember to craft.
Main weapon is alwasy 1st priority
Check special ammo and craft if needed.
Equipment is very important, but you have to decide what is most important for you. I mostly use the bow (see this as main weapon in the game) and thus a bigger quiver for more arrow is priority one.

Don't update weapons you do not use (unless you would like to upgrade for future use) - save mats for important stuff.

Important on weapons upgrades
If you upgrade other than your main weapons at a campsite - remember to select your weapons again - as you are stuck with the Bow, Pistol, Rifle or Shotgun you have active when you leave the camp. If you upgraded a diffrent bow, this is now your main bow unless you remember to change it back, since you can only change at a campsite. Messed up with this several times og got in trouble :)

Change outfit for spesific bonuses
I have access to several outfits for Laura and many are not just a look, but grant different bonuses. At the start I use gear that give a chance for rare drops from normal animals. I use the outfit that lets me carry extra spesial ammo a lot. There are some nice outfits for different uses - so keep them in mind when you are in different areas of the game as this might help you out.

Hunt - hunt and more hunting...
Hunting gives you much needed mats but also a lot of XP for leveling. If you are missing materials from animals and rare animals - you can always go back to an old area using the camp fast travel. Most animals and even rare re-spawn fairly quickly and bunnies are everywhere and give skin.

Supply Shack
The coins you pick up can be used to purchase gear by a vendor in the middle of the game - so pick all you can.
Be advised that most cashes and buried coins will not show the first time you pass through an area, but will be revield when you find maps (maps, in backpack) or read monolites in the areas. In the beginning you will not be able to deciper them (language skill needed) so you will need to read all you find to upgrade your language skill. As a result things pop-up in old areas all through the game and you will have to go back. Many caves etc. are not accessible until you get required gear later in the game - and you will have to go back.

You can shift your bow to the other shoulder to better aim while hidden.

Complete Challenger Tombs as soon as you find them!
The Challenger Tombs can be hard to find, but when you do find one - complete it at once as they all give very nice benfits (skills, gear, xp etc.)...

Skill points

Skill points are very important in Raise of the Tomb Raider and you need to select yours carefully in the beginning to maximize their benefit.

Some are basic starter points, but after a bit you need to select points purly based on your playing style - so look at all of them before you select a skill.

Basic starting points

• Avid Learner - Boost your XP (helps you level up much faster)
  
• Breath Control - Steady Aim with bow last longer (if you use bow as main weapon)
  
• Arrow Retrieval - Get arrows back from kills when looted (if bow is main weapon)
  
• Animal Instincts - Animals glow amd footprints glow to track (great for farming mats)
  
• Thick-Skinned - Reduce damage from weapons
  
• Master of the Land - Reveals exotic animal locations on map and with Survival Instincts
  
• Fast Healer - Heal yourself faster
  
• Lightfoot - Survive longer drops
  
• Scavenger - More ammo when looting
  
• Iron Hide - Reduced damage from explotions and fire
  
• Finesse - Great for lots of headshots etc. for XP

Other useful skills to get early

• Naturalist - More natural crafting resources when looting
  
• Survivalist - More man-made crafting resorces when looting
  
• Crafting Master - To be able to craft the big ammo and resource pouches
  
• Dead Eye - Headshot indicator
  
• Nerves of Steel - Hold fully charged arrow for longer
  
• Bright eys - Detect traps as red (very helpful)
  
• Double Shot - Shoot two arrows on targets locked with zoom and max charge
  
• Triple Shot - Shoot three arrows on targets locket with zoom and max charge
  
• True Shot - Triple Shot auto targets head

The lists are just suggestions based on my bow playing style! But if I have to select first skills it will have to be: Avid Learner - Survivalist - Breath Control - Arrow Retrieval and Animal Insticts.
But again - this is based on my - kill everything - loot it if it's not nailed down - play style... It will help you level up faster and upgrade gear faster. Good luck and have fun!

Check out some nice builds at IGN that specialze after your playing style...

[gixxerthouk4]

i used to enjoy this game but now far to complicated rip lara

[Bionic Beast]

thank you. your hard work wont go unnoticed

[sheik²²Talibã]

yeah

[IvanaHK]

nice

[ISaD]

Ahh right.. got a ton of them, but never used.. and never any multiplayer. Storyline and graphics in this game is still awsome. And action sequences like no other game I have. Not many games I have completed 100% several times. Done this at least 5 times on Hard alone.

[The Mere Concept of Applebees]

i think PH42 is referring to the cards for the "extra challenge" part of the game, which isn't part of the story

[ISaD]

Not sure what cards you are referring to PH42

[Priest BlackWolf]

how do you use the cards?

[albertoa.ospina]

I just got the game but I can past the lagune I jump from one ramp to the other and hold the key E but always end in the water if you can gime a tip o any help ill will apdreciated thanks

[Fenix]

Thanks, you da mvp!