The Best Skills in Far Cry Primal

There are a variety of skills to unlock in Far Cry Primal, allowing you to build hero Takkar into an ultimate warrior. This feature lists the best skills in the game, spread across six different categories.

First, you’ll need to unlock sections of the skill tree, based on which NPC (non-playable character) is assigned for each one. You’ll eventually meet Sayla after completing the prologue, but you’ll have to track down others to earn proper skills. For instance, the Beast Master tree will open up after you track down Tensay and bring him back to your village. You can learn more about him and these skills from our How to Tame Beasts guide. Other skills will eventually open up depending on which NPCs you find for each one.

Here’s a quick breakdown of who is responsible for what:

• Survival Skills – Unlock Takkar (default)
• Gathering Skills – Sayla (default)
• Beast Master Skills – Unlock Tensay
• Hunting Skills – Unlock Jayma
• Fighting Skills – Unlock Karoosh
• Crafting Skills – Unlock Wogah

Dah and Roshani can be unlocked over the course of the game, but their parts of the skill tree don’t have classification as far as name and category go. They do offer a few skills, though they aren’t the most vital. Still, if you want to add them to your village, go ahead and track them down.

Crafting Arrows and Achieving the Hunting Skill

There are three different tiers to Craft Arrows, each one more powerful than the last. You’ll make your first bow during the initial part of the game (as Takkar recovers and needs to find food), and you’ll only be able to craft one arrow at a time at first. However, after unlocking the first tier, you’ll be able to make two for the price of one, the second tier will let you make four and the third tier will allow you to create eight. You’ll be able to craft enough to fill Takkar’s maximum amount (48) in no time once this is leveled up. You’ll want to make sure you stock up on these as much as possible, as arrows are a great way to take out adversaries from a distance, human and animal alike.

Tagging Enemies and Achieving the Hunting Skills

There are two skills in one with this tip, but they’re pretty close in nature. It can be easy to lose sight of targets in the game at the beginning, including Udam and animals, so you’ll want to unlock the Tag Enemies and Tag Animals skills. By doing this, you’ll be able to permanently tag your enemies so you won’t lose sight of them. This is particularly handy when it comes to tracking down a rare animal for its skin, or sneaking into an outpost where there are several Udam hanging around. With permanent tagging, you can see who’s where and continue on your mission.

Extra Health and Achieving the Survival Skill

It never hurts to stock up on health, especially if you’re fighting bears or large groups of Udam – and that woolly mammoth isn’t going to kill itself. You’ll find that the health skills increase in cost with each purchase you make, so go ahead and buy the early tiers within your first few hours of play. These will help as you take on tougher foes throughout Oros.

The final tier will run you about six skill points, but it’s up to you if you want to make the purchase, as you’ll be pretty well off at this point. You’ll have plenty of other skills to invest in before that, so if you’re good on health, shop around for those before buying this one.

Taming Cunning Beasts and Achieving the Beast Master Skill

Obviously, you want animals working with you in Far Cry Primal, as you can turn the tide on your foes easily. Unlock the Team Canines skill first, then get Tame Wildcats and Tame Apex Predators. You’ll begin to unlock bigger and badder beasts as a result, and eventually get to Tame Cunning Beasts, where you’ll be able to tame a bear.

Your initial animal, the owl, unlocks after paying a visit to Tensay the Shaman and bringing him to your village (see the Owl guide for more tips on this), but they do get stronger with each one you recruit. If you manage to roam around the countryside with a saber-toothed tiger or bear at your side, most adversaries will see this and reconsider getting into a tangle with you.

Out of all the animal skills, Tame Cunning Beasts is the big one, but you’ll have to work your way up to it.

Beast Rider and Achieving the Fighting Skill

Walking can take a good amount of time in Far Cry Primal, even when using Fast Travel to get around Oros. Sadly, you don’t have the convenience of vehicles, but there’s the next best thing, an animal.

While you can’t necessarily ride a Cave Bear, you can ride a Brown Bear once you unlock Tame Apex Predators. The bigger the beast, the less likely an enemy will be to take you on in battle.

Not only that, but you’ll also be much faster when traveling, which will enable you reach objectives quicker. You won’t even need to get off to do smaller things, like shooting your bow, using your spear, gathering resources or looting bodies – you can do it all while on the bear’s back.

This will involve finding Karoosh and unlocking his part of the skill tree, but it’s a quest that’s well worth it – especially when you ride that bear into battle with a flaming spear in hand.

You’ll find a number of useful skills scattered throughout Far Cry Primal, but these are the basic ones, especially when you can tame and ride beasts. Read our Far Cry Primal Walkthrough and Guide for more tips on how to make it through your journey in Oros.