Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Combat Tips

From ferocious jaguars to hostile Trinity soldiers, there are plenty of threats awaiting Lara in the jungle in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. If you’re hoping to make your way through the Peruvian jungle in one piece to stop the Mayan apocalypse, you will have to hone Lara’s skills as a fighter to help her survive. We’ve put together a quick list of combat tips to help you emerge victorious in each hostile encounter in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. 

Take Cover

When you encounter a group of hostiles in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, you will have to choose between sneaking past them or fighting them head-on. Regardless of what you decide, it’s important to take cover if you hope to survive either approach. 

Upon encountering a group of enemies, the first thing you should do is find a place to take cover and assess the situation. Crouch low in nearby bushes or look for concealment walls made of vegetation or mud to hide behind and avoid being detected. Use the scramble mechanic to quickly move between plants while remaining concealed. If you’re stealthy enough, you should be able to pass by enemies with little confrontation.

Stealth Takedowns

Not all hostile encounters need to end in a shootout. Lara can perform stealth takedowns by sneaking up close to an unsuspecting enemy and pressing the attack button to quietly take them out. It’s best to perform a stealth kill when emerging from cover, such as coming up from underwater or popping out from some shrubbery Perform stealth takedowns near bushes to conceal enemy bodies so that they aren’t discovered by remaining enemies. Get in the habit of quietly taking down enemies to avoid alerting others to your presence.

Color Code Enemies

One of your best tools in Shadow of the Tomb Raider is your Survival Instinct, which highlights key objects in your surroundings. Survival Instinct will also illuminate enemies as either yellow or red, indicating the direction they are facing and their detectability. 

When enemies are highlighted in red, it means they are within eyesight or earshot of another enemy, who may be alerted to your location if you choose to approach or attack the red enemy first. If you want to avoid being detected and having enemies call for backup, then focus on taking down enemies who are highlighted in yellow to improve your chances of staying hidden.

Roll and Dodge

During combat, knowing how to maneuver to avoid taking damage is just as important as executing your attacks. Double tab the scramble button to have Lara roll and dodge to avoid incoming attacks. This works particularly well against vicious animals, like jaguars. 

Don’t Forget to Heal

It’s easy to get caught up in the heat of battle while fighting an aggressive enemy in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which makes healing mid-combat that much more critical. Press the heal button to consume a healing herb and help Lara stay alive during a fight. Don’t forget to pick up healing plants along the way to maintain your supply.

Upgrade Equipment

To get the most out of your Recurve Bow and other weapons in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, make sure to upgrade them whenever you have the resources to do so. When your crafting materials are reaching their limit, visit a campfire and access your inventory. Select a weapon and press the Upgrade icon to view its available upgrades. If you have the necessary resources, apply helpful upgrades to your weapons to improve their performance throughout the game. 

Unlock Warrior Skills

If you are planning to take a more combat-focused approach to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, it will help to prioritize unlocking Warrior Skills to enhance your fighting tactics and maneuvers. From increasing your bow precision to avoiding taking damage from enemies, there are plenty of Warrior Skills to help you gain an advantage during combat. Note which skills on the skill tree you think will help you the most and focus on unlocking the adjacent skills to ensure you are spending your skill points on upgrades that you want and need. 

Keep these combat tips in mind as you trek through the unforgiving jungle in Shadow of the Tomb Raider to ensure Lara survives the journey. For more tips and tutorials, visit our Shadow of the Tomb Raider Guide Hub.