The Last of Us 2 - Best Skill Upgrades

Recommended Skill Upgrades

Below is a list of the best skills for Ellie and Abby in The Last of Us 2. The skills are written in the order of acquiring them after each milestone or event in the game.

Ellie

At the Start of the Game

Listen Mode Movement Speed (30) > Faster Health Kits (30) > Increased Health (60)

The starting skills consist of the survival skills. While not the highest priority, you can opt to invest on Increased Health.

After Unlocking Crafting Skill Tree

Craft Melee Upgrades (20) > Listen Mode Movement Speed (40)

Crafting skill is unlocked in Downtown Seattle Day 1 Seattle Courthouse. Once unlocked, the recommended skill to enhance is Craft Melee Upgrades. Having access to crafted melee weapons allows you to achieve swift stealth takedowns. In addition, you should also focus on Listen Mode Movement Speed II to gain mobility boost.

After Unlocking Stealth Skill Tree

Craft Silencers (20) > Listen Mode Clarity (40)

Stealth tree appears in Seattle Day 1 the bookstore. Prioritize on Craft Silencers and Listen Mode Clarity to make exploration a breeze.

After Unlocking Precision Skill Tree

Faster Prone Movement (50) > Faster Crafting (40) > Craft Smoke Bombs (30) > Improved Health Kit (40)

When you cover the second half of Seattle, the amount of enemies will rise significantly. You’ll have to combine invest on skills that give you mobility, faster speed, crowd control, and better health items. Here, we recommend a mix of skills that gives the best balance for those gruesome encounters.

After Unlocking Explosives Skill Tree

Aim Stability Increase (30) > Faster Aim Movement (30) > Listen Mode Range (40) > Hold Breath (40) > Craft More Arrows (40)

After finding the Explosives manual and investing on the Improved Treatment Kit, you need to capitalize on the skill to craft more arrows. If you have spare points, allocate them to Listen Mode Range.

Abby

At the Start of the Chapter

Increased Health (30)

After you get control of Abby, immediately upgrade her health from the Field Tactics tree.

After Unlocking Cover Ops Skill Tree

Craft Shivs (20)

Shivs are useful weapons especially for dealing with Clickers encountered early in Abby’s part of the story. These can be used to escape when the Clicker has taken hold of you.

After Unlocking Close Quarters Skill Tree

Momentum (40) > Craft Improved Health Kits (50) > Aim Stability Increase (20)

Momentum allows you to perform consecutive stealth strikes which is useful for taking out multiple enemies quickly and undetected. The skill is a must-have against groups of Infected as you progress through the game.

After Unlocking Firearms Skill Tree

Craft Incendiary Shells (20)

Incendiary shells are very effective against Infected enemies. Being able to craft them also makes dealing with the Rat King Infected much easier during Ground Zero (Seattle Day 2).

After Unlocking Ordnance Skill Tree

Faster Crafting (20) > Listen Mode Clarity (40) > Hold Breath (30) > Listen Mode Range (40) > Listen Mode Speed Movement I (40) > Grabbed Enemy Movement Speed (50) > Faster Prone Movement (40)

Grab the Faster Crafting skill first before focusing on the remaining essential combat-related skills. These will serve you well towards the game’s last chapters.

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