Welcome to the Brawler section of my Tomb Raider Skills Guide. Similar to the previous post I’ll be using a rating system to prioritize which skills are better than the others.
- A = Highly recommended skills. Get these first.
- B = Get these after A.
- C = Acquire these only after getting A and B.
Brawler Upgrades
Pain Tolerance: Take more damage before dying.
You should find this unnecessary if you’re on Normal difficulty and below. But if you’re having a tough time with combat then go ahead and take it.
Rating: C
Dirty Tricks: Press Dodge to scramble then Melee to throw dirt in enemies eyes to blind them briefly.
Lara will grab a handful of dirt and blind enemies with it. It’s useful until you learn how dodging and countering works. Use of this skill is situational since you can always opt to just shoot the guy instead of blinding him.
Rating: C
Axe Strikes: Tap Melee twice to stun enemies in close range with two swift axe strikes.
This is my go-to solution for enemies that manage to get close. It may not be for everyone, but personally I like the fact that Lara can whack foes in melee for causing her so much trouble. It’s nice to have a little in-your-face payback.
Rating: B
Axe Expert: Press Melee to finish stunned enemies with the axe.
Better execution options will become available later on so this one becomes redundant. That doesn’t make it any less satisfying though.
Rating: C
Dodge Counter: Press Dodge then time Melee to match ring prompt reaching button icon to stun enemies with an arrow to their knee.
I see what you did there, Crystal Dynamics. The phrasing’s a little weird so let me describe this. A properly-timed dodge will result in a quick time event wherein you’ll be prompted to press Melee. If you do it right then Lara will stab her foe with an arrow. You’ll be doing this a lot later on so I suggest taking it as soon as you can spare it.
Rating: B
Dodge Kill: Skillfully dodge lightly armored opponents and then strike them at close range to kill them instantly.
This skill makes Dodge Counter deadly. After dodging an attack the QTE event to press Melee becomes a matter of precision. Do it wrong and Lara’s foe gets an arrow to the knee. Do it right and he gets an arrow to the neck. It’s one of those things that never gets old no matter how many times you do it. I’m only giving it a B because I think it’s a matter of preference.
Rating: B
Dodge Kill Mastery: Striking after dodging becomes even more deadly, allowing you to kill almost any enemy.
Ditto. If you liked the previous skill then this one will make it stronger.
Edit: After further testing I’ve decided to change the rating from C to B because this skill allows you to kill even heavily-armed foes with one hit. Yes, even shield-bearing, helmeted enemies will fall to the power of your Dodge Counters.
Rating: B