Shadow of the Tomb Raider guide: The best skills and equipment

Lock and Load

Just like the first two Tomb Raider games, Shadow of the Tomb Raider equips Lara with the four usual weapons: a bow, rifle, shotgun, and pistol. All of these weapons are upgradeable, but better variants can be bought from merchants or acquired through the story.

Pistol wise, there isn’t too much stipulation in differences with the variants. The starting pistol you start with is very balanced and is upgradeable. You can also purchase a silencer from a merchant or unlock a flare attachment in the scavenger skills tree.

When it comes to bows, there are significant differences in types. The best I have found is a Digital Deluxe or Croft Edition bow named Puka Huk’s bow. When fully upgraded it excels in all categories. For those who only purchased the standard edition, the bow you start out with is right behind Puka’s in terms of stats once fully upgraded.

Shotguns have some of the higher differences between types. The best version I found was the TAEV 16. This is purchasable at a merchant and can be upgraded. Once fully upgraded, it excels in the rate of fire and damage. However, it takes a lower stat in reload speed but is hardly noticeable with a sizable clip.

Finally, the best rifle I found in the game was the Vicor Mark II. This is the rifle you start with and when fully upgraded, it packs a punch. Its high rate of fire and high damage makes it a powerhouse compared to the other options.