An In-Depth Look At Middle-earth: Shadow Of War's Skill Tree

As the hero of Middle-earth: Shadow of War, Talion becomes stronger over the course of the story. Each time you level up toward the level 60 cap, you unlock a skill point. In addition, you can earn skill points from side and challenge missions, as well as certain collectibles. In total, completionists can expect to collect around 120 skill points, meaning there are plenty of decisions to make when looking at the skill tree.

Each skill Talion has can be upgraded by choosing from two or three unique options. For example, on one skill, I can augment it so that draining an enemy gives me more health and wrath, or I can opt to regain elf-shot ammunition. You can only choose one upgrade per perk at a time, but this level of customization allows players to craft their version of Talion to complement their playstyle.

Check out the many skills you can choose from when upgrading Talion. A handful of skills are being kept locked away by Monolith for fear of spoilers, but the vast majority of Talion's skills are represented in the list below.

Combat

Execution
When your might is full, you can execute enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Grim Resolve
  Gain might each time you are damaged in combat.
• Upgrade 2: Secret Might
  Gain might for each kill while remaining undetected.
• Upgrade 3: Fatal Might
  Successful sword strikes gain much more might. Might fully resets after you take damage, miss an attack, or exit combat.

Perfect Counter
Well-timed counters knock down enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Rain of Arrows
  Well-timed counters replenish 1 Elf-shot.
• Upgrade 2: Mighty Reversal
  Gain might from each counter.
• Upgrade 3: Fatal Counter
  Well-timed counters instantly kill enemy grunts. Ineffective against Captains and beasts.

Critical Strike
Melee attacks have a chance of causing Critical Hits for additional damage.

• Upgrade 1: Reprisal
  Your Critical Strike chance increases as your Health is reduced.
• Upgrade 2: Unstoppable
  Your Critical Strike chance increases significantly as long as your hit streak is above 20.
• Upgrade 3: Elven Precision
  Timing a button press as your strike lands greatly increases your chances of a Critical Strike.

Ground Finisher
Decrease the amount of time it takes to perform Ground Executions on downed enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Fury
  Ground executions enable you to unleash a flurry of blows by rapidly tapping attack before finishing an enemy, gaining might on each hit.
• Upgrade 2: Wraith Shield
  The Wraith can counter enemies while you complete a ground execution.
• Upgrade 3: Ground Drain
  You can dominate or drain enemies who have been knocked down.

Brutal Aggression
Might can be double-charged, enabling Brutal Executions which cause nearby enemies to flee in terror.

• Upgrade 1: Wraith Execution
  Chain executions to additional enemies. Consumes Focus for each additional target.
• Upgrade 2: Ceaseless Might
  Skills that require Might no longer fully deplete Might.

Retaliation
Time your Last Chance success perfectly to instantly kill the enemy targeting you. Does not apply to Captains, graugs, or drakes.

• Upgrade 1: Adamant
  Gain an additional Last Chance attempt.
• Upgrade 2: Vengeful Drain
  Retaliation dominates or drains your attacker.
• Upgrade 3: Burst of Might
  Gain full might on a perfect Last Chance.

Predator

Elven Agility
You can get a burst of speed when leaping over objects, landing, or climbing. You can vault over a ledge at the top of a climb.

• Upgrade 1: Spectral Dash
  You can cross short distances or reach nearby enemies instantaneously while in stealth. Consumes focus.
• Upgrade 2: Silent Runner
  You can sprint without creating sound.

Brutalize
Perform a terrifying stealth kill, causing nearby enemies to flee while increasing both your Might and your hit streak.

• Upgrade 1: Unyielding Ferocity
  Using Brutalize gives a bonus to both your Might and hit streak.
• Upgrade 2: Reckless Hate
  Brutalize causes more enemies to flee.

Poison Tendril
You can poison grog barrels from afar.

• Upgrade 1: Bursting Toxin
  Grunts who drink from poisoned grog barrels explode, poisoning any nearby enemies.
• Upgrade 2: Contagion
  Enemies who drink from poisoned grog barrels go berserk and attack anyone nearby, spreading the poison.
• Upgrade 3: Proximity Trigger
  You can prime Morgai flies, cages, and bait to trigger when an enemy approaches.

Wraith Chain
You can target an additional enemy during a stealth kill. Each additional target consumes focus.

• Upgrade 1: Monster Hunter
  Stealth Kills can be used against Beasts.
• Upgrade 2: Shadow Blade
  Your first chained stealth kill consumes no Focus.

Deadly Spectre
While using attract you can leave behind a Wraith that will kill your target.

• Upgrade 1: Terrifying Presence
  Your Wraith will brutalize its target.
• Upgrade 2: Spirit Drain
  Your Wraith will dominate or drain its target.

Ranged

Detonate
You can Shadow Strike into a firepit, detonating it and lighting nearby enemies on fire.

• Upgrade 1: Spider Song
  Detonate a firepit and cause spiders to swarm the area.
• Upgrade 2: Bursting Arrow
  Shoot firepits to detonate them without Shadow Striking into them.
• Upgrade 3: Matron's Scent
  Detonate a firepit and cause ghûls to swarm the area.

Freeze Pin
Shooting an enemy's foot freezes them in place.

• Upgrade 1: Brutal Cold
  Freeze pin causes nearby enemies to flee in terror.
• Upgrade 2: Savage Ice
  Freeze pin affects olog-hai and beasts.
• Upgrade 3: Deep Freeze
  Freeze pin duration is doubled.

Bird of Prey
Focus is consumed at a slower rate while in the air.

• Upgrade 1: Eagle Sight
  Focus is consumed at a slower rate while in the air.
• Upgrade 2: Talon Strike
  While falling, you can aim at the ground to strike the ground with a damaging blast that also stuns nearby enemies. Consumes Elf-shot.

Mighty Shot
When your Might is full, you can fire an explosive shot.

• Upgrade 1: Firestorm
  Mighty Shot causes a fire explosion.
• Upgrade 2: Freeze Blast
  Mighty Shot causes a frost explosion.
• Upgrade 3: Venom
  Mighty Shot causes a poison explosion.

Shadow Strike
Instantaneously reach an enemy to kill them or stun them. Consumes Elf-shot.

• Upgrade 1: Chain of Shadows
  You can chain to additional enemies from a Shadow Strike. Consumes focus for each additional target.
• Upgrade 2: Shadow Strike Pull
  Pull a targeted enemy to you and kill or stun them.
• Upgrade 3: Shadow Dominate - Unlocked by completing Eltariel quests
  While aiming at an enemy, you can reach them instantaneously and dominate them.

Wraith

Brace of Daggers
You can quick-throw a dagger that damages and staggers enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Serrated Edge
  Thrown daggers have a chance of causing critical strikes.
• Upgrade 2: Swift Barrage
  Three daggers can be thrown rapidly.
• Upgrade 3: Rain of Blades
  Throw five daggers at once to hit multiple enemies.

Elven Light
Unleash a powerful blast when your might is full, stunning and temporarily blinding nearby enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Cleansing Blaze
  Elven Light also sets enemies on fire.
• Upgrade 2: Winter's Breath
  Elven Light also freezes enemies.
• Upgrade 3: Poison Blast
  Elven Light also poisons enemies.

Ice Storm
Freeze enemies, then follow with a flurry of sword strikes.

• Upgrade 1: Shower of Ice
  Freeze all enemies in an area in front of you. The higher your hit streak, the larger the area of effect.
• Upgrade 2: Frostbite
  Ice Storm finishers also cause critical strike.
• Upgrade 3: Shattering Blow
  An Ice Storm finisher shatters your target, causing nearby enemies to flee in terror.

Consume
When your Might is full, you can dominate and drain an enemy quickly during combat.

• Upgrade 1: Chain of Souls
  During Consume you can dominate or drain additional enemies. Consumes focus for each additional target.
• Upgrade 2: Lord of Wrath
  Consume increases Wrath.
• Upgrade 3: Olog Lord
  Consume works against Ologs

Treasure Hunter - Unlocked by finding all Gondorian artifacts in the open world
Automatically collect loot from defeated enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Discerning Eye
  Increase your chances of high-quality gear drops from Captains or higher-ranking Orcs.
• Upgrade 2: Mind Breaker
  Increases Domination speed.
• Upgrade 3: Prospector
  Increase your chances of receiving higher quality Gems from defeated enemies.

Mounted

Caragor Rider
Dominate and ride a broken caragor.

• Upgrade 1: Pounce
  Devouring enemies while in stealth restores more of your caragor's health.
• Upgrade 2: Bestial Rage
  You can perform an execution or howl to summon additional caragors even when your Might is not full. Instead, your action consumes some of your mount's health.

Graug Rider
You can dominate and ride a broken graug.

• Upgrade 1: Devouring Force
  Graug executions restore more of your graug's health.
• Upgrade 2: Enduring Fury
  Graug basic attacks gain more Might.

Call Mount
You can summon a dominated caragor and command it to attack targeted enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Dire Caragor
  You can summon a Dire Caragor.
• Upgrade 2: Graug Call
  You can summon a graug.
• Upgrade 3: Dragon Song - Unlocked by completing the Carnán quests
  You can summon a drake.

Shadow Mount
Instantly mount a broken graug, caragor, or drake (Dragon Rider skill must be unlocked) with Shadow Strike.

• Upgrade 1: Caragor Breaker
  Shadow Mount unbroken caragors.
• Upgrade 2: Packmaster
  When Shadow Mounting a broken caragor, other nearby caragors are dominated.

Dragon Rider
You can Dominate and ride a broken drake.

• Upgrade 1: Soaring Rage
  Your drake can shoot fireballs even when your might is not full. Instead, your action consumes some of your mount's health.
• Upgrade 2: Scales of Iron
  Your drake takes far less damage from attacks.

Story

Drain
You can recover health by draining life from orcs or dominating orcs and beasts.

• Upgrade 1: Domination
  Drained enemies are also dominated and will fight for you.
• Upgrade 2: Quiver of Souls
  Draining an enemy replenishes Elf-shot.
• Upgrade 3: Bright Lord's Wrath
  Draining or dominating an enemy fully recovers health and gains wrath.

Spectral Glaive
You can initiate a heavy sweeping attack.

• Upgrade 1: Mighty Swing
  Releasing attack the moment your glaive is charged generates might for each enemy hit.
• Upgrade 2: Deadly Striker
  Double-charge your glaive for more follow-up attacks.

Elven Rage
Each kill gives wrath energy. When your wrath is full, you can slow time, making every melee strike lethal and enabling you to unleash unlimited executions.

• Upgrade 1: Final Blaze
  When Elven Rage ends, a fiery blast is detonated.
• Upgrade 2: Freezing Burst
  When Elven Rage ends, a freezing blast is detonated.
• Upgrade 3: Poisonous Wrath
  When Elven Rage ends, a poisonous blast is detonated.

Shadow Strider
You can double jump while leaping. Allows you to cover wider gaps or change direction between jumps.

• Upgrade 1: Hammer of Eregion
  You can vault over an Uruk and freeze them.
• Upgrade 2: Waters of Lórien
  Upgrade dodge to instantly flash past enemies. Consumes focus.
• Upgrade 3: Eagle's Eyrie
  While vaulting an enemy you can leap off their head and perform a double jump. If Bird of Prey is unlocked, you will be able to enter Bird of Prey as you jump.

Call Followers
Summon a group of warriors to fight alongside you. You can command your warriors to attack targeted enemies.

• Upgrade 1: Bodyguard
  Assign a Captain to be your bodyguard in the army menu.
• Upgrade 2: Cluster of Spiders - Unlocked by finding all Shelob memories
  Summon a cluster of spiders. Spiders have poison attacks which can exploit the weakness of a Captain or higher-ranked orc.
• Upgrade 3: Iron Guard - Unlocked by completing all Gondor quests
  Summoned Warriors are tougher.

Dominate Captain
Dominate a Captain whose will has been broken. Orc Captains who are higher level than you cannot be Recruited.

• Upgrade 1: Destroy Followers
  You can explode the heads of nearby followers, causing enemies to flee in terror.
• Upgrade 2: Lifeblood
  You can heal all nearby followers by consuming your health. Any followers who are bleeding out are unaffected.
• Upgrade 3: Enrage Followers
  You can enrage nearby friendly Captains. Consumes wrath.

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