Every Combat Skill In Starfield

Combat Skills in Starfield increase the damage and effectiveness of your weapons.

Starfield Combat Skills

Combat Skills cover a wide variety of interaction options for combat while not on your spaceship. Investing skill points into the Combat skill tree is going to increase the deadliness of your character by expanding the understanding of different types of combat, from Unarmed to Ballistics. There are 17 Combat skills in total.

Basic – Tier 1 Combat Skills

This is where all new captains start out with Combat skills. Your background may have given you some advantages, but everyone starts with the basics.

Ballistics

Centuries of conflict have proven that when it comes to threat elimination, few things stack up to the reliable power of high-speed projectiles.

• Rank 1: Ballistic weapons do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Ballistic weapons do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Ballistic weapons do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Ballistic weapons range is increased by 30%.

Dueling

Considered by many to be a lost art, close attacks with a melee weapon can often be deadlier than ranged combat when carried out by a skilled practitioner.

• Rank 1: Melee weapons do 25% more damage.  Take 10% less damage while wielding a melee weapon.
• Rank 2: Melee kills make you run 20% faster for 10 seconds.
• Rank 3: Melee weapons do 50% more damage.  Take 15% less damage while wielding a melee weapon.
• Rank 4: Melee kills heal you for 10% of your health.

Lasers

Personal laser weapons are in widespread use across the Settled Systems, and specialized training can greatly increase their effectiveness.

• Rank 1: Laser weapons do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Laser weapons do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Laser weapons do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Laser weapons have a 5% chance to set a target on fire.

Pistol Certification

Considering the popularity of the personal sidearm in the Settled Systems, familiarity with such weapons is often considered essential.

• Rank 1: Pistols do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Pistols do 25% more damage.
• Rank 3: Pistols do 50% more damage.
• Rank 4: Pistol kills grant +25% critical hit chance for 5 seconds.

Shotgun Certification

The cornerstone of close-quarters combat, or CQC, the shotgun has proven a simple, deadly weapon for hundreds of years.

• Rank 1: Shotguns do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Shotguns do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Shotguns do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Shotgun kills grant a small chance to stun additional targets with shotguns for a limited time.

Advanced – Tier 2 Combat Skills

You must spend 4 or more points in the Combat category to unlock Advanced Combat Skills.

Demolitions

With the proper adjustment of chemical mixtures, coupled with modifications to the detonation mechanism, explosives can produce an even greater destructive yield.

• Rank 1: Throwing grenades now shows a trajectory arc.  Explosions have a 25% large radius.
• Rank 2: Explosives do 25% more damage.
• Rank 3: Reduce damage taken from explosives by 25%.
• Rank 4: All previous bonuses are doubled.

Heavy Weapons Certification

Oversized weapons may prove cumbersome to wield, but their excessive damage output can’t be ignored, especially in the hands of a trained combatant.

• Rank 1: Heavy weapons do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Heavy weapons do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Heavy weapons do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Gain 25% Physical resistance while aiming down sights with a heavy weapon.

Incapacitation

EM weapons are general employed to damage robots, but can also be used to render human beings unconscious.

• Rank 1: EM weapons do 5% more damage.
• Rank 2: EM weapons do 10% more damage.
• Rank 3: EM weapons do 15% more damage.
• Rank 4: EM weapons have a 15% chance to do 300% EM damage.

Particle Beams

While considered by some to be exotic, particle weapons can be a devastating combat option, subjecting a target to multiple forms of damage.

• Rank 1: Particle beam weapons do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Particle beam weapons do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Particle beam weapons do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Particle beam weapons have a +5% crit chance.

Rifle Certification

Whether used for combat, hunting, or some other deadly purpose, the rifle has become a mainstay of Settled Systems weaponry.

• Rank 1: Rifles do 10% more damage.
• Rank 2: Rifles do 20% more damage.
• Rank 3: Rifles do 30% more damage.
• Rank 4: Reload rifles 30% faster while you’re standing still.

Expert – Tier 3 Combat Skills

You must spend 8 or more points in the Combat category to unlock Expert Combat Skills. 

Marksmanship

Perhaps no combat scenario is more frightening, or lethal, as a single-shot weapon wielded by someone skilled in critical shot placement.

• Rank 1: Increase critical hit chance with non-automatic ranged weapons by 3%.
• Rank 2: Increase critical hit chance with non-automatic ranged weapons by 8%.
• Rank 3: Increase critical hit chance with non-automatic ranged weapons by 15%.
• Rank 4: Critical hits using a non-automatic ranged weapon without a scope do double damage and those with scopes knock down enemies on the next shot.

Rapid Reloading

In the chaos of combat, the seconds needed to reload your weapon could be the difference between life and death.

• Rank 1: Reload Ballistic weapons 30% faster.
• Rank 2: Reload Energy and EM weapons 30% faster.
• Rank 3: Reload Particle Beam weapons 30% faster.  50% chance to avoid getting interrupted while reloading.
• Rank 4: Chance on hitting enemies to increase reload speed for all weapons by 50% for 15 seconds.

Sniper Certification

Only the trained sniper truly understands all the elements necessary to patiently and effectively neutralize a target at excessive range.

• Rank 1: Scoped weapons are steadier and have less sway.
• Rank 2: You can hold your breath longer with scoped weapons.
• Rank 3: Headshots while aiming with a scoped weapon have a +25% critical hit chance.
• Rank 4: Scoped weapons on 50% more damage while using the scope.

Targeting

While careful aiming is generally preferred in combat, “shooting from the hip” can prove fast and deadly alternative with sufficient training.

• Rank 1: Increased accuracy and range when shooting without aiming.  Marks up to one enemy within 25m that damages you.
• Rank 2: Notably increased accuracy and range when shooting without aiming.  Marks up to two enemies within 50m that damage you.
• Rank 3: Greatly increased accuracy and range when shooting without aiming.  Marks up to three enemies within 75m that damage you.
• Rank 4: 10% chance to disarm targets hit when shooting without aiming.  Marks up to four enemies within 100m that damage you.

Master – Tier 4 Combat Skills

You must spend 12 or more points in the Combat category to unlock Master Combat Skills. 

Armor Penetration

By identifying gaps or weak points in body armor, an attacked can often gain a tactical advantage in combat.

• Rank 1: Attacks ignore 15% of a target’s armor.
• Rank 2: Attacks ignore 30% of a target’s armor.
• Rank 3: Attacks ignore 50% of a target’s armor.
• Rank 4: Enemy armor is decreased by 25% for 6 seconds after a critical hit.

Crippling

Specifically targeting the pressure points and nerves of various limbs can disable an opponent, limiting their combat effectiveness.

• Rank 1: Human enemies have a 30% increase chance to enter a downed state after taking enough damage.
• Rank 2: Humanoid enemies have a 50% increased chance to not naturally recover from a downed state.
• Rank 3: Human enemies now can enter a downed state earlier.
• Rank 4: Previous ranks now apply to all enemy types.  You now do 100% more damage to downed enemies.

Sharpshooting

For those who specialize in precise targeting that maximizes damage, combat is often a quickly efficient affair.

• Rank 1: Increase headshot circuital damage by 50% with ranged weapons.
• Rank 2: Increase critical damage to enemy legs by 50% with ranged weapons.
• Rank 3: Increase all critical damage to enemies by 50% with ranged weapons.
• Rank 4: Ranged critical hit kills increase your critical hit chance with all ranged weapons by 25% for 20 seconds.

What Are The Best Combat Skills in Starfield?

The best Combat Skills in Starfield include Ballistics, Sniper Certification, and Armor Penetration. To learn more about the best skills in Starfield, check out the video or guides below.

More Guides For Starfield