Lara might start off as a blank slate in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but give her some time and she’ll have plenty of skills to work with. The problem? Actually getting there. Gaining exp in this game can be a long process and you’ll need plenty of it if you want to deck Lara out with the strongest abilities the game has to offer.
Fortunately, just about everything Lara does gets her exp. That said some methods grant more than others, while there are those that can be gained en masse with little effort.
Here’s some tips to gain exp quickly:
Hunting
The game actually suggests this to you and I thought this only applied to large animals like jaguars who pose a legitimate threat.
Oh, how wrong I was.
It turns out that Lara could have just as easily been a hunter if she didn’t become an archaeologist, because she can make a good amount of exp killing just about any animal she sets her sights on. Wolves? Yep. Capybaras? Indeed. Birds? Somehow, yes. Rabbits? You monster! Also, yes.
Obviously, the more dangerous and/or elusive animals will provide more exp, but those gained from the smaller ones quickly adds up due to how plentiful they are. The only downside here (other than the potential guilt that comes with wiping out the local wildlife) is that this method can tear through your arrows if you go overboard (the Eagle’s Wing skill helps with this) or are a bad shot. Fortunately, the various resources gained in the process (hide, feathers, oil) can somewhat mitigate those loses.
Exploring
It’s to be expected from a game in the Tomb Raider series, but Lara can gain surprising amounts of experience just by exploring and examining everything she comes into contact with.
Whether she finds a relic, reads a monolith or discovers the associated secret stash, Lara will gain some exp from doing so, and she’ll gain even more inside tombs and crypts which are just brimming with things for her to discover.
There isn’t much else to be said here, just have Lara wander off in a random direction and you’ll be sure to find some way to gain exp. Hell, why not double dip and kill some animals along the way? I know you’re good for it.
The Right Clothes for the Right Occasion
At the end of the day, killing enemies is the quickest way to gain exp in large amounts. However, it’s also the most dangerous, so why not do things correctly by wearing the right outfit?
As mentioned in a previous guide, many outfits confer various bonuses on Lara and a few of them actually increase the amount of exp she gains depending on what kills and how she does the deed. Here are three outfits to look out for and the bonuses they provide:
- Hide Boots of Urqu – Bonus experience from stealth kills
- Ch’amaka’s Greaves – Bonus experience from non-stealth kills
- Kantu’s Gilded Vest – Bonus experience from hunting
It’s a bit high-maintenance, but it’s entirely possible to change your gear based on the activity to see yourself doing in order to maximize exp gains. Just plan to explore and not enter any tombs or crypts? Then wearing Kantu’s Gilded Vest (along with Eveningstar’s Boots for more resources) will be advantageous for you. Do you think you’re about to enter an area where you’ll be able to sneak around a lot? Then wear the Hide Boots of Urqu to make those stealth kills mean something.
Challenges
If fighting isn’t your thing, then why not try find one of the game’s many Challenges? They give a solid chunk of exp in one go and they help put your observation skills to the test.
Ranging from finding sunken treasure to destroying effigies, there are all sorts of Challenges for Lara to undertake and discover. But within that variety lies the problem: some challenges are an absolute pain to complete. It’s easy to complete sunken treasure because they’re all in one area and there are no hostiles in the area, but challenges like destroying the effigies requires Lara to search through a system of caves filled with hostile creatures literally crawling out of the wall.
They all give the same amount of experience, so why not try your hand at them if you have extra time? You can always go back and complete it later if things take too long.
That’s it for getting exp quickly in Shadow of the Tomb Raider. There are many ways to go about doing it, but the above ways will help ensure you get it the fastest.
