Best skills to get first in Enshrouded
There are some real game-changers in the Enshrouded skill tree
What are the best skills in the Enshrouded skill tree? Enshrouded, like many open-world survival crafting games, implements a number of RPG progression systems. Chief among them is a skill tree, in which you start at the centre and branch off towards many powerful important skill nodes.
If you're wondering which areas of the skill tree to prioritise, then you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll walk you through 12 (well, technically 13) of the very best skills in Enshrouded, where they reside in the skill tree, and what makes them so powerful.
Best skills in Enshrouded
In general, the larger nodes in the Enshrouded skill tree will always be more powerful and important than the smaller nodes. But you shouldn't neglect the smaller nodes either, as some of them bestow very important benefits and stat increases which can increase your health, stamina, damage, and so on. Below we've put together our list of the very best skills in Enshrouded in no particular order, to help you figure out which skills and paths to prioritise.
The best skills in Enshrouded are:
- Merciless Attack
- Sneak Attack
- Well Rested
- Double Jump
- Blink
- Breach
- Updraft
- Bounty Bonanza
- Skill Shot
- Dessert Stomach
- Inner Fires/Relentless Flame
- Swift Blades
Find out where they reside in the Enshrouded skill tree by using the cheat sheet below. And for more information on what each of these skills do and why we've picked them as our favourites, keep reading!
1. Merciless Attack
Perform a Merciless Attack by pressingEorYto deal massive damage to an enemy you've overpowered.
Merciless Attack is always the first skill I pick up for a new Enshrouded character, because it forms such an essential part of melee combat. Deal enough damage to an enemy's guard and you'll fill their stun meter, opening them up to a Merciless Attack that deals significantly more damage. It's extremely useful for levelling the playing field against powerful enemies.
2. Sneak Attack
The Sneak Attack deals massive 10x damage to unaware enemies. To trigger it, sneak up on an enemy and pressEorY.
Sneaking is slightly temperamental in Enshrouded, but you just can't ignore the opportunity to sneak attack someone seeing as it deals a whopping 10x your usual damage to the target. It's almost always a one-shot-kill, unless you've delved into areas far beyond your level. Sneak Attacks can turn a fight from a risky attack into an easy cleanup after the main enemy goes down with one hit.
3. Well Rested
The base duration for the Rested buff is increased by 5 minutes.
If you've read my Enshrouded tips and tricks guide, you'll know that the Rested buff is one of your greatest strengths. This buff is easy to obtain, and massively increases your maximum Stamina for the duration. The only downside is that it doesn't last forever. But with the Well Rested skill, you can increase the duration by another 5 minutes, which can make a lot of difference particularly in the early game.
4. Double Jump
Allows jumping a second time while airborne.
One of the most game-changing skills in Enshrouded is the Double Jump. There's not much to say here, it's fairly self-explanatory. The terrain in Enshrouded - particularly inside areas corrupted by the Shroud - can get quite difficult to navigate. Double Jump makes you much more mobile in nearly every situation, and once you have it, it's hard to imagine playing without it.
5. Blink
Replaces the Dodge Roll ability with a short range teleport.
Once you unlock Blink, it replaces your regular Dodge Roll with a teleport which allows you to dodge attacks more reliably, and cover ground more quickly during fights. It's very useful on its own, but even more so when you unlock the next two skill nodes: Blink Attack, which triggers an explosion when you blink into an enemy; and Emergency Blink, which allows you to break out of the stunned status effect by blinking.
6. Breach
When you break a block with melee attacks, the target will suffer 100% more melee damage for 2 seconds.
Breaking an enemy's block is a common and important part of Enshrouded's combat. 2 seconds may not be a long time, but double damage is a big deal. Even a regular combo of attacks will deal huge damage, particularly when backstabbing. Just like the Merciless Attack, it makes fighting challenging enemies much easier.
7. Updraft
Pressing the jump button while gliding will give you a small height boost. This skill can be used once per flight. Cost: 120 mana.
The Glider is one of the most important tools you can get in Enshrouded. Other than fast travel, it's the quickest way to get from one part of the map to another. But you can only lose altitude for so long before you reach the ground. Updraft gives you a once-per-flight boost upwards, giving you extra altitude to reach further distances than before.
8. Bounty Bonanza
After defeating a Fell enemy with a headshot your group gains an additional 5 Experience Points.
Any skill or ability in any game that offers you extra XP is pretty much always a good idea to get as early as possible. Bounty Bonanza is that skill for Enshrouded. Each time you kill a Fell enemy with a headshot, you gain 5 additional XP. It may not sound like much, but it adds up - particularly if you like headshotting enemies from afar. It's very satisfying in this game.
9. Skill Shot
All damage dealt to an enemy's head is increased by 20%.
Skill Shot dovetails perfectly with the previous skill by increasing your headshot damage to enemies by 20%. It makes scoring a kill with a headshot a fair bit easier, and even if you're not using Bounty Bonanza, it's a fantastic skill that any bow-wielder ought to get sooner than later.
10. Dessert Stomach
You gain one additional food slot.
Food is essential to Enshrouded. Every expedition, particularly into the Shroud, ought to be prefaced by two or three different foodstuffs which confer great benefits like extra Health and Stamina. With Dessert Stomach, you max food slots at a time increases to four. It may not sound like much, but the ability to have four different food effects active at once instantly makes you much more powerful.
11. Inner Fires/Relentless Flame
Maximum Shroud Time increased by 2/5 minutes, allowing you to explore for longer.
These two skills are essentially the same effect, but one is later in the skill tree and more powerful than the other. Both Inner Fires and Relentless Flame increase your default Shroud timer, allowing you to spend longer in the Shroud. It's quite likely that as you continue to play Enshrouded, your most common cause of death (whether directly or indirectly) will be spending too long in the Shroud. These skills will help you to survive in Enshrouded's most dangerous environments.
12. Swift Blades
Allows you to attack faster with one-handed swords and axes.
Finally, Swift Blades unlocks right near the end of the Warrior path in the skill tree, and increases your melee DPS by increasing your attack rate with one-handed swords and axes. You have more than enough hotbar slots with your two hotbars to have access to various kinds of weapons at once, so while you may prefer two-handed weapons, bows, or magical weapons, there's always room for a one-handed weapon and shield combo. And Swift Blades gives you a significant DPS buff with this combo.
That brings our Enshrouded skills guide to an end. If you're less of an explorer and more of an architect, we've also got you covered with our guide on how to build in Enshrouded.