Best early skills in Star Wars Outlaws

Unlocking the best early skills in Star Wars Outlaws significantly enhances Kay’s survival chances and allows her to navigate around tough enemies and complex technology. Although it requires some effort and progress in the story on certain planets, the rewards are well worth it.

Here, we highlight the top picks for the best early skills to focus on, along with insights into why they are beneficial.

How to Unlock New Skills in Star Wars Outlaws

Kay learns new skills from a variety of experts scattered throughout the galaxy, including gunslingers, mechanics, scavengers, and old friends. To begin, you must find the first two experts and unlock their initial skills before leaving Toshara for the first time. The remaining experts can be easily overlooked if you don’t keep track of new intel.

The journey to discovering new experts starts with gathering intel and leads you to someone who can teach Kay new abilities. Completing the initial intel chain typically directs you to the expert, who will present a quest that may involve locating an item or rescuing them from a dangerous imperial site.

Once an expert agrees to assist Kay, you can check their available skills in the ‘abilities’ tab in the menu, where you’ll see what is required to unlock each skill. Requirements often include locating specific items and completing certain actions in combat, depending on the expert.

Best Early Skills in Star Wars Outlaws

Here are the most valuable early skills to acquire from experts in Star Wars Outlaws:

Bram – The Bartender

All of Bram’s skills under ‘The Bartender’ are essential to unlock early, both for the benefits they provide Kay and for the gameplay lessons they impart.

Armored Undershirt is crucial as it increases Kay’s health meter by one. Fast Talk allows Kay to distract an enemy briefly when discovered in a restricted area, giving her a chance to incapacitate them, while Keep Talking extends this distraction to multiple enemies.

I Know Someone is a more specialized skill that enables Kay to access ‘personal requests’ from certain merchants, even if her Syndicate reputation is low, allowing her to trade specific items for unique equipment.

Selo – The Mechanic

Selo, the speeder mechanic, might be the second expert you unlock, but only two of her abilities are particularly valuable at the start. Smoke Bomb enables Kay to create distractions, obstruct enemy sightlines, and make a quick escape, which is extremely useful. Scoundrel’s Pouch grants an additional slot for Bacta Vials and Grenades, which is vital for survival.

Aila – The Slicer

Aila’s skills are generally helpful but not critical, with her initial skill, Slicing Kit, being the exception. This skill unlocks automatically after you rescue Aila, allowing Kay to interact with specific imperial terminals to gather data, erase her wanted status, open security doors, and disable security cameras, greatly simplifying her missions.

Electro Shock Prod

To unlock the next expert, you will need to progress in the story, regardless of whether you follow advice to visit Tatooine first. Before heading to Tatooine, it’s advisable to complete the story mission on Akiva and free Gedeek to unlock the Temmin’s Family intel chain. Afterward, complete Wexley’s quest and unlock the Electro Shock Prod, which enables Kay to perform stealth takeouts on elite enemies.

This skill is essential for taking down Deathtroopers and other enemies marked during Kay’s adrenaline attacks, as they cannot be subdued without it.

Quint – The Gunslinger

Quint, the gunslinger located on Tatooine, is another expert worth unlocking early. While Kay’s adrenaline attack may not be necessary in the early stages, the ability to eliminate multiple enemies at once using Quint’s Adrenaline Rush Mastery skill becomes crucial as you progress further into the game. Quint’s intel chain begins at the Mos Eisley cantina, but you must complete the Tatooine story to explore freely.

Before engaging, it may be wise to complete a few jobs to improve your standing with the Hutts. If Kay’s reputation is poor when entering Hutt territory, she risks losing even more face, necessitating extra contracts to regain favor.