Stellar Blade: Best early skills to level up first

It’s no surprise that Stellar Blade has many moves in its skill tree. It’s a hack and slash adventure with platforming and crafting. Those types of titles usually have extensive progression systems. With such a wealth of options, it’s easy for new players to get overwhelmed.

That said, you should focus on certain skills in the early parts of Stellar Blade. The best abilities aid in learning the combat system, offering more leniency in the combos and counters. In essence, they prevent you from being thrown in the deep end. That early success creates a stronger foundation for the rest your character. From a gameplay perspective, Stellar Blade‘s most important choices lie at the beginning.

Reflex Boost

Obviously, a Perfect Dodge requires precise timing. You must press the button at exactly the right point, namely when an enemy attack is about to connect. That’s easier said than done. Early in the game, you might not have the timing down. Thankfully, one skill can help.

Enter the Reflex Boost. This ability makes it easier to execute a Perfect Dodge. Widening the window—even by a few milliseconds—can mean a world of difference in a hack and slash scenario. That extra cushion might just save your life.

Focus Boost

Another tough timing trick is the Perfect Parry. This move operates on the same principle as the Perfect Dodge. To activate it, you must block right as an attack lands. It’s arguably more dangerous than dodging since you’re not even a moving target.

Focus Boost lessens that danger by providing an easier Perfect Parry. Again, it has a similar appeal to the Reflex Boost. It lets new players practice the timing while mitigating the risk. More importantly, it can be a saving grace in chaotic combat.

Double Dodge

Sometimes, you want to put distance between yourself and the enemy. You can then regain your bearings and possibly attack from long range. Sadly, a single dodge isn’t enough; it’s basically a glorified sidestep.

Luckily, Stellar Blade has a Double Dodge. As the name suggests, it lets you dodge twice in a row. The maneuver provides a quick way out of a jam. It’s also effective at avoiding combo attacks, whether melee or ranged. In short, the agile ability makes you untouchable for a few precious seconds, providing valuable breathing room to reassess your strategy.

Reflection

The Perfect Dodge is rewarding enough, but Reflection adds more benefits. After you execute the dodge, this skill stuns foes and boosts your attack speed. Enemies then become vulnerable to a swift counteroffensive. You can unleash a furious flurry of blows before they know what hit them. Doing so is easier with another skill.

Since Reflection hinges on a Perfect Dodge, it’s a great companion to Reflex Boost. Again, this widens the margin of error to make these dodges more reliable. Combining these skills is ideal for an evasive, roguish playstyle. By deftly dancing around foes, you tip the scales in your favor. It soon becomes a breeze to break your enemies’ rhythm.

Counter

Stellar Blade also has an option for block-based playstyles. Counter follows a Perfect Parry. It then stuns enemies and increases your attack power. You have an ironclad defense and can overcome your opponent through brute force. It also mirrors Reflection in a key way.

Both moves have additional abilities making them easier to pull off. In Counter’s case, that ability is Focus Boost, which facilitates Perfect Parries. When used in conjunction, these skills shield you from most melee damage and open enemies to a killer reprisal.

Both sets of skills are invaluable in the early hours. Obviously, your health and other stats are lowest at this point, and the controls are unfamiliar. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, but these abilities prevent that.

Shock Waves

Being the star of a hack and slash title, Eve is mainly a melee fighter. She has a few guns, but they’re not nearly as versatile, partly due to the ammo limit. That’s especially the case in the early levels. At this point, you probably haven’t collected many resources for upgrades. What about a ranged melee attack, though?

With the Shock Waves skill, Eve uses her swords to send waves of light toward her targets. These projectiles have more impact than most bullets. Even better, they don’t run out of ammo. These perks make Shock Waves a perfect ranged alternative, for both the early hours and everything after.