5 best Starfield Combat skills

Developed by Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield sports various skills, from Social to Physical and Combat. Each skill has its specific usage, and when aligned with a playstyle, it performs exceptionally well. Keeping this in mind, you should unlock abilities that complement your style of play. That said, you begin your interstellar journey with three Novice skills from a pool of capabilities grouped into five distinct categories. While some characters possess Combat skills as a background, others have different skill sets.

There are four different ranks of Combat skills, where Rank 1 has low-tier skills, and Rank 4 boasts high-tier. You can only access the higher ranks by investing specific skill points in a combat category. Considering all these facts, the article provides the five best Combat skills in Starfield.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Ballistics and four other amazing Combat skills in Starfield

1) Armor Penetration

Armor Penetration skill (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

Combat without proper armor is risky, and the ability to weaken armor is a valuable skill. If you seek such prowess, you can add Armor Penetration to your skill list. Characters with this skill as a chosen background in Starfield can rank it up to four to enjoy bonuses. It is a Novice Combat skill, which you quickly obtain in the game's opening stages.

Check the table below to see the bonus effects of Armor Penetration.

Combat skills Ranks	Bonuses
Rank 1	Attacks ignore 15% of opponents' armor.
Rank 2	Attacks ignore 30% of opponents' armor.
Rank 3	Attacks ignore 50% of opponents' armor.
Rank 4	A critical hit decreases enemy armor for 6 seconds.

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2) Marksmanship

Marksmanship skill (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

If your playstyle is a bit tactical, long-ranged, and incorporates scouting, including Marksmanship is an excellent choice. With this Combat skill, you can dish out heavy damage or kill an opponent at range, depending on the rank.

Basic skills offer few advantages, while high-tier variations become crucial in critical proceedings. Those equipped with Marksmanship can deal critical hits if an enemy is within range. As you level up the skill, the effect of the bonuses increases significantly.

Check the table to find Marksmanship's bonuses.

Ranks	Bonuses
Rank 1	Non-automatic weapons can deal critical hit chance by 3%
Rank 2	Non-automatic weapons can deal critical hit chance by 8%
Rank 3	Non-automatic weapons can deal critical hit chance by 15%
Rank 4	Non-automatic ranged weapons without scope do double damage upon critical hit. With scope, you knock down enemies in the next fire.

You can get the Marksmanship Combat skill by reaching the Expert tier. Moreover, any non-ranged weapon can benefit from it.

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3) Heavy Weapon Certification

Heavy Weapon Certification skill (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

If you're an aggressive Starfield player and like dominating the battlefield, especially on the ground, you can use Heavy Weapon Certification. This ability buffs damage inflicted by heavy weapons. Arms like Microgun and Magstorm will dish out more damage when you add this certification. But to increase its effect, you must rank up. The higher the rank, the more damage your weapon inflicts.

The table reveals Heavy Weapon Certification effects according to ranks.

Ranks	Bonuses
Rank 1	Heavy weapons deal 10% extra damage
Rank 2	Heavy weapons deal 20% extra damage
Rank 3	Heavy weapons deal 30% extra damage
Rank 4	Aiming down sight with a heavy weapon can gives 25% physical resistance.

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4) Rifle Certification

Rifle Certification skill (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

Similar to Heavy Weapon certification, Rifle Certification boosts the damage output of rifles in Starfield. The skill doesn't buff or nerf other weapons in the game. But your rifles, like Fiscal Quarter, deal increased damage to opponents. This skill is quite practical when engaged in ground combat.

One of the benefits of ranking Rifle Certification is that reload time for rifles is reduced by 30%.

Here's the table to show Rifle Certification's rank and bonuses in Starfield.

Ranks	Bonuses
Rank 1	Rifles deal 10% extra damage
Rank 2	Rifles deal 20% extra damage
Rank 3	Rifles deal 30% extra damage
Rank 4	While standing still, you can reload rifles 30% faster.

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5) Ballistics

Ballistics (Image via Bethesda Game Studios)

One of the most helpful Combat skills as a beginner in Starfield is undoubtedly Ballistic. You needn't worry about the nature of your Ballistic firearms, as the skill will work fine with any. With this, guns such as shotguns, machine guns, and snipers would not require a particular skill to buff them. It's a Novice skill that improves damage output. From close fight to mid-range to long-range, the weapons deal more damage once you equip Ballistic skill.

The table below shows Ballistics' rank and bonuses.

Ranks	Bonuses
Rank 1	Ballistic weapons inflict 10% more damage.
Rank 2	Ballistic weapons inflict 20% more damage.
Rank 3	Ballistic weapons inflict 30% more damage.
Rank 4	Ballistic weapons range is boosted by 30%.

These are the best Combat skills to improve your fighting in this RPG game.