How to unlock the Slicer Expert skill tree in Star Wars Outlaws (and which are the best)

Early in Star Wars Outlaws, the ability to unlock the Slicer Expert skill tree will be made available. Until you complete this mission, you won’t be able to hack into advanced devices, such as setups that don’t have a terminal to connect to. This leaves certain treasures and missions out of your reach until you take on this mission.

You will get this mission around the time you unlock the Mechanic Expert skills, while on Planet Toshara. It’s a more challenging mission and will certainly test the limits of your stealth capabilities. If you’re good at stealth, you won’t have any issues.

NOTE: Parts of this article are subjective and solely reflect the writer's opinion. The order of the skills ranking is from worst to best.

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Unlocking Slicer Expert skills in Star Wars Outlaws

Unlocking the Slicer Expert skills is a bit more complicated in Star Wars Outlaws. When you learn of it, you’ll want to head to the Cantina on Toshara and use a spot in the bar to lean and listen.

You’ll get a clue that leads you to the Crimson Dawn district of the city. Even if you have a good reputation, you’ll still have to approach them stealthily. Sneak around the back of the appointed area to meet with someone on their landing pad.

Aila will charge you with getting an Imperial Code Sequencer. It’s easy enough — the base is quite small. You can stealth to a technician and steal it right off of them, or kill everyone on the little outpost. The hard part is what’s next.

Then you have to meet with Aila, on a much bigger Imperial Outpost. You will need to stealth through the base, and get past the guards on her door. Break in, speak with her, perform a small task for her, and get out.

This was one of the harder Expert skill unlocks for me, unlike the simple Bartender skills. Completing this mission will let you hack into (Slice) far more advanced terminals. The below list doesn’t feature a Slicing Kit, because it’s the default, unlocked skill.

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Which Slicer Expert skills are the best in Star Wars Outlaws?

5) Sneak Shot

Sneak Shot is okay, but I didn't find much of a use for it (Image via Ubisoft)

I’m not really crazy about Sneak Shot in Star Wars Outlaws when it comes to the Slicer Expert skills. It can be useful, but Kay Vess’s blaster pistol is incredibly loud. Unless it’s the only guard/enemy nearby, it’s almost certainly going to draw attention. I can see it being useful to distract and lure enemies out of position, but I’m not really high on this one right now.

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4) Slice Kit Upgrade

The Slice Kit Upgrade is certainly useful, to make Slicing just a tad easier (Image via Ubisoft)

The Slice Kit Upgrade gives you more Energy and lets you use Energy to activate Jokers, making Slicing easier. However, instead of worrying about that, you can just make Slicing easier on the menu! If that’s not a concern of yours, then I see this being quite valuable. Slicing does get harder, deeper into Star Wars Outlaws, with more symbols and more of them to put in the correct order.

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3) Sneaky Trap

If you want Stormtroopers to get a nasty shock, use Sneaky Trap (Image via Ubisoft)

Anytime you’re in an Imperial Base or any major Syndicate outpost, you’re going to see Security Terminals. You can disable them with Nix at a distance (or by yourself at close range), or you can be a little sneakier. You can instead, trap it, and then cause a ruckus. That way the trooper that runs to set off the alarm gets fried, and you can take out their friends easier. Big fan of stuff like this in Star Wars Outlaws.

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2) Concussive Smoke

Concussive Smoke can really be a difference maker in tense situations (Image via Ubisoft)

Concussive Smoke makes your Smoke Bombs so much better. Now they add a concussive force effect that Staggers enemies for two seconds. That makes it so much easier to take them out without being seen or heard. Enemies that aren’t conscious can’t ring alarms, now can they?

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1) Lightfooted

Lightfooted just makes life plain easier (Image via Ubisoft)

Lightfooted is easily one of the most useful skills in the whole of Star Wars Outlaws. Cutting your enemy detection distance in half, while also reducing the noise Kay Vess makes while Walking and Sprinting? That’s a no-brainer.

Two of the requirements (Lockpick different locks, perform Takedown on an Imperial Officer) are super easy. The only one that might be a challenge is completing a Smuggler Contract.

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Check out our other Star Wars Outlaws guides:

• Is Star Wars Outlaws Ultimate Edition worth buying?
• Is Star Wars Outlaws coming to PS4 and Xbox One?
• Star Wars Outlaws review