Unfortunately, no matter how stealthy Lara is, combat is inevitable in Rise of the Tomb Raider. For the most part, it takes the form of your standard cover-based third-person shooter and Lara has numerous weapons with which to take on enemies. They include:

Pickaxe – The Pickaxe is Lara’s standard melee weapon. It can be upgraded to increase the damage it causes and to be able to remove/destroy enemy armour.

Bow – The Bow is the first weapon Lara will pick up and is also by far the most useful. Not only is the bow silent, with the right Skills unlocked, you can recover your arrows from downed enemies, increase your draw time and hold it in position for longer to enable more easy accuracy. Perhaps its most useful function however is the specialty arrows it can use. They include:

• Upgrade: Poison Arrows – These will release a cloud of green gas that will kill most enemies outright, although it may only stun tougher opponents and larger animals such as Bears and Leopards.
• Upgrade: Fire Arrows – These arrows can light enemies on fire, causing damage over time. They can also be used to destroy doorways blocked with canvas/cloth barricades and can also destroy specific region challenge objects (Posters, banners etc.) that need to be burned.
• Upgrade: Grenade Arrows – These arrows explode on impact causing splash damage to enemies around the impact point. These can also be used to destroy larger barricades.

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Poison Arrows will create a gas cloud (left). Grenade Arrows can be uset to break down barriers (right).

Pistol – The Pistol is Lara’s starting firearm and there are several on offer before the end of the game. In general Pistols do good, short range damage and can kill most enemies with a simple headshot. Pistols, as with other firearms can be used to destroy wooden barricades.

• Upgrade: Pistol Sights - can be obtained through completing the ‘Dangerous Territory’ optional side-mission and it will automatically be applied to all Pistols that you own/acquire.

• Upgrade: Silencer – A Silencer for the Pistols can be purchased form the Supply Shack in the Soviet Installation for 25 Byzantine Coins .
  Rifle – The Rifles are the second type of firearm that Lara will acquire in the game and they provide good medium to long range damage with a much quicker rate of fire (except for Bolt-Action Rifle!) than the other guns on offer. Rifles, as with other firearms can be used to destroy wooden barricades.

• Upgrade: Suppressor – can be obtained through completing the ‘Gulag Recon’ optional side-mission and it will automatically be applied to all Rifles that you own/acquire.

• Upgrade: Laser Sight – can be purchased form the Supply Shack in the Soviet Installation for 25 Byzantine Coins .

• Upgrade: Grenade Launcher – can be purchased form the Supply Shack in the Soviet Installation for 120 Byzantine Coins .

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The Rifles can be equipped with silencers (left) and grenade launchers. The Shotguns can be used for a wider spread of damage (right).

Shotgun – The first Shotgun will be acquired around half way through the game and yep, you guessed it – the Shotgun is best used in close range with its wide spray doing a great deal of damage to enemies in close proximity. If used correctly, a single shot can even wound or kill multiple enemies at a time. Shotguns, as with other firearms can be used to destroy wooden barricades.

• Upgrade: Spreader Choke – can be obtained through completing the ‘Misguided Intelligence’ optional side-mission and it will automatically be applied to all Shotguns that you own/acquire.
  Grenades – Although Lara cannot store grenades on her person, she can craft them. After finding a can in the environment, it is possible with the right reagents to create a fragmentation grenade. Throwing these at enemies has the possibility of either killing them outright or knocking them down for a few seconds.

Molotov Cocktails – The Molotov Cocktails are found ¼ of the way through the game and like the grenades, they cannot be carried, only crafted. To make one, you’ll need to find a bottle in the environment and pick it up. Whilst holding the bottle, if Lara has sufficient reagents to do so, you can craft the projectile. Hitting enemies with a Molotov will have them catch on fire, this can spread to other enemies and affect multiple bad guys at once.

Smoke Bombs – Smoke Bombs, like the grenades and Molotovs, can be crafted with the right combination of reagents. These require you to find stone/pewter jars in the environment. Throwing these will create a cloud of smoke that will distract or confuse enemies, allowing you to move in and take them down stealthily or to sneak by them.