Shadow of War: Abilities Middle-earth: Shadow of War Guide

Last update: 20 December 2022

In this chapter of guide to Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you can find a complete list of Talion's abilities along with their upgrades. Remember, that you can choose only one upgrade for a given ability at a given moment.

• Combat
• Predator
• Ranged
• Wraith
• Mounted
• Story

Combat

Combat abilities increase your combat potential.

Execution - when your Might meter is full, you can select an enemy and perform an execution on him that will deal a lot of damage.

Available upgrades:

1. Grim Resolve - you get Might every time when you receive damage.
2. Secret Might - you get Might for each stealth kill.
3. Fatal Might - precise strikes with your sword give you more Might.

Perfect Counter - a counter performed in the right moment will knock an enemy down.

Available upgrades:

1. Rain of arrows - a counter performed in the right moment gives you 1 elven arrow.
2. Mighty Reversal - you gain Might after each counter.
3. Fatal Counter - a counter performed in the right moment kills weaker enemies immediately.

Critical Strike - melee attacks can cause critical hits that deal more damage.

Available upgrades:

1. Reprisal - the lower your health, the greater your chance to deal critical hits.
2. Unstoppable - a chance for critical hit increases greatly when your hit streak is higher than 20.
3. Elven Precision - if you press the attack button right after your hit lands on an enemy, you will greatly increase your chance for a critical hit.

Ground Finisher - reduces time of executing enemies that are knocked down.

Available upgrades:

1. Fury - a ground finisher allows you to barrage that enemy with attacks before you kill him. These attacks give you Might.
2. Wraith Shield - Wraith can counter enemies while you are executing a knocked down enemy.
3. Ground Drain - you can drain enemies that are knocked down.

Brutal Aggression - your Might meter can be charged twice which allows you to perform brutal execution that will make your enemies run away in fear.

Available upgrades:

1. Wraith Execution - while you are performing an execution, you can press a button and eliminate another enemy.
2. Ceaseless Might - abilities that require Might don't use all of its points.

Retaliation - performing the Last Chance perfectly kills an enemy that tries to finish you off. Doesn't work on stronger enemies.

Available upgrades:

1. Adamant - you get one additional the Last Chance.
2. Vengeful Drain - Retaliation drains your attacker.
3. Burst of Might - perfectly performed Last Chance fills up your entire Might bar.

Predator

Abilities from Predator tree focus mainly on your mobility and stealth abilities.

Elven Agility - You move faster after jumping over an obstacle, landing or climbing. Later, you will be able to unlock a "double jump".

Available upgrades:

1. Silent Runner - Sprint is noiseless.
2. Spectral Dash - while sneaking, you can travel a short distance or get close to an enemy immediately. However, this consumes Focus.

Brutalize - you can perform a terrifying stealth kill that will make your enemies run in fear. This also increases your Might and hit streak.

Available upgrades:

1. Unyielding Ferocity - Brutalize gives you bonus to Might and hit streak.
2. Reckless Hate - Brutalize causes more enemies to run away in fear.

Poison Tendril - aim at a Grog barrel and poison it from a distance.

Available upgrades:

1. Bursting Toxin - enemies, that drank from a poisoned barrel, explode upon their death and poison nearby enemies.
2. Contagion - enemies, that drank Grog, go berserk, attack everyone nearby them and spread poison.
3. Proximity Trigger - aim at a cage, bait or a Morgai flies nest and make them to be able to activate when an enemy gets closer to them.

Wraith Chain - you can attack another enemy during a stealth kill. This consumes Focus.

Available upgrades:

1. Monster Hunter - stealth kills can be used on beasts.
2. Shadow Blade - first kill in a series of stealth kills doesn't consume Focus.

Deadly Specter - you can leave a specter, after luring an enemy, that will kill a target.

Available upgrades:

1. Terrifying Presence - your specter will brutally kill a target.
2. Spirit Drain - your specter will drain a target.

Death Threat - you can order a Worm to tell a selected captain that you are going after him. This increases a chance of getting a high-quality item after killing a threatened enemy.

Available upgrades:

1. Worse than Death - Shame ruins mind of your target which lowers their level greatly or make them lose their mind. There is a small chance that a target becomes mad and receives additional strength.
2. Vow of Violence - adds an additional goal to a Death Threat - completing it gives you extra rewards.

Ranged

Here, you can find ranged abilities such as, e.g. Shadow Strike.

Detonate - you can hit a campfire with Shadow Strike which causes explosion and sets nearby enemies on fire.

Available upgrades:

1. Bursting Arrow - shoot at a campfire and cause an explosion without using Shadow Strike.
2. Spider Song - shoot at a campfire to cause an explosion and lure spiders.
3. Matron's Scent - shoot at a campfire to cause an explosion and lure ghuls.

Freeze Pin - shooting enemies in their leg pins them to ground.

Available upgrades:

1. Brutal Cold - Freeze Pin forces nearby enemies to retreat.
2. Savage Ice - Freeze Pin works on Olog-hai and beasts.
3. Deep Freeze - Freeze Pin lasts twice as long.

Bird of Prey - while you are in the air, you can slow down time and aim. Consumes Focus.

Available upgrades:

1. Eagle Sight - Focus drains slower while you are in the air.
2. Talon Strike - when you are falling down, you can aim at ground and use an area attack that stuns nearby enemies.

Mighty Shot - when Might is full you can shoot an explosive arrow.

Available upgrades:

1. Firestorm - Mighty Shot causes an explosion.
2. Freeze Blast - Mighty Shot causes a freezing explosion.
3. Venom - Mighty Shot causes a poisonous explosion.

Shadow Strike - you can reach your enemy in a blink of an eye and then kill or stun him. Consumes an elven arrow.

Available upgrades:

1. Chain of Shadows - you can press a button during a Shadow Strike and hit another enemy at a cost of Focus.
2. Shadow Strike Pull - pull a selected enemy close to you.
3. Shadow Dominate - you move fast to an enemy and dominate him.

Wraith

"Wraith" unlocks very powerful and spectacular abilities.

Brace of Daggers - perform a quick dagger throw that damages and pushes an enemy back.

Available upgrades:

1. Serrated Edge - daggers can cause critical hit.
2. Swift Barrage - you can throw three daggers rapidly.
3. Rain of Blades - you can throw five daggers at the same time and hit many enemies.

Elven Light - when your Might is full, you can perform a powerful area attack that stuns and blinds enemies.

Available upgrades:

1. Cleansing Blaze - Elven Light sets enemies on fire.
2. Winter's Breath - Elven Light freezes enemies.
3. Poison Blast - Elven Light poisons enemies.

Ice Storm - freeze enemies and then follow with a flurry of sword strikes.

Available upgrades:

1. Shower of Ice - you can freeze all enemies that are in front of you. The longer your hit streak, the greater your range.
2. Frostbite - Ice Storm's finishing attack causes critical hit.
3. Shattering Blow - Ice Storm's finishing attack shatters an enemy into pieces which causes other enemies to retreat in fear.

Consume - when your Might is full, you can select an enemy and drain him during a fight.

Available upgrades:

1. Chain of Souls - you can aim during Consume and drain an additional enemy.
2. Lord of Wrath - Consume increases Wrath.
3. Olog Lord - Consume can be used on Olog-hai.

Treasure Hunter - you automatically pick up loot dropped by defeated enemies.

Available upgrades:

1. Discerning Eye - increases a chance for getting high quality items from orcs with a captain rank or higher.
2. Mind Breaker - increases Domination speed.
3. Prospector - increases a chance for getting high quality Gems from fallen enemies (find all Gondorian Artifacts to unlock this ability).

Mounted

You can unlock an ability that will allow you to fly on Drakes!

Caragor Rider - you can dominate and mount a branded Caragor.

Available upgrades:

1. Pounce - eating enemies while in sneaking mode regenerates more health points of your Caragor.
2. Bestial Rage - you can perform an execution that summons more Caragors, even when your Might isn't full. However, this consumes a bit of health of your mount.

Graug Rider - you can dominate and mount a branded Graug.

Available upgrades:

1. Devouring Force - when you mount a Graug, performing executions heals your mount.
2. Enduring Fury - Graug's basic attacks gives more Might points.

Call Mount - you can summon a dominated Caragor and order him to attack a selected enemy.

Available upgrades:

1. Dire Caragor - allows you to summon a Dire Caragor.
2. Graug Call - allows you to summon a Graug.
3. Dragon Song - allows you to summon a Drake.

Shadow Mount - you can instantly mount a Broken Caragor, Graug or Drake by using Shadow Strike.

Available upgrades:

1. Caragor Breaker - allows you to mount unbroken Caragors by using Shadow Strike.
2. Packmaster - mounting a Broken Caragor by using Shadow Strike dominates all nearby Caragors.

Dragon Rider - you can dominate and mount a Broken Drake.

Available upgrades:

1. Scales of Iron - your Drake receives less damage.
2. Soaring Rage - your Drake can spit fireballs, even if you don't have full Might bar. However, this consumes a bit of your mount's health.

Story

These abilities are unlocked by making progress in the campaign.

Drain - you can get your health back by draining orcs and beasts.

Available upgrades:

1. Domination - drained enemies are also dominated and will fight on your side.
2. Quiver of Souls - Drain gives you elven arrows.
3. Bright Lord's Wrath - Drain or Domination fully regenerates health and increases Wrath.

Spectral Glaive - you can summon a glaive and perform a sweeping and powerful attack.

Available upgrades:

1. Mighty Swing - a charged attack with your glaive gives you Might for every enemy that was hit.
2. Deadly Striker - you can charge your glaive twice to perform more attacks.

Shadow Strider - you can perform a double jump which allows you to travel at a greater distance.

Available upgrades:

1. Hammer of Eregion - you can jump over an Uruk and freeze him.
2. Waters of Lorien - upgrade your dodge to move swiftly past enemies. Consumes Focus.
3. Eagle's Eyrie - you can jump over an enemy, bounce off of his head and perform a double jump.

Call Followers - you can summon a group of warriors that will fight on your side.

Available upgrades:

1. Bodyguard - appoint a captain to be your bodyguard (this can be done in the Army menu).
2. Cluster of Spiders - summon spiders that have poisoned attacks.
3. Iron Guard - summoned warriors are stronger.

Dominate Captain - dominate a captain whose will was broken.

Available upgrades:

1. Destroy Followers - you can make your followers' heads explode which makes your enemies run in fear.
2. Lifeblood - you can heal all nearby followers.
3. Enrage followers - you can enrage your friendly captains. Consumes Wrath.