Talion may have been just a ranger on the Black Gate at the start of Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor, but with his death came a new purpose, and a renowned sense of skill and abilities. As players progress through this game set in the world of The Lord of the Rings, they will find themselves unlocking and discovering more power, and more skills, enhancing themselves to have the best abilities in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor.
There are plenty of abilities in the game, but only some can truly be the best. These are the best choices to keep Talion on the correct path to taking out Sauron and his armies of Mordor, all in the name of vengeance and the doings of a hero.
8 Shadow Mount
There are greater threats that lurk in Mordor than just Orcs. Beasts reign freely in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor, and are untamed by mankind or Orc. However, as Talion finds himself seeking to even the odds, he can find himself becoming allies with beasts, even if it is through the domination of their will.
With Shadow Mount, Talion can take control of a mount, whether a Caragor or a Graug, as long as he has Elf-Shot. Using Elf-Shot will put Talion in the control of the beast he has fired the arrow into, thus making them a willing beast for Talion’s vengeance.
7 Resilience
Nobody likes to lose out on their combo streak. Luckily for players of Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor, there’s an ability that gives them that one free hit that they might need to keep the pressure on and get the ball rolling. With Resilience, players can keep their Hit Streak after being hit, but only once per combo.
This is a great ability to use if players want to keep their high combo meters, and to further make the combat flow smoothly. It’s a very useful ability to use when overrun, as it is only inevitable that the player will get hit in that situation. Just make sure it is only once.
6 Vault Stun
Vaulting over an enemy in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor further proves the smoothness of combat, and how Talion can alternate his focus between enemies like an artist with a blade. Vaulting is a great mechanic, and it can be even better thanks to Vault Stun. Every enemy that Talion vaults over is hit with a Wraith Stun, leaving them vulnerable and immovable.
The fact that enemies can be stunned and locked into place for a moment just by vaulting over them adds a new level of attacking methods to the game. Players can use the ability to control the crowd, or simply unleash devastating blows to the unprepared.
5 Blade Master
With Blade Master, reaching higher combos shouldn’t be an issue. The Hit Streak is altered with Blade Master, and special attacks will charge from the 5th hit rather than the 8th. Keeping combos isn’t only good to see how long players can go without getting hit, as it also allows players to unleash devastating attacks only unlocked through smooth gameplay.
If players are careful, they can pair this charged hit streak with critical hits, ensuring that they can use a finisher on every other attack. Blade Master is just one of the many ways that players can maximize their damage in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor, and push back the dreaded armies of Sauron.
4 Shadow Strike Chain
The power of elves and Celebrimbor in particular shines true thanks to Shadow Strike Chain. With this ability, no distance is too great, and no speed is too fast. Talion, aided by Celebrimbor, will unleash a deadly flurry of sword attacks upon reaching his enemy. This is utilized with the bow, or simply stringing together fast attacks.
It’s a great way to build up combos, and to allow Orcs to watch in fear, knowing that their lives are the next ones to be taken by Talion, and to feel the taste of his quick and precise steel. It’s a great ability that gives further connection and union to the tied bonds of Talion and Celebrimbor, a true powerhouse of Middle-Earth.
3 Flame Of Vengeance
Precise movements are rewarded to players in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor thanks to the Flame of Vengeance. This ability will allow Talion to deal double damage from his sword, as long as the sword remains glowing. This glow can be kept as long as Talion’s combo and hit streak remain charged.
Players should always strive to deal the most damage possible and to cut down the near-endless spawn of orcs that are birthed in the evilest pits of Mordor. With Flame of Vengeance, Talion will be able to cut through them like butter and make them run back to Mount Doom itself.
2 Wraith Burn
With a clench of a fist, Talion can release any Orc under his control, but with deadly consequences. Talion and Celebrimbor show the armies of Sauron just how fearful they are, and why they should be obeyed rather than the Dark Lord. With this ability, Talion can take hold of his possessed army and squish their heads like grapes, and make it seem effortless.
It’s a classic gory finisher that has the heads of Orc enemies pop, with a gush of blood spurting from the neck. It’s gross, gory, and entirely in line with what Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor was trying to achieve in a new sense of gory fun.
1 Brand
The Brand is a powerful ability, and perhaps the most iconic in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor. The Brand ability will not only drain enemies of their health, but also mark them as a faithful and broken Orc, loyal to none other than Talion and Celebrimbor. The duo interrogates and breaks the minds of orcs, and brings them into the player's army, that of the Bright Lord.
The Brand ability is a great mechanic, and its usefulness in Middle-earth: Shadow Of Mordor cannot be understated. It's integral to the Nemesis system. There’s a strategic flow to Brand, as Talion will be able to pick and choose whom he wants in his army, what information they hold, and how much health Talion seeks from their body and mind.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is available now for PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.