Strategist

Strategist is a Survival Skill in The Last of Us.

Skill information

Level 1 (1 loadout point)- Know when you've been marked.

Level 2 (4 loadout points)- Know when you've been marked and see nearby enemies on the radar.

Level 3 (5 loadout points)- Know when you've been marked and see nearby enemies on the radar, and can choose an ally to respawn on. You will be able to respawn several seconds early.

General information

With this skill, users are notified when they are marked. This can be useful for knowing when to take cover and when not to flank. With or without this skill, players can still hear the enemy yell, "Uniform!/Hey Tourist!/Firefly! Watch yourself!" if on a Firefly team or "Hunter/Straggler!" if on a Hunter team; thus, the true benefit of the skill lies in knowing whether the player him/herself has been marked, as opposed to a teammate. Upon being marked, players equipped with strategist will also have a red arrow appear above their head until the effects of being marked wear off.

The level 3 variant of this skill is particularly useful on interrogation mode, where teams often find themselves trying to defend or attack static positions. Switching from a class that does not have Strategist 3 to a class with Strategist 3 does not grant the ability to spawn on teammates; players must die with Strategist 3 equipped in order to enjoy its spawn-related benefits.