The Brain Map in Scarlet Nexus is a complex skill tree system divided into three main categories: Expand, Enhance, and Support. Mastering this system is crucial for optimizing your character’s combat capabilities and survivability. In this guide, we will take a detailed look at each branch of the Brain Map, highlighting key skills and strategies to maximize your effectiveness in battle.

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Understanding the Brain Map: An Overview

The Brain Map serves as your character’s skill tree, allowing you to unlock powerful abilities and enhancements by spending Brain Points (BP), which are earned through leveling up. As of the example in this guide, the player is at level 11 and has already unlocked several skills. Strategically spending these points can significantly impact your playstyle and efficiency in combat.

The Brain Map is divided into three main categories:

1. Enhance: Focuses on increasing damage output and psychokinesis capabilities.
2. Expand: Unlocks advanced combat maneuvers and expands combo potential.
3. Support: Improves survivability and resource management.

Let’s break down each section of the Brain Map in detail.

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1. Enhance: Unleashing Raw Power

The Enhance branch is all about maximizing damage and psychokinesis potential. Early investment in this path can yield substantial benefits.

Key Skills to Unlock:

• Attack Up 1 & 2: Each of these nodes increases weapon attack damage by 5%, providing a straightforward boost to your melee capabilities.
• Psychokinesis Gauge Boost: Crucial for players who favor using environmental objects in combat. Unlocking this skill increases the maximum gauge by 50%, with a follow-up node boosting it to 100%. Psychokinesis attacks, triggered by the right mouse button, allow you to hurl objects at enemies for massive damage.
• Crush Effect Up: Enhances your weapon’s ability to deplete enemy Crush Gauges, making it easier to execute Brain Crush attacks.

Suggested Path: Start with Attack Up 1, then move diagonally to unlock the Psychokinesis Gauge Boost. Prioritize increasing damage to downed enemies and the speed of ally revives to maintain offensive momentum.

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2. Expand: Mastering Combat Versatility

The Expand branch is designed to enhance your mobility and combo potential, allowing for more dynamic combat scenarios.

Essential Skills:

• Consecutive Weapon Attacks: Unlocking up to five consecutive weapon attacks is a game-changer, eliminating the pause between three-hit combos and allowing smoother, more damaging sequences.
• Charge Attacks: Holding the charge button allows for powerful area-of-effect strikes, crucial for dealing with groups of enemies.
• Perfect Dodge Enhancements: Charging a small amount of psychokinesis gauge after a perfect dodge enables a more aggressive playstyle.

Recommended Strategy: Focus on unlocking consecutive weapon attacks first. Enhanced combo potential not only increases damage output but also keeps enemies staggered longer. Follow this by unlocking charge attack upgrades to maximize your area control.

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3. Support: Sustaining the Fight

The Support path focuses on survivability and resource management, making it invaluable for longer battles.

Must-Have Skills:

• Auto-Healing: Gradual health recovery outside of combat is a lifesaver, especially given the steep cost of 6 Brain Points.
• Instant Item Use: Eliminates the delay in using consumables, ensuring you can heal or buff immediately in critical moments.
• SAS Enhancements: Unlocking multiple concurrent SAS (Struggle Arms System) activations allows you to combine abilities like Electrokinesis and Pyrokinesis effectively.

Optimized Path: Start with the Auto-Healing skill, then move towards SAS enhancements to diversify your options in combat. Maximizing plug-in capacity also allows for more customization, enhancing your defenses and attack capabilities.

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Efficient Brain Point Management

Given the steep requirements for some of the most powerful skills—such as the 22 Brain Points needed for five-hit combos or the 18 points for psychokinesis enhancements—it’s vital to plan your path early.

Leveling Tips:

• Focus on one branch at a time rather than spreading points thin.
• Prioritize skills that directly enhance your main attack strategy, whether it’s melee-focused or psychokinesis-centric.

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Conclusion: Building the Ultimate Combatant

The Brain Map in Scarlet Nexus is more than just a skill tree—it’s the foundation of your combat strategy. By carefully choosing which skills to unlock, you can tailor your character’s capabilities to suit your playstyle. Whether you favor raw melee power, psychokinesis dominance, or a balanced approach, planning ahead is key.

Experiment with different paths and adjust based on the enemies and challenges you face. Mastering the Brain Map will not only enhance your combat effectiveness but also make each battle a showcase of your strategic prowess.

Let us know your favorite paths and skills in the comments, and happy brain-punk hunting!