Skills

XP is the only currency in the game. Skills stay for every future run and work in the run you buy them in. Open the tree from the start menu, or from Pause during a run. An owned skill can be turned off and on again, and enemies grow tougher with what your skills add.

Earning XP

You do this	XP
Kill an enemy	1
Kill an elite	4
Clear a room	3
Clear an ordinary fight without a hull hit	4 more
Beat a Guardian	40
Beat a hidden boss	50

Trials pay extra for each better medal, and a Guardian beaten without a hull hit in its sector offers one more reward. See what a death does to your XP.

The tree

Each skill needs the one named beside it. The Starforged branch opens once the Last Organ, sector 10's Guardian, has fallen.

Wings

Skill	Cost	Needs	Effect
Swift Wings	200 XP	None	Dash charges recharge 30% faster.
Double Dash	500 XP	Swift Wings	A second dash charge: a double tap dashes twice. Each charge recharges on its own.
Ram Dash	500 XP	Swift Wings	Dashing through an enemy deals 10 damage to it (once per dash).
Wake Dash	1000 XP	Ram Dash	Enemy bullets that touch you while you dash burn up.

Halo

Skill	Cost	Needs	Effect
Halo	160 XP	None	Adds the Halo button: 2.5 s immune to enemy bullets and beams, 20 s to recharge. Bodies, mines, boss rings and floor hazards still hurt.
Lasting Halo	500 XP	Halo	The Halo lasts 1.5 s longer.
Bright Halo	1000 XP	Lasting Halo	Lighting the Halo also burns up enemy bullets close around you.
Quick Halo	500 XP	Halo	The Halo recharges 30% faster.
Spare Heart	1000 XP	Quick Halo	Start every run with one more heart.

Gun

Skill	Cost	Needs	Effect
Keen Needle	200 XP	None	Every weapon hits 15% harder.
Fast Needle	500 XP	Keen Needle	Every weapon fires 20% faster.
Twin Needle	1000 XP	Fast Needle	Every weapon fires two bolts side by side, each 60% as strong (Scattergun pellets hit 20% harder instead).
Long Needle	500 XP	Keen Needle	Shots from every weapon fly 30% faster.
Piercing Needle	1000 XP	Long Needle	Shots from every weapon pass through one enemy to hit the next.

Reliquary

Skill	Cost	Needs	Effect
Bomb Bay	200 XP	None	One more bomb at the start of every sector, and room to carry it.
Long Toll	500 XP	Bomb Bay	Slow-mo lasts 1 s longer.
Deep Bell	1000 XP	Long Toll	Start every run with one more slow-mo charge.
Scavenger	500 XP	Bomb Bay	Enemies and cleared rooms drop items 50% more often.
Quartermaster	1000 XP	Scavenger	Start every run with a Mine and a Ward.

Starforged

Skill	Cost	Needs	Effect
Star Plating	2000 XP	None	One more hull plate, on top of every other.
Star Wings	3000 XP	Star Plating	One more dash charge: tap again for another dash.
Star Fortune	3000 XP	Star Plating	Items drop 30% more often.
Star Bell	3000 XP	Star Plating	Slow-mo holds one more charge.
Star Bay	4000 XP	Star Wings	One more Bomb in every sector.
Star Halo	4000 XP	Star Bell	The Halo recharges 30% faster.

Where to start: Keen Needle makes every gun hit harder, so it is the safest first purchase. Halo adds a whole new button for little XP. Swift Wings suits you if you find yourself tapping for a dash that is not ready.