The Last Of Us Part 2 Training Manuals Guide: Where To Find All Upgrades

TL;DR

  • Training Manuals unlock essential skill trees that dramatically enhance Ellie’s combat, stealth, and survival capabilities
  • Manual locations require thorough exploration and often involve environmental puzzles and enemy encounters
  • Missing manuals may reappear later due to dynamic item placement, but strategic collection ensures completion
  • Advanced players should prioritize manuals based on preferred playstyle and difficulty settings
  • Complete collection unlocks multiple trophies and provides significant advantages for New Game Plus

Training Manuals serve as the foundational gateway to expanding Ellie’s capabilities throughout The Last of Us Part 2. These specialized books unlock entirely new skill trees that would otherwise remain inaccessible, transforming how you approach combat, stealth, and survival scenarios. Understanding their strategic importance is crucial for optimizing your playthrough experience.

In The Last of Us Part 2, supplements provide the currency for skill upgrades, but Training Manuals determine which skills become available for development. Each manual you discover opens a distinct progression path, from enhanced crafting efficiency to advanced stealth maneuvers. The game’s design intentionally places these valuable resources in locations that reward thorough exploration and environmental awareness.

What many players overlook is the interconnected nature of these skill trees. Certain manuals provide abilities that synergize remarkably well with others, creating powerful combinations when strategically prioritized. For example, the Stealth Training Manual’s capabilities complement those unlocked by the Covert Ops Manual, creating a formidable stealth-focused build. This strategic layer adds depth beyond simple collection.

Common mistakes include rushing through areas without proper scouting or assuming manuals will always be in obvious locations. Experienced players recommend systematically checking every accessible building, paying close attention to environmental clues like rope points, breakable windows, and alternative entry routes that often conceal these valuable resources.

Your initial Training Manual acquisition requires navigating Seattle’s devastated downtown infrastructure. Begin at the highway overpass intersection of 6th and Marion Streets, where you’ll encounter collapsed roadway sections and an abandoned fire engine. Advanced navigation tip: Approach from Marion Street to identify the optimal path through the wreckage.

Position yourself near the military vehicles parked along the overpass edge. Scale the truck positioned closest to the precipice adjacent to the fire apparatus. Execute a calculated leap to the opposing overpass section, then circle around the fire engine’s right flank to locate the descent rope. This rappelling point allows you to swing downward to the fragmented highway segment below, where a cargo container houses the Crafting Training Manual. This manual unlocks vital survival skills that dramatically improve resource efficiency throughout your journey.

Following your passage through Eastbrook Elementary, you’ll access a commercial district with multiple explorable establishments. After clearing the motel area, identify the bookstore situated near the gasoline station—recognizable by its distinctive blue rear entrance or breakable window panels. Within the connected café space, examine the table positioned near the primary entrance to secure the Stealth Training Manual positioned beside a vintage typewriter. Pro tip: The stealth skills unlocked here are particularly valuable for higher difficulty settings where enemy detection is more punishing.

Optimization strategy: Collect the Crafting Manual early to maximize its benefits across the entire playthrough. The efficiency improvements compound significantly over time, making this one of the most impactful early-game acquisitions.

While exploring Hillcrest’s residential zones, you’ll encounter a truck used to scale a barrier fence. Identify the liquor store positioned adjacent to a substantial sinkhole that separates you from your staircase objective. Enter the establishment and proceed to the rear area, then descend into the basement level. Critical warning: This area contains two Shambler infected types, requiring either careful engagement or complete avoidance depending on your resources and skill level.

Upon reaching the exit point marked by a collapsed staircase, you’ll transition into a daycare facility. Search for an infected corpse with the Precision Training Manual resting on the flooring nearby. The precision skills unlocked here significantly improve weapon handling and aiming stability, particularly valuable for players favoring direct combat approaches.

The Explosives Training Manual resides within a WLF safehouse located in an apartment complex. Continue along Route 5 until encountering an impassable metal barrier gate. Across the roadway from this obstruction stands an apartment structure with multiple entry possibilities, though the most straightforward access involves ascending onto the panel truck parked beside the building to reach the second story level.

Traverse through the apartment interior to access the connecting corridor, where you’ll notice another apartment’s white-colored door. Inside this secondary unit awaits a Workbench station. After utilizing the bench, investigate the bedroom area to discover the Explosives Training Manual. This manual unlocks devastating explosive capabilities that can dramatically alter encounter dynamics, especially against grouped enemies or in confined spaces.

Following your passage through the hardware store, employ a rope mechanism to ascend onto a rooftop structure. Descending inside reveals a boat repair facility. As you advance toward locating your egress route, you’ll obtain second-floor access. Utilize the discovered ladder to construct a bridge to the vessel positioned centrally within the chamber. Inside the boat’s cabin compartment, you’ll locate the Covert Ops Training Manual. The covert operations skills enhance your mobility and evasion capabilities, perfect for hit-and-run tactics.

While progressing toward the aquarium destination, you’ll encounter interconnected retail establishments. Inside Jasmine Bakery, you’ll discover a secured safe container. You must explore neighboring stores to locate the document containing the numerical combination (alternatively, for expedited progression, use code 68-96-89). To find this combination, navigate through the Red Dragon tavern to access an upper-level pathway, then vault from the balcony to the adjacent structure.

Identify a floor opening you can descend through, but before dropping down, retrieve the Jasmine Bakery Safe artifact from the shelving unit to your left. Unlock the bakery safe to obtain the Close Quarters Training Manual. This manual unlocks brutal melee enhancements that transform close combat encounters.

A crucial game mechanic many players miss: The Last of Us Part 2 implements dynamic item placement for certain collectibles. If you overlook a Training Manual in its initial location, the game may reposition it to a subsequent area to prevent permanent missable content. However, relying on this failsafe isn’t recommended—strategic collection ensures you benefit from these skills when they’re most needed.

Advanced collection strategy: Prioritize manuals based on your preferred playstyle. Stealth-focused players should target the Stealth and Covert Ops manuals early, while combat-oriented players will benefit most from Precision and Close Quarters manuals. Resource management specialists will find the Crafting and Explosives manuals most valuable. Time investment: A complete manual collection typically adds 2-3 hours to a thorough playthrough but provides disproportionate benefits relative to time spent.

Common pitfalls to avoid: Rushing through environmental puzzles, neglecting to check alternate routes and hidden passages, and underestimating the importance of manual sequence. Expert tip: Some manuals provide abilities that make acquiring subsequent manuals significantly easier, creating a compounding advantage effect.

Successfully collecting all Training Manuals unlocks comprehensive skill progression possibilities that dramatically enhance Ellie’s capabilities across all gameplay dimensions. The strategic allocation of supplements across these unlocked trees can create specialized builds tailored to specific challenges and difficulty settings.

Trophy hunters should note that complete Training Manual collection contributes directly to multiple achievement unlocks, including the “I Want to Talk About It” trophy for finding all collectibles. Additionally, maxing out all skill trees unlocks the “Every Last One of Them” trophy, making manual acquisition essential for completionists.

New Game Plus advantages: All collected Training Manuals carry over into subsequent playthroughs, allowing you to begin with expanded capabilities from the outset. This creates dramatically different gameplay experiences and enables experimentation with alternative playstyles without the initial collection burden.

For players seeking to optimize their Battlefield 6 experience while waiting for new content, mastering The Last of Us Part 2’s skill systems provides excellent practice for the strategic thinking required in BF6’s class systems and NATO-inspired tactical gameplay. The resource management skills translate well to Battlefield 6’s Assignment completion and Conquest mode strategies.

Advanced mechanic: The game’s Pax Armata principles of balanced combat are reflected in how different skill trees complement each other. No single tree makes Ellie overpowered; instead, they create synergistic combinations that reward strategic planning and adaptation to changing combat scenarios.

Final professional insight: The most overlooked aspect of Training Manuals is how they encourage adaptive gameplay. Rather than simply making Ellie stronger, they provide tools that change how you approach challenges, much like how different Battlefield 6 class selections alter your approach to matches. This design philosophy creates deeper engagement than simple stat improvements.

Action Checklist

  • Secure Crafting Manual early from downtown overpass for compounding efficiency benefits
  • Collect Stealth Manual in Capitol Hill bookstore for early detection avoidance
  • Prioritize Precision or Close Quarters manuals based on preferred combat style
  • Systematically check all accessible buildings for hidden manuals using environmental clues
  • Complete collection in New Game Plus to experiment with specialized builds

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