The best perks in The Division 2: grab these early in your game

The perks in The Division 2 are kind of complex as they are more focused on gear, rather than abilities or buffs. Increased inventory, grips, and gun sights are other options, all generally giving a specific benefit to your particular playstyle. There are certain perks that are better to unlock first, however, to give you a much easier time with progress. 

How to get SHD Tech in The Division 2

SHD Tech is the currency that you'll need when buying new abilities in The Division 2. You'll find them marked on the map with small, orange Division bird insignias in the areas unlocked by visiting safe houses. Another quick way to get SHD Tech is to look for missions (and side missions) that reward you with multiple SHD Tech upon completion. There's one mission early on that gives you a whopping 12 SHD Tech, giving you just about enough to set up one character build. 

Get the Accolade perk first

The Division 2's Accolade perk gives you an XP bonus for headshots and may not seem particularly beneficial at first glance but it's worth noting that it stacks over five levels, giving you XP bonuses for hitting weak points, multi-kills, environmental kills, and surviving for a specific length of time. Your leveling will increase dramatically as you unlock all the stages so it's well worth grabbing as one of your first perks. 

Armor Kit 1, 2, and 3 

Armor Kits basically act as your health in The Division 2, soaking up the damage so you don't have to. As you'd expect, continued damage will gradually wear them down, leaving you vulnerable to enemy fire if you don't have spare Armor Kits to replace the damaged plates. Your carry limit is capped at three, so it's worth spending the points on the Armor Kit perk, enabling you to carry up to six at the final level. 

Restock 1: Armor Kits

As mentioned above, Armor Kits are great at keeping you alive, so it stands to reason that the more you have, the longer you will survive. While the Armor Kit perk increases your carry limit, Restock 1 will refill your Armor Kits when you restock in a safe house. Undeniably useful when things start to get tougher later on. 

Inventory 1, 2, and 3 

This one is fairly self-explanatory; the Inventory perk increases how much you can carry. Each stage increases your carry capacity by ten slots, so it's up to you how far you want to level this up. If you frequently find yourself short of inventory space in the middle of a mission, this one's a no-brainer. Save yourself the hassle of agonising over what to ditch by significantly increasing your carry limit. 

Deconstruction 1 

Most of the time you'll find yourself deconstructing your old guns and armour to turn them into crafting materials. Not only does this free up valuable inventory (or storage) space, the materials you gain can be used to make new gear or to complete Settlement projects for extra XP as well as rewards. Taking the Deconstruction 1 perk will get you extra materials for both. 

Grenades 1, 2, and 3

You may not think you'll need extra grenades in The Division 2 but you'll definitely regret not taking this perk when you inevitably come across that one pesky enemy stuck behind cover, refusing to give you a fair shot. Spending a few points on the Grenades perk will allow you to increase your carry capacity, meaning you won't get caught out by overly cautious enemies.