Tribes: Ascend/Perks

Perks are slight modifications that gives you specific advantages during gameplay. There are two perk slots with a unique selection of perks for each slot. Perks are shared across every class, so buying a perk unlocks it for every class. Every perk costs 160 gold or 18000 experience.

Rage
If you are close to the flag when it is grabbed, you enter a raged state. During this state you get a 50% increase in energy recharge as well as a 10% reduction in mass, so your disk-jumps will propel you faster. It's useful for any defenders that stay near the flag, especially Pathfinders, who can benefit from the increased energy regen to feed their Thrust Pack and help their disk-jumps.
 * Level 1: +50% energy regen in rage
 * Level 2: +50% energy regen in rage
 * Mastery: +25% heal at start of rage

Ultra Capacitor I
The Ultra Capacitor I gives you an additional 10 energy. It's unlocked from the start. You can't really go wrong with this, more energy means better mobility. It's also quite helpful for any class that has energy-using weapons or packs like the Raider, as they benefit from a larger energy pool. It can be used with Ultra Capacitor II for a total of 20 extra energy.
 * Cannot be upgraded

Reach
Reach increases the range for picking up flags. This is really useful for beginner cappers, as they get a larger margin of error when going for grabs. It's helpful for a veteran as well, as the increased reach means you can grab the flag without having to risk slamming into a Force Field, a player with the Super Heavy perk or activating mines. It also applies to flag passing and flag returns. The final upgrade gives you better ammo pickup range, which is useful for a Pathfinder that needs an additional Nitron without changing his route too much.
 * Level 1: +10% reach
 * Level 2: +10% reach
 * Mastery: Reach works on ammo drops

Safe Fall
Safe Fall reduces the fall damage taken by 40% at base level. Not a popular perk, as most of the time you can use your jetpacks to slow your fall to non-damaging speeds. The third upgrade gives you some protection against Shrikes, as their pilots usually prefer ramming into you than using their hard-to-aim guns. That still doesn't happen very often, so as a result, this perk doesn't see much use.
 * Level 1: +20% fall damage reduction
 * Level 2: +20% fall damage reduction
 * Mastery: Also reduces vehicle runover damage

Wheel Deal
Wheel Deal reduces the cost of vehicles by 10% at base level. While Bounty Hunter is more versatile when it comes to spending credits, Wheel Deal is useful if you don't get too many kills, like if you're playing Technician. The reduced cost can potentially let you get one vehicle every life. Grav Bikes are made even cheaper, helpful for heavies that need to get across the map quickly. The increased energy also helps Grav Bikes and Shrikes achieve more speed, while improving the Beowulf's turn speed.
 * Level 1: +10% reduction
 * Level 2: +10% reduction
 * Mastery: +25% energy on vehicles

Bounty Hunter
Bounty Hunter gives you an additional 100 credits when you get a kill at base level, which can be increased to 200 credits at max level with an additional 100 if killed by a belt item. A really good choice for any class that gets a lot of kills, such as Raiders or Brutes. Not only do you get more credits for supply drops and asset upgrades, you also get to buy vehicles, Tactical Strikes and Orbital Strikes more often, giving you even more credits.
 * Level 1: +50 credits earned
 * Level 2: +50 credits earned
 * Mastery: +100 credits for belt kills

Close Combat
Close Combat grants you a 20% reduction in melee damage, down to 360 when fully upgraded. It's most common use though, is its final upgrade, which increases melee damage to 1350 when you hit someone from behind. As Infiltrators have the best chance with getting melee strikes, it's often wielded by them. Their main victims, Sentinels and Technicians, sometimes use this perk for this reason as well.
 * Level 1: +20% melee damage reduction
 * Level 2: +20% melee damage reduction
 * Mastery: +50% melee backstab damage

Looter
Looter let's you get 20% more ammo from drops at base level, and can be upgraded for more. Usually used by offense-oriented classes like Infiltrators or Raiders who will be fighting away from their base most of the time. It's third upgrade is also useful for classes with useful belt items, such as Brutes, returning two grenades back when picking an ammo drop.
 * Level 1: +10% ammo from drops
 * Level 2: +10% ammo from drops
 * Mastery: +1 belt ammo from drops

Stealthy
Stealthy makes Radar Sensors detect you at 30% less range, meaning you can get closer before being spotted. Not a very useful perk, since most of the time sensors are destroyed and never repaired anyway. It is helpful for cappers, as enemies take longer to see you coming in for the grab if the radar sensor is still up, and the final upgrade decreases the threat of turrets.
 * Level 1: +10% sensor evasion range
 * Level 2: +10% sensor evasion range
 * Mastery: +20% time taken for turrets to target you

Safety Third
Safety Third let's you carry one additional belt item. A useful perk for any class, especially those that have really useful belt items, like the Pathfinder's nitrons, the Infiltrator's stickies and the Brute's fractals. It is also a great choice for mine users like Sentinels, who can carry 3 claymores and have 4 of them on the map with this perk fully upgraded.
 * Level 1: +5% belt item radius
 * Level 2: +5% belt item radius
 * Mastery: +1 mine deployed

Sonic Punch
Sonic Punch makes your melee attack knock players back. The knockback range is slightly larger than the range where you can do actual damage. Useful for Infiltrators, as they can knock foes into pits in certain generator rooms like the one in Katabatic. The final upgrade can be useful for chasers, as the flag drop range is higher than regular melee range, so if you manage to get close enough you can get the flag off of them.
 * Level 1: Increase knockback
 * Level 2: Increase knockback
 * Mastery: Forces flag drop

Ultra Capacitor II
The Ultra Capacitor II gives you an additional 10 energy. It's purposes are the same as Ultra Capacitor I, but it's in the secondary slot, so it's a good choice if you already have another primary perk that you favor. It can be used with Ultra Capacitor I for a total of 20 extra energy.
 * Cannot be upgraded