Skill Cards are the backbone of Red Dead Online, the multiplayer mode of Red Dead Redemption 2, and there are endless combinations to create your perfect play style.
In case you are inside a Posse, you could choose whether to support your team by healing companions, buffing damage and obtaining buffs. On the other hand, if you are a lone cowboy, you can increase the Damage per Second (DPS) or transform your character into a Tank in order to survive the most violent of firefights. Furthermore, you can switch your games between PvP (Player vs Player) or PvE (Player vs Environment).
Each player can have four cards. Each of them is unlocked by reaching a certain level and can increase in rank in order to improve its effectiveness. The Skill Cards present in the game can be of two types: active and passive. Each player has one active and three passive cards.
The active card takes care of modifying the effect of the Dead Eye, the passive cards instead offer support to the player and if they are chosen properly they will cooperate with the Dead Eye ability. The latter are of three types: combat (increase the damage of certain weapons under specific conditions), defense (reduce damage based on certain conditions) and recovery (increase recovery of health, stamina or Dead Eye skill). Of course, having three slots available doesn't mean you have to insert one of each type. In fact, the cards that fill the various slots will have to adapt to your style of play.
Best combinations for PvE
Everyone should try PvE mode in Red Dead Online. In fact, although you may prefer PvP, you should still have a setup dedicated to Player vs Environment in order to complete bounties and events. Players who opt for this mode will focus their attention on crowd control and survival. The first factor is very important if you are playing solo, in fact, it is quite easy to be surrounded by hostile NPCs without a team to support you.
Paint it Black: Damage at will
- Dead Eye: Paint it Black
- Best Passive Cards: Strange Medicine, Iron Lung, Fool Me Once
- Passive Alternative: Peak Condition, Unblinking Eye, A Kick in the Butt, Fool Me Once
Paint it Black is an excellent card for doing damage in PvE. Many players think of it as an exclusive tool for PvP matches. Indeed, it's a perfect choice in those environments, but nothing crowd controls like this card. On the other hand we are talking about a skill that is present in the main game, so if you have already experienced Arthur Morgan's incredible adventure you will be at ease.
In case you want to inflict even more damage, we recommend pairing the card with Peak Condition. On the other hand, if you prefer survival, Iron Lung is the perfect card for you.
Eye for an Eye or Unblinking Eye can be very useful skills in case you need to resort to Dead Eye in an emergency. Strange Medicine is always a guarantee, even if it reduces the regeneration of health. Fool Me Once on the other hand is useful in case you are dealing with many enemies at the same time.
Slow and Steady: The Tank
- Dead Eye: Slow and Steady
- Best Passive Cards: Fool Me Once, Strange Medicine, Iron Lung
- Passive Alternative: Eye for an Eye, Kick in the Butt, Unblinking Eye, Cold Blooded
Slow and Steady is a strong card for both PvP and PvE. In both cases you can use the same setup or modify it slightly. For PvE, Slow and Steady can help you contain incoming damage. Pair it with the Fool Me Once, Iron Lung and Strange Medicine cards. If you want, you can remove Fool Me Once or Iron Lung and insert Cold Blooded in their place. This card will in fact increase the health regeneration rate after killing an enemy, in any case, we advise you to make this choice when facing a PvE.
Focus Fire: No mercy
- Dead Eye: Focus Fire
- Best Passive Cards: Iron Lung, Strange Medicine, Gunslinger's Choice
- Passive Alternative: Fool Me Once, Winning Streak
The next two setups, Focus Fire and Quite an Inspiration, are dedicated to those players who love to fight in the posse. The first is designed for users who always hold support roles. In fact, it increases the damage dealt by all team members while Dead Eye is active. Accompanying this card with Gunslinger's Choice or Winning Streak will further increase your damage. Iron Lung and Strange Medicine, on the other hand, will deal respectively with offering you the possibility of taking extra hits and restoring your health once you hit your opponents.
Quite an Inspiration: The thaumaturge
- Dead Eye: Quite an Inspiration
- Best Passive Cards: Strange Medicine, Iron Lung, Strength in Numbers
- Passive Alternative: Unblinking Eye, Kick in the Butt, Take the Pain Away
Like Focus Fire, Quite an Inspiration is for those players who have fun in a group and want to help their team. Thanks to this setup you can regenerate your health and that of allies, this ability can only be used by a member of the posse.
So by choosing this "loadout" you will focus all your efforts on health recovery and survival. Remember that you are the healer and you must stay alive. In fact, you will be particularly important during the Legendary Bounties which allow a limited number of deaths. Pair your card with Strange Medicine to regain health while fighting, instead, Iron Lung will improve your Tank skills.
The Racehorse
- Dead Eye: Any
- Best Passive Cards: Ride like the Wind, Horseman, Friends for Life
This setup only works in PvE in case you are a racing lover. In fact, rather than spending time and effort in researching the Active Card, you will need to focus on your riding skills. For this reason, you will need to equip Horseman, which increases damage while on horseback. Additionally, we recommend Ride Like the Wind, which will transfer some of the damage taken or dealt to your mount's health and stamina. Last but not least, use Friends for Life, which will allow you to take less damage.
While any Active Card is fine, we would like to recommend Slippery Bastard, a card to help maintain speed and avoid damage.
Best combinations for PvP
Fighting other players is optional, in fact, you don't have to fight each other in bloody Rese dei Conti. Despite this, it is impossible to experience the atmosphere of the Old West without drawing the revolver in deadly confrontations. Often in Red Dead Online, you will find yourself dealing with players who will invite you to extract the tools of the trade. For this reason we remind you that the combinations of cards useful in PvP could prove indispensable also in PvE.
Paint it Black: DPS first of all
- Dead Eye: Paint it Black
- Best Passive Cards: Gunslinger's Choice, Iron Lung, Strange Medicine
- Passive Alternative: Sharpshooter, Fool Me Once, Never Without One
Paint it Black has a bad reputation among PvP setups. It is in fact considered a card for the so-called “no hands” players. In fact, it particularly helps players to target, in short, a lethal power-up, in the right hands. In case you want to inflict even more damage, we recommend Gunslinger's Choice if you love short-medium range weapons or Sharpshooter if you are a ruthless sniper.
For improving health stats Iron Lung is the ideal choice. Finally, if you wear a hat, Never Without One will protect you from headshots for once.
Slippery Bastard: The close combat specialist
- Dead Eye: Slippery Bastard
- Best Passive Cards: Fool Me Once, Strange Medicine, Iron Lung
- Passive Alternative: The Unblinking Eye, Eye for an Eye, A Kick in the Butt, Never Without One
Slippery Bastard, as you can guess from the translation, makes the player a difficult target. In fact, the bullets will curve around him. In return for this great benefit, your accuracy will be lower and the duration of the Dead Eye will be drastically reduced. Only the rifles will be able to help you with their particular effective.
Pair this card with Iron Lung for more damage resistance and Strange Medicine to restore your fragile health. Also, in order to recover the Dead Eye skill bar, Kick in the Butt could be an excellent choice.
Slow and Steady: The defensive tank
- Dead Eye: Slow and Steady
- Best Passive Cards: Iron Lung, Strange Medicine, Fool Me Once
- Passive Alternative: The Unblinking Eye, Winning Streak, Sharpshooter or Gunslinger's Choice, A Kick in the Butt, Eye for an Eye.
By choosing this build, forget about being aggressive, the latter is in fact designed for those who want to enjoy the world of Red Dead Online in peace. Obviously, like the good Bud Spencer, you will find that tranquility does not exist in the Old West, therefore, thanks to this loadout you can protect yourself from all those trigger-happy players who will harass you. All this if you are not the first to pull out the "Colt Mettipace".
One of the main advantages of this card is due to the fact that you will take less damage if the opponent has Paint it Black as their Active Card and that you will not be able to fall victim to the various snipers who will try to stop you with a headshot.
Good passive cards to pair with this defensive Tank build are Iron Lung and Fool Me Once, both of which are dedicated to the upcoming damage reduction. Also, Iron Lung will increase the speed at which your stamina recharges, the latter factor making everything a little easier.
As for the third card, you can choose between Eye for an Eye, A Kick in the Butt or Unblinking Eye. Each of these will increase the duration of your Dead Eye and offer you the opportunity to harness your strengths, such as Eye for an Eye if you are good at aiming your head.
This guide dedicated to the best combinations of cards in Red Dead Online comes to an end. Let us know in the comments which of these is your favorite.
