Select your Dead Eye Card based on what you will be doing the most and/or what role you will be playing. Select your three Passive Cards based on how you want to maintain your Health, Stamina, Damage, and Dead Eye. Your Passive Cards can either buff these stats or recharge these stats, or a compromise of both. You can use Tonics and other items to maintain the stats your Ability Loadout misses.
Your four Ability Cards can be equipped to your character to add special perks. Your first card is free and will affect your Dead Eye. The other three cards passively affect either your Combat, Recovery, or Defense abilities. The first passive card slot unlocks at Level 10, the second at Level 20, and the third at Level 40.
An Ability Card build will complement the gameplay you'll be doing. PvE builds should restore health and reduce the damage you take. PvP builds should reduce the damage you take and increase the damage you deal.
Ability Cards accumulate XP while the cards are equipped. Unlock any cards you think you may potentially use one day as early as you can so that they can gain XP while you level up. Try to keep at least one, if not four, unleveled cards equipped at all times to maximize XP gaining. Each card can be upgraded twice. To upgrade, accrue 10,000 XP with the card equipped, then the first upgrade can be bought for $350. For a second upgrade, 15,000 XP and $500 is required. Purchasing the first tier of a card grants 150 XP instantly. Try to purchase a level 1 card while other cards that are still accumulating XP are currently active, and they will gain 150 XP each.
You can freely change your cards so you are allowed to have a set for hunting, missions, PvP, and other activities. You can see which cards activate when they light up on the top right HUD, although this visual check isn't reliable. Cards may still be active if its HUD isn't lit.
You can have perfect accuracy with 'Paint It Black', even before you paint an X. Lock-on, activate 'Paint It Black', then quickly flick/fire. Dead Eye will deactivate when you fire. It also provides a range boost. In addition to perfect accuracy, enabling 'Paint It Black' means Shotguns are given a huge increase in damage. 'Paint It Black' is useful for hunting. Tag multiple birds or tag a headshot on a valuable 3-star carcass. If using a Bow, use damage Ability Cards like 'Horseman', 'Landon's Patience', and 'Peak Condition' to add an arrow impact.
Dead Eye Ability Cards
| Card |
Note |
| A Moment to Recuperate |
While Dead Eye is active you regenerate health. Taking any damage will cancel Dead Eye. |
| Focus Fire |
While Dead Eye is active you and your team members deal more damage. If more than one member of your team has this ability active, the effects do not stack. |
| Paint It Black |
While Dead Eye is active you can paint targets onto enemies. Fire your weapon to shoot all marked targets. Each shot drains Dead Eye. |
| Slow And Steady |
While Dead Eye is active you take less damage and headshots do not kill you outright. You cannot run or sprint. |
| Quite An Inspiration |
While Dead Eye is active you and your allies regenerate health. If more than one member of your team has this ability active, the effects do not stack. |
| Slippery Bastard |
While Dead Eye is active enemy players cannot lock onto you, and you cannot lock onto them. Other enemies are less accurate when shooting at you. The rate at which your Dead Eye drains is dramatically increased. |
Combat Ability Cards
| Card |
Note |
| Gunslinger's Choice |
While dual-wielding, you deal more damage and are more accurate. |
| Horseman |
You deal a little more damage while on horseback. |
| Sharpshooter |
While using a scope, you deal more damage and take less damage. |
| Necessity Breeds |
As you get closer to death, you start to do a little more damage. |
| Landon's Patience |
Waiting for up to 15 seconds between shots slightly increases your damage. |
| The Short Game |
You deal more damage to targets closer to you, but less to far away targets. |
| Hangman |
Lasso chokes enemies dealing damage for every second they are lassoed. |
| Winning Streak |
Each consecutive shot on the same target does a little more damage. |
Recovery Ability Cards
| Card |
Note |
| Come Back Stronger |
Health begins regenerating a little sooner after you take damage. |
| Iron Lung |
Your Stamina regenerates faster, and you take less damage depending on your current Stamina level. |
| Kick In The Butt |
Whenever you take damage, a proportion of it is added to your Dead Eye. |
| Live For The Fight |
You regenerate Dead Eye slowly over time. |
| Ride Like The Wind |
Whenever you take or deal damage while mounted, a proportion of it is added to your horse's Health and Stamina. |
| Peak Condition |
You inflict a little more damage if your Stamina is at least 75% full. |
| Eye For An Eye |
Headshots restore a little Dead Eye. |
| The Gift Of Focus |
Items and Abilities which restore Dead Eye have their effects slightly improved. You deal a little less damage. |
| Strange Medicine |
You regain a little health whenever you inflict damage. Your health will otherwise regenerate at half the normal rate. |
| Cold Blooded |
After killing an enemy you will get back a little health over the next five seconds. |
Defense Ability Cards
| Card |
Note |
| Fool Me Once |
You take less damage each consecutive time you are shot. This effect ends if you are not shot for 10 seconds |
| Friends For Live |
While mounted, you and your horse take less damage |
| Strength In Numbers |
You take less damage for every nearby ally, up to a maximum of three allies |
| Hunker Down |
Take less damage while in cover. |
| To Fight Another Day |
Take less damage from bullets while sprinting. |
| The Unblinking Eye |
Dead Eye and Eagle Eye drain slower. |
| Take The Pain Away |
Reviving someone gives you and that person less damage taken for 8 seconds. |
| Of Single Purpose |
Take less damage from bullets while unarmed or using a melee weapon. |
| Never Without One |
Your hat will block one headshot and then fall off. If you are not wearing a hat you take more damage. |
Ability Cards Summary
| Lvl |
Dead Eye |
Combat |
Recovery |
Defense |
Weapon Unlock |
| 1 |
|
|
|
|
Navy Revolver |
| 2 |
A Moment To Recuperate |
|
|
|
Semi-Auto Shotgun |
| |
Focus Fire |
|
|
|
|
| |
Paint It Black |
|
|
|
|
| 5 |
|
|
|
|
Pump Action Shotgun |
| 10 |
|
Gunslinger's Choice |
Come Back Stronger |
Fool Me Once |
Bow |
| |
|
Horseman |
Iron Lung |
Friends For Live |
|
| |
|
Sharpshooter |
Kick In The Butt |
Strength In Numbers |
|
| |
|
|
Live For The Fight |
|
|
| |
|
|
Ride Like The Wind |
|
|
| 12 |
|
|
|
|
Lancaster Repeater |
| 13 |
|
|
|
|
Rolling Block Rifle |
| 14 |
|
|
Peak Condition |
|
|
| 16 |
|
Necessity Breeds |
|
|
|
| 18 |
|
Landon's Patience |
|
|
|
| 19 |
|
|
|
|
Sawed-Off Shotgun |
| 20 |
|
|
|
Hunker Down |
|
| 22 |
|
|
|
To Fight Another Day |
|
| 24 |
Slow And Steady |
|
|
|
|
| 26 |
|
|
|
The Unblinking Eye |
|
| 28 |
|
|
Eye For An Eye |
|
|
| 30 |
|
|
The Gift Of Focus |
|
Double-Barreled Shotgun |
| 32 |
|
|
Strange Medicine |
|
|
| 34 |
|
|
|
Take The Pain Away |
Mauser Pistol |
| 36 |
|
|
Cold Blooded |
|
|
| 38 |
|
The Short Game |
|
|
|
| 40 |
|
|
|
Of Single Purpose |
|
| 42 |
|
Hangman |
|
|
|
| 44 |
Quite An Inspiration |
|
|
|
|
| 46 |
|
|
|
Never Without One |
|
| 48 |
|
Winning Streak |
|
|
|
| 50 |
Slippery Bastard |
|
|
|
Carcano Rifle |
PvP Example
| Lvl |
Dead Eye |
Card 2 |
Card 3 |
Card 4 |
| 10 |
Paint It Black |
Sharpshooter |
Iron Lung |
Fool Me Once |
| 24 |
Slow And Steady |
Sharpshooter |
Iron Lung |
Fool Me Once |
| 48 |
Paint It Black |
Winning Streak |
Iron Lung |
Never Without One |
| 48 |
Slow And Steady |
Winning Streak |
Iron Lung |
Fool Me Once |
| 50 |
Slippery Bastard |
Sharpshooter / Winning Streak |
Iron Lung |
Never Without One |
PvE Example
| Level |
Dead Eye |
Card 2 |
Card 3 |
Card 4 |
| 32 |
Paint It Black |
Strange Medicine |
Fool Me Once |
Cold Blooded |
| 32 |
Slow And Steady |
Strange Medicine |
Cold Blooded |
Eye For An Eye / Kick In The Butt |
| 32 |
Slow And Steady |
Strange Medicine |
Fool Me Once |
Eye For An Eye / Kick In The Butt |
| 36 |
Paint It Black |
Strange Medicine |
Cold Blooded |
Eye For An Eye |
| 44 |
Quite An Inspiration |
Strange Medicine |
Cold Blooded |
Eye For An Eye |
| 44 |
Quite An Inspiration |
Strange Medicine |
Eye For An Eye |
Fool Me Once |
PvP and PVE Example
| Level |
Dead Eye |
Card 2 |
Card 3 |
Card 4 |
| 10 |
Paint It Black |
Sharpshooter / Gunslinger's Choice |
Iron Lung |
Fool Me Once |
| 24 |
Slow And Steady |
Notes
- "Slow and Steady" or "Never Without One" kills headshots. With a Permanent Posse Outfit you always respawn with a hat.
- "Slippery Bastard" increases the bloom size for the user and anyone aiming at them. It also makes bullets hit the bloom circle, not inside the circle.
- Arrow headshots are unaffected by an enemy's "Slow and Steady" and will kill them. Use "Paint It Black" to tag their head.
- Damage cards + "Paint It Black" kill "Slow and Steady".
- Bolas and Lasso can counter a player using "Slippery Bastard".
- "Paint It Black" with Bolas, Bows, and Throwables hit "Slippery Bastard" users.
- Use "Hangman" while Lassoing a player. Level III will kill a player using Health Tonics in seconds.
- "The Unblinking Eye" is good for any Dead Eye card and increases your Eagle Eye time. Use it to better track Bounties and animals.
- "Eye for an Eye" restores a lot of Dead Eye each headshot. A great alternative to Dead Eye consumables.
- "Strange Medicine" instantly gives you Health each time you damage a player. At the other side you regenerate Health slower.
- "To Fight Another Day" allows you to take less damage while sprinting and remains active while on horseback. This also applies while you're on wagons or carriages.
- "Peak Condition" gives you a max 8% damage buff and works while on Horseback. If your Stamina depletes so does the buff, but if you are on horseback then you will always have 100% Stamina. The card gives you a damage boost while at 100% Stamina. Even if the card doesn't light up on the top right.
- For predators and even Legendary predators, use "Slow and Steady" while on your horse. Your Horse will not buck you or run away in any circumstances. The predator will walk right against your horse and give you time to unload.