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Ability Card List & Loadout (Red Dead Online)

RDR2 | Ability Card List & Loadout (Red Dead Online) | Red Dead Redemption 2

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Learn all about the Ability Cards list & effects available in Red Dead Online (RDO), along with details about the loadouts and unlock condition of each Card in this article!

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What is Red Dead Online?

Recommended Ability Card Loadout

Recommended For Shootouts With Many Enemies

This versatile loadout gives you the benefits of increasing your DPS, survivability, and health recovery. It's important to keep you character alive while dealing ample amounts of damage when facing several enemies.

Recommended Ability Cards

AbiltyDescription
Paint It Black
(Dead Eye)
This ability lets you manually lock onto your enemies and shoot them simultaneously. This is extremely useful at a shootout with many enemies clumped together in one area.
Hunker Down
(Passive)
Hunker Down lessens the damage you receive when being shot at while under cover. This makes sure you have ample time aim & line up your shots.
Peak Condition
(Passive)
Peak Condition increases the damage you deal if your stamina bar is 75% full. This is effective when under cover as you don't use up any stamina.
Strange Medicine
(Passive)
Dealing damage regularly will heal you. This is great to have when you are constantly shooting at enemies, with no lull in between shots.

Recommended For Missions On Horseback

These ability cards are especially useful for combat while on horseback. Other than assisting you in taking down enemies, these ability cards will also help keep you alive in case you are not able to headshot targets.

Recommended Ability Cards

AbiltyDescription
Focus Fire
(Dead Eye)
Aiming while on horseback can be a challenge - Focus Fire increases the damage you deal when Dead Eye is active, helping you make deadlier shots even while riding your horse.
Horseman
(Passive)
Horseman increases your damage to enemies when riding your horse. This is an extremely useful ability to activate during escort or train heist missions.
Winning Streak
(Passive)
This ability increases the damage your consecutive shots deal to the same target. This is helpful to take down targets that you weren't able to instantly kill with your shots.
Cold Blooded
(Passive)
This passive ability heals you for over 5 seconds after you've killed an enemy. While riding on horseback, you have no cover or defense, so this skill will help keep your health up.

All Ability Card List in Red Dead Online

Dead Eye Ability Card List

AbilityUnlockEffect
A Moment to RecuperateDefaultHeal while Dead Eye is active
Focus FireSold for $50Damage boosts you & your teammates while Dead Eye is active
Paint it BlackSold for $50Allows you to manually tag / lock on to enemies for barrage of shots
Slow and SteadyRank 24You take less damage when Dead Eye is active, and headshots do not instantly kill you
Quite an InspirationRank 44Heals you & your teammates while Dead Eye is active
Slippery BastardRank 50Enemies will not be able to lock on & receives accuracy penalty
You will not be able to lock on & Dead Eye gauge drain speed increases

Passive Ability Card List

Combat Ability Card List

AbilityUnlockEffect
HorsemanRank 10Damage increased while on horseback
Necessity BreedsRank 16Lower heath increases damage
Landon’s PatienceRank 18Waiting up to 15 seconds between attacks increases damage
The Short GameRank 38Damage increased to closer targets, damage decreased to farther targets
HangmanRank 42Lassoing enemies deals damage per second
Winning StreakRank 48Consecutive shots deals increased damage

Recovery Ability Card List

AbilityUnlockEffect
Come Back StrongerRank 10Shortens cooldown before your damage autoheals
Peak ConditionRank 14Damage increased when Stamina is 75% or above
Eye for an EyeRank 28Headshot restores Dead Eye gauge
The Gift of FocusRank 30Item & Ability restores more Dead Eye gauge
Damage decreased
Strange MedicineRank 32Dealing damage heals you
Regular HP regeneration speed halved
Cold BloodedRank 36Killing enemy heals you over time for 5 seconds

Defense Ability Card List

AbilityUnlockEffect
Hunker DownRank 20Take less damage while in cover
To Fight Another DayRank 22Take less damage while sprinting
The Unblinking EyeRank 26Dead Eye & Eagle Eye gauge drains slower
Take the Pain AwayRank 34Reviving a player grants you and the target defense boost for 8 seconds
Of Single PurposeRank 40Take less damage while using melee weapon or unarmed
Never without OneRank 46Hats will block a single headshot
Takes more damage without hats

What are Ability Cards?

What are Ability Cards?

Equippable Perks / Ability to Enhance Player's Status

Ability Cards are selectable perks available only in Red Dead Online. Equipping these cards will provide stat bonuses varying from HP recovery, damage bonuses and more.

Dead Eye Ability Card Dramatically Changes the Skill Effects

Dead Eye ability in particular will dramatically change how your Dead Eye works in Red Dead Online. These unique abilities varies from allowing you to boost team stats and locking on to enemies.

Acquired Ability Cards Can Be Leveled Up with XP

Acquired Ability Cards can be levelled up to provide more powerful effects by levelling them up through your adventures. You may level up your Ability Cards by simply equipping them during your missions.

Ability Card Loadout Slot Need to be Unlocked in Order to Equip

In order to equip your Ability Card, you will first have to unlock a compatible Loadout Slot. Additional Ability Card Slots will be unlocked by Ranking up.

Rank Required to Unlock Ability Card Slot

Abilty SlotUnlocked at
Dead EyeDefault
1st Passive10
2nd Passive20
3rd Passive40

Total of 4 Ability Cards Can be Equipped at Once

You will be able to equip 1 Dead Eye Ability Card and 3 Passive Ability Card at once when you have reached Rank 40 or above. Be sure to keep your loadout decked out to gain Ability benefits & level them up!

Additional Ability Cards Unlocked by Ranking Up

Additional Ability Cards (aside from Dead Eye Ability "A Moment to Recuperate", "Focus Fire" and "Paint it Black") will be unlocked as you rank up your character.

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All trademarks, character and/or image used in this article are the copyrighted property of their respective owners.
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