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!
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
| Abilty | Description |
|---|---|
| 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
| Abilty | Description |
|---|---|
| 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
| Ability | Unlock | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| A Moment to Recuperate | Default | Heal while Dead Eye is active |
| Focus Fire | Sold for $50 | Damage boosts you & your teammates while Dead Eye is active |
| Paint it Black | Sold for $50 | Allows you to manually tag / lock on to enemies for barrage of shots |
| Slow and Steady | Rank 24 | You take less damage when Dead Eye is active, and headshots do not instantly kill you |
| Quite an Inspiration | Rank 44 | Heals you & your teammates while Dead Eye is active |
| Slippery Bastard | Rank 50 | Enemies 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
| Ability | Unlock | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Horseman | Rank 10 | Damage increased while on horseback |
| Necessity Breeds | Rank 16 | Lower heath increases damage |
| Landon’s Patience | Rank 18 | Waiting up to 15 seconds between attacks increases damage |
| The Short Game | Rank 38 | Damage increased to closer targets, damage decreased to farther targets |
| Hangman | Rank 42 | Lassoing enemies deals damage per second |
| Winning Streak | Rank 48 | Consecutive shots deals increased damage |
Recovery Ability Card List
| Ability | Unlock | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Come Back Stronger | Rank 10 | Shortens cooldown before your damage autoheals |
| Peak Condition | Rank 14 | Damage increased when Stamina is 75% or above |
| Eye for an Eye | Rank 28 | Headshot restores Dead Eye gauge |
| The Gift of Focus | Rank 30 | Item & Ability restores more Dead Eye gauge Damage decreased |
| Strange Medicine | Rank 32 | Dealing damage heals you Regular HP regeneration speed halved |
| Cold Blooded | Rank 36 | Killing enemy heals you over time for 5 seconds |
Defense Ability Card List
| Ability | Unlock | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Hunker Down | Rank 20 | Take less damage while in cover |
| To Fight Another Day | Rank 22 | Take less damage while sprinting |
| The Unblinking Eye | Rank 26 | Dead Eye & Eagle Eye gauge drains slower |
| Take the Pain Away | Rank 34 | Reviving a player grants you and the target defense boost for 8 seconds |
| Of Single Purpose | Rank 40 | Take less damage while using melee weapon or unarmed |
| Never without One | Rank 46 | Hats will block a single headshot Takes more damage without hats |
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 Slot | Unlocked at |
|---|---|
| Dead Eye | Default |
| 1st Passive | 10 |
| 2nd Passive | 20 |
| 3rd Passive | 40 |
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.
Red Dead Online Related Articles
A Land Of Opportunities Story Mission Walkthrough
Check Out A Land Of Opportunities Missions Here!Honorable Missions
Dishonorable Missions
| Mission Walkthrough | |
|---|---|
| Kerosene, Tar, and Greed | More Than One Way To Earn A Buck |
| These Bastards Can Fight | Banks Don't Rob Themselves |
Showdown & Race Series
| Shootout & Team Shootout | Make it Count |
| Most Wanted | Hostile Territory |
| Name your Weapon | Race Series |
| Spoils Of War | Plunder |
| Gun Rush | Up In Smoke |
| Overrun | Target Races |
