Dead Island 2 – Best Skill Cards

One of the most fun gameplay mechanics of Dead Island 2 is the Skill Deck System. It allows you to equip various skill cards for different abilities and buff in the game. You can obtain these skill cards by killing bosses and normal zombies or even found as loot on the street. With dozens of options to choose from, you must be wondering what the best skill cards in Dead Islands 2 are. So, let’s see our picks for the best skill cards in each skill category.

For help with Dead Island 2, check out 11 Dead Island 2 tips and tricks you must know before playing the game and where to find Curtis Safe Key in Dead Island 2.

Best Skill Cards to Equip in Dead Island 2

Most of the skills cards in Dead Island 2 are universal, giving you great build flexibility. Moreover, the cards can be switched anytime, even during combat. There are four skill categories, each with a set of skill cards to be slotted. Following is the list of the best skill cards for each category.

• Abilities: Dodge, Drop Kick, Dash Strike, Blood Rush, Scream
• Survivor: Vivisuction, Ravenous, Corpse Bomb, Short Fuse
• Slayer: Hammer Fist, Skull Skewer, Pummel, Voltaic Scream
• Numen: Born Survivor, Corpse Blossom

Best Abilities Skill Cards

You can equip five abilities cards to be used for five different ability mechanics in the game. Let’s take a look at our top pick for each ability.

• Dodge:
  • The first one is a defensive ability where you can choose between a Dodge or Block card. Dodging works much more efficiently in the game, making this ability far superior to blocking. Hence, the Dodge card should be used as your go-to defensive ability.
• Drop Kick:
  • The second slot ability card is a jump kick, where you can choose between the Flying Kick or Drop Kick skill cards. Drop Kick is arguably a better choice, as it ensures you get a drop on the zombies while in mid-air. Its strength and utility surpass the Flying Kick by a significant margin.
• Dash Strike:
  • Next up is the special attack slot, which gives you a choice between War Cry, Dash Strike, and Ground Pound cards. While they’re all strong and situational skills, Dash Strike is the best choice for all characters due to its mobility, allowing you to dash into zombies, weakening them.
• Blood Rush:
  • The fourth ability slot is the Autophage skill slot that helps you build your Fury, which is used for the special attack. Out of all four available Autophage skill cards, Blood Rush works best in building Fury, which tops up the meter each time you slay zombies and perform counterattacks.
• Scream:
  • Finally, the last ability is the Fury attack which gives you special zombie-like powers. While each Fury attack is strong, providing you with a solid infected ability, Scream works best on all characters, unleashing a howl at the nearby zombies and weakening them.

More N4G Unlocked: How To Change Weapons in Dead Island 2

Best Survivor Skill Cards

There are 25 Survivor skill cards in Dead Island, and you can slot four at once. They provide passive buffs to your character and your ability cards. While some of the Survivor skill cards are character specific, most are universal and can be used on any character. So let’s see our picks for those top Survivor skill cards.

• Vivisuction:
  • This Survivor skill card requires you to equip the ability Dash Strike, as it amplifies your dash. The buff that Vivisuction provides allows you to regain health each time you hit the zombies with Dash Strike.
• Ravenous:
  • Our next three cards will strengthen your Fury ability. You can pump it up so well you can go on zombie rampage mode without hassle. The first skill card that lets you do that is Ravenous, which constantly regenerates your Fury bar while you’re in Fury mode.
• Corpse Bomb:
  • The next card that helps make your Fury attack overpowered is the Corpse Bomb. It turns each killed zombie during the Fury mode into a bomb that explodes and deals area-of-effect damage to the enemies in its vicinity. So, your Fury mode can be used to take out hordes of zombies at once.
• Short Fuse:
  • Finally, one card you must have in your Survival skill slot is Short Fuse, regardless of your character and build. It allows you to enter into the Fury mode when your Fury energy is only half full, allowing you to harness the powers of the infected to the fullest.

More N4G Unlocked: How To Get Zombie Parts in Dead Island 2

Best Slayer Skill Cards

The next category of skill cards that work well with Survivor cards is the Slayer cards. They’re a great source of boosting your stats and complimenting your other abilities in various ways. While some Slayer cards are character-specific, others can be equipped universally. Here is our list of the best Slayer cards in the game for all four slots.

• Hammer Fist:
  • Hammer Fist amplifies your Dash Strike, giving it a boost in the force so it packs more punch. When combined with the skill cards Vivisuction and Hammer Fist, Dash Strike becomes one of the strongest abilities in the game, allowing you to lay waste to zombie groups without Fury mode.
• Skull Skewer:
  • It’s a simple yet deadly skill that makes the zombies explode each time you headshot them with a throwing weapon. If you have a good aim, you can easily turn each zombie into a domestic nuke.
• Pummel:
  • Your first attack on the zombies would have a weaker Force. However, with each consecutive attack, your Force grows stronger, providing you with a significant damage bonus. It’s a great card to ensure your melee attacks pack a heavy punch.
• Voltaic Scream:
  • The Voltaic Scream card buffs your Fury mode ability, Scream, allowing you to electrify the zombies affected by your Shriek. So now, not only do you weaken the zombies with your ability, but you also give them a massive shock.

Best Numen Skill Cards

Numen skill cards are obtained pretty late into the game, and with only two slots, they have the strongest effects. Let’s see which 2 Numen cards reign supreme.

• Born Survivor:
  • One of the most broken cards in the game, Born Survivor gives you a special Fury mode each time you drop down to critical health. Your health is restored each time you attack a zombie in this Fury mode.
• Corpse Blossom:
  • When you have Corpse Blossom equipped, each time you kill a zombie from a negative status effect, its corpse explodes, applying the same effect to the zombies in the area. It’s great for chain-killing zombies in tricky situations.