Dead Island 2 Ability Card Guide

In Dead Island 2, you can choose from one of six survivors at the start of the game, and these characters have different attributes with unique innate abilities. The Skill Deck in Dead Island 2 works through Skill Cards, and you need to know how to combine them correctly to give your Slayer the maximum boost. Here you will find everything you need to know about Skill Cards and how they work in Dead Island 2.

How to unlock ability cards in Dead Island 2

Skill cards can be unlocked as you progress through the game by beating new levels. The first ability card is unlocked during the Desperately Seeking Emma quest after turning the mansion gate back on. You’ll be rewarded with a Skill Card and Skill slots for leveling up your character, and we recommend completing story missions to earn massive XP.

Leveling up also increases your maximum health, replenishing the health bar. Some of the ability cards are also tied to different quests or hidden in explorable locations. You can also get certain ability cards to defeat stronger infected zombies when you meet them in the game. Explore the various locations in Hell-A while fighting hordes of zombies to quickly level up and find these ability cards.

How does the Skill Deck work in Dead Island 2?

The Skill Deck features the four different levels of Skills that your Slayer can gain as you progress through the game. These four categories of Skills have specific slots where you can equip Skill Cards from their respective categories. Skill card slots are unlocked as you progress through the game. In total, you can select 15 different Skill Cards in the Skill Deck slots. Keep in mind that your playstyle will be based on the ability cards you have equipped in your ability deck. Here are all the types of abilities and ability card slots in Dead Island 2.

• Skills – Five slots for skill cards
• Survivor – Four slots for skill cards
• Killer – Four slots for skill cards
• number – Two slots for skill cards

All abilities ability cards in Dead Island 2

Defensive Skill Cards

• Block – Press L1 with directional input to defend against enemy attack. Well-timed blocks to restore your stamina and stun zombies, leaving them open to a devastating counterattack.
• Dodge – Press L1 with directional input to evade enemy attack. You dodge at the right time to regain your stamina and stun the zombies, leaving them open to a devastating counterattack.

Jump Kick Ability Cards

• throw kick – Perform a powerful Jump Kick attack that can send normal zombies flying.
• jumping kick – Perform a powerful Jump Kick attack.

special attack ability cards

• War cry – Shouts a war cry that increases the toughness of teammates and weakens nearby enemies.
• earth and pound – Launches a forceful strike to the ground that drains the Stability of nearby enemies.
• stroke stroke – Run towards zombies, weakening enemies.

fury ability cards

• Bloodstream: Kill zombies and perform counter attacks to generate fury.
• Served Cold –
• Surgical Focus – This is an Autophage skill. Mutilate zombies to build Fury, but don’t lose focus. However, taking damage will deplete Fury.
• Street Fighter – This is an Autophage skill.

Fury Special Attack Ability Cards

• overhead blow – While in Fury mode, let yourself go and unleash a powerful Ground Smash.
• Shout – In Fury mode, emit a piercing wail that weakens nearby zombies.
• spitting cobra – In Fury mode, vomit caustic bile on unsuspecting zombies.

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All survivor ability cards in Dead Island 2

• short fuse – Unleash Fury mode as soon as the meter is more than half full.
• Safe Space – Using a medkit triggers a strong explosion that drains the stability of nearby zombies.
• Pain threshold – Block or dodge an attack to slightly increase the damage.
• pain magazine – Blocking or dodging at the right time increases the cooldown of curveball pitches.
• Blockbuster – Timely blocks trigger a forceful explosion that drains the stamina of nearby zombies.
• Burst -The Ground and Pound attack sets zombies on fire, but also drains your health.
• Bracing – Counter zombies to get more health, even more than usual.
• Wrecking ball – Flying Kick attacks weaken zombies.
• War cry – War Cry restores health and removes harmful status effects from your teammates and those nearby.
• greased pig – Break free when a zombie catches you.
• Security First: Blocking or dodging at the right time restores health.
• Firm – Block attacks in quick succession to moderately increase Toughness and Strength.
• shrapnel shrapnel – Dash attacks get a huge damage boost and can send regular zombies flying.
• visuction – Dash Hit enemies to recover health.
• Earthquake – Your Ground and Pound attack gets a huge boost to strength that can send regular zombies flying.
• warm feet – This is an Autophage skill. Drop Kick attacks power up zombies, but also drain your character’s health.
• Ray – Dash Strike attacks electrify zombies, but also drain your health.
• bob and knit (only for Amy and Bruno) –
• armored head (for Carla and Ryan only) – The Drop Kick attack unleashes a strong explosion that drains the stability of nearby enemies.
• serial killer (Jacob and Dani only): Kill a zombie for increased damage.

All Slayer ability cards in Dead Island 2

• Skull Skewers – Hit a zombie on the head with a weapon launch to unleash a powerful explosion.
• Surgeon – Mutilate a zombie to moderately increase Damage.
• breakdancer – Slide attack on a zombie to moderately increase agility and attack speed.
• Janus’s Wrath – Grants a moderate Toughness boost when Fury is full, and gains a minor boost when Fury
• the limb reaper – Mutilate a zombie to restore health.
• Relentless – Attacks on downed zombies give a small boost to damage.
• Mercilessly – Attacks on zombies that suffer a damaging status effect gain a moderate increase in damage.
• Heavyweight – This is an Autophage skill. Heavy attacks increase the damage a lot, but also drain your health.
• clear sight lines – Take down a zombie to moderately increase the damage of your ranged weapons, weapon throws, and curves.
• far from over – Block attacks or take damage from a zombie in quick succession for a minor damage boost that can stack multiple times.
• pyro – In Fury mode, your melee and overhead smash attacks set zombies on fire, but also consume more Fury.
• voltaic steam – Shout attacks electrify nearby enemies.
• weave – Hit a zombie with a curveball item to trigger a recharge boost that can stack multiple times.
• corpse bomb – In Fury Mode, slain zombies explode in powerful explosions.
• Butcher shop – In Fury Mode, your attacks gain a large increase in Damage and Strength, but also consume additional Fury.
• Hunting season – Hit a zombie with a ranged weapon or weapon throw to moderately increase the damage of your melee weapons.
• Eliminate the weak – Attacks on low health zombies get a small boost to damage.
• group therapy – Kill zombies in quick succession to recover stamina.
• Volatile – This is an Autophage skill. In Fury Mode, your melee attacks trigger an explosion on impact, but also consume additional Fury.
• hack and run – Mutilate a zombie to increase your attack speed.
• giant – Deal damage with air attacks to increase fury and deal more damage.
• tools of the trade – Eliminate zombies with melee weapons to increase damage.

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All Numen ability cards in Dead Island 2

• Glass cannon – Gives a boost to critical damage, more so during critical health, but also drains Toughness.
• seismic storm – Skull Stomps unleashes a forceful explosion that drains the stability of nearby enemies.
• Bad anger management – This is an Autophage skill. When your rage is depleted, you will remain in rage mode, but will begin to drain health until it is depleted.
• born survivor – This is an Autophage skill. When you are about to die, a strong explosion will go off, depleting your fury. Attack zombies to recover health.
• corpse flower – Zombies killed with Fire, Shock or Quastic damage will detonate a powerful explosion of the same damage type.

For more Dead Island 2 guides, check out How to Complete The Clean and Snatch in Dead Island 2 or Is There New Game Plus in Dead Island 2? in professional gaming guides.