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How to win a duel in Red Dead Redemption 2
Follow these tips to make sure you’re the one left standing.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, you’ll find that duelling – the favourite pastime of folk in the Wild West – is quite tough to master. There are two phases within a duel and making sure you know how to get the most out of both is half the battle.
Whether you’re duelling with someone during a main mission, you’re looking for the gunslingers, or one of the locals wants to teach you a lesson, duelling is literally a matter of life and death. We’ve put together a guide on how to get the win, and how to get the outcome you want, without having to kill anyone.
1. Remain calm
While it can seem pretty nerve wracking when you enter a duel, you actually have a bit of time to make sure you get a good shot, so don’t panic – take a deep breath and handle the pressure by focusing on the task at hand. There are two phases in a duel, so you’re not firing straight away. The draw phase comes first – this is where you plan your shot. The second is where you get to pick your target, and with Dead Eye you’ve got plenty of chances to kill or disarm your opponent. Whilst there is a time limit in the draw phase (see below), you’ve got more time than you realise, so remain calm.
2. Apply some pressure
The softer you press the R2/RT button, the more your gauge fills up
© Rockstar Games
The first phase of any duel is the draw, and this can go badly if you don’t know how it works. You’ll see a circular gauge pop up in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and this indicates how much time you get to pick your spot of impact when firing your gun. The softer you press the R2/RT button, the more your gauge fills up. If you click the button, it’s lights out. However, if you press the button too softly, you’ll not get the time to aim accurately. Make sure you find the right amount of pressure when pressing the button, as this will fill the gauge up at a steady pace and give more time in the next phase.
3. Where should you aim?
Red Dead Redemption 2
© Red Bull
The next phase is all about aiming at your opponent. Pressing R2/RT again once your gauge is filled brings up the Aim phase, triggering Dead Eye. This is where you get the chance to find the spot where you want that bullet to go. Some duels require you to kill, but that’s not always the case. Obviously, aiming for the head or the heart means certain death, but providing you have your wits about you, aiming for the hand will knock the gun out of their grip, disarming your opponent.
4. Fire quickly
When you’re ready to shoot, do it with conviction
© Rockstar Games
Once you’ve picked your target, pressing R2/RT again will cause you to fire the gun and make the shot. When you’re ready to shoot, do it with conviction. There’s no need to press anything softly anymore, just executing that shot is all you need to do to get the job done – just make sure you’re 100 percent happy with where that bullet is going to go.
5. Level up Dead Eye
During the course of the game, you’ll level up your Dead Eye, and the higher the level, the better you’ll do in a duel. The time spent in Dead Eye will increase, and weaknesses of the enemy – such as the heart – will be highlighted. You still have a decent shot within a duel regardless of your level, but having a higher rank means the tougher duels will be easier to win. To improve your rank, you’ll need to play through each chapter to unlock a new level; there are five ranks in total, and by chapter six you’ll be able to highlight fatal and critical areas, automatically tag different targets, and keep using Dead Eye after firing.
