Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

We tell you how to get the best skills of each character: Lazarus, Flynn, Kla’lish, Gene Carter, Old Man Bill and Jolly Elk

Before we move on to the analysis of all the characters, I will draw your attention to the fact that many skills are unlocked for the presence of certain combinations of cards. You will only be able to open one specific card each (for example, there are no two aces of the same suit), so the number of these combinations is limited.

More about card combinations:

• Pair– any two identical cards (for example, two aces).
• Two Pair– two combinations of two paired cards (for example, two aces and two kings).
• Set– any three identical cards (for example, three aces or three kings).
• Flush– five cards of the same suit.
• Full House– five cards, one combo of two identical cards and a second combo of three identical cards (for example, two aces and three kings).
• Fourof a kind – any four identical cards (for example, four aces or kings).
• Straight Flush– a set of five evenly growing cards of any suit (for example, from “six” to “ten”).
• A royal flushis five cards of the same suit from ten to ace.
• Five of a kindis an unusual combination. Four nines and a joker. Can only be given to one character.

Lazarus

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Main skill: “Transfusion I”. Lazarus can swap his current HP and status effects with another character. Sometimes it can save you or become some kind of turning point in the battle. However, it is quite a situational ability.

All Lazarus skills:

• Eye for an eye. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Ally”. Effect: At the start of his turn, if half of his party is dead, Lazarus gains +1 weapon damage.
• Tooth for tooth. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Friend”. Effect: At the start of his turn, if half of his party is dead, Lazarus gains +1 weapon damage.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.
• Available by default. Effect: Replaces Crouch with Purify. This skill removes all negative statuses from Lazarus.
• Transfusion I. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: Lazarus swaps HP and statuses with another party member in sight. Range – 12. Consumes 1 AP.
• Fiery sermon. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least two pairs. Effect: Every time Lazarus kills someone, he gains the Bandage status.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a pistol.
• Transfusion II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: Can only transfuse the blood of an ordinary person or a dead person.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• around the finger. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: If Lazarus has 100 luck points, he spends them and restores his health to full.
• Shotgun guy. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a shotgun.
• Transfusion III. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: At this level, the range of the skill is increased from 18 to 25.
• On the alert. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: If Lazarus is at full health at the start of his turn, he gains Duelist status.
• Armor of Faith. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: If Lazarus is below 75% HP at the start of his turn, he gains the Crouch status and stops burning.
• Don’t kill. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: Every time Lazarus kills someone not from hiding, he is cursed.

What weapon is best to use: any – Lazarus has bonuses for pistols and shotguns (depending on the cards used).

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Which cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: In order to get the best skills from cards for Lazarus, one of the characters in Hard West 2, you will need a pair to unlock the Transfusion ability. You can get upgrades by making straights and four of a kind, but it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it. In terms of card suits, Lazarus suits diamonds (luck/hit chance) and spades (strike chance/crit chance). Don’t give him the heart cards, as they will give Bill more advantage.

To be fair, Lazarus is one of the most annoying characters in Hard West 2. This is primarily due to the situational use of Transfusion: you need to lower Lazarus’ health to a low level, and only then use Transfusion on Bill. After that, Bill will deal more damage due to his main skill, Dead Man’s Revenge.

Also try to use the skill on a strong opponent with maximum health (provided that Lazarus also has low health).

Cla’lish

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Primary Skill: Deceptive Spirit. Kla’lish summons the spirit of a warrior. By default, he will last in battle for one turn and will distract opponents. In fact, thanks to this skill, you will be able to prevent an attack on the rest of the squad members.

All Kla’lish skills:

• Fire resistance. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Ally”. Effect: The character is not affected by burning.
• Foretold fate. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Friend”. Effect: If Kla’lish has at least 100 Luck, she gains +1 Weapon Damage.
• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.
• Guy with a rifle. Available by default. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a rifle.
• Eagle Eye. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: The character reveals the fog of war at a greater distance than others.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• Deceptive spirit. The main skill of the character, which is available by default. Consumes 1 AP. Kla’lish summons a spirit that distracts enemies for 1 round.
• The sense of a killer. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: When Kla’lish is affected by Bravado, she adds 10% to her True Shot Chance.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with melee weapons.
• Retention of breath. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: If Kla’lish has at least partial cover at the start of her turn, she gains +1 Trueshot Damage Ratio.
• Deceptive Spirit II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: Kla’lish summons a spirit that distracts enemies for 2 rounds and can move and attack.
• Wounded lynx. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: If Kla’lish is below 75% HP at the start of her turn, she gains +5 Speed ​​(Movement Range).

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: The character gains +5% to the chance of a well-aimed shot with a rifle.
• Deceptive Spirit III. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: Kla’lish summons a spirit that distracts enemies for 2 rounds and can move, attack, and cripple enemies.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: At the start of its turn, Kla’lish gains dueling status.

Best Weapon to Use: Rifles (Primary) – While Kla’lish can use other weapons, she has a +1 bonus to rifle damage by default.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Which cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: To get the best Kla’lish skills in Hard West 2, you need to collect two pairs to unlock the Deceitful Spirit ability. Later, be sure to collect a full house and a royal flush. In terms of card suits, diamonds (luck/hit chance) and spades (bull’s eye/crit chance) are decent choices, as you’ll probably use Kla’lish in mid to long range fights.

However, her skills pale in comparison to the other members of your party. At its best, Deceitful Spirit is used as a deterrent, as well as a means of inflicting damage on targets. However, the improved skill will allow the spirit to stay in combat for two turns on the same cooldown. That is, the pumped skill has no cooldown (although the spirit can still be killed).

Old Man Bill

Primary Skill: Dead Man’s Revenge. Deals 2 base damage to all enemies in Bill’s line of sight as long as they are within 12 tiles of him. Additional damage is also dealt (+1 for every 4 HP Bill has already lost). It sounds ridiculous, but this ability can turn the tide of battle, as you can kill several opponents at once.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

All skills of Old Man Bill:

• Invigorating wounds. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Ally”. Effect: At the start of the turn, if Bill’s HP is below 50%, he gains +10% True Shot Chance.
• An autopsy will show. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Friend”. Effect: At the start of the turn, if Bill’s HP is below 25%, he gains +1 Weapon Damage.
• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• Available by default. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a pistol.
• Dead Man’s Revenge I. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: Bill deals damage to every enemy in sight. The damage is increased by 1 for every 4 HP lost by Bill. Consumes 1 AP. Effective range – 1-12.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least two pairs. Effect: the hero has resistance to shock and intoxication
• Winner takes all! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: If Bill has at least 100 Luck, he gains +1 Trueshot Damage Ratio.
• Without blood. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: The character is not affected by bleeding.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with melee weapons.
• Dead Man’s Revenge II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: At this level, the range of the shot is increased, from 12 to 18.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: At the start of the turn, if Bill has no cover, he gains Duelist status.
• Fire resistance. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: The character is not affected by burning.
• Now I’m hanging on to you! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: If Bill has the “Duelist” status, he will counterattack as many attacks as he wants.
• Dead Man’s Revenge III. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: At this level, the range of the shot and the base damage are increased.

Which weapon is best to use: pistols or shotguns. The need for line of sight means that you will often be in close proximity to opponents. This means that in such situations, pistols and shotguns will be much more useful.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Which cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: To get the best skills of Old Man Bill from Hard West 2, you need to collect a couple by unlocking Dead Man’s Revenge. Then get to a full house for an ability upgrade and collect Five of a Kind to maximize damage. The last combination includes a royal flush, which is required to unlock the ability to counterattack the opponents who attacked you.

As for card suits, Bill is ideally suited for worms, which increase health points and vitality. Ideally, you should bring him to the front line so that he absorbs damage and takes all the blows. This will also increase the damage dealt by Dead Man’s Revenge.

With Old Man Bill, you can use the following tricks:

• Have Flynn take a position with a line of sight. Use Shadow Switch on Bill to activate Dead Man’s Revenge.
• If Lazarus is in critical condition, use Transfusion on Bill. Bill will lose health, but get a significant damage boost, and Lazarus will heal.
• Enemies that weren’t killed by Bill’s ability can be finished off by the rest of the squad using the Bravado chain.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Cheerful wapiti

Primary Skill: Wild Run I. Throws at the target, dealing 4 base damage and additional damage for every 2 tiles traveled. This is a powerful ability that can drain a significant amount of health in one hit, as well as bring you closer to other enemies for even more melee attacks. This will lead to multiple chain kills through Bravado.

All the skills of the Merry Elk:

• Pick up the pace. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Ally”. Effect: At the start of the turn, if Elk has no cover, he gains t cover, he gains +5 speed.
• Second wind. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Friend”. Effect: At the start of the turn, if the Elk’s HP is below 25%, he gains the Bandage status.
• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.
• Available by default. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with melee weapons.
• Wild Run I. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: Elk’s dashing charge increases his base damage by 1 for every 2 cells traveled. The character does not attack back.
• Born Predator. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least two pairs. Effect: Each time Jolly Elk kills someone, he gains +1% True Shot Chance until the end of the quest.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: The hero has resistance to shock and drunkenness.
• Shotgun guy. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a shotgun.
• Wild Run II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: When hitting an enemy, Elk emits a battle cry that shocks enemies for 1 turn (the character cannot shoot, his field of vision narrows).
• Without blood. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: The character is not affected by bleeding.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: The character gains +5% True Shot Chance when attacking with a melee weapon.
• Wild Run III. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: Elk’s warcry activates the “Defender of the Weak” effect on allies (the character attacks back when attacked with a single directed attack).
• I’ll take revenge! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: At the start of the turn, if half of the party is dead, Elk gains Bloodlust.
• See me! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: Every time Elk kills someone not from cover, he gains +1 Trueshot Damage Ratio.

What weapon is best to use: melee weapon (primary) and shotgun (secondary). Naturally, a melee specialist like Jolly Elk needs a melee weapon (such as clubs, knives, or axes). The shotgun can be used in the second slot, switching to it if you need to shoot enemies in a wide arc after using the Wild Run ability.

Which cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: To get the best skills for the Jolly Elk from Hard West 2, you need to collect a couple and unlock the Wild Run. Later on you should focus on the flush and straight flush to improve this ability. Meanwhile, the best suit will be a tambourine. As for the five-of-a-kind skill cards, Old Man Bill is the first in line, but Jolly Elk can be given the second set. Or Gene Carter.

As far as character usage goes, Jolly Elk is as simple as it gets: rush at your enemies and beat them to a pulp. Similarly, all of his melee attacks cost only one Action Point (AP), so you can hit the same opponent two or three times. “Wild Run” try to overcome long distances, inflicting even more additional damage to enemies. then attack with melee weapons, where necessary, finish off with a shotgun. You can also use Flynn’s Shadow Swap ability to bring enemies closer to Jolly Elk if necessary.

Last but not least, you should beware of Wendigo. Monsters counterattack in close combat, and they do it before you hit them. This means that Jolly Elk will take unnecessary damage anyway.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Flynn

Primary Skill: Shadow Swap. Flynn switches places with any character in her line of sight. She and her target both lose 1 HP. This will allow you to get to hard-to-reach places, clear out deadly enemies, or keep up the kill streak through Bravado.

All character skills:

• Full pocket of cones. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Ally”. Effect: If Flynn’s Luck is 0, she gains +25 Luck.
• Dead draw. To unlock, you need to upgrade loyalty to the rank of “Friend”. Effect: When Flynn is affected by Bravado, she gains +1 Trueshot Damage Ratio.
• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• Lucky case. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: If Flynn has at least 100 Luck, she gains +10% True Shot Chance.
• Shadow Change I. The main skill of the character, which is available by default. Consumes 1 AP. Effect: Flynn switches places with a character in line of sight. They both lose 1 HP each.
• Shadow substitution II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming two pairs. Effect: This level’s effect has no cooldown.
• Shotgun guy. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a shotgun.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: The character is resistant to becoming a Cluster.
• Shadow Change III. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: Enemies also gain the Bleeding status for 3 turns, losing 2 health each.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: The character gains +5% shotgun hit chance.
• Guy with a rifle. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a rifle.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• I won’t die here! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: At the start of the turn, if one party member is killed, Flynn gains Duelist status.
• Below grass. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: At the start of his turn, Flynn gains the Crouch status and stops burning.
• Devilish luck. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: The character gains double luck when he misses and also when he is shot at.

What weapons are best to use: shotguns (primary) and rifles (secondary). Flynn has a couple of card perks associated with this weapon. Shotguns are ideal as she can teleport up close to enemies and attack them all at once. Alternatively, if she can teleport to higher ground, long-range sniper rifles will do.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

Which cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: To get the best skills for Flynn from Hard West 2, you will need two pairs for the Shadow Changeling upgrade. You can go further and unlock a skill with extra shotgun damage. Later, you’ll need a full house for extra shotgun crit chance or a straight flush to get duelist status (assuming one of your party members is dead). You probably won’t need abilities for a royal flush or five of a kind, so leave the cards for other characters.

In terms of card suits, spades are perfect for boosting shotgun crit chance when attacking at close range.

Finally, Flynn’s Shadow Changeling ability provides incredible tactical flexibility. Here are some examples:

• Get an enemy close to the All Elk so they can melee them and gain Bravado.
• Rush towards the group of enemies and switch places with Old Man Bill. Thanks to this, he will be able to use Dead Man’s Revenge.

Gin

Primary Skill: Shadow Shot. Jin shoots demonic bullets in a straight line. They go through walls, hitting multiple enemies as long as they are all at the same height. This is a great ability that can quickly take out multiple opponents if they are well placed on the map.

All Jin skills:

• Shadow Shot I. The skill is available by default. Effect: Jin fires demonic bullets that can pass through walls and damage any character in their path. Range 1-12, consumes 2 AP.
• Horseback riding. Available by default. Effect: When a character is mounted on a horse, he gains a bonus to speed and resistance to burning and mutilation, and the chance to hit him is reduced by 25%.
• Loaded gun. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one pair. Effect: When Jin is affected by Bravado, he gains +1 Weapon Damage.
• Lucky nit! To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming two pairs. Effect: Every time Jin kills someone, he gains +25 Luck.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one set. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a pistol.
• Shadow Shot II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one street. Effect: At this skill level, bullets deal more damage.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one flush. Effect: The character is not affected by the evil eye.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one full house. Effect: The character gets +5% to the chance of a well-aimed shot with a pistol.
• Shadow Shot II. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one of a kind. Effect: base damage increased to 8 units, bullets also set fire to enemies for 3 turns (each turn the character receives 3 damage).
• Dancing with bullets. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one straight flush. Effect: Every time Jin kills someone not from hiding, he gains the “Duelist” status.

Guide to characters, skills and maps in Hard West 2

• Guy with a rifle. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming at least one royal flush. Effect: The character deals 1 more damage with a rifle.
• Shadow Shot IV. To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: damage increased to 9 units, effective range – up to 18.
• To unlock, you need to give the character cards, forming a combination of “five of a kind”. Effect: At the start of the turn, if Jhin has at least partial cover, he gains +10% True Shot Chance.

What weapons are best to use: pistols (primary) and rifles (secondary). A pair of cards will increase damage and the likelihood of a well-aimed shot from a pistol. There is another skill that increases damage from rifles. The character is best used when fighting at medium range, only getting close to perform Shadow Shot.

What cards to use and other tips for playing as a character: To get the best skills of Gene Carter, you need to collect a straight in the first chapter to improve the “Shadow Shot”. Much later, you can get a flush and a royal flush. It is also best to use cards of suits of tambourine (luck / chance to hit) and spades (chance of a well-aimed shot / crit).

If possible, you can also get “five of a kind” (nines and a wild) to unlock the ultimate ability. Your comrades will still be able to access Royal Flush skills.