Dead Island 2 Skill Cards [Ultimate Guide]

More than 50 different Dead Island 2 Skill Cards players can unlock as they progress through Dead Island 2. Some skills are specific to characters, and others can be used by more than one character. For instance, Ryan and Carla can use Warhead, and Amy and Bruno can use Bob and Weave!

Most of these skill cards can be unlocked by progressing through the storyline. Others can be found in random places or by levelling up your character through MAIMING zombies and pulling exotic finishers! The skills help players level out the playing field by giving health, elemental, and damage benefits.

Dead Island 2 Skill Cards

Now that we are comfortable with the basics for Skill Cards, let me tell you what each slot represents in Dead Island 2. The five Survivor Slots represent Defense, Jumpkicks, Special Attacks, Autophagy, and Fury.

Unlike attributes, these skills play an essential role in Dead Island 2. If a man without armour faces off in a gunfight, chances are he’ll lose. Equip him with the best gear and watch him wreak havoc! Coincidentally, that’s how skill cards work in Dead Island 2. Unlock them and show your full potential!

Abilities

Skill Cards	Uses
Block	Block comes in real handy when you're trying to defend against yourself from zombies. Furthermore, when you time your block, you can stun zombies, regain your stamina, and pull off a heavy finisher that regains a portion of your health!
Blood Rush	Blood Rush helps to build your Fury meter. The more you slay zombies and perform Counter Attacks, the more your Fury meter will recharge!
Dash Strike	You can choose between War Cry, Ground Pound, and Dash Strike in this Skill Slot. Dash Strike allows your character to dash forward toward zombies after pressing V and weakening them upon impact. I prefer to use Ground Pound as it helps with bigger zombies that are accompanies by Walkers, Runners, and more!
Dodge	When you have Dodge equipped instead of Block, your character will evade attacks when you press "Left Alt" on PC. It will stun zombies and allow you to perform a counterattack and regain your stamina!
Drop Kick	If it helps, I've completed the whole story mode with Drop Kick equipped! It does wonders for you and sends zombies flying off in the distance. You can MAIM knocked down zombies and have plenty of time to refocus!
Flying Kick	The Flying Kick uses one leg to deliver a powerful blow to the zombies. Whereas, the Drop Kick uses both legs! Use the Space Bar to jump in the air, and press E to perform the Flying or Drop Kick, whichever you've selected as your Skill Card!
Ground Pound	Instead of War Cry, you can equip the slot with Ground Pound and press V to smash the ground, creating turmoil that drains the Stability of nearby zombies. It helps against buffed zombies that deliver non stop blows! A successful Ground Pound can bring them to their knees!
Overhead Smash	Whenever you're in Fury mode, you can always trigger a powerful ground smash to damage nearby zombies. You can also stun stronger zombies to land critical hits! Overhead Smash can be triggered by pressing Q on your PC! (This only works when you're in Fury mode).
Scream	An alternative for Overhead Smash, instead of slamming the ground, your character will rip out a powerful scream that weakens nearby zombies!
Served Cold	You can build your Fury bar faster by successfully blocking zombie attacks with Served Cold equipped! It also works by taking damage from them.
Spitting Cobra	I haven't had much fun with Spitting Cobra though. By holding the Q button, your character vomits caustic bile on the enemies. Like those bulky zombies that love vomiting caustic on you, how about you return the favor now?
Surgical Focus	It is an Autophage skill and is used when Fury is in effect. When you MAIM zombies, your Fury meter recharges gradually, but if you lose focus and miss the streak your Fury meter will drain!
Street Brawler	Another one of the Autophage Skills that builds your Fury bar with every successful hit from your melee or ranged weapons. If you stop before the Fury Bar is full, it will slowly start to drain!
War Cry	As the name suggests, your character rips out a fierce cry that weakens nearby zombies. When you're swarmed with zombies and you have no way out of it, press V to summon a ferocious War Cry that also boosts your Toughness!

Survivor

Skill Cards	Uses
Blockbuster	Instead of a subtle approach where you're cautious of your health, you can equip Blockbuster in your Survivor Skill Slot. If you do that, you'll be able to create an explosion upon every successful Block against zombies!
Bob and Weave	A skill limited to Bruno and Amy requires Dodge to stack up Agility and Attack speed! You'll need to dodge attacks in quick succession to gain the stacking buff!
Flare-Up	It will work if you have Ground Pound equipped. Flare-Up will add a fiery affect to your Ground Pound that will ignite zombies! However, if you're too close, you'll take the fire damage!
Greased Pig	Don't you hate it when zombies grab you? You don't have to worry about that anymore, because with Greased Pig equipped, you'll automatically break free from their dirty grip!
Hot-Footed	When you perform a Drop Kick, you'll successfully light zombies on fire. You need to be careful because your health will deplete in doing so!
Invigorating	It is much better than Safety First because you regain more Heath when you counter zombies!
Lightning Strike	It is an Autophage Skill that works against Electrify Zombies. They are immune to some weapons and you always have to switch between weapons that can damage them. No worries, Lightning Strike can attack these pesky zombies. However, as electricity is an elemental effect, it will also deplete your health if you get too close!
Personal Space	You can boost your damage and force by landing Kick and Jump Kick attacks on zombies with Personal Space!
Pain Magazine	Curveballs take a hard time recharging on there own, but with Pain Magazine, you can speed things up with every successful Block and Dodge!
Pain Threshold	If you don't want to rely much on regaining health, you can focus on dishing out more damage to zombies with Pain Threshold. It works by Blocking or Dodging a zombie attack for a minor boost to Damage!
Quake	Quake is paired with Ground Pound. So if you have that Skill equipped, you can significantly increase the Force of your attacks and send regular zombies flying!
Rallying Cry	Throughout Dead Island 2, I've had a lot of trouble with Elemental Damage. Those pesky electrocuting zombies alongside nasty caustic throwers were a pain. If I knew what Rallying Cry and War Cry had in common, I would've equipped this pair. Rallying Cry will neutralize all Status Effects and replenish a portion of your Health! For this, you need to have War Cry equipped. Whenever you press V, the effects of Rallying Cry will be applied!
Ravenous	I know how everyone felt when they first unlocked Fury mode. Why does it end so quickly?! Well, with Ravenous equipped, you can stay recharge your Fury by slaying zombies! The more you slay zombies, the longer you can stay enraged. I don't know how long you can do that though but it's worth a try!
Surgeon	MAIM zombies to get a minor boost in damage.
Serial Killer	This skill is only used by Dani and Jacob and provides a minor boost to their damage when killing a zombie.
Safe Space	Ah my favorite. Although I stick with Safety First Skill, but this skill right here packs a powerful explosion when you use a Med Kit! You can use Safe Space whenever you're swarmed with a horde of zombies!
Safety First	Don't lose hope when you're swarmed by tough zombies. They drain 3,4 bars of your health and if you run out of Health Kits, you can rely on Safety First to regain your health! When you block an enemy attack with precision, you will regain health!
Shin Shrapnel	I haven't used Slide more often in Dead Island 2. I don't know why, but it doesn't work smoothly. However, if you have the Shin Shrapnel equipped, you can Slide zombies, boost your damage, and send regular zombies flying! It will not work on bulky Zombies like those gym freaks you find in some areas!
Short Fuse	How about you enter Fury mode with half the Fury Bar? Yes, you heard right! With Short Fuse equipped, you can enter Fury mode without having to wait for the bar to reach full capacity!
Steadfast	Ryan doesn't need more Toughness than he already has! If you have another Slayer who has a low Toughness attribute, you can equip Steadfast and gain a minor boost to your Toughness and Force by successfully blocking zombie attacks! The skill can also be stacked multiple times!
Thick-Skinned	With Thick-Skinned, you also get a minor boost in Toughness. However, you'll be taking more elemental damage such as Fire, Shock, and Caustic! I prefer Steadfast though they are only specific to Ryan and Carla.
Vivisuction	You need to have Dash Strike equipped in your Abilities Slot for Vivisuction to work. It will help you replenish your health as you land successful Dash Strikes!
Wrecking Ball	Similar to the Flying Kick, Wrecking Ball can shatter Zombie defenses and damage them! When you perform a Flying Kick, you will damage low level zombies!

Slayer

Skill Cards	Uses
Breakdancer	Improve your agility and attack speed by successfully sliding into zombies! A slide attack can increase your agility and attack speed.
Carnage	Attacks like Carnage and Heavy Hitter drain your Fury bar but also give a major boost to your damage and force!
Cull the Weak	Zombies low on Health give you a minor boost to damage if you attack them! Almost all Slayer cards are built to boost your stats and help you kill zombies efficiently!
Caustic Blight	A skill that utilizes Fury mode; Caustic Blight melts zombies when you attack them, but also drains Fury!
Corpse Bomb	Any zombies you slay leave a powerful explosion that damage nearby zombies! Corpse Bomb is a fun Skill card to use in Dead Island 2 especially when you love blowing things up!
Clear Sightlines	You can get a minor boost to damage for your melee and ranged weapons including curveballs!
Deadeye	Similar to Skull Skewer, you can trigger recharge boosts to your curveballs when you hit zombies with a throwable curveball! It can also stack multiple times.
Far From Done	A skill that can be stacked multiple times, can only be used by Carla and Ryan. It allows your characters to boost their base damage after successfully blocking an incoming attack! The boost to damage can also be triggered by taking damage from zombies. A bit farfetched but a cool skill to have, don't you think?
Group Therapy	A skill limited to Dani and Jacob, restores their Stamina when killing zombies in quick succession! It is a useful skill for players that rely on Heavy Attacks.
Hack and Dash	Works only for Dani and Jacob. Killing zombies will temporarily boost their attack speed and allow for a much faster rep!
Hammer Fist	Hammer Fist works when you have Dash Strike equipped, allowing that particular skill to gain a major boost in force. It can even make weaker zombies fly!
Heavy Hitter	An Autophage skill, Heavy Hitter can drain your health if you pull off Heavy Attacks. Heavy Attacks can be triggered by holding the attack button for a short amount of time. Although the base damage is great, but a major boost to damage provided is exceptional! Heavy Attacks also drain Stamina, be sure to use it wisely!
Hunting Season	If you damage zombies with an throwable or ranged weapons, you get a minor boost in damage for your melee weapons.
Janus Rage	With a full Fury bar you receive a minor boost in Toughness. However, a half-full Fury bar gets you a minor boost to damage instead!
Juggernaut	Build your Fury bar with Juggernaut and buff up your damage and force with Overhead Smash attacks.
No Mercy	When you attack zombies that are already under the influence of elemental damage, significantly boosts your damage!
Pay it Forward	Playing with Ryan always had a toll on his Health bar whenever he was exposed to elemental effects. You won't have to worry about that when your character gets a boost to their damage! Pay it Forward will significantly boost a characters damage whenever he's affected by any negative status effect!
Pummel	Pummel increases and stacks up the Force with each successful hit you land on a zombie. However, the first attack always has reduced Force. (It applies to quick succession attacks)
Pyro	Another Autophage skill, Pyro utilizes Fury mode and can ignite zombies when you use melee and Overhead Smash attacks! Any skill that uses Fury mode also drains the Fury bar!
Second Wind	The skill is limited to Amy and Bruno and allows them to gain a slight boost to their damage when they sprint and attack zombies!
Skull Skewer	If you have a throwable curveball like a Shuriken, or a weapon, you can aim it on a zombie's head to trigger a powerful explosion that can target multiple zombies in the area! It is similar to the Drop Kick but you can set off an explosion without being close to a zombie.
The Limb Reaper	You'd do anything to regain Health, right? I mean, who wants to use up all 5 of their Med Kits when they can recover it by killings zombies? MAIMING a zombie with The Limb Reaper equipped can regain your health!
Tools of the Trade	Slaying zombies with your melee weapons will boost the damage of ranged weapons!
Unrelenting	There's no other way to buff your damage than slaying knocked out zombies! Unrelenting gives a minor boost to your damage when you attack knocked down zombies!
Volatile	Volatile is another Autophage skill that works during Fury mode. When you're attacking zombies in fury mode, you cause powerful explosions from your attacks. They also drain the Fury bar! It's a powerful skill card for a short period of time.
Voltaic Scream	Your Scream attacks can electrify nearby zombies! Any group of zombies attacking you can suck on electricity!
Warhead	A Survivor Skill limited to Carla and Ryan, allows them to create a powerful explosion after landing a Drop Kick. It is extremely useful when you're surrounded by a group of zombies and there's no way out. A Drop Kick to any zombie can blast multiple targets in a nearby zone, giving you more than enough time to pull out a Med Kit, or recycle through your weapons (if broken).

Numen

Skill Cards	Uses
Born Survivor	Born Survivor is an Autophage skill that triggers a forceful explosion when you're low on health. Moreover, attacking zombies will recover your health and deplete your Fury bar. I use Born Survivor for a short time whenever I'm low on health and honestly, you only need to attack zombies to recover health! Once your Health Bar is full, you can enter out of Fury mode without having it fully depleted!
Anger Mismanagement	A skill that utilizes Fury mode drains your health bar instead of the Fury bar till your Health reaches critical! (Fury mode will end when you hit low health).
Corpse Blossom	Any Fire, Shock, or Caustic Damage given to zombies will cause a powerful explosion that damages nearby zombies!
Glass Cannon	With Glass Cannon, you will receive a major boost to damage for your critical hits. However, in doing so, you'll lose your Toughness significantly. Glass Cannon can guarantee critical hits when you're low on health!
Seismic Stomp	A better way to cause explosions is by MAIMING zombies! Seismic Stomp causes a powerful explosion that inflicts Bleed and stuns nearby zombies whenever you MAIM them!

Innate Skills

Ryan

Retaliation	Whenever Ryan Blocks or Dodges an incoming Zombie attack, he gains a significant boost in Force.
Seesaw	An Innate Skill specific to Ryan, Seesaw allows him to regain his health every time he knocks down a zombie!

Bruno

Backstab	Whenever you hit zombies from behind, Bruno gets a significant boost to his damage!
Rapid Reprisal	A successful Block or Dodge boosts Bruno's Agility and Heavy Attack charges!

Dani

Bloodlust	Dani can regain her health when she slays multiple zombies in quick succession!
Thunderstruck	Striking enemies with Heavy Attacks cause a powerful explosion on impact!

Jacob

Critical Gains	Whenever you're low on Stamina, you'll receive a significant boost in your critical damage that also recovers your stamina! (Applies to critical hits only!)
Feral	Feral can be stacked multiple times and boost damage when Jacob attacks zombies in quick succession!

Carla

Dig Deep	When you're health is significantly low, you'll get a moderate boost to your Toughness!
Mosh Pit	Surrounded by a swarm of zombies will provide Carla with a minor boost in damage!

Amy

Divide and Conquer	Attacking zombies isolated by their group will grant Amy a minor boost to her damage!
Relief Pitcher	Throwing weapons to attack zombies will regain Amy's Stamina!

Final Remarks

Dead Island 2 features more than 50 Skill Cards that players can use and have fun killing zombies. With that number, players can test each Skill Card and find those best suit their playstyle. If you rely on packing a powerful punch, you should focus on Skills that boost damage and restore Stamina.

On the other hand, players who need stealth and a tankier build can go for Skill cards that provide boosts in Force, Toughness, Resilience, and Health Benefits! With that, I end my Dead Island 2 Skill Cards guide and hope you have fun with every single card!

Related:

• Dead Island 2: Cable Guy Van Key
• Dead Island 2: The Clean and Snatch
• Dead Island 2: My Mailman is a Zombie
• Dead Island 2: The Death of The Party