If you are struggling to survive in Hard West 2, this is the guide for you. Strategy, combat tactics, and general tips and tricks for the game!
 
Note: This guide is still in development.
 
 

We are pleased to welcome you to Hard West 2's second guide!

 
This guide is still in development. I am just starting to play and will update it as I learn more.
 
 
You might also find my other guides useful if you like this guide! 🙂
 
 
Last update: August 7, 2022
 
 
 

High Risk, High Reward

Hard West 2 is a difficult game as you may have noticed. This game has a unique aspect that I find interesting, at least to me. It encourages aggressive combat and you get your action points back when you kill an enemy.
 
 
High risk means high reward. It can also be very punishing if you fail. Make sure to save and load your files often.
 
 
You can use Retry to restart a mission if you fail it. If you feel you could have done better at the end of a mission, you can use this to your advantage. Side objectives can be more rewarding than you think. You will get better gear and loot that will help you in future missions. Profit!
 
 
Also, don't be ashamed to start at the Easy level. You will improve with practice. If you stop playing because you find it boring, you are the only one who is losing entertainment. 🙂
 
 
 

Gameplay Strategy

 
After combat, your life is not restored. There are no healer characters. This means that you will be in a very bad place when you start the next encounter unless you restore some of your life. You will be charged money if you do this without consumables.
 
 
Side-missions are possible! These will reward you with better equipment and consumables. These are essential for the challenges ahead.
 
 
Consider the characters you want to get along with first. Higher levels of relationships will open up new conversation possibilities and eventually new combat skills (Ally and Friends).
 
 
In the shops, look for quest items. They will help you find spots on the map that will allow you to access items or improve your relationship with your possy.
 
 
 

Combat tactics

You can only have four people in any combat so choose wisely. You can benefit from each other's skills. You can save before you enter combat zones.
 
 
Certain playing cards are required by certain characters to access their special combat skills. A pair for Old Man Bill. Before you enter combat, think about which character will need the cards most. You don't want to waste any cards on characters who aren't participating in the mission.
 
 
You should ensure that every character has at least two weapons. Don't forget about them! The rifle will consume 3AP, but if you make kills, you get them back from Bravado!
 
 
Riflemen only have 5HP. This means that you can kill them using a revolver if you hit. You can move with 1AP, and then you will get all your AP back using the Bravado! trigger from killing a Rifleman. This increases your speed when traversing the map.
 
 
You can restore HP with alcohol, bandages, and other foods. They won't give you a lot of HP, so it is best to avoid taking any damage. To recover from bad decisions, you can use the automatic loads.
 
 
Dynamite is useful for combat because it does area damage. However, it can also be used to access hidden locations or special options in conversation so don't waste them all!
 
 
Splitter bombs can cause bleeding, but some characters are more resistant than others (e.g. Revenants).
 
 
 

Characters (Spoilers!)

Note: There are spoilers for characters coming up if you just started playing!
 
 

Gin Carter

 
Gin is the leader in the gang. He is a rifleman who can also use a revolver to backup his weapon.
 
Skill: Shadow Barrage – Shoots through all protection.
 
 

Flynn

 
Flynn was raised in an orphanage, and has a deep understanding of the dark arts. Flynn is slightly weaker than the other characters, but she can handle a shotgun well for close encounters.
 
Skill: Shadow Swap- Swaps position at a cost of -1HP with another character, friend or foe.
 
 

Old Man Bill

 
Bill is a revenant who has been woken from the dead. He is proficient with revolvers and has a powerful combat skill that drains all enemies' lives. He does more damage the lower his HP is. This can be used to soften enemies and make them easier to kill.
 
 

Laughing Deer

 
Laughing Deer has a dark and often unknown past that makes it easy to beat people to death when they are ready. He says that "a lot of people have it coming". You should also give him an alternate weapon to complement his melee weapon.
 
 

Cla'lish

 
Cla'lish can carry a rifle, and once she is comfortable with you, she will hunt for food for you. You should give Cla'lish a revolver so that she can use it when she's on the go.
 
 

Lazarus

 
Lazarus is a priest. His purification skill removes all his debuffs.
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
Hope you enjoy the Guide about Hard West 2 – Gameplay Strategy – Walkthrough, if you think we should add extra information or forget something, please let us know via comment below, and we will do our best to fix or update as soon as possible!