Every gunslinger needs to learn how to duel if they want to survive in Red Dead Redemption 2. Every classic western has a showdown. For a gunslinger, it’s the ultimate test of skill, often in a battle to the death. In Red Dead Redemption 2 duels are rare, but there are certain missions that can’t be completed without a quick draw.

There are a total of five gunslinger quests in the game, all of which end in a dual. While fans have been clamoring for a duel mechanic in online mode, it currently doesn’t exist. This hasn’t stopped players from organizing their own duels. Players can challenge you to a dual, often in the presence of a third player, who acts as the referee. When the third player fires their gun, it’s time to draw. There is also the option to have duals with NPCs in the game. If you stand in front of an NPC with a gun and press the RT/R2 lightly, they will say a unique line. If you continue to press the trigger, they will draw their gun and shoot.

According to Attackofthefanboy, a fast and accurate draw is broken into three parts, filling the draw meter, aiming, and firing. The first thing to do is to fill up the draw meter. This is done by slowly pressing the RT/R2 trigger. The longer you press the trigger, the more the circle will fill. The more the circle is filled, the more time you will have in the aiming phase. Once the circle is full, it’s time to move onto the aiming phase.

This phase involves drawing your pistol and using Dead Eye to fire. Dead Eye allows you to aim at your target while time slows down. If the draw meter is full you will have more time, but if the meter wasn’t filled enough, the Dead Eye won’t last long. Once you’ve drawn, you can aim at your enemy using the thumbstick before pressing the RT/R2 yet again to shoot.

When shooting, you can aim at specific body parts to decide the outcome. Headshots and some chest shots are fatal, while shots to the limbs can merely disarm your enemy. In some cases, you’ll have no choice to kill the gunslingers and won’t lose any honor if you do. With other characters, you get honor if you merely disarm them, and lose honor if you kill them.

Tips for dueling

  • The longer you hold RT/R2, the more your draw meter will charge. If you charge it too much you will be too late to shoot. If you charge it too little, you won’t have time to aim. You can practice this process on animals to get your technique right. You can lose honor if you kill people instead of disarming them. Remember that the process requires the RT/R2 buttons to be pressed three times in total. The more you increase your Dead Eye ability, the better your draw will be. You can kill gunslingers in a duel, but any other characters will drop your honor rating.

Dueling with online players isn’t part of the game’s mechanics, but it’s still possible to do it. However, online duels generally have different rules. A third player who acts as the referee fires his gun to signal that the duel can commence. Once he’s fired, players draw and fire as quickly as possible. To shoot fast, players don’t use the Dead Eye system or even aim down the sights. This means the draws are faster, more difficult, and more exciting.

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Sources: Attackofthefanboy, Fraghero