Best Back 4 Blood decks and card combinations

Card decks are Back 4 Blood’s take on the classic loadout system found in other shooter games. Cards help you define your playstyle, adding new strengths and abilities to your characters, sometimes at the cost of also weakening them in subtle ways. Having a strong synergy between your chosen cards and your character’s passive abilities is how you optimize your deck for success in Back 4 Blood. Below are five of the best card decks in Back 4 Blood. You can play them as described or use them as inspiration for your own decks.

Shield Tank

• Numb The Pain: Gain + 15% Damage Resistance while you have Temporary Health.
• Motorcycle Jacket: + 10% Damage Resistance.
• Scar Tissue: Take 1 less damage from all Ridden.
• Wounded Animal: Kills while at Critical Health recover 1 Health.
• Amped Up: When you exit a starting saferoom, your team gains 50 Temporary Health.
• Fire in the Hole! When you throw an Offensive Accessory, gain 20 Temporary Health and 20% Move Speed for 10 seconds.
• Pyro: + 100% Fire damage, + 75% Fire Resistance. Kills with fire grant you 3 Temporary Health.
• Face Your Fears: Gain 3 Temporary Health whenever you kill a Ridden within 2 meters.

This combination of cards gives you a constant supply of temporary health, acting as an overshield for your actual HP. The effectiveness of the overshield is compounded by the damage resistance and passive healing perks included in the deck. To get the most of this card deck in Back 4 Blood, make sure to use Pain Meds and Molotovs whenever you can.

To ensure the deck synergy is always in effect, select Numb the Pain as your top-deck card. Resist the temptation to use Canned Goods and Hydration Pack, as these cards will only dilute the deck and weaken it.

Last Resort

• Durable:+ 15% Trauma Resistance, + 5 Health.
• Inspiring Sacrifice: When you or a teammate becomes incapacitated, all teammates heal for 25 health over 10 seconds.
• Avenge the Fallen: When you or a teammate becomes incapacitated, everyone gets +30% Damage, +20% Reload Speed, and unlimited Ammo for 10 seconds.
• Smelling Salts: + 50% Revive Speed
• Rousing Speech: + 150% Revive Speed, -50% Revive Trauma. Disables the use of Offensive Accessories.
• Combat Medic: + 25% Use Speed. Heals Teammates for an additional 20 when you revive them.
• Wounded Animal: Kills while at Critical Health recover 1 Health.
• True Grit: When you take a single hit for 15 or more damage, heal 8 Health over 5 seconds.

This Back 4 Blood card deck is a bit odd, as it doesn’t really give you an edge most of the time. Instead, it comes through exactly when you need it, helping you power through otherwise un-winnable situations. Having teammates go down in a fight helps you win the fight with this deck, instantly boosting everyone else with 25 HP, +30% damage, and +20% reload speed for the next 10 seconds. This deck is especially recommended for new players and those who play without voice comms.

The Inventor

• Support Scavenger: You can sense nearby Support Accessories. More Support Accessories spawn.
• Shoulder Bag: + 2 Support Inventory. – 10% Damage Dealt.
• Medical Expert + 15% Healing Efficiency. When you use a Medical Accessory, you gain 15% Movement Speed for 15 seconds.
• Group Therapy: When you use a Medical Accessory, all teammates heal for 10 health.
• Chemical Courage: Pain Meds you apply also grant + 25% Damage for 60 seconds.
• Offensive Scavenger: You can sense nearby Offensive Accessories. More Offensive Accessories spawn.
• Double Grenade Pouch: + 2 Offensive Inventory, – 10% Damage Dealt.
• Demolitions Expert: + 50% Accessory Damage. – 20% Ammo Capacity.
• Improvised Explosives: + 75% Accessory Damage. – 25% Swap Speed.
• Fire in the Hole! When you throw an Offensive Accessory, gain 20 Temporary Health and 20% Move Speed for 10 seconds.

This Back 4 Blood card deck grants you a ton of mobility, utility, and healing, and is recommended for Hoffman or Mom. Having Karlee on the team also helps since she grants everyone +25% Item Use speed. When the deck starts coming together, you will feel like the maps are littered with useful items. The cons of some of the cards are easily offset by the various item buffs and perks you get.

Big Game Hunter

• Marked for Death: Mutations you ping are highlighted and your team deals 10% increased damage to highlighted enemies.
• Reckless Strategy: + 30% Weakspot Damage. – 5% Damage Resistance.
• Ridden Slayer: + 20% Weakspot Damage.
• Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds (stacks up to 50%).
• Tactical Vest: + 30% Rifle Ammo Capacity, + 10% Damage with Assault Rifles and LMGs.
• True Grit: When you take a single hit for 15 or more damage, heal 8 Health over 5 seconds.

If you find that Mutations like the Tallboy or the Retch tend to give you the most trouble in Back 4 Blood, try this deck. It specializes in quickly dispatching Mutations, and it comes online very quickly because it consists of just six cards. Make sure that your top-deck card is Marked for Death or Reckless Strategy.

The Benefactor

• Share the Wealth: Each teammate gains 100 bonus Copper at the start of each level.
• Silver Bullets: + 15% Damage Dealt, + 150% Bullet Penetration. When you kill a Mutation, you lose 5 Copper.
• Bounty Hunter: When you kill a Mutation, gain 10 Copper (up to 300 per level).
• Surplus Pouches: + 1 Team Offensive Inventory, – 10 Health.
• Box O’ Bags: + 1 Team Support Inventory, – 10 Health.
• Hydration Pack: + 25 Health, – 20% Ammo Capacity.
• Ammo for All: + 10% Team Ammo Capacity.

This is a pure support deck for Back 4 Blood that is very flexible and fun to play, as it allows your entire team to freely buy and use items and upgrades as the mission goes along. There are some small drawbacks from cards like Surplus Pouches and Hydration Pack, offset by the overall economy and utility boost. Share the Wealth should be your top-deck card.