How to Duel in Red Dead Redemption

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Last Updated: February 12, 2024

Dueling is a mode in Red Dead Redemption that pits you against a single opponent to see who is the fastest draw. Failing a duel means death for you, so knowing how to come out on top will help keep you out of the ground. Once you get the hang of aiming and shooting during, no one will be able to match you.

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1
Get into a duel. The West is a dangerous place, and conflicts are often settled by who has the fastest hand. There are a few ways that you may find yourself in a duel during your adventures:
- Several story missions feature a duel, as well as a few of the Stranger quests.
- You can get challenged to duels as you increase your Fame. The higher your Fame, the more likely you are to get challenged by someone looking to make a name for themselves. These challenges can happen as you are walking through the game's various towns and settlements. Fame can be increased by completing missions, jobs, and challenges, as well as winning at poker and killing enemies.
- If you get caught cheating at poker, you'll may find yourself in a duel with the person you cheated against. If you're wearing the Elegant Suit and cheat at poker, you'll get into a duel every time you're caught.^{[1]
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- You may get challenged to a duel when you knock someone over with your horse, but this is much less common.
When you start a duel, you'll see two bars in the lower-right corner of the screen. The blue bar represents your score, while the red represents the opponents. In order to win the duel, you'll need to raise your bar before your opponent raises theirs. Targeting the head and chest, as well as marking shots at the appropriate time, will fill your bar quickly.^{[2]
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3
Press and hold .LT/L2 when "Draw!" appears on the screen. This will unholster your gun. If you press the button to early, the camera will zoom out and it will be more difficult to hit your opponent.
- You can also draw by flipping your Right Stick DOWN and then UP to simulate pulling the gun out of the holster.
4
Use the Right Stick to aim the crosshairs. Time slows down as soon as you draw your weapon. You can slowly move the crosshairs using the Right Stick. Aim for the Head or Chest to fill your bar the quickest. You can also try to aim for your opponent's gun hand, which can disarm your opponent and increase your Honor.^{[3]
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- Avoid shooting the Stomach or Legs, as this will not fill the meter very much.
- Note that you may not be able to disarm opponents during story duels.
As you move the crosshair over the opponent, you'll see the color and size change. When it is large and red, the shots won't be worth as much. When it is small and white, the shots are worth the most.
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Press .RB/R1 to mark the target. When the crosshairs are small and white, and you are aiming at the part of your opponent you want to shoot, press RB/R1 to mark the target.
- If you are aiming for the gun hand, a proper shot with a white crosshair will likely fill your bar in a single mark. This is a tough shot, so if you aren't able to hit it on your first two marks, consider making a quick shot for the head or chest so that you can still win the duel.^{[4]
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With the revolver, you can mark your target up to six times. The number of available marks is determined by the gun you are using for the duel. Each time you make a mark, you'll see your bar increase. You don't need to fill the bar completely, you just need to have more filled than your opponent.
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Press .RT/R2 when you are satisfied with your marks. This will end the duel, and if your bar is more full than your opponents, John will shoot the opponent in each of the places that you marked.
- If you fill the bar completely or use all of your bullets, the duel will finish automatically.

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Tips

Before it says "Draw" you can move the right analog stick downwards and it will move John's hand closer to his gun. Doing this will decrease the time it takes to draw the gun.

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