Back 4 Blood: The Best Deck Builds

Back 4 Blood, Left 4 Dead series spiritual successor from Turtle Rock Studios, offers an interesting twist on the horde shooter gameplay. Along with passive skills and a variety of skins for each Cleaner, Back 4 Blood offers additional customization in the form of skill cards that lets you assemble your own decks and builds that will change your playstyle accordingly. To get started with the deck-building system, here is the list of the best Back 4 Blood builds you can use as a framework for your decks.

Best Back 4 Blood All-Rounder Deck

1. Vitamins: +15 Health
2. Cross Trainers: +20% Stamina, +20% Stamina Regen, +3% Move Speed, + 5 Health
3. Reckless Strategy: + 30% Weakspot Damage, -5% Damage Resistance
4. Motorcycle Jacket: +5% Damage Resistance, +5 Health
5. Ammo Scavenger: You can sense nearby Ammo, More Ammo spawns
6. Tactical Vest: +30% Rifle Ammo Capacity, +10% Damage with Assault Rifles and LMGs
7. Line ‘Em Up: +100% Bullet Penetration with Assault Rifles
8. Adrenaline Fueled: +100% Stamina, -75% Stamina Regeneration. When you kill an enemy, gain 10 Stamina instantly and an additional 10 Stamina over 5 seconds
9. Chemical Courage: Pain Meds you apply also grant +25% Damage for 60 seconds
10. Second Chance: +1 Extra Life, +5 Health
11. Knowledge is Power: +10% Weakspot Damage. Allows players to see values for damage they deal and enemy health bars
12. Ridden Slayer: +20% Weakspot Damage
13. Sadistic: Gain 5% Weakspot Damage for each Precision Kill in the last 10 seconds
14. Trigger Control: +25% Accuracy with Assault Rifles and Sniper Rifles
15. Run and Gun: You can shoot while sprinting

If you’re coming from Left 4 Dead or just need something simple, this build pretty much lets you just get straight into the game. Packed with a decent card selection for newbies, this deck boosts your survivability as well as gives bonus damage to the assault rifles.

Best Back 4 Blood Melee Deck

1. Mean Drunk: +75% Melee Damage. Your Melee Attacks cause cleave through enemies dealing damage in a large area. Disables Sprint
2. Adrenaline Fueled: +100% Stamina, -75% Stamina Regeneration. When you kill an enemy, gain 10 Stamina instantly and an additional 10 Stamina over 5 seconds
3. Meth Head: +40% Melee Attack Speed, +40% Melee Stamina Efficiency. Your Melee Attacks no longer stick in tough enemies. Disables Aim Down Sights
4. Face Your Fears: Gain 3 Temporary Health whenever you kill a Ridden within 2 meters
5. Battle Lust: Melee Kills heal 2 Health
6. Vanguard: Melee kills grant 1 Temporary Health to you and nearby teammates
7. Spiky Bits: +25% Melee Damage+10% Damage Resistance while using a Melee Weapon, -15% Ammo Capacity
8. Motorcycle Helmet: +15% Damage Resistance, +10 Health. Disables Aim Down Sights
9. Numb: Gain 15% Damage Resistance while you have Temporary Health
10. Scar Tissue: Take 1 less damage from all Ridden
11. Berserker: Gain 10% Melee Damage, 10% Melee Speed, and 5% Move Speed for each Melee kill in the last 4 seconds
12. Ignore The Pain: +20% Melee Damage against Mutations. When you deal Melee Damage to a Mutation gain 1 Temporary Health and recover 3 Stamina
13. Batter Up: +50% Melee Damage, +5 Health
14. Marathon Runner: No Movement Penalty for strafe and backpedal. Disables Sprint
15. Down In Front!: While crouching you neither take nor deal Friendly Fire damage. +10 Health

As most Back 4 Blood players will point out, Holly and Evangelo are practically the best Cleaners to use for a melee build. Holly has the 10% damage resistance, heals 10 stamina with each kill, and gives a team-wide 25 stamina bonus. Meanwhile, Evangelo gets 25% faster stamina regeneration, can break from grabs every 60 seconds, and gives a 5% team speed bonus. Usually, any melee weapon will work with this build. Nevertheless, if you want to replace one of the cards with Mutation Mutilator or Ridden Ridder for a more specialized build you should consider using specific weapons as well. Mutation Mutilator or a boss-focused build is better with Fire Axe and Hatchet, and for Ridden Ridder or crowd-control you should pick Machete and Bat.

Back 4 Blood – Best Crowd-Control Melee Deck

1. Meth Head: +40% Melee Attack Speed, +40% Melee Stamina Efficiency. Your Melee Attacks no longer stick in tough enemies. Disables Aim Down Sights
2. Motorcycle Jacket: +5% Damage Resistance, +5 Health
3. Motorcycle Helmet: +15% Damage Resistance, +10 Health. Disables Aim Down Sights
4. Padded Suit: +10% Damage Resistance, +5 Health, -20% Stamina Efficiency
5. Scar Tissue: Take 1 less damage from all Ridden
6. Hunker Down: While crouching, gain 10% Damage Resistance and 40% accuracy
7. Down In Front!: While crouching you neither take nor deal Friendly Fire damage. +10 Health
8. Body Armor: +25% Trauma Resistance, -15% Ammo Capacity
9. Durable: +15% Trauma Resistance, +5 Health
10. Spiky Bits: +25% Melee Damage+10% Damage Resistance while using a Melee Weapon, -15% Ammo Capacity
11. Batter Up: +50% Melee Damage, +5 Health
12. Battle Lust: Melee Kills heal 2 Health
13. Fresh Bandage: Heal 10 Trauma Damage at the start of each level
14. Antibiotic Ointment: +20% Healing Efficiency
15. Cross Trainers: +20% Stamina, +20% Stamina Regen, +3% Move Speed, +5 Health

Speaking of a crowd-control build, you might want to consider using this template for your Back 4 Blood deck. Reddit user GrieverXVII stated that they made this build mainly for Nightmare difficulty in mind where the melee job is to tank and kites hordes of Ridden while ranged teammates can focus on high-priority Mutations.

Best Back 4 Blood Speedrun Deck

1. Cross Trainers: +20% Stamina, +20% Stamina Regen, +3% Move Speed, +5 Health
2. Buckshot Bruiser: When using shotguns, gain temporary Health for each pellet that hits
3. Evasive Action: Gain a 20% Movement Speed boost for three seconds you take a hit of 10 or more damage
4. Shell Carrier: +30% Shotgun Ammo Capacity, +10% Damage with shotguns
5. Superior Cardio: +50% Sprint Efficiency, +5 Health
6. Run and Gun: You can shoot while sprinting
7. Reload Drills: +30% Reload Speed
8. Dash: +5% Movement Speed
9. Fleet of Foot: +10% Movement Speed, -5% Damage Resistance
10. Rolling Thunder: +6% Movement Speed while using an SMG, +35% Reload Speed while using an SMG
11. Run Like Hell: +15% Movement Speed. When you take damage, your Accuracy is reduced by 20% for three seconds
12. Breakout: Allows you to free yourself from grabs. +50% Breakout Cooldown Reduction
13. Pep in Your Step: Precision Kills grant +10% Movement Speed for five seconds
14. Olympic Sprinter: +30% Sprint Efficiency, -5% Damage Resistance
15. Mandatory PT: +15% Team Stamina

Gotta go fast! These cards are designed to provide maximum stamina and movement speed, allowing you to breeze past through most of the stages of Back 4 Blood. Be careful though, since damage nor survivability are not really an option. But with a well-coordinated team, you should be able to fly through the stages in no time. For best results, use Evangelo, Karlee, or Walker armed with a shotgun, SMG, and melee weapons.

Back 4 Blood – Best Tank Deck

1. Canned Goods: +40 Health, -30% Stamina
2. Numb: Gain 15% Damage Resistance while you have Temporary Health
3. Motorcycle Jacket: +5% Damage Resistance, +5 Health
4. Scar Tissue: Take 1 less damage from all Ridden
5. Wounded Animal: Kills while at Critical Health recover over 1 Health
6. Amped Up: When you exit a starting saferoom, your team gains 50 Temporary Health
7. Ammo For All: +10% Team Ammo Capacity
8. Overwatch: Kills from greater than 15 meters grant 5 Temporary Health to teammates within 10 meters of the target
9. Ignore the Pain: +20% Melee Damage against Mutations. When you deal Melee Damage to a Mutation gain 1 Temporary Health and recover 3 Stamina
10. Fire in the Hole!: When you throw an Offensive Accessory, gain 20 Temporary Health and 20% Move Speed for 5 seconds
11. Padded Suit: +10% Damage Resistance, +5 Health, -20% Stamina Efficiency
12. Hunker Down: While crouching, gain 10% Damage Resistance and 40% accuracy
13. Marked for Death: Mutations you ping are highlighted and your team deals 10% increased damage to highlighted enemies
14. Miraculous Recovery: When you use a Medical Accessory, it has a 25% chance to have 100% increased effect
15. Face Your Fears: Gain 3 Temporary Health whenever you kill a Ridden within 2 meters

For those of you who’re looking for that tanky sensation, this build prioritizes personal defense and team buffs. Since you’ll be at the front of your group, triggering swarms, and aggroing enemies, you might want to take a shotgun or melee weapons.

Back 4 Blood – Best Shotgun Deck

1. Cross Trainers: +20% Stamina, +20% Stamina Regen, +3% Move Speed, +5 Health
2. Rolling Thunder: +35% Move Speed while firing with Shotguns. +10% Damage with Shotguns
3. Reload Drills: +20% Reload Speed
4. Scattergun Kills: +40% Reload Speed with Shotguns
5. Buckshot Bruiser: When using Shotguns, gain Temporary Health for each pellet that hits
6. Shell Carrier: +30% Shotgun Ammo Capacity, +10% Damage with Shotguns
7. Killer’s Instinct: +30% Weakspot Damage. Disables Aim Down Sights
8. Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds (stacks up to 15%)
9. Hyper-Focused: +50% Weakspot Damage, -75% ADS Move Speed
10. Silver Bullets: +10% Bullet Damage, +150% Bullet Penetration. When you kill a Mutation, you lose 5 Copper
11. Motorcycle Helmet: +15% Damage Resistance, +10 Health. Disables Aim Down Sights
12. Superior Cardio: +20% Stamina, +20% Sprint Efficiency, +5 Health
13. Run and Gun: You can shoot while sprinting
14. True Grit: When you take a single hit for 15 or more damage, heal 8 Health over 5 seconds
15. Vitamins: +15 Health

As you can expect, this deck will boost the damage output as well as the mobility of shotgun users, making it a decent build for a run-and-gun playstyle as well. Do note that you shouldn’t replace any shotgun buff cards and it runs “Silver Bullets” that, while potent, might require proper coordination with your team.

Back 4 Blood – Precision Weapon Deck

1. Two is One and One is None: You can equip a Primary weapon in your Secondary slot. -25% Swap Speed
2. Reckless Strategy: 30% Weakspot Damage, -5% Damage Resistance
3. Ridden Slayer: 20% Weakspot Damage
4. Hyper-Focused: 50% Weakspot Damage, -75% Aim Down Sight Move Speed
5. Overwatch: Kills from greater than 15 meters grant 5 Temporary Health to teammates within 10 meters of the target
6. Broadside: Precision Kills have a 20% chance to cause Ridden to explode, dealing 15 damage to other Ridden within 4 meters
7. Patient Hunter: Each second you Aim Down Sights increases your Damage by 10% (up to 3 stacks)
8. Stock Pouch: 30% Sniper Ammo Capacity, 10% Damage with Sniper Rifles
9. Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds
10. Line ‘Em Up: 100% Bullet Penetration with Assault Rifles
11. Tactical Vest: 30% Rifle Ammo Capacity, 10% Damage with Assault Rifles and LMGs
12. Widemouth Magwell: 30% Reload Speed, -5% Damage Resistance
13. Silver Bullets: 10% Bullet Damage, 150% Bullet Penetration. When you kill a Mutation, you lose 5 Copper
14. Reload Drills: 20% Reload Speed
15. Sadistic: Gain 5% Weakspot Damage for each Precision Kill in the last 10 seconds

If you want to play a long-range focused build in Back 4 Blood, you should pick either Walker or Jim. Walker has the 20% accuracy bonus after a precision kill and an extra 10 team health, while Jim gets 2.5% bonus damage from a precision kill with 10% team weakspot damage. The “Two is One and One is None” card is good if you can’t decide whether or not to stick with an assault rifle or sniper, otherwise you can replace it with another card.

Best Support Build in Back 4 Blood

1. Inspiring Sacrifice: Team Effects: When you or a teammate becomes incapacitated, all teammates heal for 25 Health over 20 seconds
2. Support Scavenger: You can sense nearby Support Accessories. More Support Accessories spawn
3. Amped Up: When you exit a starting safe room, your team gains 50 Temporary Health
4. Charitable Soul: Healing a teammate also applies 50% of the effect to you
5. EMT Bag: 40% Healing Efficiency, -20% Stamina Efficiency
6. Antibiotic Ointment: 20% Healing Efficiency
7. Rousing Speech: 225% Revive Speed, Disables: Offensive Accessories, Team Effects: 20% Reduced Incap Trauma
8. Pep Talk: 150% Revive Speed, -5% Damage Resistance
9. Smelling Salts: 100% Revive Speed
10. Combat Medic: 50% Use Speed, Heals teammates for an additional 20 Health when you revive them
11. Poultice: When you use a Medical Accessory, the target heals for an additional 20 Health over 30 seconds
12. Experienced EMT: When you use a Medical Accessory, the target gains 20% Maximum Health until the end of the level
13. Group Therapy: When you use a Medical Accessory, all teammates heal for 5 Health
14. Avenge The Fallen: Team Effects: When you or a teammate becomes incapacitated, all teammates gain 30% Damage, 20% Reload Speed, and Unlimited Ammo for 10 seconds
15. Chemical Courage: Pain Meds you apply also grant 25% damage for 60 seconds

Mom and Doc are the support duo. Thanks to Mom’s ability to instantly revive a teammate once per level, +1 support inventory, and extra team life. On the other hand, as her name suggests, Doc can heal teammates for 25 health per level, gets a 30% healing efficiency bonus, and give 25% team trauma damage resistance. If you like to play either of them then you can try to build a deck from this template.

Best Back 4 Blood Doc Build

1. Support Scavenger: You can sense nearby Support Accessories. More Support Accessories spawn
2. Shoulder Bag: +2 Support Inventory, -10% Damage Dealt
3. Charitable Soul: Healing a teammate also applies 50% of the same effect to you
4. EMT Bag: +40% Healing Efficiency, -20% Stamina Efficiency
5. Rousing Speech: +225% Revive Speed, +20% Team Reduced Incap Trauma. Disables Offensive Accessories
6. Medical Professional: First Aids and Defibrillators also recover 15 Trauma Damage and 1 Extra Life
7. Combat Medic: +50% Use Speed. Heals teammates for an additional 20 Health when you revive them
8. Group Therapy: When you use a Medical Accessory, all teammates heal for 5 Health
9. Experienced EMT: When you use a Medical Accessory, the target gains +20% Maximum Health until the end of the level
10. Fanny Pack: +1 Support Inventory
11. Hydration Pack: +25 Health, -15% Ammo Capacity
12. Inspiring Sacrifice: When you or a teammate becomes incapacitated, all teammates heal for 25 health over 20 seconds
13. Marked For Death: Mutations you ping are highlighted and your team deals 10% increased damage to highlighted enemies
14. Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds (stacks up to 15%)
15. Life Insurance: +2 Extra Life. Lose 50 Copper at the start of each level

Meanwhile, if you want to focus on playing Doc, Reddit user DowellTV has pretty good suggestions. This deck will let you easily find healing items and save money as well as heal teammates much faster and more efficiently. You can replace “EMT Bag” with “Field Surgeon” or also try to fit in “Poultice” for an early game card if you prefer.

Best Back 4 Blood Hoffman Build

1. Two is One and One is None: You can equip a Primary weapon in your Secondary slot. -25% Swap Speed
2. Bomb Squad: 100% Explosive Damage, 35% Explosive Resistance
3. Double Grenade Pouch: 2 additional Offensive Inventory, -10% Damage Dealt
4. Offensive Scavenger: You can sense nearby Offensive Accessories, more Offensive Accessories spawn
5. Admin Reload: When you stow your weapon it reloads, -15% Ammo Capacity
6. Guns Out: 50% Weapon Swap Speed, -5% Damage Resistance
7. Ridden Slayer: 20% Weakspot Damage
8. Reckless Strategy: 30% Weakspot Damage, -5% Damage Resistance
9. Tactical Vest: 30% Rifle Ammo Capacity, 10% Damage with Assault Rifles and LMGs
10. Large Caliber Rounds: 7.5% Bullet Damage, 100% Bullet Penetration, -20% Stamina Efficiency
11. Demolitions Expert: 50% Accessory Damage, -15% Ammo Capacity
12. Ammo Mule: 75% Ammo Capacity, Disables: Support Accessories
13. Grenade Training: 25% Accessory Damage
14. Combat Training: 5% Bullet Damage, 50% Bullet Penetration
15. Ammo Scavenger: You can sense nearby Ammo, more Ammo spawns

Like to unleash the lead rain towards the Ridden as Hoffman? Then you should try making a build around this deck. Considering his buffs on ammo — a chance of finding ammo from dead Ridden, +1 offensive item/grenade, and increases teammates ammo capacity by 10% — he works well with an assault rifle, machine gun, or SMG. If you can’t decide which one to bring then just bring both with the “Two is One and One is None” card.

Best Back 4 Blood Vector Build

1. Ammo Mule: +75% Ammo Capacity. Disables Support Accessories
2. Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds (stacks up to 15%)
3. Cocky: +75% Weapon Swap Speed. When you take damage, your Accuracy is reduced by 20% for 3 seconds.
4. Admin Reload: When you stow your weapon, it reloads. -15% Ammo Capacity
5. Power Swap: Changing weapons within 0.75 seconds of reaching low ammo grants +20% Damage for 5 seconds
6. Money Grubber: Each time your team loots Copper, you gain 5 additional Copper, stacking up to 100 additional Copper
7. Share The Wealth: Each teammate gains 100 bonus Copper at the start of each level
8. Down In Front!: While crouching you neither take nor deal Friendly Fire damage. +10 Health
9. Mad Dash: +20% Sprint Speed, -30% Sprint Stamina Efficiency
10. Shredder: Each bullet hit causes the target to take 1% increased damage for 3 seconds (stacks up to 15%)
11. Ridden Slayer: +20% Weakspot Damage
12. Marked for Death: Mutations you ping are highlighted and your team deals 10% increased damage to highlighted enemies
13. Mag Carrier: +30% Pistol/SMG Ammo Capacity. +10% Damage with Pistols and SMGs
14. Speed Demon: +6% Move Speed while using an SMG. +35% Reload Speed while using an SMG
15. Optics Enthusiast: +30% Accuracy, -20% Stamina Efficiency

For anyone daring enough to attempt the Nightmare difficulty, this particular build might prove helpful. Especially if you like to use SMGs for their fast firing rate and reload. With this best Back 4 Blood SMG deck, you should be able to both deal huge damage as well as help teammates’ financial woes.

Related:

Back 4 Blood: The Best Cards

Back 4 Blood is now available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via Steam as well as Xbox Game Pass.