Fallout New Vegas is one of the Fallout games that has always had an amazing reputation. In fact, a lot of players actually consider it the best Fallout game in terms of story (though Fallout 4 is the best for gameplay). One thing that makes Fallout New Vegas stand out is the card game Caravan. While this game seems difficult at first, it isn't nearly as bad as it seems once you figure out the best ways to win.
What is Caravan in Fallout New Vegas?
Caravan is the game's main card game in which players will build their decks and try to have more points between the numbers 21 and 26 in each track (one of the three piles of cards you create) of the game. If an opponent has more points than you and stays under 26, they will win that track. If you go over 26 points on a track, you will lose that track. Once every track has a value of 21-26, the game will end, and the player with the highest points in two out of the three tracks will win.
To begin with, players will draw eight cards and spend the first three turns placing a single card down on each track. During this time, you can discard as many cards as you want and draw that number of cards. After this round, discarding cards will cost your turn. Once each player has placed a card in all three tracks, the real game begins. You can play a card, discard a card, or discard a track during your turn; but you can only pick one.
Here is a breakdown of what each card does in the game based on the game's description:
- Joker: The effect depends on the card that it is played on. Check below to see what it does.
- Ace: This card has a value of 1. If a Joker is played on it, all non-face cards from the ace's suit will be removed from the table.
- 2-10: The value of the card is dependent on the number the card is (sevens are seven points, 10s are 10 points, etc.) If a Joker is played on one of them, it will remove all cards of that value from the table.
- Jack: Removes the card it is played on and any face cards attached to that card.
- Queen: It reverses the correct direction of the hand and changes the suit of it.
- King: It doubles the value of the card it is attached to (a six becomes 12 points, a seven becomes 14 points, etc.)
How does betting work in Caravan?
When playing a game of Caravan, the player will have to bet before being allowed to start. Thankfully, the lowest amount you can bet is 1 cap, meaning you don't have to lose everything if you don't win a game.
How to build a Caravan Deck
To build a deck in Caravan, players have to have at least 30 cards. When you first meet Ringo, you will be given a Caravan Deck, so you won't need to worry about this right away. However, if you want more cards, you can find them on the bodies of dead Prospectors or purchase them from general stores.
There is a trick to playing Caravan that requires having specific numbers in your deck. Here are the cards you want to ensure you have in your deck:
- x3 Sevens
- x3 Nines
- x3 Tens
- x3 Kings
- x3 Jacks
You can certainly have more than three of each card in your deck, but you want to ensure that you have at least three of each. As for the rest of the cards, you can add whatever cards you want to add until you have 30 cards. You won't want to go over 30 cards because that's the lowest amount you can have, and the best way to win requires having fewer cards.
Related: How to mod Fallout New Vegas
How to win at Caravan every time
The goal of Caravan is to have the most points in each track, so long as it is 26 or lower. To do this, you want to use your tens, nines, and sevens to reach 26. Here are the steps you will follow to win almost every single Caravan game that you are required to play:
- You will first draw eight cards; make sure to discard everything except the tens, nines, and sevens. (You have to do it at this stage so it won't count as a turn when you discard.)
- Place one of the tens down the first track.
- Discard whatever card was drawn if it wasn't a ten, nine, or seven (or you already have three of the number).
- Repeat steps two and three until each track has a ten on it.
- Place the nines down under each ten (if you're having trouble placing the cards, try to move the card lower, this will let you place the card underneath the top card.)
- Place the sevens down under each nine.
- Win
If, at any point in the game, your opponent uses a King on your cards, you can use a Jack to remove it. You can also use any Kings you have on your opponent's cards to double their points, essentially ruining any tracks that may beat your track. Every other card in your deck can be ignored as they aren't as important as the number cards that get you 26 points and the two face cards that allow you to remove Kings and add them to opponents.
All Caravan opponents in the game
There are 14 NPCs that you can play Caravan against. (At least if you have the Honest Hearts DLC, otherwise there are 13). Here's a list of them all:
- Ambassador Dennis Crocker – NCR Embassy
- Cliff Briscoe* – Novac
- Dale Barton – The Fort
- Issac – Gun Runners
- Jed Masterson – Northern Passage
- Johnson Nash* – Primm
- Jules – North Vegas Square
- Keith – Aerotech Suite 200
- Lacey* – Mojave Outpost
- Little Buster – Camp McCarren
- No-bark Noonan – Novac
- Private Jake Erwin – NCR Embassy
- Quartermaster Mayes* – Comp Forlorn Hope
- Ringo – Crimson Caravan Camp (originally found in Goodsprings)
Those marked with a * are only available to play five games with. After hitting that limit, they will not play you anymore. Considering this, it is best to save the game before taking them on, just in case you mess anything up.
For more information on the Fallout games, check out Does Fallout New Vegas work on Steam Deck? (Best Settings).
Erin has been writing about video games since she can remember. She started her professional career covering RPGs, Strategies, and MMOs a few years ago. She has an MA in Composition and Rhetoric and is working toward a PhD. When she isn't writing, she spends her time playing games, reading, or with her dogs.