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CHAPTER 1: COLTER

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  • Outlaws from the West

  • Enter, Pursued by a Memory

  • The Aftermath of Genesis

  • Old Friends

  • Who the Hell Is Leviticus Cornwall?

    • get the ​Oil Company Letter and the Mining Company Letter, both in the private car

  • Eastward Bound

CHAPTER 2: HORSESHOE OVERLOOK

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Bandit 1. Rob 5 townsfolk. Pick isolated targets, and if someone sees you, stop them and rob them too. Best done around the church grounds and the houses on the outskirts of town, like Chadwick Farm.

Explorer 1. Find a treasure map. If you have the Ultimate Edition, Le Tresor des Morts Map #1 is in Limpany, near camp.

Herbalist 1. Pick 6 yarrow. All six are just outside of Valentine.

Herbalist 2. Pick and eat 4 species of berries. All are available in the Heartlands or Cumberland Forest: see below.

Horseman 1. Kill 5 rabbits from horseback. Just two are enough, because there are three in one of the first missions (see below).

Horseman 2. Jump 3 obstacles in 15 seconds. Anywhere; a fenced-in yard or farm corral is ideal.

Master Hunter 1. Skin 3 deer. Around camp and the railroad tracks leading to Valentine.

Master Hunter 2. Get 3 perfect rabbit pelts. Around camp and the railroad tracks leading to Valentine.

Sharpshooter 1. Kill 3 flying birds. Anywhere.

Weapons Expert 1. Kill 3 with your knife. Any O'Driscoll random encounter will do, or enemies in a mission (see below).

Weapons Expert 2. Kill 3 with throwing knives in 10 seconds. The mission "Paying a Social Call" is an easy way to do this.

  • ​explore camp, talk to everyone, edit custom outfits​

  • ride to Valentine: sell and buy goods as needed

  • ​collect yarrow south of town (Herbalist 1)​

  • collect raspberries​ just south of town​

  • collect blackberries just south of camp​​

  • rob five people in town (Bandit 1)​

  • Castor Ridge: stage 1​

  • Thomas Downes encounter: get the Charity Handbill​

  • ride to Flatneck Station

  • He Who Is without Sin

    • continue playing without busting out either player and you can win 5 hands (Gambler 1)

    • the man fighting with Swanson can be killed, and so can the running witness (Weapons Expert 1)​​

  • ​Exit, Pursued by a Bruised Ego

    • if you killed two rabbits anytime before this mission, there are three to shoot here (Horseman 1)

    • receive the Legendary Animals Map from Hosea

    • choose to return to camp at the end

  • "counseling" with Mary-Beth at camp

  • ​​Polite Society, Valentine Style

    • spare the man at the end to get Jimmy Brooks' Pen

    • ​Castor Ridge: stage 2 (before returning the stolen horse to Valentine)

  • Americans at Rest

    • ​​ride back to camp and then to Blackwater, or take the train from Valentine to Riggs Station and ride to Blackwater from there

  • ​The First Shall Be Last

    • the first two bounty hunters can be killed with your knife, if you haven't done this by now (Weapons Expert 1)

  • ​ride to Strawberry to unlock it as a fast travel location

  • take a coach to Valentine

  • ride to camp

  • Sean's party at camp: keep following Sean and Karen for 3-4 in-game hours until they hook up!

  • Money Lending and Other Sins I-II-III

  • ride to Painted Sky​

  • Money Lending: Mr. Wrobel

  • ride back to camp

    • explore the Brush Fire and get the cougar attack random encounter nearby​

    • explore Limpany and get the gold bar in the sheriff's office and the Le Tresor des Morts Map #1 in the jail (Explorer 1)

  • donate the gold bar to camp funds and upgrade the lodgings twice to unlock fast travel

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • Castor Ridge: stage 3

  • ride to Downes Ranch

  • Money Lending: Thomas Downes

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • take a train to Emerald Ranch

  • Money Lending: Lily Millet

  • Money Lending: Chick Matthews

    • get Chick Matthews' Map

    • collect huckleberries near this tree, by the end of the railroad

  • collect 9 common bulrush plants around the Heartlands Overflow

  • The Spines of America

    • choose to return to camp at the end

  • Paying a Social Call

    • the pissing O'Driscoll, his buddies, and the one sitting on the trunk are easy throwing knives targets (Weapons Expert 2)

  • collect wintergreen berries on the other side of the road from Six Point Cabin

  • eat all four species of berries you have (Herbalist 2)

  • collect 7 sage plants near this area, between the "U" and "M" in "Cumberland Forest"

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • Castor Ridge: stage 4

  • ​ride to camp​

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Master Hunter 3. Track 10 species through your binoculars. Anywhere in Big Valley.

Master Hunter 4. Get 5 clean kills after calling. Anywhere in Big Valley. More easily done with deer and pronghorn.

Master Hunter 5. Kill and skin 3 bears. A grizzly always spawns west of Wallace Station; one is inside Vetter's Echo cabin; and one often spawns in the woods southwest of the Trapper. There are also frequent black bears around Black Bone Forest.

Sharpshooter 2. Kill 2 different species in the same dead eye. Anywhere in Black Bone Forest, especially with small animals.

Herbalist 3. Craft 7 items with sage. Potent Horse Stimulant is the easiest: 1 sage + 1 common bulrush.

Herbalist 4. Feed 5 mushrooms to your horse. Anywhere in Black Bone Forest. They do not need to be five different species.

Herbalist 5. Craft 9 items with Indian Tobacco. These grow all over Big Valley. Potent Bitters only require 1 plant each

CAMP REQUESTS TO GET NOW

Pearson: naval compass. Play poker at camp until someone busts out. Pearson must be sitting to your right or left, not front.

Pearson: scout jacket. Speak to him between 10 and noon while he's chopping meat under the canopy and whistling. It does not matter whether your cores are empty or full!

Sean: whiskey. Speak to him when he's crafting bottles at a table behind the men's tents. Spawns randomly in the afternoon.

Charles: moonshine. Speak to him when he's crafting arrows at the main campfire.

Charles: oleander sage. Speak to him when he's crafting arrows at the main campfire. Only after the first request.

Javier: oleander sage. Speak to him when he's crafting throwing knives at the game table by John's tent.

Hosea: crime novel. Pick up the "Case of the Deceitful German" in the men's tent.

Susan: oregano. She walks up to you randomly in camp.

Go Hunting with Charles

  • 1 bison

  • ride to Oil Derrick

​

​Heartlands Hunting

  • ​1 badger, 1 buck

​

ride to camp and unload the big pelt

ride to Valentine

collect Serial Killer Clue #1

buy Varmint Rifle, Springfield Rifle, and express rifle cartridges 

get the Hunting Request poster at the train station

​

​​​Big Valley and Black Bone Forest Hunting

  • take a train to Wallace Station

  • collect Serial Killer Clue #2 just southeast of the station

  • for satchels

    • 7 deer

    • 2 elk

    • ​​1 beaver, wolf, boar, squirrel, raccoon, cougar

  • for camp

    • 5 boar

    • 2 wolf, cougar, ox, snake, pronghorn

    • 1 fox, cow, muskrat, beaver

    • 1 pronghorn carcass, wolf carcass, ram carcass

    • 1 moose antler, buck antler

  • for hunting requests

    • 1 rabbit, squirrel

  • for camp requests

    • 5 small animal carcasses

    • 1 rabbit​​

  • ​general tips

    • keep 5 small animal carcasses to donate to Pearson: small birds and squirrels are ideal

    • tame a wild horse to minimize backtracking and traveling back and forth to camp to offload big pelts

    • sell extra pelts etc. to the nearby Trapper to maximize your intake and not run out of room in your satchels

    • hunt both at daytime and nighttime, since most of these animals aren't out all day

    • hunt the Legendary Buck and get the Legendary Buck Antler that's needed for the Legendary Buck Trinket

 

​fast travel to camp and donate all pelts to Pearson

fast travel to Valentine

take a train to Rhodes

ride west to Flat Iron Lake and cross on horseback to the largest island

 

​Flat Iron Lake Hunting

  • 1 iguana​

 

​ride south toward Catfish Jackson's

collect Serial Killer Clue #3 along the road and receive the Pieced Together Map

​

​Lemoyne Hunting

  • 1 panther

 

​fast travel to camp and donate all pelts to Pearson

unlock all satchels:

buy the leather working tools from the ledger

donate 5 carcasses to Pearson​

donate 5 valuables to the camp box

donate $50 in cash to the camp box

craft any 5 items at the scout fire (the one behind the women's wagons); can be 5 of the same item

upgrade the medicine wagon twice

upgrade the provisions wagon twice

buy all satchels and all camp upgrades!

Herbalist 3: craft 7 Potent Horse Stimulants at the scout fire using 7 sage plants and 7 common bulrush plants

Herbalist 4: get on your horse and feed it any 5 mushrooms you have

Herbalist 5: craft 9 Potent Bitters at the scout fire using 9 Indian tobacco plants

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Weapons Expert 3. Kill 5 scavenging birds with a tomahawk. Anywhere there are carcasses or dead bodies: just wait for birds.

  • read Mary's Letter

  • fast travel to Valentine​

  • ​​We Loved Once and True II​​

  • these missions are missable if you don't do them now, and III is missable if you decline helping Mary at the end of II

  • ​take a train to Emerald Ranch

  • ​buy 10 moonshines from the fence, if needed​

  • ​We Loved Once and True III

  • ​fast travel to valentine

  • Good, Honest, Snake Oil (bounty: Benedict Allbright)

  • ​consult the pieced-together serial killer map​

  • ride to Lucky's Cabin

  • American Dreams

  • ​advance time to the next day​

  • Bounty: Ellie Anne Swan

  • ​The Noblest of Men, and a Woman I

  • take a train to Rhodes

  • Billy Midnight

  • ​​ride to Canebreak Manor

  • Black Belle

    • ​Weapons Expert 3: crows, ravens, and hawks will swoop down on the death bounty hunters while you loot the cabin

  • ​​ride to Copperhead Landing and get the Incendiary Buckshot Pamphlet

  • ​craft 10 shotgun ammo​

  • ​fast travel to Colter

  • ride to Cairn Lake

  • Flaco Hernandez

  • ​fast travel to camp

  • ride to Flatneck Station

  • Emmet Granger

  • ​Smoking and Other Hobbies

  • ​​All That Glitters

  • A Test of Faith

  • ride to camp

  • Rob a Homestead with Javier

  • ​ride to Wapiti Indian Reservation to unlock the area for fast travel and get the Dynamite Arrow Pamphlet​​​​​

  • fast travel to camp

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Bandit 3. Rob 4 stores in one day. This means any 24-hour period.

Bandit 4. Rob or fence 3 coaches in one day. Just two coaches are enough: rob the compartment in the back and then fence the coach; rinse/repeat.

Explorer 3-8. Find a treasure. A new level unlocks every time you find a new treasure map, and there are 6 available right now.

Herbalist 5. Pick 15 different species of plant. There are about 20-ish species native to the Heartlands, so just ride around.

Horseman 3. Valentine to Rhodes in under 5 minutes. Just follow the tracks!

Weapons Expert 4. Kill 5 enemies with crafted shotgun ammo. During any gunfight, or antagonize passers-by and shoot them.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​​

Hunting for treasures

  • see more information in my Treasure Guide here

  • ride to Caliban’s Seat: Jack Hall Gang Map 2

  • ride or take a train to Wallace Station

  • trigger the high stakes treasure encounter: High Stakes Treasure Map 1

  • ride to Cumberland Falls: High Stakes Treasure Map 2

  • ride to Barrow Lagoon: High Stakes Treasure Map 1

  • ride to Cotorra Springs: Jack Hall Gang Map 2

  • drop to the pass below and get the train wreck gold bars

  • ride to Fort Wallace: High Stakes Treasure

  • ride to O’Creagh’s Run: Jack Hall Gang Treasure​

​

get 3-4 Dragon’s Mouth Orchids around O'Creagh's Run! this is important to minimize backtracking later: ​​see map here​​

hunting: Legendary Bear

rob the Veteran's Homestead

fast travel to Emerald Ranch and fence the gold bars

​

Heartlands

  • notable locations to loot: ​Carmody Dell, Larned Sod, Guthrie Farm, Hani's Bethel, ​Oil Derrick, Twin Stack Pass

  • see link above for more details

​

Valentine and surroundings

  • notable locations to loot: Valentine town, Downes' Ranch, Flatneck Station

  • see link above for more details

​

Cumberland Forest

  • notable locations to loot: Six Point Cabin, Firwood Rise, Bacchus Station

  • see link above for more details

  • I recommend a brief foray across the border into Ambarino to get the Poison Arrow Pamphlet from the Mysterious Hill Home

  • if needed, get one more Dragon’s Mouth Orchid along the train tracks at the Ambarino Border: ​​see map here​​

​

Bandit 3

  • rob the doctor, the gunsmith, and the general store

  • ride from Valentine to Rhodes (Horseman 3)

  • rob the Rhodes general store

​

Bandit 4

  • ​fast travel to Strawberry

  • take a coach to Emerald Ranch: rob the coach and fence it

  • take a coach to Strawberry: rob the coach and earn a high bounty for later

​

fast travel to camp

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Bandit 5. Accrue a $250 bounty in one state. Just shoot a lot of law. This is easily done during "Blessed Are the Meek."

Survivalist 1. Catch 3 bluegill. Those during "A Fisher of Men" don't count, infuriatingly enough, so go right back after it.

Survivalist 2. Turn in 5 carcasses to Pearson or the Trapper. Fish count, too.

Survivalist 3. Kill 5 animals with a varmint rifle. Easily done with rabbits and turkeys around camp.

Survivalist 4. Craft one of each arrow type. Poison, fire, dynamite, improved, and small. You should have all the pamphlets now.

  • ​A Quiet Time

  • fast travel to Strawberry

  • Blessed Are the Meek

    • DO NOT equip the bandana at the beginning to easily accrue $250 bounty during the mission (Bandit 5)

  • ride to Appleseed Timber

  • Appleseed Timber 1: trade with foreman

  • fast travel to camp

  • Pouring Forth Oil 1

  • fast travel to Cornwall Kerosene & Tar

  • Pouring Forth Oil 2

  • ​fast travel to camp

  • Pouring Forth Oil 3

  • fast travel to Strawberry

  • An American Pastoral Scene

    • get the Liberty Hat from a guard

  • loot Micah’s camp: Micah's Newspaper Scrap, Blackwater Ledger Scrap, and Dutch Wanted Poster

  • Appleseed Timber 2: fallen tree

  • ride back down to the river

    • catch three bluegill (Survivalist 1) and get two more fish

    • turn in five fish to Pearson or Trapper (Survivalist 2)

    • kill five animals with a varmint rifle (Survivalist 3)

    • craft one of each arrow type (Survivalist 4)

  • fast travel to Emerald Ranch

  • ride to Old Trail Rise

  • Pouring Forth Oil 3

  • fast travel to Strawberry

  • Appleseed Timber 3: wolves

    • get the Bucket Hat​ from a lumberjack

  • fast travel to camp

  • finish the last camp requests

  • collect all camp items with the photo glitch

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • The Sheep and the Goats

    • get the Newsboy Flat Cap from a guard

  • ride to camp

  • A Strange Kindness

CHAPTERS 1-2 SCREENSHOTS

CHAPTER 3: CLEMENS POINT

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CAMP REQUESTS TO GET NOW

Kieran: burdock root. He should be brushing a horse right next to Arthur's tent at the very beginning of the chapter.

Hosea: ginseng. Speak to him when he's crafting a poultice at the main table near Arthur's tent.

Bill: hair pomade. Speak to him when he's sitting on a chair in front of the men's tent.

Dutch: pipe. Speak to him when he's smoking a cigar in front of his tent, usually in the mornings.

Molly: pocket mirror. She walks up to you randomly in camp.

Lenny: pocket watch. Speak to him when he's telling a story about his father at the main campfire between 9pm and 2am. This is extremely difficult to trigger, as there are dozens of possible campfire interactions, including 4-5 ones by Lenny alone.

  • craft new outfits and speak to people around camp

  • Further Questions of Female Suffrage

  • The New South

    • catching a fish from the boat is the first half of Survivalist 5

  • Money Lending and Other Sins 4

  • Rob a Homestead with Sean

  • fast travel to Strawberry

  • Money Lending: Winton Holmes

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • Money Lending: Gywn Hughes

  • American Distillation

    • after the shootout at Macomb's End, there are at least 4-5 egrets on the bank across the river while making your way back to Dutch: you can shoot and loot them without failing the mission, and there are no gators in the river, either
  • fast travel to camp and turn in debts

  • fast travel to Caliga Hall

  • The Course of True Love 1

  • ride to Braithwaite Manor

  • The Course of True Love 2

    • get the naval compass for Pearson in the boathouse next to Penelope's gazebo

  • ride to Caliga Hall

  • The Course of True Love 3

  • ride to camp

  • Advertising, the New American Art

  • fast travel to Braithwaite Manor

  • The Fine Joys of Tobacco

    • choose to return to camp at the end

  • fast travel to Caliga Hall

  • Horse Flesh for Dinner

  • ride to camp

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Bandit 6. Steal and fence 5 horses. Steal a four-horse stagecoach at Emerald Ranch, drive it to Clive, and fence each horse; then steal a random horse nearby to finish.

Bandit 7. Rob $50 from travelers. The quickest way is to just do one train robbery and target only the first-class passengers.

Bandit 8. Steal and fence 7 coaches. You have easy access to coaches during Alden's robbery missions, and you can steal the rest from just outside Emerald Ranch, where the roads have quite a bit of traffic.

Bandit 9. Hogtie 3 people and leave them on train tracks. Easily done literally anywhere; even easier if you have a witness, so you can chase down/hogtie/leave the witness.

Bandit 10. Complete 5 train robberies without dying or getting caught. The easiest challenge, ironically: take a train, and instead of getting off, run to the back and steal a can of fruit from the cargo wagon. Do this five times. That's it.

Horseman 4. 3300-foot lasso drag. Just lasso someone and drag them along train tracks; just be sure you're not seen by anyone.

Horseman 5. Trample 5 animals from horseback. Fish and turkey are easy.

Sharpshooter 3. Shoot 5 birds from a moving train. It's harder than it seems because they often don't spawn. I've had the best luck between Wallace and Riggs Stations.

Weapons Expert 5. Kill 5 enemies from horseback with one throwing knife each. Antagonize someone until they become enemies, then do them.

  • Go Fishing with Javier

    • ​choose to return to camp at the end

  • ​Go Fishing with Kieran

    • ride to camp

  • An Honest Mistake

  • Bandit 6: fast travel to Emerald Ranch, take a stagecoach to Rhodes, steal the coach upon arrival, ride it to Clemens Cove, and sell each horse to Clive; then steal and sell another horse from a random passer-by

  • at any point during this chapter, antagonize riders on the road and kill them with one throwing knife (Weapons Expert 5); Poison knives don't count, so it's best to have Improved ones

  • ride to camp

  • Preaching Forgiveness as He Went​

  • Magicians for Sport

    • get the Rare Rolling Block Rifle from the bounty hunter in the barn

  • Friends in Very Low Places

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • Bandit 7: take a train to Riggs Station and rob $50 from first-class passengers; ride down to the river to lose the bounty quickly

  • camp, sleep 24 hours, and fast travel to Rhodes

  • Rhodes coach robbery: North Scarlett Meadows

    • steal the coach you just robbed and fence it in Emerald Ranch ​(Bandit 8)

  • camp, sleep 24 hours, and fast travel to Rhodes

  • Rhodes coach robbery: South Scarlett Meadows

    • steal the coach you just robbed and fence it in Emerald Ranch ​(Bandit 8)

  • camp, sleep 24 hours, and fast travel to Rhodes

  • Rhodes coach robbery: Coach Convoy

    • steal one of the coaches you just robbed and fence it in Emerald Ranch ​(Bandit 8)

  • Bandit 8: fence four more coaches around Emerald Ranch and fence them to Seamus​

  • Bandit 9: hogtie 3 people and leave them on the train tracks: the dominos players at Emerald Stations are a fun way to do this!

    • this is easily combined with Horseman 4: the safest way to drag someone for 3,300 feet is to do it along train tracks; of course, the person you kill in this way cannot be one of the three you leave hogtied on the tracks

  • Bandit 10: take a train to anywhere, steal a can of fruit from the cargo wagon, and get off; rinse and repeat 4 more times.

    • after the last robbery, wait for the train to leave the station, then ride alongside it, get on top of a passenger car, and shoot 5 birds (Sharpshooter 3); I've had the best luck getting birds to spawn when the train is leaving Riggs or Wallace Station

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • No Good Deed

  • The Iniquities of History

    • Compson's Ledger in the basement can be kept thanks to the photo mode glitch

  • ride to Lonnie's Shack

    • the next few missions involve a lot of riding in areas with small animals, so they're ideal for Horseman 5​

  • He's British, of Course 1

  • ride to Emerald Ranch

  • He's British, of Course 2

  • ride to Rhodes

  • He's British, of Course 3

  • ride to Emerald Ranch

  • He's British, of Course 4

    • buy the Lion's Paw Trinket at the fence as soon as you have the Lion Paw

  • fast travel to camp

  • Rob a Coach with Sean and Mary-Beth

  • fast travel to camp

  • Sodom? Back to Gomorrah!

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Gambler 2. Win 5 hands of blackjack. The game is now available at the Rhodes Parlor House. Just play regularly and win.

Sharpshooter 4. Kill someone with a tomahawk from 80+ feet away. When you see an O'Driscoll or Lemoyne Raider camp, approach with your tomahawk drawn: as soon as the dot turns red, shoot.

Sharpshooter 5. Kill 6 animals without reloading. A flock of geese is an easy way to do this: arm a repeater, go into Dead Eye, and target all six.

Sharpshooter 6. Kill someone with a long-scoped rifle from 660+ feet away. Climb on top of Twin Stack Pass and use the sniper rifle to pick off a rider or stagecoach driver in the distance.

Weapons Expert 6. Kill 4 enemies with the same dynamite stick. Lonnie's Shack is an easy way to do this: new enemies respawn there ever 4-5 days. Just toss one stick inside and leave. Alternatively, find an O'Driscoll or Lemoyne Raider camp, run around and hogtie everyone, pile them up in the same spot, and toss the dynamite.

Weapons Expert 7. Kill 4 enemies by throwing and retrieving the same tomahawk. Same strategy as above: hogtie and do them one by one. You actually need 5 enemies, because the first one doesn't count.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​

Flat Iron Lake

  • lots of great hunting and foraging on all the main islands: see link above for more details

  • get the Cat Eye Trinket from a box on the southernmost island

 

​Northern Scarlett Meadows

  • hunting: Legendary Fox (Mattock Pond) and Legendary Coyote (Dewberry Creek)

  • notable locations to loot: Old Trail Rise Shack, Old Greenbank Mill, Hill Haven Ranch, Compson's Stead, Macomb's End

  • see link above for more details

​​

Rhodes

  • there are cards and other collectibles in town: see link above for more details

​​

Southern Scarlett Meadows

  • notable locations to loot: Bolger Glade, Abandoned Church, Braithwaite Manor grounds, Catfish Jackson's

  • see link above for more details
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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Sharpshooter 7. Get 7 headshots in a row. You can miss, but you can't hit another body part.

Weapons Expert 8. Get 15 kills with a long-barreled sidearm. I strongly recommend modifying the Volcanic Pistol, which with a long barrel deals as much damage as a repeater.

  • Blessed Are the Peacemakers

    • if you want to sneak, go left as soon as you leave the basement and kill O'Driscolls with throwing knives as you encounter them; if you want to face them head on, stay behind the barn as they ride in

    • in either case, once you get your horse, ride east to leave Lone Mule Stead, get down to the river bank before the bridge, and cross the river on horseback after the bridge

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • A Short Walk in a Pretty Town

    • the initial standoff is an easy time to get 7 straight headshots; look for enemies on the roofs (Sharpshooter 7)

    • switch to your long-barreled sidearm right after that (Weapons Expert 8)

  • Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern

    • kill some Braithwaites with a long-barreled sidearm if needed to complete Weapons Expert 8

  • The Battle of Shady Belle
  • The Joys of Civilization
  • Angelo Bronte, a Man of Honor
    • while exploring the cemetary, get Le Tresor des Morts Treasure from the Lemieux family mausoleum
  • attend Jack's party and sleep till morning

CHAPTER 3 SCREENSHOTS

CHAPTERS 4-5: SHADY BELLE, GUARMA

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CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Gambler 3. Win 3 five-finger fillet games. Games, not individual rounds. This is easily done at camp with Lenny or Micah.

Gambler 4. Bust out a poker opponent at Flatneck Station, Valentine, and Saint Denis. Go all-in whenever you have any hand and playing against an opponent who has less money than you: usually, it takes but a few minutes.

Gambler 5. Win 3 rounds of dominoes without drawing any tiles. This is frustrating and just takes trial and error. Play against 2 or 3 opponents for higher odds.

Survivalist 5. Catch a fish from a boat and from railroad tracks. These are easily done anywhere in the Bayou.

  • read Mary's Letter at camp

  • ride to Saint Denis

    • ​trigger the Crawdad Willie's random encounters:​

      • Rousseau ​hostage rescue: this is triggered near the train tracks bordering Caliga Hall, across the tracks from the abandoned station just outside Shady Belle

      • Chained prisoners: this is triggered right after the previous one: just ride away and come straight back, or you'll miss it

    • catch a fish from the railroad tracks riding into town (Survivalist 5)

  • buy new horse and new outfits to look more presentable in Saint Denis...

  • Fatherhood and Other Dreams

    • in the back of the coach is another Naval Compass, either for Pearson's request or to keep

  • ride to camp

    • play five-finger fillet at camp whenever it's available (Gambler 3)

  • Money Lending and Other Sins 5

  • ​ride to Catfish Jackson's

  • Money Lending: Algie Davison

  • ride to camp

  • No, No and Thrice, No

  • fast travel to camp

  • The Gilded Cage

    • get Algernon's Business Card from Algernon Wasp (far left), the Theatre Ticket from the two smoking gentlemen (center), and the Letter to Bronte from the Mayor from Lemieux's desk

  • fast travel to Saint Denis
  • visit Algernon Wasp to start Duchesses and Other Animals 1
  • American Fathers 1
  • ​A Fine Night of Debauchery​

    • buy the High Roller Revolver from a fence after this mission

  • fast travel to Cornwall Kerosene & Tar
  • American Fathers 2
  • ride to Flatneck Station and play poker (Gambler 4)
  • ride to Valentine and play poker (Gambler 4)
  • take a train to Saint Denis and play poker (Gambler 4)
  • ride to camp
  • High and Low Finance (bonus robbery mission with Charles and Uncle)
  • ride back to Rhodes and get the ingot from the Crawdad Willie's prisoner random encounter
  • The Ties That Bind Us 1-2
  • fast travel to camp
  • Rob a Stagecoach with Micah and Bill
  • fast travel to camp
  • Rob a Stagecoach with Lenny
  • ride to camp
  • Go Hunting with Pearson
  • Go Rustling with Uncle
  • ride to Dewberry Creek
  • The Ties That Bind Us 3-4

  • fast travel to Emerald Ranch

  • play dominoes (Gambler 5)

  • ride to Martha's Swain just across the border into Ambarino to get the pocket mirror for Molly

  • take a train to Wallace Station

  • ride to Vetter's Echo to get the pipe for Dutch and the pocket watch for Lenny

  • ride just uphill to get the Special Miracle Tonic Pamphlet from the abandoned camp on the ledge

  • The Ties That Bind Us 5

  • fast travel to camp and fulfill Molly's, Dutch's, and Lenny's requests

    • Dutch's request is notoriously bugged and you may not be able to give him the pipe​

RDR2-slide-12.JPG

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​​

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Fundraiser

  • Help a Brother out

  • Brothers and Sisters, One and All

    • to lose the law quickly, go back to the slums and hide behind some wooden fences

  • The Artist's Way 1​

  • collect the five vampire clues and do the vampire random encounter: see guide here

    • get the Ornate Dagger from near the vampire's body

  • Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners 1 (8pm-5am)

  • Doyle's Tavern rat shootout: use Small Game Arrows to get 6-7 perfect rat pelts

  • Saint Denis gunsmith robbery: see guide here

  • The Artist's Way 2

  • ​get all other Saint Denis collectibles: see link above

  • Bounty: Lindsey Wofford

    • get the Civil War Hardee Hat, Civil War Report, and Civil War Knife in the basement of the hut inside Ft. Brennand, and then the Special Horse Medicine Pamphlet from the chest under the broken stairs leading up to a fort corner tower

  • ​The Artist's Way 3

  • Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners 2 (8pm-5am)

    • make camp, sleep until night, fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners 3 (8pm-5am)

    • opt to kill Jean-Marc to trigger an easter egg later

  • A Bright Bouncing Boy
  • The Mercies of Knowledge 1

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 2

  • fast travel to Lagras and ride north

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 3

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 4

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 5

  • fast travel to Emerald Ranch and ride north

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 6

  • sleep 12-24 hours at the hotel to advance time

  • The Mercies of Knowledge 7

    • get the Electric Chair Blueprint from Professor Bell's body

  • The Artist's Way 4

  • ​fast travel to camp

RDR2-slide-13.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Sharpshooter 8. Disarm 3 enemies without reloading. Easiest way is to use poison throwing knives: enemies will drop their guns!

Survivalist 6. Kill 5 animals while they're scavenging. Crows, ravens, hawks, vultures, eagles, foxes, coyotes, boars, possums, rats, and raccoons are among the most common, but bears and wolves will occasionally scavenge too. Wait for them to begin eating the prey and then shoot them. The best tactic is to kill an animal and wait for the scavengers from a distance.

Survivalist 7. Kill 8 small animals in a row with Small Game Arrows. You can't miss, nor hit nonlethal ​shots. Best place to do this is the chicken pen at Emerald Ranch (which has 9 poultry) or the second Doyle's Tavern random encounter (there are 14 rats).

Survivalist 8. Craft an Improved Tomahawk, a Homing Tomahawk, a Volatile Dynamite, and a Volatile Fire Bottle. You will need: an owl feather, a hawk or eagle feather, a bottle of moonshine, a stick of dynamite, animal fat, and any bottle of rum or whiskey.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​​​​

COLLECTING EXOTICS

  • collect all local exotics for the first request, plus as many for future requests as you can

  • frustratingly, the game stops spawning exotics when you're one short of the required amount, so you for any future number n of exotics needed you can grab n-1 now

​

  • FOR THE FIRST REQUEST

    • 15 Lady of the Night orchids: see map here​

    • 5 Reddish Egret Plumes

    • 5 Snowy Egret Plumes

    • 5 Little Egret Plumes

    • the best bird hunting spots are in my videos: here and here

​

  • FOR THE SECOND REQUEST
    • 20 (-1) Heron plumes: all over Bayou Nwa, but especially on the east coast

    • plus exotics in other states: 10 Moccasin Flower Orchids and 7 Lady Slipper Orchids

​

​

​

  • FOR THE FIFTH REQUEST

​​

  • trigger a Nite Folk random encounter at night: e.g., see here and here

  • A Fine Night for It

    • this triggers at night only after a Nite Folk random encounter

    • snipe the Nite Folk from afar before they can torch the hostages, as one is wearing a rare hat, usually the Liberty Hat

​

  • fast travel to camp

  • be sure to finish all outstanding camp requests now!

RDR2-slide-14.JPG

  • Horsemen, Apocalypses

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Urban Pleasures

  • fast travel to Lagras

  • Country Pursuits

  • fast travel to camp

  • Revenge Is a Dish Best Eaten

    • get the List of Accounts and the Telegram to Police Chief Lambert on Bronte's desk in his office downstairs, next to the stairs; the thug in Bronte's bedroom has a Mauser Pistol

  • Banking, the Old American Art

​

​

CHAPTER 5: GUARMA

​

​

  • Welcome to the New World

  • explore the island and study, track, and kill all 8 animals unique to Guarma:

    • 4 birds: Red-footed Booby, Blue and Yellow Macaw, Scarlet Macaw, and Great Green Macaw

      • these are found along the river, especially near the waterfall

      • the booby never lands and is always in flight above the river, so use binoculars to study it

    • 4 snakes: Fer-de-Lance Snake, Sunglow Boa, Rainbow Boa, and Red-tailed Boa

      • these only spawn reliably in one spot: next to the two logs that form an L-shape on the ground, just downhill and west from camp; otherwise, walk around the woods to find them

      • once you find one, study and track it, then kill it and skin it, and finally save and reload

  • trigger the two random encounters unique to Guarma, both along the road that leads east from camp: being ambushed by guards in a pit trap, and escaped prisoners being chased by guards

  • Savagery Unleashed

  • A Kind and Benevolent Despot

  • Hell Hath No Fury

  • Paradise Mercifully Departed

    • this is the most likely drop of the Sun Hat, the only item unique to Guarma, worn by many guards

  • Dear Uncle Tacitus​

  • Fleeting Joy

CHAPTERS 4-5 SCREENSHOTS

CHAPTER 6: BEAVER HOLLOW

RDR2-slide-15.JPG

  • That's Murfree Country​

  • fast travel to Saint Denis​

  • A Fork in the Road

    • for best immersion, get drunk, raise hell, and/or go on a shopping spree after Arthur gets the bad news...

  • Icarus and Friends

  • ride to Copperhead Landing

  • Visiting Hours
  • fast travel to Annesburg
  • Just a Social Call​
  • fast travel to Van Horn
  • The Delights of Van Horn
  • ride to camp
  • A Rage Unleashed
  • fast travel to Saint Denis
  • Goodbye, Dear Friend
RDR2-slide-16.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Gambler 6. Beat the Blackjack dealer in Rhodes and Van Horn. Being pushed by the dealer doesn't count as a win.

Herbalist 7. Craft and drink 5 miracle tonics. Need 30 burdock root (found along any river bank), 30 yarrow (found anywhere in the Heartlands), and 30 currant (found all over Roanoke Ridge).

Herbalist 8. Craft 6 items with oleander. Any six poison arrows or poison throwing knives will count.

Herbalist 9. Collect all 43 plant species. Begin now and keep score to minimize future backtracking!

Master Hunter 6. Kill and skin 5 cougars with your bow. A good spot is at night along the tracks from Annesburg to Doverhill: at least 2-3 cougars a night spawn here. Just ride along the tracks and be patient. One improved arrow is enough for a clean kill.

Master Hunter 7. Lure and kill 1 herbivore and 1 predator. Pick any spot with a clear view. A good one is near Willard's Rest, where there's a large cliff overlooking the train tracks and the bridge on the river. Place predator bait on the tracks and get up on the cliff. Kill a predator, usually a fox or a coyote. Then do the same with herbivores, probably a deer or an elk. DO NOT lay down the two baits at the same time. Just do one after the other. Also, a lured animal doesn't need to be actively eating the bait for it to count.

Master Hunter 8. Catch 3 small fish without a fishing rod. Shooting fish with a shotgun is an easy way to do this, or trampling them with a horse and then picking them up. Pull out your fishing rod to make them spawn, first. Alternatively, go behind the Whinyard Strait waterfall at Granite Pass, just north of the train tracks: dead fish fall on the ledge all the time, so just pick up three.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​

Exotics in this area

​​

Northern Roanoke Ridge

  • fast travel to Annesburg

  • ride north to Doverhill

  • A Bright Bouncing Boy 2

  • A Bright Bouncing Boy 3

    • this triggers 48 hours after the previous one: from the lab, pick up the Electric Lantern, the Inventor's Notes, and the Inventor's Plan

  • hunting: Legendary Moose

  • Manito Glade: get the Rare Shotgun from the hermit

  • Reed Cottage: get the Sketched Map (check out my Treasure Guide here)

  • check out the link above for more details about the collectibles in this area

​

Central Roanoke Ridge

  • fast travel to Annesburg

  • get the Annesburg collectibles: see link above

  • ride to Elysian pool and get collectibles: see link above

  • Central Union Railroad: stage 1

  • Viking Tomb and Feral Man first encounter

    • you cannot chase the feral man to his lair during the first encounter: just kill the wolves and let him go​

  • Central Union Railroad: stage 2

    • get the Property Deed from the foreman's tent at the end

  • fast travel to Van Horn

  • get the Van Horn collectibles: see link above

  • The Smell of Grease Paint 1

  • beat the blackjack dealer in Van Horn

    • take a coach to Rhodes

    • beat the blackjack dealer in Rhodes (Gambler 6)

    • take a coach back to Van Horn

  • beat the five-finger fillet player in Van Horn for Gambler 7

​

Southern Roanoke Ridge

  • hunting: Legendary Beaver

  • The Smell of Grease Paint 2

  • The Wisdom of the Elders 1
  • The Wisdom of the Elders 2
  • The Wisdom of the Elders 3
  • The Wisdom of the Elders 4
  • The Wisdom of the Elders 5
    • get the Liability Agreement from the table at the end​

​

Poisonous Trail Treasure (check out my Treasure Guide here)

  • fast travel to Rhodes

  • ride to Bolger Glade: Poisonous Trail Map #2

  • fast travel to Van Horn

  • ride to the Serpent Mound: Poisonous Trail Map #3

  • ride to Elysian Pool

  • enter the cave behind the waterfall: Poisonous Trail Treasure

RDR2-slide-17.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Gambler 7. Beat the five-finger fillet player in Van Horn, Strawberry, and Valentine. Win two rounds each time.

Horseman 6. Strawberry to Saint Denis 9-minute dry dash. To avoid touching water, cross the Dakota via the Bard's Crossing railroad bridge, then just follow the tracks until Saint Denis.

Master Hunter 9. Kill an opossum playing possum. The most reliable spawn area is Lone Mule Stead, in West Elizabeth just across the railroad from Riggs Station. The woods north of Annesburg and those north of Bacchus Station are also decent spots.

Master Hunter 10. Kill the Legendary Panther "Giaguaro." The first clue is right on top of its crown on the map, and the next two are very close to each other. The panther is extremely hard to spot: after finding the third clue, stay still and search the woods/bushes in front of you with your weapon drawn until you see it. One explosive round usually kills it.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​

  • read Penelope's Letter at camp

  • fast travel to Braithwaite Manor

  • The Course of True Love 4-5

    • accept Penelope's Bracelet at the end

  • ride to Lone Mule Stead nearby

  • wait for night and find a possum playing possum (Master Hunter 9)

  • Arcadia for Amateurs 1

  • ride to Riggs Station

  • take a train to Wallace Station

  • get the last Lady Slipper Orchids (see map here)

  • Arcadia for Amateurs 2

  • fast travel to Strawberry

  • beat the five-finger fillet player in Strawberry for Gambler 7

  • ride from Strawberry to Saint Denis without touching water (Horseman 6)

  • Duchesses and Other Animals 3

    • submit old request: 20 Heron, 10 Moccasin, 7 Lady Slipper

    • receive new request: 25 Gator, 7 Cigar, 5 Ghost, 3 Acuna

  • take a train to Emerald Ranch

  • Arcadia for Amateurs 3

  • fast travel to Caliga Hall

  • get the last Ghost Orchid: see map here

  • fast travel to Lagras

  • get the last Gator's Eggs: see map here​​

  • get the last Acuna's Star Orchid: see map here​

  • get the last Cigar Orchid: see map here​

  • hunting: Legendary Bull Gator

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Duchesses and Other Animals 4

    • submit old request: 25 Gator, 7 Cigar, 5 Ghost, 3 Acuna

    • receive new request: 30 Spoonbill, 10 Rat Tail, 5 Scented, 5 Spider

  • fast travel to Braithwaite Manor

  • get the last Night Scented Orchid: see map here​​

  • hunting: Legendary Panther "Giaguaro" (Master Hunter 10)

  • fast travel to Lagras

  • get the last Roseate Spoonbill plume: locations here and here

  • get the last Rat Tail Orchid: see map here​

  • get the last Spider's Orchid: ​​see map here​​

  • Arcadia for Amateurs 4

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Duchesses and Other Animals 5

    • submit old request: 30 Spoonbill, 10 Rat Tail, 5 Scented, 5 Spider

    • receive new request: 10 Sparrow's Egg, 10 Dragon's Mouth, 5 Clamshell, 5 Queen's

  • fast travel to camp

  • get the last Sparrow's Egg Orchid: ​​see map here​​

  • get the last Dragon's Mouth Orchid: ​​see map here​​

    • if you collected them earlier as you should have, now you only need to cross the border slightly into Ambarino to get the last one, exactly halfway between Beaver Hollow and O'Creagh's Run

  • fast travel to Caliga Hall

  • get the last Clamshell Orchid: see map here​​

  • fast travel to Lagras

  • get the last Queen's Orchid: see map here​​

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • beat the five-finger fillet player in Valentine (Gambler 7)

  • Arcadia for Amateurs 5

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • Duchesses and Other Animals 6

    • submit final request: 10 Sparrow's Egg, 10 Dragon's Mouth, 5 Clamshell, 5 Queen's

  • watch Miss Marjorie's show at the Théâtre Râleur and collect your reward

  • Of Men and Angels 2

  • The Noblest of Men, and a Woman 4

  • take a train to Annesburg

  • The Noblest of Men, and a Woman 5

  • ride to the Kamassa River

  • The Noblest of Men, and a Woman 6

    • pick up Calloway's Revolver at the end

    • the Perlino Andalusian rare horse is around this area

  • fast travel to camp

RDR2-slide-18.JPG

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

 

​craft new outfits suitable for cold weather

fast travel to Colter

  • for some reason, this is not available from camp, so set up a campsite just outside and fast travel from there...

​

Grizzlies West

  • Adler Ranch, Cairn Lake, Spider Gorge

  • Lake Isabella

    • rare horse: White Arabian​

    • hunting: Legendary White Bison

  • Mount Hagen

  • Cattail Pond

    • hunting: Legendary Ram

  • Window Rock, Granite Pass

  • Cotorra Springs

    • hunting: Legendary Wolf

​

Grizzlies East

  • Strange Statues Treasure: see my Treasure Guide here

  • the eagles' nest is a particularly challenging point of interest: see here

  • the game's only reliable moose spawn is also in this area: see here

  • Moonstone Pond, O'Creagh's Run

    • typically, players leave the Veteran missions until the Epilogue, so as to be able to keep the special horse Buell

  • Fairvale Shanty, The Loft

    • typically, this is when you should find the last Dreamcatcher​

    • fast travel to Butcher Creek and ride to Elysian Pool

    • find the Ancient Arrowhead deep inside the cave behind the waterfall

​

fast travel to camp

RDR2-slide-19.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Horseman 7. Kill 7 enemies from horseback. These don't have to be consecutive, but if you get off your horse the counter resets. Also, they have to be enemies, so this is best done during a mission (or ride around until you find a traveler, insult them until they turn hostile, and then kill them).

Horseman 8. Kill 9 predators from horseback. Predators are alligators, bears, cougars, panthers, wolves, eagles, vultures, hawks, ravens, and a few more. Just ride around the bayou and kill nine alligators: can be done in three minutes.

  • Money Lending and Other Sins 6​

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • Archeology for Beginners

    • accept to help Captain Monroe during the ride!

    • get the Owl Feather Trinket if you don't kill anyone during this mission

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • Honor, amongst Thieves

  • fast travel to camp

  • The Fine Art of Conversation

    • kill 7 soldiers from horseback during the chase (Horseman 7)

    • the iconic conversation with Sister Calderón is a cutscene at the end of this mission

      • if you skipped her quest line during Chapter 4, this conversation is with ​Reverend Swanson instead...

  • ride to Three Sisters

  • Money Lending: J. John Weathers

  • fast travel to Annesburg

  • Money Lending: Arthur Londonderry​

  • fast travel to camp

  • Money Lending and Other Sins 7 (conclusion)

  • fast travel to Annesburg

  • Do Not Seek Absolution 1

  • ride to Willard's Rest

  • The Widow of Willard's Rest 1

  • fast travel to Annesburg

  • Do Not Seek Absolution 2

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • ride to Bacchus Station

  • The Bridge to Nowhere

  • ride to Willard's Rest

  • The Widow of Willard's Rest 2

  • fast travel to Valentine

  • ride to Cumberland Forest

  • Favorite Sons

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • The King's Son

  • fast travel to camp

  • Mrs. Sadie Adler, Widow 1-2

    • choose to travel with Sadie to instantly trigger part II

    • get the Letter to Tom from Colm from the bearded O'Driscoll at the end

  • fast travel to camp

  • My Last Boy

  • ride to Willard's Rest

  • The Widow of Willard's Rest 3​

EPILOGUE TRANSITION PREP

  • make simple and potent bitters, cures, and tonics with herbs: these sell for many times the value of the herbs alone

    • do not make special​s: they don't sell and they don't carry over

  • make ammo with feathers, fat, and liquor, none of which carry over, but the ammo does

  • make simple and potent predator and herbivore baits, which carry over

  • if you have bird carcasses, break them down first to get their feathers and then sell the feathers to the Trapper

  • fast travel to Saint Denis

  • sell everything that won't carry over to the doctor, the trapper, the fence, and the general store

  • if you have high honor and have completed the Idealism and Pragmatism for Beginners quests, buy everything you want now, such as clothes and horse tack: this is the cheapest that prices can be in the game (up to 70% off)

  • take a coach to Emerald Ranch

  • ride to Aberdeen Pig Farm

​​

WHAT CARRIES OVER

  • all weapons and ammo, including weapon customizations and crafted ammo

  • all clothes, including crafted and purchased ones (but not saved custom outfits), stolen hats, and found hats/masks

  • all crafted and found trinkets, talismans, and unique collectibles picked up so far

  • all Ginseng Elixirs, Aged Pirate Rums, and Valerian Roots

  • all horse saddles and equipment (but no horses, even if stabled)

  • all progress in challenges, achievements, and Strangers missions (except for missable or chapter-specific ones)

  • all collected documents, the journal, the Compendium, and the game map entries

  • all orchids, plumes, and gator eggs

  • all valuables, except for money

  • Dead Eye abilities that were unlocked during quests

​​​​​​​​

WHAT DOESN'T CARRY OVER

  • money: use the Aberdeen Pig Farm method to transfer your money from Arthur to John

  • character or horse stats: health, stamina, dead eye

  • saved custom outfits under "Custom Outfits" in the wardrobe

  • consumables: food, drinks, tonics, and cures, including those for horses (but excluding Ginseng/Valerian/Rum elixirs)

  • ingredients: herbs, meats, carcasses, pelts, feathers, and fat

  • ​Aberdeen Pig Farm random encounter

  • fast travel to camp

​

POINT OF NO RETURN

​

  • Our Best Selves

  • Red Dead Redemption

CHAPTER 6 SCREENSHOTS

EPILOGUE I: PRONGHORN RANCH

RDR2-slide-20.JPG

  • The Wheel

  • Simple Pleasures

  • before starting the next mission, walk behind one of the horses in the corral to get your hat knocked off, then pick up the hat to have it added to the inventory: John's Cattleman Hat

  • Farming, for Beginners​

  • Fatherhood, for Beginners

  • Old Habits

  • Jim Milton Rides, Again?
  • Fatherhood, for Idiots
  • Motherhood
  • ride to Wallace Station
    • sell goods and craft new outfits at the general store​
  • take a train to Emerald Ranch
  • ride to Aberdeen Pig Farm and recover the money
  • fast travel to Valentine
  • Gainful Employment
  • ride to Gill Landing
  • A Fisher of Fish
  • fast travel to Lagras
  • buy Special Lures from the tack shop
  • fast travel to Pronghorn Ranch
RDR2-slide-21.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Suvivalist 9. Catch a fish weighing at least 19 pounds. Most legendary fish will do; alternatively, catch muskies or sturgeons.

Survivalist 10. Catch one of each type of fish. The best way to do this is to catch the 15 legendary fish. For the non-legendary variety, follow the list below (which also allows you to 100% each fish entry in the Compendium):

  • Bluegill. Owanjila Lake, Flat Iron Lake, O'Creagh's Run, Stillwater Creek. Catch with cheese.

  • Bullhead Catfish. Kamassa River at Bluewater Marsh. Catch with corn.

  • Chain Pickerel.​ Owanjila Lake, Stillwater Creek, Upper Montana. Catch with corn.

  • Channel Catfish. Kamassa River at Bluewater Marsh. Catch with swamp lure.

  • Lake Sturgeon.​ Flat Iron Lake, Kamassa River at Lagras and Bluewater Marsh. Catch with lake lure.

  • Largemouth Bass. Flat Iron Lake, Kamassa River at Bluewater Marsh. Catch with crayfish.

  • Longnose Gar. Kamassa River and Lannahechee River.​ Catch with swamp lure.

  • Muskie.​ Lake Isabella, Owanjila Lake, O'Creagh's Run. Catch with lake lure.

  • Northern Pike.​ Cattail Pond, Spider Gorge, upper Kamassa and Dakota. Catch with river lure.

  • Perch.​ Owanjila Lake, O'Creagh's Run, Lake Isabella, the whole Dakota river. Catch with bread.

  • Redfin Pickerel.​ Stillwater Creek, Upper Montana River, lower Dakota river. Catch with bread.

  • Rock Bass.​ All rivers and all lakes, and none of the swamps. Catch with cheese.

  • Smallmouth Bass.​ Pond at Ringneck Creek, Upper Montana River, Flat Iron Lake. Catch with cricket.

  • Sockeye Salmon. Lake Isabella, Little Creek River, upper Kamassa and Dakota.​ Catch with river lure.

  • Steelhead Trout. Lower Montana River, Dakota River/Bard's Crossing.​ Catch with worm.

SEE HERE for a list of collectibles in this area, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dreamcatchers, etc.

​​

Owanjila Lake

  • visit the Trapper and make a list of which animal pelts and feathers you still need to buy all the outfits (or at least all the items you are interested in); for me, at this point it's typically 20-30 pelts

  • Black Bone Forest, Owanjila Lake

    • get the Landmark of the Riches Map #1 from the obelisk POI

    • rare horse: Red Chestnut Arabian

    • fishing: Legendary Smallmouth Bass (Owanjila Lake)

  • Geology for Beginners 1

  • Mount Shann, Beryl's Mine

    • if you've collected all ​the Rock Carvings until this point, the only one you're missing is in this area

  • ride to Strawberry

​​

Strawberry

  • Strawberry collectibles: see link above

  • receive the Hunting Request 5 from the post office

    • needed: bat, crow, blue​ jay, cedar waxwing, beaver

  • Strawberry coach robbery: Fort Riggs

  • ride to Strawberry

  • Bounty: Joshua Brown

  • Strawberry coach robbery: Appleseed Timber

    • around this mission is a good time to trigger the Lenora's View random encounter: get the Bride Photograph, the Wedding Certificate, the Letter from Jim, and the Letter to Jim from Mildred

  • Bounty: Bart Cavanaugh

  • Strawberry general store robbery: see here for details

  • Strawberry coach robbery: Owanjila

  • Geology for Beginners 2

    • some time during bounty hunting and coach robbing, you'll receive Francis Sinclair's invitation to trigger this mission

​​

Little Creek

  • from the Hermit Woman, get the Torn Treasure Map #2 and then the Mended Map, which leads to Otis Miller's Revolver in New Austin (see here for more details)

  • the two Watson's Cabin random encounters can be done back-to-back: trigger the first, don't kill the woman, save/reload, and immediately do the second

RDR2-slide-22.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Horseman 9. Van Horn to Blackwater 17-minute dry dash. You don't actually need to go to Blackwater itself: ride to Butcher Creek​, cross the river via the rope bridge, ride to Flatneck Station, cross the river at Bard's Crossing, ride west to Lone Mule Stead, and go down to the beach just across the river from Blackwater to complete the challenge: it takes way less than the allotted 17 minutes.

Weapons Expert 9. Kill 9 unaware enemies from behind with a bow. This is easily done at Shady Belle when it's a Lemoyne Raider hideout. Approach from the swamp and target the Lemoyne Raider by the end of the path whose back is turned to you. Kill him with the bow and escape toward the railroad tracks by Caliga Hall until the enemy hideout resets. Rinse and repeat.

John can revisit nearly every location on the map that had valuables or unique items during Arthur's time, and many of them have respawned now. For more details, be sure to check out the "Uniques" sections in my respective guides: Chapters 1-2 -- Chapter 3 -- Chapters 4-5 -- Chapter 6 -- Epilogue I

​​​

The walkthrough below is (in my opinion) the fastest way to get around the whole map while minimizing backtracking.

​​

 

AMBARINO

  • fast travel to Colter

    • old camp: Colter

    • grave 1: Jenny Kirk​

    • grave 2: Davey Callander

  • ride to Lake Isabella

    • fishing: Legendary Sockeye Salmon

    • notable respawned loot: the Cobalt Petrified Wood at Lake Isabella can be picked up again if it was previously used as a trinket ingredient

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • ​grave 3: Eagle Flies

  • notable respawned loot: under both broken bridges in the Reservation, plus the train wreck chest and gold bars (see here)

  • ride to the Mysterious Hill Home and get the ​Landmark of Riches Map #3: see my full Treasure Guide here

  • follow the flock of birds from Calumet Ravine to Fairvale Shanty: see Lonely Giant guide here

  • ride to O'Creagh's Run

  • The Veteran 1

  • notable respawned loot: Moonstone Pond, Hani's Bethel

  • ride back to O'Creagh's Run

  • The Veteran 2

    • fishing: Legendary Northern Pike

      • ​Hamish keeps this one, so it can't be mailed to Jeremy Gill, but it does count for Compendium completion

  • make camp and sleep for 24 hours

  • The Veteran 3

  • make camp and sleep for 24 hours

  • The Veteran 4

    • pick up the Veteran's Hat from his body: it may be under the giant boar

    • pick up the Giant Boar Tusk from the carcass

    • rare horse: Buell

​

THE HEARTLANDS

  • fast travel to Valentine

    • stable Buell​

  • Mary-Beth

  • ride toward Painted Sky

    • notable respawned loot: Downes' Ranch, covered bridge, Painted Sky, Limpany gold bar

    • fishing: Legendary Chain Pickerel

  • ride to Horseshoe Overlook

    • old camp: Horseshoe Overlook

  • ride toward Emerald Ranch

    • notable respawned loot: Twin Stack Pass, Cornwall Kerosene & Tar, Guthrie Farm, Larned Sod, Carmody Dell

    • Hunting Request 5: cedar waxwings frequently fly overhead around Emerald Ranch

​​

SCARLETT MEADOWS

  • ride toward Rhodes

    • notable respawned loot: Old Trail Rise, Old Greenbank Mill

  • grave 4: Sean MacGuire

  • old camp: Clemens Point

  • fishing: Legendary Bluegill

  • ride to Rhodes

    • The Ties That Bind Us 1-2

      • ​this mission respawns in the Epilogue due to a glitch, and if you turn in Mr. Black and Mr. White this time, you can keep their Wanted Posters in your inventory

    • Bounty: Mark Johnson

    • Bounty: Camille de Millemont

    • Bounty: Robbie Laidlaw

  • ride to Bolger Glade

  • grave 5: Kieran Duffy

  • ride south to the river

    • notable respawned loot: Braithwaite Manor gold bar, Catfish Jackson's, Abandoned Church

  • old camp: Shady Belle

    • this is a great place to get Weapons Expert 9:​ see the box above for more info

​

BAYOU NWA

  • ride to Saint Denis

  • fishing: Legendary Lake Sturgeon

  • Bounty: Anthony Foreman
  • ride north from Saint Denis
    • notable respawned loot: Hagen Orchards
  • grave 6: Lenny Summers
  • grave 7: Hosea Matthews

  • get a boat and row to Sisika Penitentiary

    • keep an eye out for rowboats, canoes, or small steamers on the river, then ride out and steal one; your horse cannot swim to Sisika due to the strong currents

    • fishing: Legendary Bullhead Catfish

  • fast travel to Lagras

  • ​ride to Lakay
    • old camp: Lakay
    • ​​fishing: Legendary Longnose Gar

​

ROANOKE RIDGE

  • ride north toward Fort Brennand

    • Hunting Request 5: blue jays and cedar waxwings frequently fly overhead around the fort

  • fast travel to Butcher Creek

    • notable respawned loot: multiple lockboxes around Butcher Creek and Elysian Pool

    • Hunting Request 5: beavers are along the river just south of the village

  • ride to Elysian Pool

    • Hunting Request 5: bats drop dead upon entering the cave behind the Elysian Pool waterfall, and there are many inside the cave itself during the daytime, too

    • fishing: Legendary Perch

  • ride toward Beaver Hollow
  • grave 8: Susan Grimshaw
  • old camp: Beaver Hollow
  • ride to Kamassa River
    • Hunting Request 5: crows, blue jays, and cedar waxwing spawn reliably at the river's south bend if you still need them
    • Feral Man random encounter: if you haven't done it as Arthur, you can do it now and get the Wild Man's Journal
  • fast travel to Annesburg
    • mail the finished Hunting Request 5

  • Rains Fall (this is the single largest honor increase in the game: almost +50%)

  • ride toward Willard's Rest
    • notable respawned loot: Reed Cottage, Deer Cottage, Manito Glade
  • The Widow of Willard's Rest 4
    • only available if Arthur completed all three previous encounters
  • fishing: Legendary Steelhead Trout
  • fast travel to Van Horn
  • fishing: Legendary Muskie
    • notable respawned loot: Van Horn Mansion
  • ride from Van Horn to Blackwater (Horseman 9): see the box above for more info

 

WEST ELIZABETH

  • fast travel to Strawberry​

  • A Better World, a New Friend

    • some 24-48 hours after mailing the last hunting request, you'll receive Mrs. Hobbes' invitation that triggers this mission

  • fast travel to Blackwater

EPILOGUE 1 SCREENSHOTS

EPILOGUE II: BEECHER'S HOPE

RDR2-slide-23.JPG

  • The Landowning Classes

  • Home of the Gentry?

  • Bare Knuckle Friendships

    • Martelli's men drop Mauser Pistols so you don't have to buy them if you don't already have them

  • Home Improvement for Beginners

  • fast travel to Blackwater

  • An Honest Day's Labors

  • The Tool Box

  • A New Jerusalem

  • A Quick Favor for an Old Friend

    • the Del Lobos may drop several unique hats: Bolero Hat, Pinned Flop Hat, Straw Hat, and Straw Sombrero

  • Uncle's Bad Day

  • The Best of Women

RDR2-slide-24.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Weapons Expert 10. Kill a grizzly bear with throwing knives without taking damage. Another stupid challenge, because it's way too easy. Just find a grizzly and hit it with a poison knife. Either wait for the poison to kill it, or throw another knife at it. That's it!

  • get Charles' third camp item request when he's working on the barn: an eagle feather

  • ride to Tall Trees toward Nekoti Rock

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 1

  • find and clear at least two Skinner Brother camps in the woods: this map is helpful

  • when you come across a grizzly bear in the woods, kill it with throwing knives only (Weapons Expert 10)

  • ride to Aurora Basin

    • fishing: Legendary Rock Bass

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • ride to Tanner's Reach (Evelyn Miller's cabin)

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 2

  • ride to Manzanita Post

    • get the unique items: Norwegian Journal Page, Norwegian Photo, and Norwegian Newspaper Scrap (see here for a guide)

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • ride to Tanner's Reach

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 3

  • ride to Thieves' Landing: clear the Del Lobo hideout​

  • ride to Stillwater Creek

    • fishing: Legendary Redfin Pickerel​

  • ride to MacFarlane Ranch to unlock it as a fast travel point

  • fast travel to Manzanita Post

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • ride to Tanner's Reach

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 4a

    • this stage has three sub-stages, each about 48 in-game hours apart

  • fast travel to Blackwater and gather all collectibles

  • Bounty: Elias Green

  • Bounty: Herman Zizendorf

  • Bounty: Otis Skinner

  • fast travel to Manzanita Post

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • ride to Tanner's Reach

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 4b

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 4c

  • camp and sleep 24-48 hours if needed

  • The American Inferno, Burnt Out 5

  • fast travel to Beecher's Hope

RDR2-slide-25.JPG

  • Trying Again

  • A Really Big Bastard

  • ride to Beecher's Hope

  • A New Future Imagined

  • American Venom

RDR2-slide-26.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Herbalist 9. Pick all 43 herbs. It's annoying that all must picked again, but here's a useful video by GTA Series Videos on YouTube  that shows how to do this quickly and with minimal backtracking.

Herbalist 10. Season and cook all types of meat. Now this is fun! There are 15 types of meat in RDR2, but only 11 can be seasoned, and they're the only ones needed for the challenge; see list below. Obviously, you need at least 11 mint, oregano, or thyme.

  • game: obtained from rabbits, ducks, quail, and pheasants

  • big game: obtained from black bears, grizzly bears, wolves, alligators, cougars, and panthers

  • pork loin: obtained from boars, pigs, and peccary

  • mature venison: obtained from deer, buck, elk, moose, and pronghorn

  • gristly mutton: obtained from goats, rams, and sheep

  • prime beef: obtained from bison, bulls, cows, and oxen

  • plump bird: obtained from chickens, roosters, geese, and turkeys

  • exotic bird: obtained from pelicans, parakeets, and parrots

  • succulent fish: obtained from salmon and trout

  • flaky fish: obtained from perch, muskies, sturgeon, pike, all pickerels, and all bass

  • crustacean: obtained from the Cuban land crab, found on the islands of Flat Iron Lake

  • NOT SEASONABLE: stringy meat, herptile meat, gamey bird meat, and gritty fish

 

Horseman 10. Break every wild horse breed. I strongly recommend consulting an interactive game map, such as RDR2Map, to find horses in the wild. Some, like Morgans and Saddlers, are easy. Others, like the Hungarian Half-bred, are more rare. Buying a horse doesn't count. None of the horses are exclusive to New Austin.

Sharpshooter 9. Shoot 3 people's hats off in the same Dead Eye. This can be done anywhere, but is easiest at Fort Mercer.

Sharpshooter 10. Kill 3 flying birds with consecutive scoped shots. This can be done anywhere. Use the Carcano Rifle, enter Dead Eye, and tag the bird before shooting. This ensures that you don't miss and that the shot is lethal. Repeat twice more.

  • A Better World, a New Friend 2

    • after placing the squirrel on the mantelpiece, every few days it disappears and must be found; its locations are, in order:

      • the chest​ in John & Abigail's room

      • the wardrobe ​in John & Abigail's room

      • the chest in Uncle's room under the roof

      • the wheelbarrow in the sheep's pen next to the barn

      • the chest in the barn

      • on top of Mt. Shann

  • get uncle's camp item request when he walks up to you randomly at the ranch; to fulfill it, you'll need:

    • Kentucky bourbon​ (loot from enemies or buy at a general store)

    • hair pomade​ (loot from enemies or buy at a general store)

    • peppermint (buy at stables)

    • milkweed (pick near bodies of water)

    • skunk (whole carcass, unskinned: doesn't need to be perfect quality)

    • the reward is the unique Workman's Pride Outfit

  • fast travel to Blackwater

  • retrieve Buell and stable Rachel

    • do NOT leave Rachel at Beecher's Hope, or she may disappear​

  • craft new outfits if needed

  • take a coach to MacFarlane's Ranch

​​

see here for a list of collectibles in the state of New Austin, such as cigarette cards, unique items, dinosaur bones, etc.

​

HENNIGAN'S STEAD

  • get collectibles from Pike Basin to the San Luis River: see link above for more details​

  • hunting: Legendary Tatanka Bison

  • fast travel to Manzanita Post, ride to the trapper to sell the pelt, and fast travel back

​​

CHOLLA SPRINGS

  • Lake Don Julio, Two Crows, Venter's Place, Riley's Charge, Coot's Chapel

  • Armadillo collectibles and random encounters

  • fishing: Legendary Largemouth Bass

  • fast travel to Blackwater, mail the fish from the post office, and fast travel to Armadillo

    • this is the last fish: a few days later, you ​will receive an invitation from Jeremy Gill to trigger the conclusion of this quest​

  • Rattlesnake Hollow

    • the Mended Map leads here: Otis Miller's Revolver and five Erotic Photographs​ (only if you found the two Torn Treasure Maps, one at Manito Glade in Roanoke Ridge and the other at the old hermit woman's shack in Big Valley)

  • Twin Rocks (Del Lobo hideout), Pleasance House, Mercer Station

​

RIO BRAVO

  • Fort Mercer (Del Lobo hideout)

    • approach from the northern entrance and see if the guards have hats: if they do, shoot three of them off in the same Dead Eye (Sharpshooter 9); the varmint or a repeater are ideal​ weapons to use for this: zoom in and aim for the brim of the hat

    • after clearing the fort, there's a lot of money on the tables in the northern yard

  • use a sniper rifle to kill three consecutive flying birds (Sharpshooter 10)

  • Rio Del Lobo Rock

  • hunting: Legendary Pronghorn

  • fast travel to Manzanita Post, ride to the trapper to sell the pelt, and fast travel back

  • Benedict Point

​

GAPTOOTH RIDGE

  • Tumbleweed collectibles and random encounters

  • Bounty: Joaquin Arroyo

  • ​the last dinosaur bones are in this area: see link above for more details​

  • Rathskeller Fork

  • Gaptooth Bridge (Del Lobo hideout)

    • I recommend you clear this first so all its loot and collectibles​ spawn; later, it will also be the stage for a bounty mission, but without any of the loot

  • Sea of Coronado

  • Bounty: Esteban Cortez

​

ELEMENTAL TRAIL TREASURE (see Treasure Guide here)

  • get the Elemental Trail Map #1 from the hanging corpse

  • fast travel to MacFarlane's Ranch

  • ride to Greenhollow

  • get the Elemental Trail Map #2 from the chimney of the ruined house​

  • fast travel to Benedict Point

  • get the Elemental Trail Map #3 from the wooden water duct

  • fast travel to Armadillo

  • ride to Coot's Chapel

  • get the Elemental Trail Treasure from the grave on the right near the front gate

​​​

QUEST CONCLUSIONS​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • fast travel to Pronghorn Ranch

  • ride to Mount Shann

  • get Micah's Revolver next to his body

  • fast travel to Valentine​

  • ride to Firwood Rise

  • A Test of Faith 2

  • ride to Gill Landing

  • A Fisher of Fish 2

    • pick up the Special Spinner and the Fisherman's Hat at the end

RDR2-slide-27.JPG

CHALLENGES DOABLE NOW

Gambler 8. Win 3 hands of Blackjack in three hits or more. This is the most frustrating challenge in the game. Try if you get dealt low cards, certainly below 10, and ideally below 7-8, but even then it may take 30-40 attempts just for one win. Some players like to exit/reenter the blackjack game whenever they're dealt a high hand, but that only saves some time. If you're on PC, I recommend using the save editor to skip this awfully programmed "challenge."

Gambler 9. Win 3 games of Dominoes in a row. "In a row" does not mean without interrupting, but only without losing. So, as soon as you're about to lose a game, quit and restart a new game. Never save/reload, or it'll reset your progress.

Gambler 10. Win 3 hands of Poker in a row. Same strategy as for Gambler #1: go all-in whenever you have any ​hand, and the other players are very likely to fold. This works best when you only have one opponent, and the only reliable way to play against only one opponent is to go to Flatneck Station when there are five players and antagonize one: all will leave, except for one!

Survivalist 10. Catch one of each type of fish throughout the world. This will have probably already unlocked when you caught all the legendary fish. However, here's how to best way to do this is to catch the 15 legendary fish, but if you've already got some of them, then you have to catch the non-legendary variety again. They are as follows:

TRAPPER

  • finish hunting for pelts and feathers and buy the last remaining outfits/clothes, if needed

​​

COMPENDIUM

  • 178 ANIMALS

    • to complete each entry, an animal must be studied, tracked, killed, and skinned/plucked

    • the eight animals that are exclusive to Guarma are missable

  • 74 EQUIPMENT

    • the only missable ones are the electric lantern (at the end of "A Bright Bouncing Boy 2") and the Owl Feather Trinket (during "Archeology for Beginners")

  • 63 WEAPONS

    • the only missable weapons are the rare shotgun (Manito Glade), the rare rolling block rifle ("Magicians for Sport"), the ornate dagger (vampire random encounter), and three gunslinger revolvers ("The Noblest of Men, and a Woman")

  • 43 HERBS

    • to complete each entry, a herb must be picked and used in a recipe

    • orchids cannot be used in recipes, so their entries are completed automatically when picking the first one

  • 30 FISH

    • to complete each entry, each fish species must be caught with a specific lure type

    • see here for a comprehensive list of which lures you need for each fish (but if you followed each step on this page, all 30 should be completed already)

  • 19 HORSES

    • to complete each entry, horses must be studied and bonded with (at least level 1), and you must also ride a number of common and uncommon coats

    • see here for a comprehensive list of which coats count toward Compendium entry completion

  • 6 GANGS

    • ​to complete each entry, you must survive a number of ambushes and clear a number of camps and hideouts

    • the O'Driscolls are missable, because the gang disappears after Chapter 6

  • 144 CIGARETTE CARDS

    • while no cards are missable, if you accidentally fence a card that you found in the world you will need to buy premium cigarette packs until you find that card again

​

see here for a detailed checklist of how to complete every entry in the Compendium

​

  • fast travel to Wapiti Indian Reservation

  • ride to Arthur's grave location, right above the Mysterious Hill Home

  • grave 9: Arthur Morgan

  • 100% completion!

EPILOGUE II SCREENSHOTS

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