Which character upgrades are most useful for gold medal attempts?

Achieving gold medals in Red Dead Redemption 2 missions requires a combination of skill, preparation, and the right character upgrades. These upgrades can significantly improve your performance during missions, making it easier to meet the strict requirements for gold medals, such as completing objectives within a specific time, maintaining high accuracy, or avoiding damage. Below, we’ll explore the most useful character upgrades and how to leverage them effectively.\n\nOne of the most critical upgrades is improving Arthur’s health, stamina, and Dead Eye cores. These upgrades are essential for surviving intense combat scenarios and maintaining peak performance during missions. To increase your health core, engage in activities like fishing, hunting, or fistfighting. For stamina, run, swim, or ride your horse frequently. Dead Eye can be improved by hunting animals or engaging in combat. Fully upgraded cores allow you to take more damage, sprint longer, and use Dead Eye more effectively, which is crucial for precision shooting and time-sensitive objectives.\n\nAnother vital upgrade is improving your horse’s bonding level and acquiring a high-quality saddle. A bonded horse responds faster to commands, has better stamina, and can gallop longer distances without tiring. To bond with your horse, feed it, brush it, and pat it regularly. Additionally, invest in a high-end saddle, such as the Panther Trail Saddle or the Rattlesnake Vaquero Saddle, which significantly boosts your horse’s stamina and health regeneration. A reliable horse is indispensable for missions that involve chasing enemies or escaping dangerous situations.\n\nWeapon upgrades are equally important for gold medal attempts. Visit a gunsmith to customize your weapons with improved components like rifling, sights, and grips. For example, upgrading the Lancaster Repeater with a long scope and improved rifling increases its accuracy and range, making it ideal for headshots and long-range engagements. Similarly, upgrading your sidearms, such as the Schofield Revolver, with better barrels and grips enhances their handling and damage output. Always carry a variety of weapons to adapt to different mission requirements, such as shotguns for close-quarters combat or sniper rifles for stealthy takedowns.\n\nDead Eye upgrades are game-changers for gold medal attempts. As you progress through the story, Arthur’s Dead Eye ability evolves, allowing you to mark multiple targets, paint targets automatically, and even see vital organs for critical hits. To maximize Dead Eye’s potential, focus on upgrading it to level 4 or higher. This allows you to mark multiple enemies quickly, ensuring you can eliminate threats efficiently during missions with time constraints. Practice using Dead Eye in combat scenarios to become proficient at marking and shooting targets in quick succession.\n\nFinally, stock up on consumables like tonics, cooked meats, and ammunition before attempting gold medal missions. Potent Health Tonics and Snake Oil can restore your health and Dead Eye cores instantly, giving you an edge in prolonged fights. Cooked seasoned meats, such as Big Game Meat seasoned with herbs, provide significant boosts to your cores and are essential for maintaining peak performance. Always carry a full stock of ammunition, including explosive rounds or incendiary bullets, to handle tougher enemies or armored targets.\n\nIn summary, focus on upgrading Arthur’s cores, bonding with your horse, customizing your weapons, and mastering Dead Eye to improve your chances of earning gold medals. Prepare thoroughly by stocking up on consumables and choosing the right equipment for each mission. With these upgrades and strategies, you’ll be well-equipped to tackle even the most challenging gold medal requirements in Red Dead Redemption 2.