Which consumables are most helpful for gold medal runs?

Gold medal runs in Red Dead Redemption 2 require precision, speed, and careful resource management. Consumables play a critical role in achieving these goals, as they can enhance your performance, restore health, and provide other advantages during missions. The most helpful consumables for gold medal runs include potent health tonics, potent snake oil, potent miracle tonics, and special horse stimulants. These items ensure you stay alive, maintain stamina, and keep your horse in peak condition, which are often key requirements for gold medals.\n\nPotent Health Tonics are essential for maintaining Arthur''s health during combat-heavy missions. These tonics restore a significant amount of health and fortify your health core, making you more resilient to damage. For example, during missions like ''American Distillation'' or ''The Battle of Shady Belle,'' where you face waves of enemies, using a Potent Health Tonic before engaging in combat can prevent you from failing due to low health. You can craft these tonics using Ginseng and Yarrow or purchase them from general stores and doctors.\n\nPotent Snake Oil is another must-have consumable for gold medal runs, especially in missions requiring high accuracy or headshots. This tonic boosts your Dead Eye core, allowing you to mark multiple targets quickly and efficiently. For instance, in missions like ''The Sheep and the Goats'' or ''Pouring Forth Oil IV,'' where you need to eliminate enemies with precision, using Potent Snake Oil ensures you can activate Dead Eye without interruption. You can craft it using Indian Tobacco or buy it from stores.\n\nPotent Miracle Tonics are versatile consumables that restore both health and Dead Eye cores, making them ideal for missions with multiple objectives. These tonics are particularly useful in missions like ''Blood Feuds, Ancient and Modern,'' where you need to survive prolonged gunfights while maintaining Dead Eye for accurate shots. Crafting Potent Miracle Tonics requires Sage and Currant, or you can purchase them from vendors.\n\nSpecial Horse Stimulants are crucial for missions involving horseback chases or timed objectives. These stimulants restore your horse''s stamina and fortify its stamina core, ensuring it can gallop at full speed without tiring. For example, in missions like ''Horse Flesh for Dinner'' or ''The Fine Joys of Tobacco,'' where you need to ride quickly or escape pursuers, using a Special Horse Stimulant can make the difference between success and failure. You can craft these stimulants using Wild Carrots or buy them from stables.\n\nTo maximize the effectiveness of these consumables, always stock up before starting a mission. Visit general stores, doctors, or stables to purchase or craft the necessary items. Additionally, consider using the ''Satchel Upgrades'' from Pearson at camp to increase your carrying capacity, allowing you to hold more consumables. This preparation ensures you have the resources needed to meet gold medal requirements, such as completing missions within a specific time or maintaining high accuracy.\n\nIn summary, Potent Health Tonics, Potent Snake Oil, Potent Miracle Tonics, and Special Horse Stimulants are the most helpful consumables for gold medal runs in Red Dead Redemption 2. These items address key gameplay challenges, such as health management, Dead Eye usage, and horse stamina, which are often critical for achieving gold medals. By stocking up on these consumables and using them strategically, you can significantly improve your chances of success in even the most demanding missions.