Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Just starting out in Red Dead Redemption 2? This guide covers the best beginner tips, essential mechanics, how not to die early, and the smartest ways to get money, horses, and weapons fast.

Section 1: Getting Started

Welcome to the Wild West, Outlaw.

Whether you're new to Rockstar games or just jumping into RDR2. From looting safes to bonding with your steed, this beginner’s guide gives you the tools to ride into Chapter 3 like a legend.


• Take Your Time: Don’t rush Chapter 2. Learn mechanics, hunt, fish, and explore.
• Loot Everything: Dressers, corpses, cabinets — supplies and jewelry are everywhere.
• Always Have a Gun on Your Horse: You can only carry so much. Long guns stay on your horse!
• Buy the Off-Hand Holster: Unlocks dual-wielding — a game-changer in combat.

Section 2: Easy Early Money

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but it’s everywhere if you know where to look:

• Sell Valuables at Fences: Gold bars, rings, and watches are worth $$$.
• Gold Bar in Limpany: Burned-down sheriff's office — lockbox inside.
• Loot Trains & Wagons: High-risk, high-reward. Use masks and escape fast.
• Hunt Legendary Animals: Early on, sell pelts to the Trapper for gear upgrades.

Section 3: The Best Early Horse

Your horse is your lifeline.

• Best Free Horse: The White Arabian (Lake Isabella) — top speed, top handling.
• Bond With Your Horse: Brush it, feed it, and calm it. Each bond level adds perks.
• Upgrade Saddle: Stamina regen boosts at stables help long-distance travel.

Section 4: Must-Have Weapons Early

Here are your first “don’t miss” weapons:

• Lancaster Repeater: Buy or loot — best all-purpose weapon.
• Pump-Action Shotgun: Buy from a gunsmith or loot from Chez Porter.
• Bow: Use for clean hunting kills and silent takedowns.
• Schofield Revolver: Free from the doctor’s robbery in Valentine.

Section 5: Quick Tips & Tricks

• Baths = Better Honor: Stay clean to improve NPC reactions and reduce bounty triggers.
• Camp Upgrades: Prioritize Dutch's tent (morale boost) and the fast travel map.
• Legendary Animal Map: Buy it from a Trapper early.
• Always Eat: Dead Eye, Health, and Stamina cores need food. Use your satchel.

Section 6: Honor System Explained

• High Honor: Discounts, better ending, noble Arthur.
• Low Honor: More loot from kills, darker story paths.
• Gain Honor: Help strangers, greet NPCs, surrender peacefully.
• Lose Honor: Rob, kill innocents, ignore people in need.

Tip: Try both on separate playthroughs — both paths have unique cutscenes and dialogue.

Section 7: Bonus – Real Outlaw Tips (For Rebels & Legends)

Sometimes the best way to play is to break the rules. Here are some outlaw-style lessons from the community:

• Fishing? Yep, it exists — you’ll unlock it in Chapter 2 during a mission with Jack at camp. Until then, ignore those smug NPCs who won’t talk to you. They're just gatekeeping bait.

• Fences for Selling Loot: Jewelry and stolen items don’t go to stores — look for Fences in towns like:
 - Emerald Ranch
 - Saint Denis
 - Van Horn
 - Rhodes (after story progress)
Once you find them, they’ll happily take your “liberated” valuables for top dollar.

Red Dead Redemption 2 rewards patience, chaos, and stubbornness — often all at once.

Conclusion

Red Dead Redemption 2 is slow, deep, and rich — like a good Western should be. Master the early game, and you’ll be riding into Chapter 3 like a real outlaw.

If this guide helped you survive the wild west, give it a thumbs-up
Got questions or funny outlaw stories? Drop them in the comments — I read them all

[korac]

One other thought - might be worth mentioning that cooking your own meat at a campfire using thyme, mint & oregano (all fairly easily found in the vicinity of Horseshoe Overlook) provide useful gold cores when eaten, and since Pearson's stew is not always available you do need to supplement your food intake regularly to keep your weight up, so munching on tasty meaty chunks before an expected fight provides very very handy gold core bonuses.

[korac]

Great summary, thanks.

Not sure it's worth a mention, but I found the fence in Rhodes while still in Chapter 2 and camped at Horseshoe Overlook (i.e. before the story progression you mention) - I was just heading from Black Belle mission to the next old gunslinger on the train at Rhodes station, and the fence there popped up on the map while riding past. Was able to unload my looted valuables and pick up a new bandit mask with no trouble. HTH.

[PTRIOT_NG_PIN@$]

W guide. I also got around $2600 for selling other valuables and 5 gold bars that I found which im in chapter 2 :), I got that knowledge by a video in YouTube..anyways W guide!

[yogut]

thanks for all the nices everyone!

[TheeKidd335]

nice

[Andres]

Nice

[El_Erencio]

nice

[steelwater]

nice

[AnUb1zJr]

thanks

[yogut]

thanks for the double nices hunter!