Highlights

• There were tough challenges in the original Red Dead, but things got harder in RDR 2.
• Are you a lucky cowboy? Gambler 8 and Gambler 9 will ask you for the best in Blackjack and Dominoes.
• We hope you like fishing and picking up herbs, because you'll need to find every kind of them.

One of the hardest parts of Red Dead Redemption 1 was the challenges. They would feel like work, but there were only 40 of them, so that was nice. Well, Red Dead Redemption 2 just had to ruin the party because there's a whopping 90 challenges to beat this time.

Not only that, but they're significantly harder and more frustrating. Some of these can single-handedly ruin your day due to the luck required, but there's ways to make them easier. All these challenges are required for 100 percent completion, but you do get a sweet Legend of the East outfit afterwards.

All these entries are based on how to do them after you've already finished the main story.

10 Bandit 4

The Night Thief

The Bandit list of challenges is mostly tedious but easy enough. However, Bandit 4 is more tricky, as you need to rob three coaches or return three stolen ones in a single day. Coaches are rare when traveling, but there's a trick to this challenge. Head to Rhodes, sleep till the afternoon, and wait until it gets dark out.

This is when a stagecoach can spawn near the entrance of Rhodes, and to get it to spawn, you should head northwest near the train station and head back into town. If it's still not there, head deeper into town and come back, and usually it'll spawn. Rob it and repeat the spawning process two other times to finish the challenge.

9 Gambler 8

Pure Luck

Most of the hard challenges in this game can be made easier, but not much for Gambler 8. You must win three hands of Blackjack with at least three hits. For those familiar with Blackjack, getting three hits without busting is pretty difficult, so this can take an hour or two.

It's all luck, but at least it's a stress-free experience since you'll always be doing the same tactic no matter what. The same cannot be said for the hardest challenge on the Gambler list.

8 Gambler 9

Nerve-Racking

Debatably, the hardest challenge in the entire game would be Gambler 9. This challenge forces you to win three games of Dominoes in a row. Not three rounds, three entire games. The best way to do this is by playing Dominoes against one opponent at Emerald Ranch. You'll want to pick your tiles in a way where you can always place another one on your next turn.

However, the opponent can always screw you over, and it's best for them to brick and draw a ton of tiles, as that'll lead to more points. One extra tip is that if you're about to lose, you can simply exit the Dominoes game, and the challenge won't fail. If you take too long to beat the challenge, however, that tactic will stop working.

7 Herbalist 9

Take Notes For This One

Since there was a challenge in the original Red Dead Redemption that forced you to collect every herb type, of course, it returns in the sequel. The problem is that there are 43 unique herbs here. That's a wild amount, and the game doesn't keep track of which ones you've already picked up, unlike other challenges, so you should write them down as you go along.

Those 43 herbs must have been too huge to fit on the challenge menu. If you follow an herb guide, this isn't actually too bad, as the herbs are incredibly reliable in their spawn points. It just takes a very long time to complete the list as it spans the whole game map.

6 Horseman 9

The Long Road Ahead

Before reaching Horseman 9, two similar challenges already forced you to travel a long distance with your horse. Horseman 9 is the hardest yet, essentially making you travel across the entire game map, not counting New Austin. What's tricky here is the requirement of not touching water, as you must take several detours using the traditional waypoint.

You'll want to cross west over Butcher Creek, get to West Elizabeth using the train path through Flatneck Station, ride the southwest path of Riggs Station, head to Owanjila, go south through the mountains, and then head east all the way to Blackwater. It's advised to use the Arabian horse, which is the fastest in the game.

5 Horseman 10

The Full Horse Set

Horseman 10 requires you to break nearly every wild horse breed throughout the game world. If you dabbled in hunting requests, you know how bad finding animals can be, and thankfully, the horses aren't as bad. They can still be pretty hard to search out, but horse spawns are a bit more consistent.

What's not consistent are the horse breeds that spawn in the first place because they might not be the ones you're looking for. You'll want to use a guide here, and if a horse isn't present at a listed spot, move to the next one instead of quitting and reloading the game. That tactic, unfortunately, doesn't work.

4 Sharpshooter 8

Tricky Disarmament