According to Rockstar Games, Red Dead Redemption 2 made more money during its opening weekend than any other piece of media. Ever. But just because it’s massively popular doesn’t mean it’s easy.
If you don’t know where to look, you might miss many of the game’s arrow upgrades. Some of them are so essential, you’ll struggle getting the perfect pelts you need to craft the best gear. Also, I mean, who would want to miss out on dynamite arrows?
Red Dead Redemption 2 arrows bring an effective gameplay option to a landscape filled with knives and revolvers. Here’s how you find the best of them.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Arrows
Once you get the Longarm Black Bow at the beginning of the game, you’ll start with standard arrows. But as you progress through the game, you’ll uncover five additional types of arrows that can aid you against both people and animals.
This guide will give you the how, when, and where to upgrade your Red Dead Redemption 2 arrows.
1. Improved Arrows
A good portion of RDR2’s arrow upgrades become available as you progress through the story. If you want Red Dead Redemption 2 improved arrows, you’ll need to make it through chapter 2. Head over to the city of Saint Denis and purchase the recipe from the fence.
To craft RDR2 improved arrows, you need to have the right materials. When you’re at a campfire, take a look at the ammo tab in your crafting menu. With a standard arrow and flight feather in your inventory, you should have the option to craft improved arrows.
Improved arrows are exactly what you might think. They’re a direct upgrade over regular arrows, boasting higher damage, speed, and penetration.
2. Small Game Arrows
Of all the arrow upgrades, RDR2 small game arrows are the most important. They enable you to get perfect pelts from smaller animals. These include birds, bats, toads, rats, squirrels, and more.
Best of all, you don’t need a recipe. You can craft small game arrows at the start. When you’re at the crafting menu, you can make these upgraded arrows from a flight feather, standard arrow, and a single shotgun shell.
Red Dead Redemption 2 small game arrows are weaker than their normal counterparts. This means that healthier critters, such as raccoons, are too beefy for a single hit.
Hunting smaller creatures can be tricky. Just remember to utilize your Dead Eye unless you’re trying to impress your friends.
3. Poison Arrows
When you’re hunting big game such as a cougar, RDR2 poison arrows are your best bet. They deal damage over time, which makes for easier hunts and intact pelts. Plus, these arrows are a powerful choice for taking on human quarries, since the poison can guarantee a kill even if you miss a vital shot.
But unlocking that power takes work. To craft Red Dead Redemption 2 poison arrows, you’ll need to find the recipe pamphlet first. Thankfully, it’s as easy as a trip to the local fence.
Just take note that the crafting recipe won’t be available until you’ve completed chapter 2.
Like every arrow upgrade, you’ll need a standard arrow and a feather. But you’ll also need something called an oleander plant, which is rare enough that you’ll want to keep a constant eye out for it.
At this stage in the game, you can find a good patch of them across the west river of Saint Denis. They also grow along the Kamassa River. Keep in mind that oleander plants need some time to replenish before you can pick them again.
4. Fire Arrows
Although RDR2 fire arrows sound exotic, they’re actually easy to get your hands on. After chapter 2, any fence will have the recipe for sale.
Also, you could just be patient.
Someone gives you the pamphlet during the questline. That doesn’t mean you automatically learn the recipe. We’ve seen several people forget to read it and wonder why they can’t craft fire arrows.
Craft fire arrows with a standard arrow, a flight feather, and animal fat. When a fire arrow makes impact, it’ll catch the location on fire. These aren’t the most useful arrows around, but they can be fun to play with.
5. Dynamite Arrows
It’s no surprise that dynamite arrows are the last special arrows you unlock. This recipe is available from a fence as you near the end of chapter 3. Before it appears, you’ll need to complete “A Short Walk in a Pretty Town.”
But want to know a secret? There’s a way you can get your hands on these earlier in the game.
Head over to the Waipiti Indian Reservation. By a building in the northern section of the reservation, you’ll find a lockbox that contains the recipe pamphlet.
RDR2 dynamite arrows are crafted from a standard arrow, a flight feather, and a stick of dynamite. Since dynamite is readily available from fences, these powerful arrows are easy to keep in stock.
In Red Dead Redemption 2, dynamite arrows do massive damage within a moderate area. It might be tempting, but don’t use these arrows on animals. They’ll ruin the pelts for sure.
Don’t Miss a Thing in RDR2
Now you’re ready to upgrade your Red Dead Redemption 2 arrows. For the most part, it’s a waiting game. Just be sure to check the fences often as you progress through the game’s various chapters.
But RDR2 is filled with so much content, you’re bound to miss something. Think you’re overlooking an important part of the game? Check out these Red Dead Redemption 2 tips.
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