Though Red Dead Redemption 2 places players back in the familiar world of its predecessor, much has changed this time around. Outside of the new protagonist and storyline following Dutch's Gang, many gameplay elements have evolved as well, including the addition more realistic moments like needing to bathe, keeping Arthur's horse groomed and fed, keeping many of the various weapons clean, and more.
Players also now have three meters to manage as well, from Health and Stamina, to the famed Dead Eye ability. Each one starts out relatively small, though performing certain tasks will help increase each one through leveling up. For the Health meter, players will need to accumulate 1100XP through health-related tasks in order to completely max out this meter. Here are all the ways players can gain health experience in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Find a Lake
Lakes contain a couple of bonuses for health XP. The easiest method is also one that players won't have immediate access to. Fishing gameplay isn't unlocked until a specific point during Chapter 2 when the activity is introduced through a story mission called A Fisher of Men. Once it's available, players can fish from any body of water in the game, making it much easier to start gaining health XP. Catching any fish will reward anywhere from 10-30XP, though bigger fish award more.
While fishing may not be an efficient way to gain health XP, rowing a boat can get the job done much faster. Rowing a boat over 100 meters awards 20 XP at a time and can continue to be performed until the entire meter is maxed out. It may not be the most fun exercise, but it is the easiest way to gain a full health meter.
Combat Moves
Players may gravitate towards guns, but there are bigger benefits for using the bow and throwing weapons more often. Any kills with the bow or throwing weapons like the knife or the Viking Hatchet gives the player another 20XP.
On the other hand, getting into fistfights is also a profitable experience as long as the player wins. Any fist fighting win gives the health meter a 10XP boost.
Ginseng Elixer
Elixers and tonics can be readily found throughout the world at merchants or as loot. Each one has different effects on the player, but for those who want a quick and easy boost to the health meter, finding a Ginseng Elixer should be a priority. Consuming just one will award a 25% XP boost to the next level instantly. This is a significant boost, especially for the higher levels at 6 and 7 when the process takes a little longer.
Unfortunately, these cannot be purchased at any store, as players will need to find them hidden at various points around the map.
Health Challenges
Finally, there are specific challenges that players can complete to get a sizable health XP boost. While being somewhat time-consuming, players can earn 1425 XP for the health meter by completing the Herbalist, Master Hunter, and Weapons Expert challenges. The first challenge level awards 25 XP which then rises to the maximum 150 XP for the final level.
Armed with this knowledge, players can ensure that Arthur has a good amount of health available to him earlier in the game than normal, increasing his ability to survive the tougher fights and story missions ahead. For tips on leveling up the other meters like Dead Eye, make sure to check out our guides.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PS4 and Xbox One.