Upping your health pool in Red Dead Redemption 2 is an excellent endeavor to prioritize. More health means you can keep stoically marching through gunfights like a boss, no need for taking cover. Ok, sure, my cowboying antics may not be the smartest, but with all that health, who cares? In this guide, we’ll show you how to efficiently improve your health core and gain more health in the process.
How to Improve Your Red Dead Redemption 2 Health Core
To improve your health core, you have to gain health core XP. Certain activities grant varying amounts of health core XP, and reaching specific XP thresholds causes the core to level up. For reference, you need about 1,100 health core XP to fully max out the core’s level. This XP can be gained gradually, but if you want to power-level your health core, consider the following activities.
Use Non-Firearm Weapons
Guns inevitably make up a large portion of your arsenal, but there are benefits to using non-firearm weapons as well. Not only do you look bad-ass taking down enemies with a tomahawk or a bow, you also gain health XP. Every kill earned with a non-firearm weapon awards 20 health XP.
Win Fist Fights
Fist fights are another great avenue for quick health XP boosts. Now, running around slugging random passerby isn’t the best idea, which is why you’re better off antagonizing would-be opponents. Every fist fight you win comes with a 10 health XP reward.
Gone Fishing
If you’d rather not risk your personal safety, fishing is both relaxing and an excellent option for accruing health XP. You don’t unlock the fishing activity until Chapter 2, but once you do you can fish anywhere with water. Each fish you catch awards health XP, with the exact amount ranging between 10-30 XP depending on the fish’s size.
Row, Row, Row That Boat
Starting in Chapter 3, you can purchase a rowboat for your camp. Rowing may be tedious work, but it’s also an incredibly efficient health XP farming method. For every 100 meters you row, you’ll net yourself 20 health XP.
Complete Health Challenges
Finishing the various Red Dead Redemption 2 challenge categories is another lucrative, if time-consuming method for acquiring health XP. Each challenge level for the Herbalist, Weapons Expert, and Master Hunter challenges comes with a health XP completion reward. Depending on the specific challenge level, you’ll earn between 25 and 150 health XP upon completion. We can help you a bit with the Herbalist challenge by showing you where to find Yarrow plants.
Drink Ginseng Elixirs
Drinking a Ginseng Elixir awards an instant 25 percent XP boost towards your next health core level. However, Ginseng Elixirs are quite rare, they can’t just be purchased in shops like some other tonics. One guaranteed method for acquiring a Ginseng Elixir is completing the Artists, Painters, Writers, and Poets Cigarette Card set.