With the Red Dead Redemption rerelease heading to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch consoles this week, players will be diving back into the Old West to experience the life and story of the iconic John Marston and complete the many challenges along the way. One of the most difficult of these is the Survivalist Challange. To complete this challenge, players are tasked with collecting various herbs scattered around the map. To make matters more difficult, there is very little in terms of direction given to the player as to where to start looking, and each plant sometimes appears very similar to the vegetation that surrounds it.
There are 10 Survivalist Ranks to complete for the Survivalist Challenge, each usually increasing the number of herbs to find. Every rank includes a general location for the plants, but it can still be quite difficult. Players should note that each Survivalist rank will require them to collect a new plant in addition to any they may already have. This means they should focus on only gathering plants for the rank they are currently working on. If plants are collected out of order, simply wait for a few days in-game, and the plants will respawn. Players are also encouraged to purchase a consumable Survivalist Map from a vendor in order to reveal nearby plants on the map for 20 minutes.
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How to Complete Survivalist Rank 1 in Red Dead Redemption
To complete Survivalist Rank 1, players will need to collect 6 Wild Feverfew. These short white flowers on green leaf beds can be found in Hennigan's Stead and Cholla Springs. Specifically, a group of Wild Feverfew can be found in the area east of Cholla Springs and north of Armadillo. Another group can be found west of Thieve's Landing near Stillwater Creek. Completing Survivalist Rank 1 will earn the player 20 Fame and unlock Rank 2.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 2 in Red Dead Redemption
Survivalist Rank 2 requires players to collect 6 Desert Sage in addition to any they may already have. Desert Sage flowers are identified by their delicate purple floral bracts and can be found in and around the Gaptooth Ridge area, with plenty in the area west of Tumbleweed. Continue moving south to the open area east of the railroad tracks near Gaptooth Breach to find even more. Upon completing Rank 2, players will receive 20 Fame and unlock the next Survivalist rank.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 3 in Red Dead Redemption
At Survivalist Rank 3, players will be tasked with collecting 4 Red Sage. Red Sage looks similar to grass but has dark red flower heads surrounded by leaves. The herb can be found in and around the Rio Bravo area, specifically, south of Mercer Station. Players will want to continue moving east toward Riley's Charge to find more. Once they have completed Survivalist Rank 3, players will once again earn 20 Fame and unlock Rank 4.
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How to Complete Survivalist Rank 4 in Red Dead Redemption
To complete Survivalist Rank 4, players will need to collect 8 Prickly Pears. These cacti with long black thorns can be found in and around Punta Orgullo, but players will find most of them in the open area southeast of Chuparosa—west of Barranca. Other areas players will want to scout include Tesoro Azul and the southeastern corner of the map, south of Diez Coronas. Upon collecting their last Prickly Pear, players will complete Rank 4, earn 20 fame, and unlock Survivalist Rank 5.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 5 in Red Dead Redemption
Survivalist Rank 5 will require players to collect 7 Woolly Blue Curls. Woolly Blue Curls are essentially the blue version of the Red Sage plant and can be found in and around Perdido. If players begin south of the word "Perdido" on the map and travel west near the railroad tracks, they should be able to find several. More can be found by starting just north of the word "Perdido" on the map and moving north toward the river. Completing Rank 5 will reward players with 50 Fame, they will unlock the next rank, and the Survivalist Map will now reveal nearby plants for 40 minutes instead of 20.
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How to Complete Survivalist Rank 6 in Red Dead Redemption
At Survivalist Rank 6, players will need to find 8 Butterfly Weeds. These green, long-stemmed plants have yellow flowers and can be found in and around Diez Coronas—with one, in particular, far east of "Diez Coronas" on the edge of the map, and another, far north of that. More Butterfly Weeds can be found in the hills near the southeastern corner of the map. Once players collect all 8 Butterfly Weeds, they will earn 20 Fame and unlock Rank 7.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 7 in Red Dead Redemption
Survivalist Rank 7 requires players to find and collect 10 Hummingbird Sage flowers. Hummingbird Sage flowers have deep purple flowers growing from tall, square stems and can be collected in and around the Tall Trees area. If players start at "Tall Trees" on the map and move south through Tanner's Reach toward the river, they'll find several of these flowers. Upon reaching the river, follow it south along the bank to find more. Finally, some can be found along the railroad tracks around Manzanita Post, both on its western and eastern sides. Collecting all 10 flowers will complete Survivalist Rank 7, reward players with 20 Fame, and unlock Rank 8.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 8 in Red Dead Redemption
Players will be tasked with collecting 12 Prairie Poppies to complete Survivalist Rank 8. Prairie Poppies have long stems with golden cup-shaped flowers and can be found in and around the Great Plains. Several can be found between "Great Plains" and "Broken Tree" on the map. Moving further east toward Blackwater, players should find even more. Some can also be found south toward the railroad tracks by Broken Tree. Once all 12 Prairie Poppies have been collected, players will earn 20 Fame and unlock Rank 9.
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How to Complete Survivalist Rank 9 in Red Dead Redemption
To complete Survivalist Rank 9, players will need to collect 15 Golden Currants. Golden Currants, despite their name, look like regular bushes with dark green leaves. However, they are easy to spot thanks to their dark color. This plant is usually found all over the Great Plains area, but usually near railroad tracks. Players will find plenty growing in the southern and western Great Plains. Starting in the south Great Plains near the railroad tracks and moving north through Beecher's Hope is the best route. Once they've collected 15 Golden Currants, players will be rewarded with 20 Fame, and they will unlock the final Survivalist rank.
How to Complete Survivalist Rank 10 in Red Dead Redemption
Survivalist Rank 10 is the most time-consuming of them all, as players will not only need to collect 10 Violet Snowdrops but also 2 more of each herb collected thus far. Violet Snowdrops are found in and around Tall Trees and are green bushes with violet flowers. By moving all around "Tall Trees" on the map and near the mountains to the north, players should be able to find most of them. Note that they are very small, so they are easy to miss. To find 2 of every other herb, simply follow the aforementioned instructions, passing the time by camping in order to get certain plants to respawn. Upon completing Rank 10, players will earn 50 Fame and any plant collected by the player will brew a Tonic until their inventory reaches the maximum amount of 10.
