This Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon degradation tips guide is designed to teach you how to clean your weapons in RDR2. As players likely know by now, your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2 will degrade over time, meaning that they’ll do less damage. In order to prevent this, you’ll need to maintain your weapons, which can be achieved by cleaning them. This guide will teach you how to clean your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2, while also offering some special tips for maintaining your weapons in RDR2.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – What is Weapon Degradation?
So, Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon degradation tips. Well, the first point of order is to understand what weapon degradation in RDR2 actually is. Over time, your weapons will be damaged by environmental factors and from usage. As a result, you’ll deal less damage and your reload time will be drastically increased.
There are three kinds of degradation: rust, dirt, and soot. Here’s everything you need to know about each of them.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation – Rust
Your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2 will rust when they are submerged in either water or snow. Holstering your weapon doesn’t prevent this, and your weapon can deteriorate to its worst possible condition in a scarily quick time.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation – Dirt
Dirt damages weapons in the same way as rust, except instead of water and snow, weapons become dirty when they are submerged in mud. Both dirt and rust will cause any weapon to drop to its worst possible condition after 300 seconds pf exposure without maintenance.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation – Soot
Unlike the other two degradation types, which are determined by environmental factors, your weapon will become susceptible to soot depending on how much you fire it without cleaning it. The amount of shots required for the weapon to deteriorate to worst condition depends on the weapon, with pistols being the most durable and shotguns being the least durable.
In order to check the current state of your weapon, you can view its condition in the weapons wheel by holding L1/LB. The condition bar will be completely white if the weapon is in perfect condition. Grey indicates degradation, and the further left the grey goes, the worse condition the weapon is in.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – How to Maintain Your Weapon in Red Dead Redemption 2
There are several tips that you can make use of that won’t cost you any money. Although you will need to pay to maintain your weapons at some point, you can be savvy enough to make sure you don’t have to do it that regularly. Here are some tips on how to maintain your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2 for free.
First of all, if you’re going through waist-deep water, dual-wield your sidearms. If they’re both holstered, they’ll both spend several seconds in the water, which will do some tangible damage to them. However, if you dual-wield them, Arthur will wade through the water with them held high above his head. The game will recognize this and the weapons won’t deteriorate. You can literally just hold them above the water. The same obviously goes for mud and snow.
In fact, the next tip is even easier. Unless you know you’re going to be encountering tons of enemies, there’s really no reason to bring a full arsenal of high-powered firearms with you. Stow your favorite weapons with your horse and just bring your trusty Cattleman Revolver to incapacitate any rogue undesirables who attempt to give you trouble on your travels. Your weapons can’t deteriorate if they’re safe with your horse, so when you need them for a real shoot-out, you can pull out your shiny perfect-condition repeater to deal with the bad guys.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – How to Slow Degradation in Red Dead Redemption 2
Sometimes, you’ll need to bring your weapons with you. Sometimes, holding them above your head won’t help—for example, in the thick of a shootout, you’re probably better off taking the soot degradation and surviving than standing still with your hands above your head.
There are some Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon degradation tips that are suitable for a more practical approach. However, these tips will cost you some of those dollars you’ve been nicking left, right, and center, as the gunsmiths in Red Dead Redemption 2 aren’t cheap. Here’s a full list of the items you can use to slow down weapon degradation in Red Dead Redemption 2.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Reinforced Off-Hand Holster
The reinforced off-hand holster must be crafted by a trapper after you complete the corresponding quest. This holster will cause weapon degradation to decrease by 10%, which is a difference you’ll want to capitalize on.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Upgraded Holster
Like the reinforced off-hand holster, the upgraded holster can be crafted by a trapper if you complete the corresponding quest. This holster will cause weapon degradation to decrease by 20%, making it even better than the reinforced off-hand holster. You can also purchase the upgraded holster at any gunsmith’s shop in the game.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Weapon Wrap
The Weapon Wrap can be purchased at any gunsmith’s in the game, but it’s only compatible with repeaters, rifles, and shotguns. It slows weapon degradation by 10%.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Raven Claw Talisman
The player gets this Talisman after they complete the quest called, “Geology for Beginners.” This is a unique item that can only be gotten as a quest reward and it slows weapon degradation by 20%.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Legend of the East
The Legend of the East outfit isn’t particularly easy to get. It’s unlocked after completing all challenges in all categories. Although it’s a great outfit, its degradation buff is pretty minor, only slowing weapon degradation by 10%. Focus on the other ones if you need to tend to your weapons quickly.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – Beaver Tooth Trinket
This can be crafted at a fence using a Legendary Beaver Tooth. Worth your time, as you’ll likely be wanting a Legendary Beaver Pelt anyway. Slows weapon degradation by 10%
It’s important to note that all of the above buffs stack, so having two or three active at any given time will make your weapon virtually indestructible.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Weapon Degradation Tips – How to Maintain Your Weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2
There are two ways to maintain your weapons in Red Dead Redemption 2: manual upkeep and visiting a gunsmith. Both of these methods will cause your weapon to gain durability once again, so it’s important to regularly do one or the other.
Manual upkeep requires gun oil. You can use a cloth to clean your weapon yourself, with dirty and damaged bits being represented in red. This will restore the weapon’s stats, making it perfect condition once more. You can buy gun oil from a gunsmith, but you’ll likely pick plenty of it up naturally as you progress through the game.
Gunsmiths will charge you if you want them to clean your weapon, but it isn’t too expensive. You can also upgrade your weapons at a gunsmith, but only if they’re in perfect condition, so it could be worth your while to just have them restore it and immediately upgrade it afterwards.
There you have it—your full Red Dead Redemption 2 weapon degradation tips guide. Your gun will be shiny again in no time!
