The Bandit Challenges in Red Dead Redemption 2 test how far you’re willing to go as an outlaw. You’ll hold up townsfolk, rob coaches and shops, steal horses and wagons, rack up bounties and hit trains, all while unlocking the full Bandit equipment set.
These challenges must be completed in order. Progress made before a challenge is active does not count. Completing all 10 challenges unlocks four pieces of reinforced equipment at the Trapper. Purchase the entire set to unlock an additional Stamina level, raising your maximum potential from Level 8 to Level 9. Completing the Gambler and Master Hunter equipment sets unlocks Level 10.
All 10 Challenges:
Bandit Challenge 1: Hold Up 5 Townsfolk
Target any townsfolk inside a settlement, aim your weapon and select the Rob option. Threaten them if needed until they hand over cash or valuables. The victim must be inside town limits.
Valentine or Strawberry (lighter law presence) are the best locations for this challenge. Alleyways in Saint Denis at night also work well.
You can spread these out over time. Armed NPCs often fight back, so stick to unarmed civilians. If the person escapes before handing anything over, it doesn’t count.
Reward: Bandit Bandolier
Bandit Challenge 2: Rob 2 Coaches
Rob the lockbox on the back of two coaches or steal two coaches and sell them to the Wagon Fence. The Wagon Fence at Emerald Ranch unlocks after the Chapter 2 mission The Spines of America.
Hang around Emerald Ranch. Traffic is frequent. Steal a coach, loot the rear lockbox (shoot the lock if needed), then drive it into the Fence’s barn. Looting the box and selling the same coach can both contribute toward the challenge.
Use a coach with a lootable rear lockbox, or steal a vehicle that Seamus accepts at the Wagon Fence. Not every vehicle has a lootable rear lockbox.
Reward: $5 + 25 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 3: Rob the Cash Register
You must rob four different shop cash registers within a single in-game day. Walk up to the shopkeeper, aim your weapon, choose the Rob Register option.
The route I recommend:
- Valentine General Store;
- Valentine Gunsmith;
- Valentine Doctor;
- Then ride to Strawberry or Rhodes for the fourth.
Hotels and saloons usually lack registers. Gunsmiths can draw weapons, so be ready. Escape the search area quickly after each robbery. Loading a save can reset progress, so finish all four in one session.
Reward: Bandit Holster
Bandit Challenge 4: Rob 3 Coaches in One Day
Same as Challenge 2, but three coaches (or return three stolen coaches to a Fence) in a single day.
Stick to the Emerald Ranch area. Coaches spawn regularly. Loot and/or sell three before the day ends. This one is straightforward once you know the spawn patterns around the ranch.
Reward: $10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 5: Amass a $250 Bounty in One State
Keep committing crimes in the same state until your bounty reaches $250. The challenge completes as soon as you hit the required amount, so there’s no need to leave the state. Escape the law afterward and pay off your bounty at a Post Office.
Ride into a town (Valentine, Rhodes, or Saint Denis), open fire on civilians or lawmen, keep fighting until the bounty hits $250.
Reward: $10 + 50 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 6: Steal 5 Horses and Sell Them
Unlocked after the Chapter 3 mission Horse Flesh for Dinner. The Horse Fence is at Clemens Cove, northwest of Rhodes on the shore of Flat Iron Lake.
Steal any five horses (from riders, wagons, or stables) and deliver them to the fence. You cannot sell a horse while under attack. Bring them one by one or clear the area first.
Reward: $15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 7: Rob $50 Worth of Cash and Valuables
Hold up people until the total value of cash and valuables reaches $50. This can be done on townsfolk or travelers on the road.
Continue the same hold-up method from Challenge 1. Looting corpses or shop registers doesn’t count toward this challenge. If regular pedestrians aren’t paying enough, rob passengers in a train’s first-class carriage to reach $50 faster.
Reward: Bandit Off-Hand Holster
Bandit Challenge 8: Steal 7 Wagons and Sell Them
Steal seven wagons and sell them specifically to the Fence at Emerald Ranch.
Stagecoaches and ordinary wagons can count toward the challenge when sold to Seamus. Some special vehicles, including bank stagecoaches, cannot be sold, so stick to regular road wagons for consistent progress. Patrol the roads around Emerald Ranch and the Heartlands, then drive each one to the Fence’s barn and sell.
Reward: $15 + 100 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 9: Hogtie Someone and Leave Them
Lasso and hogtie someone, then place them on the railroad tracks. You can use the same person three times by cutting them free and hogtying them again before returning them to the tracks. No train needs to hit them.
Find isolated NPCs or travelers. Tracks near Valentine, Rhodes, or Annesburg work well.
Reward: $20 + 150 Dead Eye XP
Bandit Challenge 10: Complete 5 Train Robberies
Successfully rob five trains without dying or getting arrested during the robbery.
Buy a train ticket at any station, board the train, wait until you regain control, then hold up a passenger (aim and Rob). Robbing even one passenger counts as a train robbery. Rob one passenger, then leave the train as soon as you can safely escape. After the law stops searching for you, buy another ticket and repeat until all five robberies are complete.
Reward: Bandit Gun Belt
Bandit Equipment Set Rewards
Completing the Bandit Challenges unlocks all four reinforced equipment pieces for purchase at the Trapper. The complete set costs $73.25 and unlocks an additional maximum Stamina level:
| Equipment | Unlock | Price |
| Bandit Bandolier | Challenge 1 | $21.75 |
| Bandit Holster | Challenge 3 | $16.00 |
| Bandit Off-Hand Holster | Challenge 7 | $16.00 |
| Bandit Gun Belt | Challenge 10 | $19.50 |
| Total | $73.25 |
Extra Tips for Bandit Challenges
Wear a bandana or mask to conceal your identity from civilian witnesses, but remember that lawmen can still recognize you. Escape before they identify you to reduce the risk of getting a bounty. Keep cash on hand to pay off bounties when needed.
You can complete the full Bandit Challenge set starting in Chapter 3, after unlocking the Wagon Fence at Emerald Ranch and the Horse Fence at Clemens Cove.
Save often before high-risk activities like the $250 bounty or train robberies.
Once you finish the Bandit Challenges and buy the full set at the Trapper, you’ll unlock the extra Stamina level and gain a collection of reinforced gear. Pair this guide with our main RDR2 hub for more money-making methods, Trapper locations and weapon locations.
