The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Special Elixirs in Red Dead Redemption 2
Howdy, partner. Welcome to the vast, untamed wilderness of Red Dead Redemption 2. Out here, survival depends on more than just a quick trigger finger; it's about being prepared. Whether you're tracking the legendary Bharati Grizzly bear, facing off against the Del Lobo gang in a hail of gunfire, or simply trying to survive a long trek through the Grizzlies, the right elixir can mean the difference between life and death.
While you can buy a few standard tonics from a doctor or a fence, the truly powerful concoctions—the Special Elixirs—must be crafted by your own hand. This guide is your one-stop compendium for everything you need to know about finding the recipes, gathering the rare ingredients, and brewing these potent brews that will give you the edge in the American frontier.
Understanding the Basics: Tonics, Potents, and Special Elixirs
First, let's clear up the confusion. The game has several types of consumable boosts:
- Tonics: These are your standard, often purchasable, recovery items. Things like Health Cure, Bitters, and Snake Oil.
- Potent Tonics: Upgraded versions of standard tonics, offering greater effects. You'll need crafting recipes for these.
- Special Elixirs: This is the premier category. These are unique, multi-effect brews that provide massive, sustained advantages. They are almost exclusively crafted from rare recipes found in the world.
The focus of this guide is on these game-changing Special Elixirs. Using them effectively is a core part of advanced RDR2 gameplay and can transform your experience.
Finding the Coveted Pamphlets
You won't find Special Elixir recipes just anywhere. They are recorded on pamphlets, which are essentially craftable recipe books you must first find and then read to learn the formula. Here are the primary ways to get your hands on them:
- Fence Purchase: This is the most straightforward method. All Fences across the map (like the one in Rhodes, Emerald Ranch, or Saint Denis) sell a selection of pamphlets. They are expensive, but it's a surefire way to get what you need if you have the cash.
- Treasure Hunter's Luck: The world is littered with secrets. You can find pamphlets as loot in hidden locations, on the bodies of special enemies, or inside lockboxes at gang hideouts. Exploring every nook and cranny of abandoned shacks and mysterious landmarks can be incredibly rewarding.
- The Strange World: Keep an eye out for unusual encounters. A certain "wizard" living in a tiny hut in the Bayou Nwa, for instance, holds a very valuable secret.
Now, let's dive into the recipes themselves. We'll cover the most crucial Special Elixirs, their effects, and the exact ingredients you need to hunt down.
Special Horse Stimulant Recipe
Your horse is your most loyal companion, and keeping it at peak performance is vital. The Special Horse Stimulant instantly refills your horse's core stamina and provides a slow, long-term regeneration, allowing for seemingly endless galloping across the heartlands.
- Effect: Instantly refills and slowly regenerates Horse Stamina Core for 2 minutes.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Ginseng Elixir
- x1 Wild Carrot
- x1 Currant
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: Available for purchase at any Fence.
- Pro-Tip: Wild Carrots can be found in meadows and plains, often near trees or rocks. Currants are small bushes found in various forested areas. The Ginseng Elixir can be purchased from doctors or crafted with American Ginseng (common in wooded areas like near Cumberland Forest).
Special Snake Oil Recipe
As a deadeye marksman, running out of Dead Eye in a shootout is a nightmare. Special Snake Oil is the solution. It provides a massive, instant boost to your Dead Eye core, letting you paint targets and take down entire enemy squads with cold, calculated precision.
- Effect: Instantly refills a large portion of the Dead Eye Core.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Indian Tobacco
- x1 Oleander Sage
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: Available for purchase at any Fence.
- Pro-Tip: Indian Tobacco is identified by its pink flowers and is commonly found near water sources in the states of West Elizabeth and Lemoyne. Oleander Sage is a poisonous plant found only in the marshy areas of Bayou Nwa, south of Saint Denis. Be careful, as picking it will slightly damage your health.
Potent Predator Bait Recipe
Hunting legendary animals is one of the most thrilling challenges in RDR2. These creatures are cunning and elusive. Potent Predator Bait is designed to lure even the most wary of beasts, making it an essential tool for any aspiring master hunter looking to complete his collection at the Trapper.
- Effect: Lures legendary predators and other large carnivores with an extremely high success rate.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Crustacean Meat
- x1 Berry
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: Available for purchase at any Fence.
- Pro-Tip: Crustacean Meat is the tricky part. You get it by hunting and skinning small crabs. The best place to find them is on the small islands just off the coast of Flat Iron Lake, directly south of Rhodes. You'll need a boat or a very patient horse to swim out there. Berries are common on bushes throughout the world.
Potent Herbivore Bait Recipe
For the other half of the animal kingdom, you need Potent Herbivore Bait. Whether you're after the legendary White Bison for its pristine pelt or just need a perfect deer pelt for camp upgrades, this bait will bring them right to you.
- Effect: Lures legendary herbivores and other large prey animals.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Forest And River Berries
- x1 Huckleberry
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: Can be purchased from a Fence.
- Pro-Tip: "Forest And River Berries" is a specific crafted item. You need to find the Pamphlet for it first (sold at Fences) and then craft it from common Blackberries and Evergreen Huckleberries. Huckleberries themselves are found on bushes in temperate regions like Scarlett Meadows.
Fire Bottle Recipe
Sometimes, subtlety goes out the window. The Fire Bottle is a weapon of chaos and destruction. It's perfect for clearing out a tightly-packed gang hideout, creating a diversion, or dealing with a large group of enemies in a confined space. The crafting recipe allows you to create these tools of mayhem on the go.
- Effect: Creates a wall of fire upon impact, dealing massive damage over time.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Moonshine
- x1 Animal Fat
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: Available for purchase at any Fence.
- Pro-Tip: Moonshine can be purchased from general stores. Animal Fat is a common loot item from hunting birds like ducks and geese, as well as pigs and bears. Farmsteads like Flatneck Station or the Braithwaite Manor often have plenty of pigs to hunt (discreetly).
Ancient Tomahawk Recipe
This is for the collectors and completionists. The Ancient Tomahawk is a unique, retrievable melee weapon. To craft it, you first need to find the recipe, which is one of the game's best-hidden secrets.
- Effect: Allows you to craft a unique, throwable tomahawk.
- Ingredients:
- x1 Tomahawk
- x1 Ancient Arrowhead
- x1 Horse Hair
- x1 Eagle Feather
- Where to Find the Pamphlet: This is not bought from a fence. You must find it at the Witch's Hut (officially called the "Hag's Hut") in the woods northeast of Lagras, Bayou Nwa. Inside the tiny hut, inspect the cauldron to find the recipe.
- Pro-Tip: The Ancient Arrowhead is found by opening one of the many Ancient Arrowhead Sites as part of the "Geology for Beginners" stranger mission. Eagle Feathers are obtained by, you guessed it, hunting eagles. They can often be seen perched on rocks in the Ambarino mountains.
Advanced Crafting and Hunting Tips for Special Elixir Ingredients
Knowing the recipes is only half the battle. Knowing how to efficiently gather the ingredients is the other.
- Use Eagle Eye Constantly: Tapping the analog sticks will highlight all nearby collectible plants and animal tracks in a pulsating glow. This is non-negotiable for efficient gathering.
- Study and Track Animals: To get perfect pelts and specific animal parts, you need to study the animal first, then use the appropriate weapon and ammunition to get a "Clean Kill." This ensures the highest quality materials.
- Invest in Camp Upgrades: Upgrading Dutch's lodging and Arthur's tent unlocks the "Fast Travel from Wilderness" map, but more importantly, the Leather Working Tools unlock satchel upgrades at Pearson. The most valuable of these is the Legend of the East Satchel, which allows you to carry 99 of each item, a total game-changer for a serious crafter.
- Plan Your Routes: Look at your recipe list and plan a hunting and gathering trip. Need Oleander Sage and Heron feathers? Head to the Bayou. Need Wintergreen Berries and Ram hides? Ride up into the Grizzlies. Efficient travel saves time and keeps you stocked.
Mastering the art of crafting Special Elixirs elevates you from a mere cowpoke to a legendary figure of the frontier. It grants you control over the chaos of the wild, turning insurmountable challenges into manageable tasks. So get out there, explore, hunt, and brew. The wilderness is your pantry, and with these recipes in your satchel, you are its master. Happy trails, and happy crafting
