You’re deep into Chapter 6. Arthur is coughing, the gang is falling apart, and Dutch is losing whatever grip he had on reality. It's a mess. Then comes Honor Among Thieves RDR2, a mission that doesn't involve a massive shootout or a train heist, yet it sticks with you way longer than the explosions do. Most players just see it as a "favor" for Rains Fall, but honestly, it’s one of the most pivotal moments for Arthur Morgan’s soul.
It’s quiet. It’s tense. It’s heartbreaking.
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If you’ve played Red Dead Redemption 2, you know that the endgame isn't about the money anymore. It’s about who Arthur is before the lights go out. This specific mission, tucked away in the Wapiti Reservation arc, highlights the absolute rot inside the US Army at the time and pits Arthur against Colonel Favours, a man who makes Micah Bell look almost tolerable. Well, maybe not quite, but he's close.
Why Honor Among Thieves RDR2 Matters for Arthur's Redemption
You start this mission by meeting Captain Monroe at the Wapiti Indian Reservation. Monroe is a rare breed in the RDR2 universe: a good man in a bad system. He’s trying to help the Native Americans who are being systematically starved and cheated by the government, specifically by Colonel Favours. The mission objective sounds simple enough. You need to recover a wagon of medicine that was "diverted"—which is just a fancy military word for stolen—by the army.
This isn't just a side quest.
Technically, it is optional, but skipping it feels like missing a limb of the story. If you’re playing high honor, this is where Arthur’s internal change becomes external action. He isn't killing for Dutch’s "plan" anymore. He’s risking his life for people who have nothing to give him in return. That is the definition of the game’s title.
The interaction between Arthur and Monroe is fascinating because they are mirrors of each other. Both serve masters they no longer believe in. Monroe is trying to work within the law to do good, while Arthur has spent his life outside the law doing bad. In Honor Among Thieves RDR2, their paths cross in a way that validates Arthur's desire to finally be "good."
The Stealth vs. Combat Dilemma
Let’s talk gameplay. You follow Monroe to a vantage point overlooking an army convoy. You have a choice here: go in guns blazing or try to be a ghost.
If you want the Gold Medal, you have to recover the medicine without being detected. This is actually harder than it looks because the wagon is smack in the middle of a moving camp of soldiers. Most people just get frustrated and start blasting. I get it. The gunplay in RDR2 is satisfying. But there is something incredibly rewarding about sneaking in, grabbing the supplies, and slipping away like a shadow. It fits the "thief" part of the mission title perfectly.
If you do choose the loud approach, be ready. The army doesn't play around. They have Bolt-Action Rifles and they hit hard.
What’s interesting is how the game reacts to your choice. Captain Monroe specifically asks you not to kill anyone if possible. He’s trying to maintain a fragile peace. If you go in and massacre a dozen soldiers, it feels wrong. It clashes with the narrative tone of the mission. Arthur is trying to fix things, not break them further.
Finding the Medicine
The wagon is parked in the rear of the convoy. If you’re sneaking, wait for the guards to rotate their vision cones. You’ll need to hop on the back of the wagon, search the chests, and grab the vaccines.
Wait. Why vaccines?
Because Colonel Favours is intentionally withholding medicine for a respiratory ailment (likely pneumonia or flu) that is ravaging the tribe. He wants them weak. He wants them gone so he can claim glory or land. It’s a stark, historically-grounded look at the atrocities committed during the era. Rockstar didn't pull this out of thin air; it’s based on the real-world history of the "Indian Wars" and the broken treaties of the late 19th century.
The Dialogue You Probably Missed
The car ride—well, the horse ride—back to the reservation is where the real meat is. Arthur and Monroe talk. Arthur’s voice is raspier now. He’s tired.
Monroe mentions that he’s likely going to be court-martialed for what he’s doing. He knows the risks. Arthur, who has spent twenty years following Dutch van der Linde’s "loyalty above all" creed, sees a man being loyal to a higher principle. It’s a wake-up call. You can almost see the gears turning in Arthur’s head. He realizes that loyalty to a person (Dutch) is a trap, but loyalty to an ideal (helping the vulnerable) is what actually matters.
A lot of players rush through this dialogue to get to the next mission marker. Don't. It’s some of Roger Clark’s best voice work. The way he portrays Arthur’s growing cynicism toward Dutch while simultaneously showing a spark of hope for Monroe is incredible.
Technical Tips for the Gold Medal
If you're a completionist, Honor Among Thieves RDR2 has a few specific requirements for that shiny gold icon:
- Recover the medicine without being detected.
- Complete the mission within 5 minutes and some change.
To do this, don't use your horse to get into the camp. Leave it at the treeline. Crouch-walk. Use a distraction if you have to, but honestly, if you time the guard patrols right, you can walk right up to the back of the wagon. Don't linger. Grab the bag and get out. If a guard turns around, use a Tonic to keep your stamina up and just run for the bushes before the "Detected" meter fills up completely.
The Fallout: What Happens After?
Completing this mission unlocks the follow-up, "The Fine Art of Diplomacy."
If you skip this, you’re essentially cutting out a massive chunk of the Wapiti storyline. You also miss out on the chance to see Colonel Favours get what’s coming to him later on. More importantly, Monroe’s fate is tied to Arthur’s intervention. Without Arthur, Monroe is just another casualty of a corrupt military hierarchy.
There’s a certain irony in the mission title. "Honor Among Thieves" usually implies that even criminals have a code. But in this mission, the "thief" (Arthur) has more honor than the "civilized" soldiers he’s stealing from. The military are the ones stealing lives and land; Arthur is just stealing back what belongs to the people.
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It’s classic Rockstar social commentary, but it doesn't feel preachy. It feels personal.
Common Misconceptions
People often think this mission is mandatory for the "good" ending. It’s not. You can technically be a total jerk, skip this, and still get the high honor ending if you grind other activities. But why would you? From a narrative perspective, this is Arthur's turning point.
Another mistake: thinking you have to kill the guards to get the medicine. You don't. In fact, the game subtly rewards you (in terms of honor points and dialogue) if you manage to do it peacefully.
Actionable Insights for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re sitting down to play Chapter 6 tonight, here is how to handle this mission for the best experience:
- Check your Honor level first. If you’re playing a low-honor Arthur, the dialogue changes slightly, but the impact is still there. However, it feels most "canon" on a high-honor run.
- Bring a Bow. If you have to take someone out silently, use the bow. Don't risk a gunshot. Even a suppressed weapon (not that they exist in 1899, but you get the point) can be risky in such a tight camp.
- Listen to Monroe. Don't skip the cutscenes. The background info he gives on Colonel Favours adds a lot of weight to the final battles of the game.
- Watch the map. The convoy pathing is consistent. If you fail the stealth once, just restart the checkpoint. The guards follow the exact same loop every time.
Honor Among Thieves RDR2 serves as a bridge. It bridges the gap between Arthur the outlaw and Arthur the man. It’s a quiet, desperate struggle against an uncaring government, and it sets the stage for the final, tragic moments of the Van der Linde gang. Next time you see that "M" on the map near Wapiti, don't ride past it. Stop. Help the man. It’s what Arthur would—eventually—do.
To truly master the endgame, ensure you have completed the "Archaeology for Beginners" mission before this one. It provides the necessary context for Rains Fall’s struggle and makes the stakes in the medicine theft feel much more urgent. Once you've finished with Monroe, head back to camp and check Arthur's journal; the entries written after this mission are some of the most reflective in the entire game, proving that even a dying thief can find a bit of honor.