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Icarus and Friends
Icarus and Friends is one of the main missions available in Red Dead Redemption 2. Mr. Bullard, Sadie’s friend, takes Arthur on a mission to scout Sisika prison. The reconnaissance will be done in a balloon.
How to get a gold medal in Icarus and Friends?
- Keep the balloon at the correct altitude for the entire journey – Follow your companion’s orders – when he says that this altitude is correct, remember how much the bar was filled and try to keep it at this level.
- Get 5 headshots from the balloon – Use the Dead Eye to score headshots.
- Complete with at least 70% accuracy – A typical challenge found in many missions in RDR2.
- Complete the mission without taking any health items.
To start this mission, go to Doyle’s Tavern in Saint Denis to meet Sadie Adler. You’re going to discuss how to rescue John Marston.
As soon as you walk in, a cutscene will start. After talking a bit, follow her outside and get on your horse. You’ll follow her through town on horseback. She tells you about her plan – a hot air balloon, to get a good eye on the prison to make sure John is even still there.
When you arrive at the air balloon, another cutscene will start. The hot air balloon owner – Mr. Bullard – will tell you Sadie can’t come. Flying messes with a woman’s “vapors,” as everyone knows. Take a second to guffaw at the absurdity, but there’s no convincing him.
Arthur will get into the balloon and be put in charge of controlling it.
Gold Medal Requirement:
- Keep the balloon at the correct altitude for the entire journey. You’ll be able to tell when the bar on the bottom right is yellow.
Hold R2 to ascend. When your bar, on the bottom right corner of the screen, turns yellow, you’ll have reached the correct altitude. Keep it there by tapping R2 when you need to, so you can keep speed.
Eventually, you’ll make it to the prison. Look at the field to the east, and zoom into the prisoner in the middle on the left to get a look at him. Arthur is pretty sure that’s John.
The guards will start shooting, and you’ll be put back in charge of the balloon. Raise the altitude, it’s all you can do. Eventually, you’ll be out of harm’s way.
On the way back, Mr. Bullard will see Sadie on horseback getting chased by a gang of O’Dricolls. Start shooting them.
Gold Medal Requirement:
- Get 5 headshots from the balloon now, but remember, you need to complete this with at least 70% accuracy as well.
Kill all of the O’Driscolls in sight, and eventually, the poor balloon pilot will get shot, and fall out of the basket.
Now, you’ll have to control the balloon. You’re going to cross over the bridge ahead, then lower the balloon so Sadie can climb up.
Hold R2 to go up over the bridge, and let go once on the other side to descend so Sadie can grab the rope dangling from the balloon.
Pull the left stick up and spam x/a to lift Sadie to relative safety in the balloon. Right after, the balloon will crash on the other side of a river, but the two of you will be fine, mostly.
More O’Driscolls will appear from over the hill. Hide behind a rock and ready a weapon.
As Sadie instructs, kill these sons o’… you know. Use Dead Eye to keep your accuracy up, and take cover when you need to.
Gold Medal Checklist:
- Be defensive, and patient. You need to complete the mission without taking any health items.
After a bit, more O’Driscolls will emerge from the woods in the west. Don’t let yourself get surrounded – stay behind cover, now keeping the river to your back.
When you’ve killed the lot of them, return to Sadie’s side to start another cinematic. Arthur chews her out a bit, and Sadie says the government has captured Colm O’Driscoll, and she’s going to make sure he won’t escape the noose this time around.
That marks the end, but make sure to loot the bodies before moving on.