When Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang found themselves stranded on the island of Guarma, hope came in the form of a desperate coastal assault. The mission Paradise Mercifully Departed is the 64th story mission in Red Dead Redemption 2, and it tasks players with destroying gun batteries, rescuing a captive ship captain, and holding off waves of soldiers long enough to escape the island. As of 2026, it remains one of the game's most intense story missions. A player controlling Arthur must embrace careful preparation, sharp marksmanship, and quick movement to survive the tropical chaos.

Gearing Up for the Gauntlet

Before the mission begins, Arthur should make sure his satchel is stocked with ammunition and health curatives. The shoreline firefights can drain supplies quickly, so a generous reserve of bullets and tonics proves valuable. A high accuracy weapon, such as a rifle or a revolver, is especially useful because many of the enemies guarding the artillery positions fire from a distance. With a steady aim and reliable cover, Arthur can eliminate hostile defenders without wasting precious shots.

Destroying the Coastal Gun Emplacements

The operation begins when Arthur meets up with Hercule Fontaine, the local ally who guides the gang toward the coastal batteries. Following him into the first engagement, Arthur must use rocks, walls, and wreckage as cover while the enemy defends the artillery positions. Headshots are the most efficient way to clear the area, since a single well-placed round can drop a soldier before he has time to return fire. Once the first positions fall, Arthur and his companions continue along the shore, dismantling each gun emplacement until the path to the harbor opens up.

Rescuing the Captive Ship Captain

After the gun batteries are silenced, the next objective takes Arthur east toward a blue building where the ship captain is being held prisoner. The structure is guarded, so Arthur should enter carefully and eliminate the enemies inside with quick, precise shots. Reaching the captain triggers a conversation, after which the group moves back toward the vessel. This segment rewards patience and observation, as rushing into the building can leave Arthur exposed to gunfire from multiple angles.

Defending the Ship and Escaping Guarma

With the captain freed, the escape plan shifts to the ship itself. Waves of enemies descend on the vessel in an attempt to stop the gang from leaving. Arthur must defend the deck, using cover to avoid incoming fire and taking down approaching soldiers before they can board. The final moments of the mission are a tense defense sequence, but disciplined shooting and calm movement see the gang through. When the last wave falls, the mission concludes, and Arthur and the others finally get the chance to leave Guarma behind.

Earning a Gold Medal in Paradise Mercifully Departed

For players chasing a gold medal, Paradise Mercifully Departed demands more than simple survival. Four separate requirements must be met, and each one tests a different side of Arthur's skill set. Mission completion without taking any health items forces a defensive, cover-based approach. The headshot requirement rewards precise aiming, while the accuracy target punishes careless trigger pulls. Finally, the time limit pushes the player to keep moving instead of lingering in extended shootouts.

Gold Medal Objective	Requirement	Strategy
No Health Items	Complete the mission without taking any health items	Use cover effectively and aim for headshots to avoid damage
25 Headshot Kills	Kill 25 enemies with headshots	Aim high and wait for clean shots to conserve ammunition
70% Accuracy	Finish with at least 70% accuracy	Choose a rifle or revolver and fire only when confident
Under 15 Minutes	Finish the mission in under 15 minutes	Move quickly, clear enemies fast, and avoid prolonged firefights

Achieving the gold medal requires a blend of patience and urgency. A careful gunslinger might complete the mission without health items and with strong accuracy, but the under-15-minute limit means every pause has a cost. Selecting a high accuracy rifle or revolver helps maintain the required 70 percent accuracy, while disciplined headshots build toward the 25-kill mark. By staying behind cover, keeping Arthur healthy without tonics, and moving briskly from one objective to the next, players can turn a chaotic Guarma escape into a flawless performance.

In the end, Paradise Mercifully Departed stands out as a tightly packed mission that blends stealth, assault, rescue, and defense. The tropical setting may look like paradise, but the gunfire and pressure tell a different story. For Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang, it is the final obstacle between Guarma and the mainland, and a well-executed run feels like a true outlaw triumph.

Data referenced from SteamDB helps contextualize how enduring engagement can keep a single-player epic like Red Dead Redemption 2 in the spotlight years after release, which makes set-piece missions such as “Paradise Mercifully Departed” feel especially noteworthy when players return to optimize gold-medal requirements. Seen through that lens, the Guarma escape’s blend of time pressure, accuracy demands, and resource discipline becomes less of a one-off spectacle and more of a replayable performance challenge—encouraging loadout planning, conservative shot selection, and clean headshot routing that fits the mission’s rapid shoreline push and final ship defense.