Civilization, at Any Price

"Welcome to Mexico, amigo!"

- Vincente de Santa.

 is a mission in Red Dead Redemption.

Story
John Marston approaches the residence of the governor only to be stopped by Captain Vincente de Santa of the Federales. He intimidates John by holding him at gunpoint, but soon reveals that it's all a practical joke and invites Marston in for a drink and some food. During their conversation, De Santa keeps eying the boy who is serving him his drinks.

On the way to the train they debate the role of government and its responsibilities to its citizens. The Captain tells John that Mexico is in a state of chaos and anarchy due to the rebellion. Upon asking about Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella, he's told that outlaws gather in the hills, under the leadership of a man called Abraham Reyes. De Santa invites Marston with them, as they attempt to capture Reyes.

Mission Prerequisites
Before this mission becomes available, the player must complete:
 * Irish mission: "We Shall Be Together in Paradise"

Mission Objectives
To complete this mission, the player must:
 * Accompany De Santa to Chuparosa.
 * Escort the train safely to Casa Madrugada.
 * Catch the hijacked train and kill the rebel driver.
 * Jump aboard the train engine.

Mission Details
After either riding shotgun with Vincente de Santa on the wagon, or riding on horseback to Chuparosa, the player will have to defend the train leaving the station from the rebels. The player will have to mount a horse and follow the Captain, riding next to the train.

After a short time, rebels will attack from both sides, riding horses and standing by the trail. They'll have to be taken out and prevented from doing too much damage to the train engine. It will need to be defended until it reaches Casa Madrugada.

On the way from Chuparosa to Casa Madrugada, Marston will encounter eight waves of enemies. The first wave of enemies comes after riding for just a little bit out of Chuparosa. There will be three stationary men to the left (north) of the track, two stationary men further past the first trio, and two men riding horses on the right (south) of the track. The second wave will come almost immediately after Marston starts to kill these first groups in the form of three men riding on horses to the left of the track. The third set of enemies will be two stationary men to the left of the track. Upon killing this pair, a fourth wave comprised of three men will be riding their horses to the right of the track. The fifth set of men to try to attack the train will be a pair of men on horseback riding towards the train to the left of the tracks. After these have been eliminated, John will see a tunnel that the train will pass through. He needs to ride through the tunnel and when he emerges he will see the sixth wave consisting of six enemies waiting in ambush, some with fire bottles. One stationary man will be to the left of the track, two stationary men will be to the right of the track directly outside the tunnel, and three men will be riding their horses from the right side of the track. After this, Marston has two sets of enemies with which to deal, and both will be approaching from the right side of the tracks on horseback riding towards the train. The seventh wave is a pair of men on horseback, and the eighth wave is a trio of men also on horseback.

Upon reaching Casa Madrugada, John will meet up with Captain De Santa for the night. Soon, a cutscene will show two rebels hijacking the train. Marston is told that he has to stop the train before it crosses the bridge. There are multiple bandits on the train, shooting at John from the carts. The five rebels on the train are all in a line ranging from the engine to the caboose. After taking them all out, the player will have to get onto the train by riding close to it. (If the player is having trouble jumping on, ride all the way up to the front of the train until Marston is next to the coal cart. Once the player is riding so close that they are practically touching the train, press X (or square on PS3) and John will climb over.) The player will see the bridge ahead blow up, and Marston just manages to stop the train before it runs off the destroyed bridge.

Mission Failure
The mission will fail if the player:
 * Assaults, kills or abandons De Santa.
 * Kills the horses pulling the wagons.
 * Assaults or kills any of the Mexican Army or their horses.
 * Allows the banditos to destroy the train.
 * Allows the hijacked train to escape.
 * Doesn't stop the train before Butter Bridge.
 * Breaks the law.
 * Kills a dog.
 * Commits vandalism.
 * Assaults or kills townsfolk.
 * Dies.

New Game Elements Introduced

 * Jumping onto moving trains

Mission Complete Unlockables

 * "Poppycock" Stranger side-mission
 * Luisa Fortuna mission strand

Tips and Tricks

 * When you arrive in Chuparosa to meet the train, it is advisable to move ahead to it. There is a cart which has several crates, which provide cover. This ensures that you have some degree of cover as well as more steady aim. However, it may be somewhat difficult to get on the cart, as you must dismount your horse and may be left behind by the train. To increase your chances of boarding it, instead of riding in the cart with De Santa, ride your mount, so that later you may continue on to the train, instead of stopping with the Captain and his men.
 * Using the above method will also increase the money you receive for the mission, as there are Mexican soldiers on the cart with you that usually die, allowing you to loot their bodies.
 * Before attempting this mission, it is a good idea to stock up Marston with the maximum amount of Chewing Tobacco/Snake Oil/Moonshine he can buy. Repeatedly using the Bolt Action Rifle (available for purchase at the Escalera "Pistolero" Gunsmith) with the dead eye meter will give the player the easiest chance to take out most enemies before they can ever damage the train. Just keep an eye on John's Dead Eye meter and refill it every time it gets low. (This is especially easy if Marston has already learned the third level of Dead Eye from Landon Ricketts in Chuparosa as you can easily place X's on everyone's head with the Bolt Action Rifle)
 * When you are escorting the train, enemies will attack it from both sides. Because it is difficult to switch from one side of the train to the other, it is helpful to board the train when fighting enemies. To do this, get near the front of the train and dismount your horse. Then run up to the train and press the jump button.  The timing for this is difficult, but if done correctly, Marston should climb onto the train. From there, it is easy to shoot enemies coming in from any side. (De Santa will tell you to get off, but if you ignore him he'll eventually stop.)

Known Glitches/Bugs

 * {Xbox 360/Other?) If the player kills the rebels quickly and boards the train well before the bridge, the bridge may not appear destroyed in the following cutscene, causing John to walk carefully out and comically look at an otherwise perfect bridge.