Can a Swindler Change His Spots? is the seventeenth mission in Red Dead Redemption.
To view the mission tree, see:
- Main article: Missions in Redemption/Tree
Story[]
John approaches Mr. West Dickens who requests John's aid in selling more elixir. This time, half-way into the performance, two riders appear and denounce Dickens as a fraud. The crowd grows hostile and a chase ensues, in which John must protect Dickens at all costs.
Walkthrough[]
Mission Prerequisites[]
Before this mission becomes available, the player must complete:
Mission Objectives[]
To complete this mission, the player must:
- Join the spectators for Nigel's show in Plainview.
- Ride shotgun for Nigel and fight off any attackers.
Mission Description[]
In this mission, the player will accompany Nigel riding shotgun on his wagon as he retreats from an angry crowd.
The player must help Nigel escape to Cueva Seca after the crowd turns hostile halfway through his speech. While Nigel is driving, the player will have to defend the wagon from the enemies. Most will be on horseback, but halfway through the escape there are about three or four wagons that the player must fend off (some may have TNT in the back). Then the player will encounter a road block consisting of two wagons blocking the path. A barrel of TNT is conveniently placed on the bed of one of the wagons for the player to shoot.
Aim for the enemies' horses, and they won't be able to follow you on foot. Additionally, using Moonshine to refill your dead eye can help with hitting the many moving targets pursuing you.
Mission Dialogues[]
- Main article: Can a Swindler Change His Spots?/dialogues
Mission Failure[]
The mission will fail if the player:
- Shoots the bottles of West Dickens' elixir on display.
- Steals the wagon.
- Lets Nigel die.
- Kills or abandons Nigel West Dickens.
- Kills the horses pulling Nigel's wagon.
- Breaks the law.
- Kills a dog.
- Commits vandalism.
- Assaults or kills townsfolk.
- Dies.
Gold Medal Objectives[]
- Fastest Time: 5:35
- Shot Accuracy: 86%
- Number of Headshots: 12
New Game Elements Introduced[]
- Riding shotgun
Mission Complete Unlockables[]
Trivia[]
- The title of this mission is a reference to the Bible verse from Jeremiah 13:23, "Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots?" (NIV), which means that it is hard for someone to break a habit.
- This is one of very few times we see John Marston smoke.
- At the end of the mission, if the player waits for a while before leaving, Mr. West Dickens begins to urinate on the ground. Even if knocked over he continues to urinate.
- A majority of the scammed townsfolk are members of the Williamson Gang, including people such as Kent Gallaway and Melvin Spinney.
- Glitch: In rare cases, when the player gets on the Mr. West Dickens's wagon, he runs away from John and never gets on the wagon. The player can chase him, but if he dies, the mission is over.
- The people in the crowd are Emerson Lang, Lloyd Duffy, Pablo Navarrete, Chan Chut, Willie Oats, and two unknown people.
Tips & Tricks[]
- 100% accuracy is possible on this mission. When you come to the road block with the wagons of TNT, wait until your driver stops, equip a shotgun (any will do) and aim at the head of the enemy standing in front of the left road block wagon. 9 times out of 10 you'll pepper him and blow the TNT.
Gallery[]
Video Walkthroughs[]
Achievement[]
Completing this mission contributes toward the following Trophy/Achievement:
 |
100
 Gold
 Attain 100% List in the singleplayer game completion list.
|
|---|