The First Shall Be Last

Player notes

• ◆The Bolt Action Rifle can be obtained in this mission in the following manner:
• ◆Arthur and Javier will silently kill two Bounty Hunters when Trelawny provides a distraction. Then, Javier and Arthur will proceed up the valley towards the Bounty Hunter camp. The first two Bounty Hunters half-way down the canyon, notably the one on the left of the other Bounty Hunter, carries and drops the Bolt Action Rifle if the player kill him first. It is crucial that the player kills the left Bounty Hunter instantly and not alerting the pair before hand, else he will then use a Carbine Repeater and will not drop the Bolt Action Rifle upon death.
• ◆The machete can be obtained in this mission by killing a bounty hunter (who is attacking Charles) before going up the hill.
• ◆If the player takes their time to deal with the first two bounty hunter on the way up the canyon, they can hear a unique dialogue between the two Ike Skelding Boys.
• ◆Under normal circumstances in the storyline, Arthur will receive an immediate Dead or Alive wanted level if he travels south of the Upper Montana River into either Tall Trees or Great Plains, and will be swarmed and one-shotted by lawmen if he does not retreat. If this mission has not been completed, Morgan will not receive a wanted level and won't be pursued by lawmen. Also, the law will not be as prominent if Arthur strays south. This is to allow the player to safely get to the location of the mission without being killed. However, be advised, as the law will still pursue and kill Morgan if he gets too close to Blackwater or continues to stray south towards New Austin.
• ◆Furthermore, upon approaching the crossing next to the broken footbridge, it is advised that the player does not loiter on the border for too long, as this will attract the attention of the two Pinkertons guarding the most direct river crossing route to Javier and Charles. If the player is spotted by these two, they will identify the player as Arthur Morgan, and you will receive a WANTED status in Big Valley.
• ◆The tent and the fire set by Javier, Charles and Trelawny can be used as any other camp, making it the only time Arthur can sleep in southern West Elizabeth in-game.
• ◆This is the only mission during Arthur Morgan's story to take place in territory that originated from Red Dead Redemption. Otherwise, Arthur is restricted to all of the "new" territories created for Red Dead Redemption 2.
• ◆It is recommended not to waste any time in looting everything and anything from the Bounty Hunter's camp when the mission ends. The player will soon receive a WANTED status, prompting several Lawmen to appear and investigate. Instead, it is advised to loot the bodies and the camp right before releasing Sean off the rope.
• ◆The cutscene where the gang reunites with Sean will be slightly different depending if the player shot the rope or not.
• ◆Micah is the only member of the gang who will not be present at Sean's party, even if he has already been freed.
• ◆Somewhat ironically, the title of the mission is a reversal of what happens to Sean later. Out of those who were unaccounted for after the ferry heist he's the last member the gang has to rescue, and is also the first one to die (while Micah is in Strawberry jail around the same time, he was arrested for a different crime).
• ◆This title is also taken from the Bible verses of Matthew 19:30 and 20:16; Mark 10:31; and Luke 13:30; the title also hides the other half of these verses that say that "the last will be first", which hints at what will happen to Sean later.
• ◆If the player uses exploits and visits Tumbleweed after the mission, some people may talk about the shootout at Upper Montana River.
• ◆The Gunsmith will mention that "an army of bounty hunters got killed up the river from Blackwater."
• ◆When Arthur first approaches Javier and Charles on the cliff, he can throw a fire bottle near Charles, and immediately go closer, so the cut scene starts. Charles dies screaming, and then vanishes. You can still hear his dialogue, and the binoculars move around as if he was handling them. Later, he will reappear on the cliff on the other side of the river.