How to Find the Four Horses of the Apocalypse in Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Death, disease, prostitution, the scum of the Earth, and, in the case of Undead Nightmare, the dead rising from the grave. So why shouldn't the Four Horses of the Apocalypse come out to play as well?

Yes, the Red Dead Redemption DLC pack, Undead Nightmare, unleashes these four perilous mares on the landscape of New Austin, West Elizabeth and Nuevo Paraiso. Note, though, that the horsemen are absent - which means that the four mounts are up for grabs. Ready for the neatest challenge of your life, John Marston?

All four horses appear during the events of Undead Nightmare, roaming the wilds of the three territories of Red Dead Redemption, and John Marston can break all of them - though it's not easy. This guide will help the player locate the four horses and bring them to heel.

But first, however, it's good to note that the four horses come with some rules attached:

- First, they count as mythical creatures. Consequently John will be alerted to their nearby presence if he happens upon one, though not given an exact location - aside from a blue circle on the map that signifies the general vicinity of the horse. Stay within this circle to catch each beast.

- Second, John can form 'blood pacts' with all four that count as licenses for permanent ownership, though only AFTER he's gotten all four. Consequently, losing any of them before that happens means John will have to re-capture them, and when he does he won't gain the benefit of the blue circle in the field.

- Third, the horses boast not only special powers, but near-unparalleled levels of stamina and durability. They can, however, still die.

Still sound good? Then let's have a look at the horses.

Number one is the fiery War, a fearsome creature that's by far the easiest to spot at a distance thanks to its ever-present flames. This makes War the easiest to catch and one of the most valuable early-game assets in Undead Nightmare, as hitting zombies while riding War will cause them to burst into flames.

War is of middling difficulty to find, as it typically appears just about anywhere in New Austin, the second largest of the game's areas. The flat plains of the region make it easier to spot at a distance, fortunately, though the annoying undead legions frequenting the plains can make a capture difficult.

The most sickly of the horses, covered in bloody wounds and sporting a ghastly white coat - not to mention an ever-present green cloud - Pestilence is the second of the four horses likely to be encountered, though possibly the least useful. Its only real power is its ability to absorb massive amounts of damage without dying, far more so than even the other four horses.

Pestilence appears in the smallest area compared to the other four horses, showing up in West Elizabeth. It usually appears in Tall Trees, which can make capture of the horse difficult thanks to the annoying terrain.

Typically the third of the four horses found by Red Dead Redemption players, Famine is another sickly beast that, aside from sporting a rather dull coat, is surrounded by an ever-present cloud of locusts (which, fortunately, don't harm John). Though these locusts cause no damage to enemies, they seem to bless Famine with greater speed than almost any other mount in Undead Nightmare. If you're looking to go somewhere in a hurry, use Famine.

Finding Famine requires waiting until Nuevo Paraiso opens up a bit later in the scenario, as it shows up most often near Chuparosa. It has been sighted in numerous other locations in Nuevo Paraiso, however, so don't necessarily limit your searches to Chuparosa and the surrounding region. As ever, the undead in the desert can make a catch annoying, though there's lots of ground across which you can chase Famine in order to avoid intervening zombies.

The epitome of the Four Horses of the Apocalypse, Death is always the final horse of the set. It only spawns in Undead Nightmare after the other three horses have been at least caught, and then will show up virtually anywhere in New Austin, West Elizabeth or Nuevo Paraiso. Getting Death this way is, ah, difficult - particularly since, at a distance, it looks a bit like a normal horse, albeit one with a ghostly wind trailing in its wake. Since this wind can cause zombies' heads to explode, Death is a must have for John Marston.

That said, there IS an easier way to get Death: beat On a Pale Horse, the final mission of Undead Nightmare. Doing so will unlock Death automatically, and grant Marston control over him and the other three beasts.

Then there's just one other benefit to catching the Four Horses of the Apocalypse to mention: getting the lot of them is essential for attaining the full completion achievement/trophy for Undead Nightmare: Zed's Dead, Baby. So get on that horse breaking, already!