Mission Replay & Gold Medals

Achieving Gold Medals in Grand Theft Auto V missions is the ultimate test of your skills, often requiring precision, speed, and strategic thinking. This section will guide you through replaying missions and provide detailed strategies to earn that coveted gold. Remember, you can replay any completed mission from the pause menu under the "Game" tab, then "Replay Mission."

General Gold Medal Strategies

Know the Objectives: Before starting, always check the Gold Medal requirements. These are displayed before you begin the replay and are crucial for planning your approach.
Practice Makes Perfect: Don't be afraid to fail. Gold Medals often require multiple attempts to perfect your timing and execution.
Weapon & Vehicle Preparation: For many missions, having fully upgraded weapons (especially assault rifles and shotguns) and a fast, durable vehicle can make a significant difference. Stock up on body armor and snacks too!
Exploit Checkpoints: If a mission has multiple objectives, sometimes you can achieve one objective, die, and then restart from the checkpoint with that objective already fulfilled. This isn't always reliable, but worth experimenting with.
Minimap Awareness: Keep a close eye on your minimap for enemy locations, mission objectives, and police presence.

Mission-Specific Gold Medal Guides

Repossession

This early mission for Franklin introduces you to vehicle repossession. Gold Medal requirements typically involve speed and minimal damage.

Objectives:
- Time: Complete within a specific time limit (e.g., 06:30).
- Damage: Keep the Bagger's damage below a certain percentage (e.g., 10%).
- Accuracy: Achieve a high shooting accuracy (e.g., 70%).
- Headshots: Score a specific number of headshots (e.g., 3).
Walkthrough & Strategy:
1. Motorcycle Ride to Grove Street: As soon as the mission starts, immediately accelerate on the Bagger. Follow Lamar closely, but prioritize speed. Don't worry about perfect driving, just get there fast.
2. Confrontation at Grove Street:
  - Upon arrival, dismount the Bagger quickly.
  - Accuracy & Headshots: When the Vagos emerge, aim for headshots. Use Franklin's special ability (slow-motion driving) if you need to quickly line up shots, though it's not strictly necessary for this section. A pistol or SMG is ideal here.
  - Clear the immediate area of Vagos. There are usually 3-4 initial enemies.
3. Chasing the Bagger:
  - After the cutscene, immediately get into the nearby car (Lamar's car or any other available vehicle).
  - Speed is Key: Chase the Bagger. Drive aggressively but carefully to avoid unnecessary collisions that might slow you down or damage your vehicle.
  - Damage Objective: The "Damage" objective refers to the Bagger you're chasing, not your own vehicle. You need to recover it with minimal damage. This means avoiding shooting it and driving cleanly during the chase.
  - Cornering: Use Franklin's special ability during sharp turns to maintain speed and control, especially if you're struggling to keep up.
  - The chase ends when the Bagger crashes. Get out and retrieve it.
4. Returning the Bagger:
  - Drive the Bagger back to the dealership.
  - Damage Objective (Continued): This is where the "Damage" objective is most critical. Drive extremely carefully. Avoid all collisions, even minor scrapes. Take wide turns and brake early.
  - Follow the GPS route. It's a relatively short drive, so focus entirely on preserving the Bagger's condition.

By the Book

This mission involves Trevor's interrogation of Mr. K and Michael's sniper support. Gold Medals here often test your efficiency and specific actions during the interrogation.

Objectives:
- Time: Complete within a specific time limit (e.g., 10:00).
- Interrogation: Use all four torture devices on Mr. K.
- Accuracy: Achieve a high shooting accuracy as Michael (e.g., 60%).
- Headshots: Score a specific number of headshots as Michael (e.g., 5).
- Don't Kill the Wrong Guy: Do not kill the "doctor" or the "pilot" during Michael's sniper sequence.
Walkthrough & Strategy:
1. Trevor's Interrogation:
  - All Four Devices: This is straightforward. Use each of the four torture devices on Mr. K at least once. The game will prompt you when to switch. The devices are:
    - Wrench: Located on the table.
    - Pliers: Also on the table.
    - Water Boarding: The bucket of water.
    - Defibrillator: On the wall.
  - You don't need to inflict maximum pain with each. A quick use is sufficient for the objective.
  - During the interrogation, Trevor will ask you to perform specific actions with the devices. Follow these prompts.
2. Michael's Sniper Support:
  - Accuracy & Headshots: As Michael, position yourself on the rooftop. When prompted, use your sniper rifle.
  - Target Prioritization: Focus on the targets Trevor identifies. Aim for headshots to quickly neutralize threats and meet the headshot objective.
  - Don't Kill the Wrong Guy: This is crucial. When Trevor asks you to "take out the guy with the beard" or "the guy with the ponytail," be absolutely sure you've identified the correct target before firing. The "doctor" is usually the one in scrubs, and the "pilot" is often wearing a flight suit or similar attire. If you accidentally kill the wrong person, restart from the checkpoint.
  - Take your time with each shot to ensure accuracy. The enemies are not moving quickly, so precise aiming is possible.
3. Escorting Mr. K:
  - After the interrogation, Trevor will drive Mr. K to the airport. This section is mostly cinematic.
  - Simply follow the GPS to the airport. There are no combat encounters or complex driving challenges during this part.

The Final Mission (Ending C - The Third Way)

This is the most complex gold medal to achieve, as it encompasses the entire final mission. It requires excellent combat skills, quick character switching, and efficient movement.

Objectives:
- Accuracy: Achieve a high shooting accuracy (e.g., 60%).
- Headshots: Score a specific number of headshots (e.g., 12).
- Mission Time: Complete the entire mission within a specific time limit (e.g., 21:30).
- Freed Some Dudes: Rescue Franklin's friends (Lamar, Chop, Jimmy, and Tracey).
- Lester's Assist: Use Lester's assistance at least once (e.g., call in an air strike or disable vehicles).
- Switching: Switch characters a specific number of times (e.g., 10 times).
Walkthrough & Strategy:
1. Initial Setup & Character Switching:
  - The mission begins with Franklin, Trevor, and Michael planning. Once the action starts, immediately begin switching characters frequently. This is an easy objective to meet if you remember to do it.
  - Weapon Loadouts: Ensure all three characters have fully upgraded assault rifles, shotguns, and heavy weapons (like the Minigun for Trevor). Body armor is essential.
2. The Lumber Mill Assault:
  - Franklin: Start with Franklin. Use his special ability to clear enemies quickly. Focus on headshots.
  - Michael: Switch to Michael when you need to take cover and pick off enemies from a distance with his special ability.
  - Trevor: Use Trevor's special ability (rampage) to clear large groups of enemies, especially when they are clustered. His Minigun is devastating here.
  - Freed Some Dudes: As you progress through the mill, you'll encounter areas where Franklin's friends are held. You MUST rescue them. They are usually highlighted on the minimap. Clear the enemies around them and approach them to trigger their release. Don't leave anyone behind!
  - Lester's Assist: At some point during the lumber mill assault, you'll be prompted to use Lester's services. Call him on your phone and select an option like "Air Strike" or "Disable Vehicles." This is a mandatory objective for Gold.
  - Maintain constant forward momentum. Don't linger in one spot unless absolutely necessary.
3. The Foundry & Final Confrontation:
  - The combat continues into the foundry. Continue the strategy of aggressive character switching, prioritizing headshots and using special abilities to clear rooms efficiently.
  - Accuracy & Headshots: Focus on precise aiming. Take a split second longer to line up a headshot rather than spraying bullets.
  - Mission Time: This is the toughest objective. You need to be relentless. Don't waste time looking for extra ammo or health unless critically low. Keep pushing forward.
  - The final confrontation involves taking down Devin Weston, Steve Haines, Stretch, and Wei Cheng.
    - Devin Weston: Found in the trunk of a car.
    - Steve Haines: On the Ferris wheel. Use a sniper rifle as Michael or Franklin.
    - Stretch: In the basketball court area.
    - Wei Cheng: In the oil fields.
  - Coordinate your attacks. For example, have Michael snipe Haines while Franklin and Trevor deal with Stretch and Cheng.
4. Escape:
  - After eliminating all targets, escape the area. Get into a fast vehicle and lose any remaining police pursuit.
  - The mission ends once you've successfully escaped.