GTA San Andreas Walkthrough: Part 2, the Badlands and San Fierro

Part 2 of our GTA San Andreas walkthrough picks up right after The Green Sabre, with CJ dumped in the countryside. You'll work through the Badlands with Catalina, Cesar and The Truth, move to San Fierro, take down the Loco Syndicate and help Woozie's Triads. It ends with Yay Ka-Boom-Boom and the Triad missions, when the desert and Las Venturas open.

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The whole walkthrough

1. The Badlands

You start in the countryside south of the city. Your new safehouse is in Angel Pine.

1. Badlands (C.R.A.S.H.): Tenpenny wants a witness silenced. Drive up into the hills, find the cabin and stop the witness before he escapes. Bring a car with good grip for the dirt roads.
2. First Date (Catalina): meet Cesar's cousin Catalina in Red County. She lays out four robberies.

Catalina's four robberies

You can pick the first robbery yourself. After it, the game wants Body Harvest and King in Exile done before the rest open. All four must be finished.

• Tanker Commander: steal a fuel tanker and deliver it. Turn slowly, the trailer jackknifes easily.
• Against All Odds: rob a betting shop with Catalina, then lose the police.
• Local Liquor Store: rob a store and escape the chase.
• Small Town Bank: rob the bank with Catalina. Keep the staff under control and get out fast.

The Truth and Cesar

1. Body Harvest (The Truth): meet The Truth and steal a combine harvester from a farm. Drive it back slowly.
2. King in Exile (Cesar): mostly a story mission that sets up who you'll be working with next.
3. Wu Zi Mu (Cesar): a street race where you meet Woozie. Learn the route and take corners cleanly.
4. Farewell, My Love... (Cesar): a race against Catalina and her new boyfriend. Winning gets you a garage in San Fierro.
5. Are You Going to San Fierro? (The Truth): burn a weed farm with a flamethrower before a helicopter arrives, deal with the chopper, then drive The Truth's van to San Fierro. Burn fast, and use a rocket launcher on the helicopter if one is offered.

2. San Fierro: settling in

Your base is now the garage in Doherty. Missions from several contacts open at once.

1. Wear Flowers in Your Hair: pick up your friends and get the garage running.
2. 555 We Tip (C.R.A.S.H.): Tenpenny wants someone framed. Get the car he points you to, set it up and leave it where he says.
3. Deconstruction: wreck a construction site whose workers insulted Kendl. Use the bulldozer and deal with the foreman.
4. Photo Opportunity (Cesar): use the camera to photograph the Loco Syndicate leaders at a meeting. Stay out of sight.
5. Jizzy: meet the pimp Jizzy B. at his club and get into the Syndicate.

3. The Loco Syndicate

1. T-Bone Mendez: do a job for Jizzy and meet T-Bone.
2. Mike Toreno: a Syndicate job that leads you to their mysterious contact, Mike Toreno.
3. Outrider: another Syndicate errand. Follow the markers and protect what you're told to protect.
4. Snail Trail (C.R.A.S.H.): chase a train and stop a reporter who knows too much about Tenpenny. Get ahead of the train and wait at the station.
5. Ice Cold Killa: the Syndicate takedown starts. Hit Jizzy at his club, then chase him down.
6. Pier 69: ambush the Syndicate meeting on the pier. A sniper rifle from high ground makes this easier. Then chase T-Bone.
7. Toreno's Last Flight: shoot down Toreno's helicopter with the rocket launcher. Lead your shots.
8. Yay Ka-Boom-Boom: rig a car with a bomb, drive it into the Syndicate's drug factory and get out. Avoid damage on the way, the car is fragile.

4. Woozie and the Triads

1. Mountain Cloud Boys: back up Woozie at a meeting that turns into an ambush.
2. Ran Fa Li: escort a Triad leader safely across the city.
3. Lure: draw a rival gang into a trap.
4. Amphibious Assault: swim out to a ship and plant a bug. Stay underwater near guards and use the knife quietly.
5. The Da Nang Thang: ride a helicopter to a ship, gun down the Da Nang Boys, then fight through the boat. Bring armour and a good rifle.

5. Optional strands in San Fierro

None of these are needed to finish the story, but all count for 100% completion.

• Back to School: the Driving School. Pass every test to unlock Wang Cars.
• Wang Cars (buy the showroom): Zeroing In, Test Drive, Customs Fast Track and Puncture Wounds. The property only goes on sale after the Driving School and Yay Ka-Boom-Boom.
• Zero's RC shop: Air Raid, Supply Lines... and New Model Army.

Tip: Supply Lines...

Many players call this the worst mission in the game. You fly a tiny RC plane with a limited fuel bar and must shoot couriers on motorbikes. Fly straight lines between targets, stay high so you can see the next one, and don't chase misses in circles. Since it's optional, skip it until you've finished the story if it frustrates you.

Tips for this part

• Use the garage as your save point. It sits close to most San Fierro missions.
• Pick up a sniper rifle and rocket launcher from Ammu-Nation. Pier 69 and Toreno's Last Flight are much easier with them.
• Do the Driving School early even if it is optional. It raises your driving skill and the rewards help.
• Keep your lung capacity up by swimming. Amphibious Assault has long underwater sections.

My take

The countryside feels slow after Los Santos, but Catalina's robberies are a wild ride. San Fierro is where the story kicks up again, and The Da Nang Thang is one of the best set pieces in the game. Did you rush through the Badlands or explore every small town?

FAQ

Do I need to do all four Catalina robberies?

Yes. All four are story missions. You pick the first one, then Body Harvest and King in Exile unlock the rest.

Is the Driving School required?

No. Back to School is optional for the story. It is needed for 100% completion and for the Wang Cars missions.

Do I have to beat Supply Lines?

No. Zero's three missions are optional. You only need them for 100% completion and to own his shop.

When does Las Venturas open?

After Yay Ka-Boom-Boom the roads to the desert and Las Venturas open up. Toreno's desert missions come next in part 3.

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