~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~MERCENARIES 2: WORLD IN FLAMES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FAQ/Walkthrough by Callum Braithwaite/insomniac_dog (C) 2009 ============================================================================= ================================== CONTENTS ================================= ============================================================================= I) Version History II) Contact and Legal III) General Information and Plot Overview IV) Controls 1. Foot Controls 2. Car/Boat Controls 3. Tank Controls 4. Helicopter Controls V) Playing the Game 1. Characters 2. Factions and Their Mood 3. PDA and Map 4. Fuel, Cash and Munitions 5. Hints and Tips VI) Main Walkthrough 1. PMC a. Main Missions i. Rescue Carmona ii. Moving In iii. Universal Petroleum iv. Doom Patrol v. MishaMilanich vi. Finding Blanco vii. Get Solano viii. Get Solano, Part 2............................Not Completed b. Side Missions i. Emplaced Weapons Challenge ii. Grenade Launcher Challenge iii. Pistol Challenge iv. Sniping Challenge v. Winching Challenge vi. Destruction Race Challenge vii. Race Challenge viii. Airstrike Challenge 2. Universal Petroleum a. Main Missions i. The Devastator ii. Phone Tag iii. Leave No Trace b. Side Missions i. Altagracia Outpost ii. Maracaibo Airport Outpost iii. Cabimas Outpost iv. Built for Speed v. Into the Green Zone vi. Verify HVTs vii. Destroy targets viii. Standing bounties 3. People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela a. Main Missions i. Paint the Town ii. Corporate Headhunting iii. Tropical Island Getaway b. Side Missions i. Orinoco River Outpost ii. Eastern Merida Outpost iii. Southwestern Amazon Outpost iv. Jungle Cruise v. Verify HVTs vi. Destroy targets vii. Standing bounties viii. Destroy billboards 4. Pirates a. Side Missions i. Central Island Outpost ii. Mainland Coast Outpost iii. Endangered Cargo iv. Yo-ho-ho and a Truck Full O’ Rum v. Black Market, Warm Heart vi. Blended with a Twist vii. Verify HVTs viii. Destroy targets 5. Chinese Army a. Main Missions i. Exit Strategy ii. The Price of Gas iii. Battle for Caracas vs. Allies..................Not Completed b. Side Missions i. Southwestern Cumana Outpost ii. Caracas Estates Outpost iii. Southeastern Cumana Outpost iv. The Last in Line v. Medusplosion vi. Verify HVTs...............................Partially Completed vii. Destroy targets viii. Standing bounties 6. Allied Nations a. Main Missions i. Missile Commando.................................Not Completed ii. Lost and Found..................................Not Completed iii. Battle for Caracas vs. China...................Not Completed b. Side Missions i. Southern Caracas Outpost ii. Port of Caracas Outpost iii. Southeastern Caracas Outpost iv. Give It a Whirl v. Verify HVTs................................Partially Completed vi. Destroy targets.................................Not Completed vii. Standing bounties VII) Stockpile 1. Airstrikes.............................................Not Completed 2. Vehicles...............................................Not Completed 3. Supplies...............................................Not Completed VIII) Miscellaneous 1. Spare Parts............................................Not Completed 2. Soundtrack.......................................Partially Completed 3. Trophies...............................................Not Completed IX) End Note ============================================================================= ============================ I) VERSION HISTORY ============================= ============================================================================= Here is a list of the various updates and additions I have made to this guide in its production. Some of these updates were not submitted to GF, purely to make sure that each time you saw my guide it would either be changed dramatically or not changed at all: V1.00 - Finished ‘Contents’, ‘Contact and Legal’ and ‘General Information and Plot Overview’. V1.10 - Finished ‘Controls’ and started ‘Playing the Game’. V1.15 - Fixed up headings and cleaned up the style of the guide. V1.25 - Finished ‘Playing the Game’ and started ‘Main Walkthrough’. V1.30 - Finished ‘End Note’ and added to ‘Main Walkthrough’. V1.40 - Halfway through ‘Main Walkthrough’ and first submission to GameFAQs. V1.45 – Fixed/changed issues, around 3/4 through ‘Main Walkthrough’. V1.75 – Completed ‘Main Walkthrough’, made starts on other sections. ============================================================================= =========================== II) CONTACT AND LEGAL =========================== ============================================================================= This is the absolutely necessary part of my FAQ. I must remind the public that this walkthrough may contain spoilers surrounding the plot or any other aspect of the game. I suggest you only read where you are up to unless you... MUST... find out what happens. This guide was made by me, Callum Braithwaite, also known as insomniac_dog. If you wish to contact me about ANYTHING regarding this game, then by all means add me on PSN (insomniac_dog) or email me (insomniac_dog@hotmail.com). I am welcome to advice on the layout, grammar and content of this guide and I would greatly appreciate any hints or tips in some of the missions. Another important thing I must say is that if you discover any goodies or Easter Eggs when you are playing around, or come across a shop item that I have not included in my ‘Stockpile’ section, then please contact me and I will include it the guide, with full credit to you. This guide is allowed to be published on the following sites: * www.gameFAQs.com * www.gamespot.com * www.cheatcc.com * www.myps3.com.au If you wish to ask permission to publish this guide, then just contact me and I’ll include you on this list. However, you will have to copy and paste the guide because emailing it can cause problems with font and spacing. Basically, if you’re itchin’ for a scratchin’ about Mercenaries 2, then just contact me! Disclaimer - this walkthrough contains extracts from the game manual and in- game information. I am not liable for plagiarism or any copyright dispute. ============================================================================= ================= III) GENERAL INFORMATION AND PLOT OVERVIEW ================ ============================================================================= In 2005, a game called Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction arrived on store shelves with little hype. Made by Pandemic, those responsible for the sublime Star Wars: Battlefront series, Mercs: PoD was groundbreaking. Set in North Korea, it saw you control a mercenary in the middle of a modern-day conflict able to obliterate anything and everything. It was a sleeper hit. Graphically superb, PoD featured chilling music, explosive gameplay (I mean it) and a tight plot. It was GTA in a warzone, and just as good as its urbanised-counterpart. Pandemic Studios a few years later announced a sequel in the works. Previews, interviews and game conferences later, we have Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. From the foggy and mysterious North Korea to the lush and vibrant Venezuela, the Mercs series took a monumental leap in graphics. The fantastic gameplay we saw in the original, however, remained completely intact. It was explosive, gritty and superb. Mercs is back and better than ever! The story goes a little something like this: you are working for South American oil lord Ramon Solano, the wealthiest man in his home country of Venezuela. You set out to free one of his best friends, General Carmona, who has been captured and taken to a heavily fortified island. You are the best mercenary for the job, obviously. Once you have freed him, it appears suddenly that both Solano and Carmona have double-crossed you. Even Blanco, one of your close allies, turns his back on you. To be frank, you don’t get paid for your efforts and get shot in the ass. What a meanie beanie bofeanie! So here we are. You are out for revenge served cold. Or explosively hot. Either is cool. Or hot. Argh! Anyway, you set out with your PMC to get back at those who have betrayed you. Blowing up everything is exactly what the doctor ordered. As a side note, I played as Mattias Nilsson in this walkthrough. I figured I should do this because he was the mercenary of choice for the previews and it seems more comfortable to watch the cutscenes with him in them. He also regenerates health faster than the other two, but I’ll discuss that later. He looks cooler anyway :). ============================================================================= ============================== IV) CONTROLS ================================= ============================================================================= --------------------------[[[ 1. FOOT CONTROLS ]]]--------------------------- Left stick - Move Right stick - Look/Aim Up/down directional buttons - Support menu Left directional button - Switch explosive Right directional button - Switch weapon X Button - Jump Square Button - Reload Circle Button - Melee Triangle Button - Action (hijack, talk, etc.) L1 Button - Crouch/Zoom L2 Button - Use explosive L3 Button - Sprint R1 Button - Fire weapon R2 Button - Switch weapon R3 Button - Binoculars Select Button - PDA Start Button - Pause -------------------------[[[ 2. CAR/BOAT CONTROLS ]]]------------------------ Left stick - Turn Right stick - Look/Aim Up/down directional buttons - Show cash and fuel Right directional button - Camera mode X Button - Accelerate Square Button - Brake/Reverse Circle Button - Use horn/Call allies Triangle Button - Exit vehicle L1 Button - Handbrake R1 Button - Fire weapon R2 Button - Switch weapon R3 Button - Reset camera R3 Button (hold) - Reverse camera Select Button - PDA Start Button - Pause --------------------------[[[ 3. TANK CONTROLS ]]]--------------------------- Left stick - Move Right stick - Look/Aim Up/down directional buttons - Show cash and fuel X Button - Accelerate Square Button - Brake/Reverse Circle Button - Use horn/Call allies Triangle Button - Exit vehicle R1 Button - Fire weapon R2 Button - Switch weapon R3 Button - Reset camera Select Button - PDA Start Button - Pause ------------------------[[[ 4. HELICOPTER CONTROLS ]]]----------------------- Left stick - Move Right stick - Look/Aim Up/down directional buttons - Show cash and fuel Left directional button - Winch control X Button - Ascend Square Button - Descend Circle Button - Use horn/call allies Triangle Button - Exit vehicle L1 Button - Ascend L2 Button - Descend R1 Button - Fire weapon R2 Button - Switch weapon R3 Button - Reset camera Select Button - PDA Start Button - Pause ============================================================================= ============================ V) PLAYING THE GAME ============================ ============================================================================= ----------------------------[[[ 1. CHARACTERS ]]]---------------------------- Mattias Nilsson - The Tough Merc Mattias thrives on chaos. He loves it when governments collapse and things get crazy. He hates and doesn’t care for people in general in general, but sometimes shows a soft spot for the little guy, trying to get by. He doesn’t care about his personal safety, doesn’t care if he lives or dies. He just likes having fun. Chris Jacobs - The Strong Merc Chris is a hearty, larger-than-life figure. Faced with the worst that mankind can do, Chris reacts with a wry smile and a smartass remark. He doesn’t expect any better. His only problem is figuring out who the bad guys are - it used to be easy! Now he’s not so sure. Jennifer Mui - The Quick Merc Mui (Jen only to her friends) is the most expensive mercenary on Earth. If it seems like she focuses on money and nothing else, it’s because she focuses on money and nothing else! She finds it amusing that there are people dumb enough to think anything else is important. Ramon Solano - President of Venezuela The only son of powerful Venezuelan criminal Eduardo Solano, Ramon was raised to inherit his father’s power and money and make a legitimate name for himself. Sent to a prestigious American university, he graduated with honours and returned to his home country to start Venezuela’s first ISP. Three billion dollars of revenue later, Ramon set his sights on a loftier goal: president. General Carmona - Leader of the Venezuelan Army Carlos Carmona spent his entire life defending Venezuela from enemies both external and internal. His tactics are efficient, clever and merciless. He’s an institution in Venezuela, retaining control of the army across decades of tumultuous regime changes. Half the country hates him for his oppression of freedom of speech, the other half love him for maintaining order. Blanco - Solano’s Right-Hand Man A notoriously ruthless mercenary from Liberia, Blanco lost his moral compass on the battlefield years ago. In the mercenary world this is a small point, but Blanco’s habit of double-dealing and selling out his partners means few mercenaries trust him. Those same qualities make him very appealing to many employers who need a man willing to do terrible things and ask no questions. Fiona Taylor - PMC Support Operative Fiona started in IT at a large Private Military Company, but saw that manning the computers was more exciting than fixing them. Her computer savvy and love of hacking made her the perfect Support Operative. When her favourite mercenary asked if she wanted to go solo, she saw the opportunity for more fun and more money. She knows how to use gun, cannot be intimidated and doesn’t take crap from her partner. Ewan Devlin - PMC Helicopter Pilot Ewan spent too much time chasing girls to take any career seriously. After a short and controversial stint in the military he took his helicopter training they gave him and worked freelance in Iraq and Darfur. Universal Petroleum hired him as a specialist, and he’s been in Venezuela ever since. He thinks of himself as a charming ladies’ man, when in reality he’s merely indiscriminate and relentless. Eva Navarro - PMC Mechanic Eva hates everybody and everybody hates Eva. The Venezuelan government has done her wrong, and she wants revenge any way possible. Her mechanical skills flourished from an early age, as she tinkered with home appliances and electronics. Now she lives on the fringes of society, helping those on the black market. MishaMilanich - PMC Jet Pilot Misha is the latest in a long tradition of Russian pilots who sell their services abroad for outrageous sums of money, sending most of it to their families back home. His plane is constantly in danger of disintegrating much like its pilot. Both rely heavily on luck to get them through the next mission. Lorraine Rubin - Leader of Universal Petroleum Lorrain Rubin earned her PhD in psychology, but it was here minor in Business that led her to Universal Petroleum. She quickly rose through the ranks thanks to her skills in diplomacy and her ability to turn a small opportunity into a big one. Used to the corporate culture in Houston, in Maracaibo she is a fish out of water. Marcela Acosta - Leader of the People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela Acosta believes in the ideals of Marxism, but more; she believes in the style of the old revolutionaries. Fighting and living in a bleak existence in the jungle. The power vacuum created by Solano’s coup breathed new life into her organisation, and now she sees a real chance to take the reins of power away from the wealthy few who made deals with the Americans and sold the country’s oil for their own gain. Devilbwoy - Leader of the Pirates Devilbwoy, real name unknown, is a laidback Jamaican thug who lives off his wits and steals from the big companies and bureaucracies. He collected a large group of misfits around him who love his style: part gangster, part Robin Hood and part Bob Marley. Devilbwoy and his mean operate off the coast of Venezuela, happily fleecing everyone. They have no allegiance and no interest in helping anyone. General Peng - Leader of the Chinese Army Peng is an old-school Cold War general; a field commander who spent his life studying the great land battles of WWII and Korea. He always yearned to fight the US in a stand-up ground war and now sees the chance to prove himself against a worthy foe in an honourable battle. Though his masters only want the oil, Peng sees this as an opportunity to show the world China’s mettle. Phillip Joyce - Leader of the Allied Nations Phillip Joyce is a man who knows the value of patience. Under no circumstances will Joyce allow himself to be drawn into the open. He came into Venezuela with the directive to secure the oil, and he’s going to do exactly that. He has no illusions and suspects the oil conflict in Venezuela will end in a war between the US and China, but he believes he can win that war through intelligence and planning. ----------------------[[[ 2. FACTIONS AND THEIR MOOD]]]---------------------- Universal Petroleum - situated in Maracaibo A Texas-based American oil company, Universal Petroleum made a deal with the Venezuelan Government 50 years ago. In the decades since, UP has made billions of dollars from the arrangement. When, in recent years, the PLAV began sabotaging Universal Petroleum’s equipment and pipelines, UP hired private mercenaries to protect their assets. People’s Liberation Army of Venezuela - situated in the Amazonas The PLAV is a Marxist-Maoist revolutionary group who seek to wrest control of the government away from the rich and privileged and form a new socialist government on behalf of the people. The organisation is decades old, but with the new upheaval in the government and Solano’s ascendancy; new generations of would-be guerillas now join the fight. Pirates - situated in the Pirate Isles ‘Pirates’ is a romantic term evoking adventure on the high seas. But these Jamaican thugs are really just expatriate crooks and thieves who enjoy hijacking ships full of oil and military cargo and selling it on the black market. If there ever was a stable government in Venezuela they’d soon be forced out, but in the current chaos, all the organisations in Venezuela enjoy the benefits of dealing with these criminals. Chinese Army - situated in Cumana China’s ambitions in this theatre are clear and straightforward: they genuinely want to help the Venezuelan people, sincerely believe that the communist government will bring them peace and prosperity, and frankly admit their need for oil. Allied Nations - situated in Caracas The Allied Nations are a loose coalition of like-minded countries, led by the United States. In reality, the number of foreign participants is minimal, with many of the allies contributing only cash and equipment. The stated goal of the Allies is to restore order in Venezuela, bring Ramon Solano to justice and establish a democratic government. * * * Keeping factions happy is extremely important in Mercenaries 2. You should basically give up on your game if everyone becomes hostile towards you. You simply cannot survive with everyone shooting at you constantly. There are a few things you have to keep in mind during your travels. If you abide by these, then you should be alright for the long run: BE A PEACEFUL MERCENARY - Don’t shoot ANYONE unnecessarily. If there is no apparent reason why you should open fire, then don’t. They are peaceful, you are peaceful, let’s keep it that way. STEALING RESOURCES - Get out of sight when stealing stuff. When you have Ewan airlifting a resource out of the environment, then please let nobody see you. Many a time have I just stood there nice and calm out in the open, when suddenly a Chinese guy shouts ‘Open fire on the mercenary!’ So tag it, drop the smoke signal, then get the hell out of there. REPORTS - If someone begins to report you, then he/she is your PRIORITY TAGRET. I don’t care if there’s a tank in-between you and them, just get there and kill them! A reporting is one of the worst things that can happen on the battlefield, and all because of a stray bullet or out-in-the-open munitions nab (refer to points 1 and 2 for further information...). After a report, reinforcements, or ‘backup’, will arrive. This can come in the form of extra soldiers, APCs, tanks and even helicopters! It’s not hard to see why a reporting soldier should be a dead soldier! BRIBES - Bribing is the LAST resort. You are not gonna hand over 20 million dollars for something that can be done, in reality, for profit. All you have to do is shoot some of the rival faction’s soldiers (use a sniper rifle, all- out-wars will lead you to be being reported) and you’re already neutral. From there, just complete a contract for them (main or side-quest) and you’re in the Friendly zone. FIGHTING OTHER FACTIONS - You will eventually be contracted to missions that put you in direct competition with other factions that could otherwise be friendly. Many people think that you should ‘balance it out’ (i.e. do a contract for them, then one for the other faction, then back to the first faction, and so on). This is NOT the way to do it, trust me. A better method is to do ALL of the contracts for one side in ONE heap, then to get on the good side of the other faction and do all of their contracts in one go as well. This way you only have to impress another faction ONCE, rather than MULTIPLE times. However, do not complete the Battle for Caracas mission until you have completed all missions for both China and Allies. TRESPASSING ZONES - These are areas on your radar that are coloured red. These zones are a sign that a faction is extremely territorial in relation to this certain area, and will attack ANYONE, friendly or otherwise, if they breach the border. This includes you. Now the only way to, uhh... trespass these zones is to be disguised as a member of that faction. However, as soon as your cover is blown, they’ll begin to open fire. These are a few easy steps to take that will ensure your friendship with as many factions as possible. Remember, if you have any other strategies, just contact me and I’ll post it on here with full credit to you! --------------------------[[[ 3. PDA AND MAP ]]]----------------------------- The PDA is by far the most valuable tool in the game. It includes a map of Venezuela, your complete stockpile list, information on the people you have met, faction mood and your very own progress and statistics on the game. It is important that you know how to navigate your way through it. Here are some tips: Really try and familiarize yourself with the map of Venezuela. Although transit will be the most frequently used travel option, often you may have to drive a vehicle to your destination, and if you don’t want to use the GPS route (discussed later), then it is handy to know your way around. Here is a quick run-down of each major area, which faction controls it and what you can see and do there: * Maracaibo - controlled by Universal Petroleum (later controlled with AN) and found on the west side of the map. It is fairly busy and will be your first Mercs 2 city. The airport is found in the mountains and a sub-division of the city called Altagracia is on the east side of the lake. The UP HQ is found in the middle of the city. * Merida - controlled by VZ (later controlled by PLAV) and found in the south-west corner of the map. Incredibly dusty and foggy, this is a very poor city which also has St Anthony’s Cathedral in the middle of it. * Guanare - controlled by VZ and found on the south side of the map. The game’s smallest city, Guanare is split into two: the heavily VZ-dominated south side and mostly civilian-populated north side. Very narrow streets litter the area. * Amazonas - controlled by PLAV and found in the south-west corner of the map. The mountain south of Merida is where the PLAV HQ is situated. This is a very rural setting with long, windy roads. Lush rainforests dominate the landscape. * Amazon - controlled by all factions and found in the south to south-east section of the map. The massive quarry in the middle here is a giant melting pot where small-scale battles are waged. Angel Falls is in the south-east corner of the map, and is also where Solano built his bunker. * Cumana - controlled by Chinese Army and Allied Nations and found on the east side of the map. Split in two, the city is fairly rural on the west side (all Chinese) yet very developed on the east (both CA and AN). The Chinese HQ is an ancient castle situated east of the Caracas Estates. * Margarita - controlled by Chinese Army, this large island is a complete trespassing zone to anyone but the CA. It is mainly a semi-resort destination, with beach houses and a hotel on both tips of the island. * Pirate Isles - controlled by, you guessed it, Pirates and found across the entire north side of the map. They are an archipelago of islands off the coast of mainland Venezuela which can only be accessed by boat or helicopter. There are small pockets of each faction found throughout the islands, but the Pirates dominate most of them. * Caracas - controlled by Allied Nations and found in the centre of the map. Venezuela’s capital city is also its biggest and most sophisticated. High- rise skyscrapers cover the city which runs from the port in the north to the shanty town in the south. The rich folk live in the Caracas Estates to the east of the main city. The Allied HQ can be found west of the shanty town. * * * Know how to place beacons on the map. This allows you to set a GPS route on the in-game radar. Simply press the square button anywhere on the map and the route will get you there the fastest way possible. This is handy for many of the game’s missions and also to get to certain destinations. The stockpile tab allows you to look at and equip supplies, airstrikes and vehicles to your support menu. Press X on an item and then assign it to a slot for easy access in-game. It is very recommendable to have one vehicle (preferably not ‘Unarmed’ or ‘Boat’ as you use these types of vehicles the least), one airstrike (‘Cluster Bomb’, ‘Bombing Run’ and ‘Artillery Strike’ are easily my favourites; cheap, effective and plentiful!) and one supply (choose one which suits you. I normally have ‘Support Weapons Drop’ because I like explosions, but perhaps you’ll want a ‘Chinese Sniper Rifle Drop’) on the support menu at all times. Also make sure you are stocked up regularly. There is nothing worse then going to an objective then finding out you have no C4 or RPG ammo. Check it regularly and make decisions on what items you need to buy soon. Also, try and buy as little airstrikes as possible for a few reasons: 1) They are expensive! Buying five or so can easily set you back a few million dollars. 2) The airstrikes I mentioned earlier are practically free on the battlefield anyway! If there is one type of pick-up-able you should immediately steal, it’s the munitions. Invaluable! Finally there’s the ‘Info’ tab of the PDA, which shows a whole bunch of stuff. First and foremost, there’s the Faction Mood, which I have already discussed earlier. Next, there is the Log. This isn’t really important, but if you feel like reviewing the conversations and objectives you’ve been given throughout your current play session, then it’s there for you to scan through! Third on the Info page is People. This also has been covered previously in this walkthrough. Last but not least is the score. Here you’ll find how far you’ve gotten through in the game and the types of statistics you’ve gotten into through your adventure. The Progress part is very helpful for you to see how long you’ve got to go and also check out what you may have missed. For example, you may be missing out on 100% and don’t know what’s holding you back, so check out this page and you might notice you haven’t unlocked a certain item from the Chinese shop. And that’s basically the PDA. You’ll use it constantly so make sure you know it inside out. It could be the difference between successfully verifying a target in Maracaibo or wandering around aimlessly in the middle of the Amazon! ---------------------[[[ 4. FUEL, CASH AND MUNITIONS ]]]--------------------- Scattered about the entire game world are resources which come in three types: fuel, cash and munitions. Each is vitally important to your survival should be stolen immediately, unless it can be used as a battle tactic. Once you acquire Ewan, the helicopter pilot, (completion of the UP contract ‘Phone Tag’) you will be able to steal these resources around Venezuela. They can be identified with a green marker with its respective icon on both the game screen and on your radar. Walk up to it and press triangle to tag it. Open up your support menu and choose the Resource Pickup option. Throw the smoke signal and wait for Ewan to swing by and airlift the resource out. Referring back to ‘Factions and Their Mood’, you should NOT wait around when you are in a faction’s base, friendly or hostile. Well, you shouldn’t even be there in the first place in the hostile base, but moving on! This is because a soldier will report you if they see you stealing their resources! If that happens, then kill the soldier swiftly and get the heck outta there. There is one VERY important observation to make on the resources: fuel tanks and munitions are EXPLOSIVE. They can easily become a great asset in battle. If you see a group of enemy soldiers or vehicles near a resource, then shoot the resource enough to spark it. Wait a few seconds and it will blow up with a flashing white light and a big kaboom. Burn!! Once picked up, a cash bundle will give you $100K, a fuel tank will net you 500 gallons of fuel and the munitions will simply add a type of airstrike to your stockpile. The most common types of airstrikes you will come across are the ‘Bombing Run’, ‘Artillery Strike’ and ‘Cluster Bomb’. --------------------------[[[ 5. HINTS AND TIPS ]]]-------------------------- When you play Mercenaries 2, you are not going to want to have issues arise just because you play badly. Well you’re in luck, because here is a short list of things you should keep in mind when completing a mission, extracting an HVT or just plain blowing stuff up! THE MAN UPSTAIRS - Whenever you are hijacking a tank or an APC, you MUST kill the gunner manning the .50 caliber on top of the vehicle. You actually cannot start the quick-time event until the gunner is killed. WINCH IT GOOD - People always forget the winch on the helicopter. You can actually destroy stuff by using the winch by dropping it from a high distance or crashing it into something else. If you are out of ammo and still have a few enemies left, you don’t have to get out of the helicopter! Just use the winch to just drop something big on them and presto! You got a clear landing zone! CAR-NAGE - Cars in this game can be a lifesaver! In a weird turn of events, if your car is about to blow up, DO NOT HOP OUT! This may be the strangest thing in the game, but the car will explode and you will be thrown out with 100 health! That’s right, not a scratch! If you actually try to run away, you’ll probably be hurt a lot by the explosion. MASTER OF DISGUISE - Use disguises as much as possible. If you need to get into a VZ compound, then borrow one of their vehicles and wait for the disguise bar to reach full. Bob’s your uncle! However, any soldier can lower the bar now, unlike the original where it was only the officers who could uncover your steel and leather mask. HAVE YOU MET MY FRIEND, C4? - You should always carry C4. Don’t have any? Get some. Call it in. Grab it from an enemy. Bash a crate open. I beg of you! C4 is invaluable on your escapades. Use it. It’s what all the cool kids are doing these days. MASTER AND PASSANGER - Sometimes passengers can come in real handy, like on some contracts which need just a little extra firepower. However, whatever you do, do NOT have passengers (this includes a gunner) with you while trying to verify a HVT alive. Sure, if you want them dead, then .50cal right away, but if you want that heart pumping then a gunner is not what you want. The AI does not discern a normal enemy from an HVT and will open fire on that precious bounty. So please, leave your passengers where they belong: back at base. HOW ALARMING - Ouch! Alarms sting, and if a soldier activates them, then you can be in a lot of trouble. The activated bunkers can wake up a whole bunch of RPG Soldiers, so either use C4, tank shells or your own RPG to destroy these dastardly houses. To prevent this mess, destroy the alarm even before any fighting has begun. KISS MY ASSETS - I won’t go into too much detail because I have already set in a previous section, but remember that Fuel Tanks and Munitions can be destroyed on the battlefield. If you are maxed out on fuel and there’s a group of enemies near a whole resource, then blow it up! Problem solved. SAVED BY THE BELL - Saving is easy and it can really help you out in a jam. For example, before every HVT save the game in case the guy gets killed. You don’t want that, so if that happens then just quit the game and load it back up. You’ll arrive in your PMC like nothing happened and you can attempt the HVT again. IN AND OUTPOST - When trying to capture an outpost, the VZ will actually try to take it back if there are still some leftover soldiers hanging around. So don’t just call the strike team and leave; you actually have to defend the outpost until everyone is inside. NO SPLASHING - Be careful of splash damage from explosions. Sure, you chucked that grenade real good, but what’s the point if it rebounds and explodes at your feet? When you throw or call in something, get out of there, otherwise you could just end up as Peking Duck. There’s good news in this, though; you’ll be the first KFC in Venezuela! That’s all I can think of! Once again, if you have found something important and want to share it with us, then just contact me and I’ll show it right here with credit to you! ============================================================================= =========================== VI) MAIN WALKTHROUGH ============================ ============================================================================= -------------------------------[[[ 1. PMC ]]]-------------------------------- /// a. Main Missions \\\ i. >>> RESCUE CARMONA <<< + + + Ramon Solano has contracted us to rescue General Carmona from VZ Separatists. It looks like they’re holding him in a ruined hotel on an island in the Caribbean. Get in there, kick some ass and rescue Carmona! + + + Land on the beach - Welcome to the world of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames! Although this mission is technically contracted by the VZ, I didn’t feel like adding a new part to the walkthrough, so we’ll just discreetly pop it under ‘PMC’. Let’s get straight into it shall we? Learn the boat controls and head for the beach inside the island inlet. Watch out for the rocks! In fact it’s pretty easy. Get nice and close to the beach and get out (triangle). Wait for weapon delivery - A helicopter will swing by and drop a supply crate right next to you. Standing around has never been so rewarding! Bash it open with circle, and take the Grenade Launcher inside. Kill enemies (0/4) - Up the hill are some nasty separatists. Teach those independent swine a lesson! Press R1 when holding a weapon to fire. You may have to aim higher than usual with the Grenade Launcher, since gravity takes quite a toll on it. Use the yellow markers to find each of the four enemies. Destroy the gate - Four objectives in and we get ourselves an airstrike? Coolest. Game. Ever. Open up the PDA as Fiona says and familiarise yourself with it. Get to know what information is kept within this tool. Once you’re done gawking at the map, exit out and open up the support menu with either the up or down directional button. Press X on the Satellite-Guided Bomb and move the target over the massive gate. Finish the minigame and watch the fireworks. Get to waypoint - The difficulty really ramps up on this one. Kidding! Just get to the marker. Use an explosive to kill the guy on the turret. You can hold L3 while running to sprint. Nifty! Kill enemies (0/3) - Hunt around for these misfits. They couldn’t have gone far. Wait for vehicle delivery - By the time you figure out what to do in this objective, it’s probably completed. Ha! Get in the vehicle when it lands. Get to waypoint - While driving to the waypoint avoid the enemies and barricades which litter the path. You can even run over some of those that oppose you if you want. Just don’t scratch the paint! When you get to the marker the objective will be complete. Destroy gate - Déjà vu! Don’t even worry about the turrets and the soldier with the RPG, if you can call in the airstrike quickly enough then they’ll be killed in the blast. All this talk of death is making me thirsty... of blood! Wait for tank delivery - Head over to the grassy knoll where the tank will be dropped off for you. Actually, it’s more like a flat patch. Knoll just sounded better! Get to waypoint - Tanks for the tank! The controls take a while to get used to if you’re using the left stick, but you can actually use X and square just like a normal vehicle. Head up the hill for a while, blasting away the soldiers who try to take you down with their petty rifles. You’ll arrive in a shanty town. *achieves wicked grin* DESTROY EVERYTHING! Oh, and make your way down the mountain while you’re at the destruction, ok? Rescue Carmona - Use tank shells to blow apart the trucks on the other side. Chances are you’ll wipe out almost everyone by doing that. You can either use the airstrike or keep using the tank to blow up the hotel. I chose the airstrike, because it’s quick and... relatively painless. Cross the river once the hotel is destroyed and walk inside to end the mission. How was your slice of the Mercs 2 pie? Mine was scrumptious with an explosive zest to it! ii. >>> MOVING IN <<< + + + Clear the VZ troops out of Solano’s Villa so we can use it as a base. + + + Go to Solano’s Villa - You’ve been double-crossed and shot in the ass! There’s gonna be hell to pay! Now Solano is President of Venezuela and you’ve gotta take him down any way possible. For the time being, your PMC (at the moment just you and Fiona) has to set up shop, and Solano’s resort-style mansion looks like slim-pickins’! You’ve arrived on the mainland in a car yard, so hop on a bike or a car and head down the road southbound. You’ll soon arrive at the villa gates. Run over most of the gunmen then hop out and take out the rest. A well-placed grenade should clear out the soldier on the turret to the right of the main gate. Bash the crate nearby and plant some C4 (L2 Button) on the gate. Press L2 again to detonate the C4. Head inside. Kill Solano’s entourage (0/5) - Head around the grounds of the mansion snuffing out the men in white suits. Use grenades to tear through the mazes and remember to grab the cash stash next to each henchman. If you can preserve it, there’s a sleek car in one of the areas, but there are explosives all around it so you have to be careful. There’s more than enough health and ammo in crates around the villa. Go to front courtyard - Once all five henchmen are down, simply head back to where you started, killing off the leftover soldiers as you go. Check out the mammoth gargoyles and private airport plus hangar too! Go inside villa - It’s time to infiltrate the base. These guys are living in luxury! Look at the incredible art deco walls, they’re ju- oh wait, an enemy tank just blasted through one of them. Hijack tank - To take the tank, you have to get near its nozzle/cannon and initiate the quick-time event. Upon successful completion of said minigame, the tank will become your property. Hey, you get a trophy too! Destroy Solano’s entourage (0/10) - Great. VZ Soldiers packing RPGs just stormed the building. Lucky you’ve got this tank! Don’t even care about the wellbeing of the villa, just go wild. As long as no rocket touches you, you should be fine. Once 10 enemies have been killed, the mission is complete. Say hello to the Villa, your home away from home! It’s better than my house... iii. >>> UNIVERSAL PETROLEUM <<< + + + Solano’s thugs have stolen a shipment of guns from Universal Petroleum. Steal those guns back, return the shipment to the UP HQ and maybe they’ll talk to us about Blanco. Rewards: $500 per gun + + + Steal truck - When you’re back outside, take Fiona’s car, the Racing Inferno to your right, and head for the marker. Be careful with her car, because if it is destroyed you will incur a small financial penalty. The game will then instruct you on how to place a beacon. This device is very important during the game and it can really help you out of you are lost. Place the beacon on the truck waypoint and the game will now tell which route is the best one to get to the destination! When you get there, they’ll be numerous soldiers guarding the vehicle, including men on a docked boat nearby. Use C4 or an RPG on the boat and then turn your attention to those closer to you. There are more of those men in white suits, so watch out for their Machine Pistols (they’re just Uzis...). Also be careful not to damage the truck; some of the guns in the back may fly out even before the true mission has started! Once the dust has settled, get in the car. Return guns to UP HQ - Whatever you do, just drive carefully through Maracaibo. Avoid the Recoilless Rifles which try to destroy the VZ Iguanas, because there can be some pretty big shockwaves from the blast, and any harsh tilt can cause a major weapon spillage! Remember to place another beacon on top of the HQ, so you can get there as efficiently as possible. If all the guns are returned safe and sound, you’ll net $10,000! Cha-ching! iv. >>> DOOM PATROL <<< + + + Test drive the Cacharro de Muerte for Eva. Rewards: Cacharro de Muerte (Shop: PMC) + + + Enter vehicle - Head to the right and jump in the monster truck. I’ve got a good feeling about this mission... Race to the checkpoint (0/6) - You just have to head around the block once and up into the dirt path near the garage. No time limit, no enemies, no restrictions. Drive to the strip mine - This is where things get a bit hairy. You’re heading toward a massive quarry, and there’s plenty of resistance along the way. Run over the ground troops but just bypass the vehicles. Race to the checkpoint (0/28) - Follow the waypoints to complete the course around the mine. In no time at all, you’ll meet some rocks across the path. A little bit of R1 may solve the problem... Wowsers! I think I’ll call this truck the ‘Jumping Car-stle’ from now on! Keep jumping over the obstacles as they come, whether they be tanks, train carriages or even the odd booby trap. You’ll need to use the hydraulics to cross the canyon gap midway through the race. Stay alert at the last part of the mine, since the VZ will bring in some heavy firepower. Head back to the garage when you’re out in the open. Park inside the garage - Drive inside and hop out of the vehicle. Exit garage, mission complete! Now you have Eva as a PMC recruit, and you’ll also pick up the Cacharro de Muerte as a purchasable vehicle. Just buy it from Eva’s new section in the villa and you’re set for some jumping action! As well as the monster truck, you’ll also add the grappling hook to your arsenal. This hook is vital in hijacking helicopters and you’ll use it A LOT in the game. Thanks Eva! v. >>> MISHA MILANICH <<< + + + Solve Misha’s problem by taking out the Lieutenant who is mad at him. You’ll need a Bunker Buster. Recommendations: 2 x Artillery Strike (Shop: UP/PLAV) 2 x Piranha Patrol Boat (Shop: PLAV) 2 x Anaconda (Shop: PLAV) + + + Extract the Bunker Busters (0/3) - In my opinion, the recommendations here are passable. If you stick by my guide, you won’t have to use any of them. You could call in a vehicle to take you over to the island, but Fiona’s Jet Ski idea is cheap, fast and accessible. There are two right next to Misha’s shack! Once you get there, quickly hijack the tank in the middle of shanty town and blow everything apart, and make sure you destroy the artillery cannon nearby. It can cause some unnecessary travelling later. Head up the hill and blow up the SAM. Continue along the path (take a right at the fork in the road) and into the first Bunker Buster area. Wipe out the soldiers and vehicles here with the tank’s machine gun, not the missile launcher, as this can blow up the BB and fail the mission. Once all is clear, extract the BB like you would to a resource. Next, proceed through each BB area, wiping out any alarms, turrets or bunkers nearby. Steal the final two Bunker Busters when you see fit. Destroy the bunker - An enemy helicopter will arrive, so use your new grappling hook to hijack it. Simply aim at the heli when it’s close and press triangle to launch yourself onto it. Complete the minigame and it’s yours! Destroy the nearby fuel tanks to clear out the leftover area of the island. When you’re ready, fly over to the nearby island with the marker on it. Now you could just head straight to the top, but I really hate doing that and it can cause problems in the contract, so land at the beach and quickly C4 the two bunkers. Remember to either defend or destroy your helicopter, as it is very easy for a VZ soldier to hop in when you’re not paying attention. If that happens, there is actually an AA Rocket Launcher near one of the VZ towers on the beach for you to use. When the beach is cleared out, hijack the tank on the way up to the bunker and destroy the three small outposts along the dirt path. It is very important you do not waste your missile ammo, because you need it dearly later on in the contract. Use the MG ammo as much as possible. It’s a massive clearance sale, all bunkers and alarms MUST GO! Head to the bunker after the outposts are destroyed. Clear out the entrance enemies and either hijack or destroy the other tank here. You need to move with caution in the compound, as there are plenty of bunkers filled to the brim with RPG soldiers waiting to blow up your tank. It seems weird in a vehicle, but actually use stealth and hide around the corner and pop out sporadically to destroy everything that is a danger to you. If the tank is destroyed, there is plenty of health and ammo to keep you going inside the maze-like outpost. Once you have ripped apart everything you see it’s time to turn your eyes to the bunker. This is where the three Bunker Busters you picked up earlier come in. Equip them to the support menu and aim the laser designator right on the front door to the bunker. Now, poor old drunk Misha may miss the target which is FRIGGIN FRUSTRATING, so you have to hold the designator at the same spot until the bomb has been dropped. Once it is destroyed, the contract is complete. Misha is now a PMC recruit and will be able to deliver heavy ordinance out in the field! Go destruction! vi. >>> FINDING BLANCO <<< + + + We know the time and location of Blanco’s meeting. Let’s go pay him a visit! And remember that we promised Acosta that we’d destroy the rig! Recommendations: 3 x Artillery Strike (Sold by: PLAV) 1 x Piranha Patrol Boat (Sold by: P) 2 x Russian Sniper Kit (Sold by: P) 1 x Toucan Transport (Sold by: P) 2 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 1 x Pirate Supply Drop (Sold by: P) Rewards: $650.0K + + + Find Blanco - Around half of the recommendations are complete bogus, but the AS and C4 listings are pretty important, so stock up! Instead of buying a boat, just head down to the PMC docks and nab one for yourself (don’t use a heli, because there are about five AA turrets in and around the rig just waiting to blow you out of the sky). With the boat’s rockets, ensure all of the AA boats are taken care of. Use the rig’s ladders to climb your way onto the deck when you’re ready. Before approaching Blanco’s location, you will need to use the rig’s walkway system to get to each and every SAM and take it out. It will take a while and it can get difficult with all the soldiers everywhere, but it is imperative you do so. Also make sure you do not use too many explosions, the rig has many fuel tanks disguised as normal structures, and blowing something up can begin a chain reaction which kills Blanco before you even get to him. When the coast is clear, head for the marked room. Cue cutscene! Verify Blanco - Yikes! You’ve been blasted out of the meeting and Blanco is on the run! Immediately jump down onto the deck and subdue the man himself, Blanco! You can momentarily forget about him as you should try and clear a good enough landing zone for the extraction helicopter (there are a few helipads already here but they might have been destroyed in battle). Once you think it is safe, lay down the smoke and haul Blanco over to the chopper. Destroy the oil rig - NOW you can go nuts!!! Use the Artillery Strike to completely obliterate the rig or strap C4 to the massive pylons supporting the entire structure. When the beast can take no more, the contract is over. LOOK AT IT BURN!! *begins sacred ritual dance around the flaming ball of destruction* vii. >>> GET SOLANO <<< + + + Now that we know where Solano’s bunker is, it’s time to pay him a visit! Get over there and knock on his front door with a Bunker Buster! Recommendations: 2 x Combat Air Patrol (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 2 x Tank Buster (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 2 x Kestrel (Sold by: P) + + + Board the Lucky Lady - Get on Ewan’s helicopter to head off to Solano’s bunker. As a side note, it is VERY important that you have at least neutral status with the UP, as they are the faction that extracts the end target and if you are hostile you will be stuck in a huge predicament. Here we go! Destroy bunker - You’ve arrived in the far south-east of the map in the jungle. This is where the fun begins! Now, you may think that calling in a helicopter and flying directly to the waypoint is a smart idea, but Pandemic thought of this and planted tons of AA along the entire route to the bunker, so that option is a big no-no. For this phase, we’ll need to do all the work on the ground. Head down the hill and steal an Iguana to infiltrate the first base undetected. Quickly hijack the SAM to take control of the situation and blow everyone away. Continue up the road where you will meet some tough resistance in the form of tanks and other nasties. Steal one and go to town on the heavy stuff first (barracks, SAMs, RRs, RPG Soldiers and other tanks). It is important you prioritise; there’s no point in fiddling around with normal infantry when you’ve got a Recoilless Rifle hammering you from the other side of the road. It is important you try and keep using and re-using tanks as far into the mission as possible, because things can get quite overwhelming when you are by yourself. When you get to the first bridge, an enemy helicopter will arrive. This is actually a bit of a blessing, because you can hijack it to get even further into the battle. Beware of the AA though, which must be taken out as soon as possible once you come across it. Next, destroy the tents and troops littered on both sides of the road and then head into the jungle. If your chopper is destroyed, there is a tank just before the final bridge just begging to be used. Along the jungle road there are small pockets of troops, which can be ignored or destroyed if you are in a vehicle. Once you are at the top where Solano’s bunker is, it is important you take out the SAMs either side of it to make sure everything goes to plan. Once the air is silent, return to the bunker, open up the support menu and select the Bunker Buster. Line up the laser and get back from the blast zone. No use cracking open his bunker if you were vaporized in the explosion! Return to the PMC - Con sarnit! The airstrike had no effect and Carmona’s troops are approaching the PMC! Everything’s gone down the gurgler and you’ve been backed into a corner. To fight back, you’ll first need to hijack the Anaconda helicopter which barges in on your location. The minigameis <-L, X (mash), Square (tap), Circle (tap). When you’ve gained control of the behemoth, head for the PMC. There is no time to loose, so stay high, get the disguise and gun it. Destroy targets (0/8) - Open fire on the marked targets, but the SAMs will soon destroy you. This is when things get hectic. To stay alive, you will need to constantly hijack various tanks to fight back against the imposing forces. Wave after wave will come, so continue to discard and use tanks as you see fit. Once all 8 armoured vehicles are down, the next objective will start up. Verify Carmona - Kill the four henchmen over the bridge and then get in a car and chase after Carmona! You can catch up with him, don’t worry. If you don’t end up verifying him on the road, you’ll find he finally comes to a stop next to an old shack and a helicopter. The shack isn’t important, but the helicopter is! Take out those on the turrets before moving in and subduing Carmona. To extract him you’ll need neutral status with the UP, which caused troubles for me. Luckily, you are right inside the PLAV centre of attention so just blow stuff up in and around the city, but remember to take Carmona with you wherever you go because he will die if you leave him on his own otherwise. Once you load him on the contract is complete and Carmona is verified. Congratulations, and now the Chinese Army and Allied Nations move in and step up operations in Venezuela. The whole map is available to you now as well! vii. >>> GET SOLANO, PART 2 <<< /// b. Side Missions \\\ i. >>> EMPLACED WEAPONS CHALLENGE <<< + + + Here’s a simple wager between you and me. I’ve set up an emplaced weapons challenge on the PMC grounds. Use weapons to blow up targets before time runs out and you win. Destroying the cars during the challenge will pause the timer! Wager: $1.0K - $100.0K Rewards: Level 2 - Fiona’s Favourites (x1) + + + Destroy statues (0/50) - Sweep the area from left to right, and leave no statue undestroyed. Remember, you’ll have less time each level to complete the challenge, so speed is of the essence! Destroy flying cars - Once you have moved over to the Recoilless Rifle, it’ll be rainin’ vehicles! Seriously, this objective looks like something out of Mary Poppins, so refrain from laughing and stay focused. Anticipation is required; you must know where the car will go and where your shot will land all the time. Also factor in the gravity exerted on the shells. Destroy enough cars and you’re golden. Destroy statues (0/50) - Time to finish the job! You need advanced skills on a Grenade Launcher here, because there is a massive curve on the grenade on every shot, meaning you have to aim higher than usual. Judging where the shot will land can sometimes be very difficult. However, there are more than 50 statues here, so not all of them have to be destroyed. First destroy the easy ones to your left, and then turn your attention to the ones below you. Also keep an eye out for vulnerable red barrels near some of the statues, as they can help you considerably. Once enough of the busts are down, and time is still ticking, the wager is won! ii. >>> GRENADE LAUNCHER CHALLENGE <<< + + + Here’s another friendly wager: I’ve set up a grenade launcher course for you to beat. Use the launcher to blow up the targets. There’s only one catch: you can only fire from behind the sandbags! Wager: $1.0K - $100.0K Rewards: Level 2 - Fiona’s Favourites (x2) + + + Destroy statues (0/3) - Just point and shoot. 3 shots for 3 statues, you do the math! Destroy cars (0/3) - Look at that, a red barrel positioned in the middle of the group of cars! How peculiar... Destroy statues (0/3) - Aim high and use the red barrels for support. It is very easy to destroy the whole hangar here, and if that happens you’ll be made to destroy the statues inside the demolished area while still behind the sandbags, which can waste precious time and is almost impossible, so it’s important you use the least amount of shots possible. Destroy statues (0/18) - Where are all these statues coming from? Don’t ponder on that too long; you’ve got a whole bunch of busts to bust down! Use as few shots as possible here. Destroy statues (0/6) - You have to aim slightly left or right of the each wall to snag the statue behind it. Remember to aim higher than usual for the far ones. Once the six are down, you win the challenge! iii. >>> PISTOL CHALLENGE <<< + + + Ready for another wager? I’ve set up a pistol course on the PMC grounds. Shoot down all of the Solano portraits with your pistol! Remember, you can only fire from behind the sandbags! Wager: $10.0K - $100.0K Rewards: Level 2 - Fiona’s Favourites (x3) + + + Shoot down portraits (0/21) - Although the objectives are split up on a colossal scale, I felt I’ll include this simple challenge’s walkthrough in one bulk. Just move from each sandbag to the next taking down the framed pictures of Solano as you go. Show that magnificent art who’s boss! On a side note, holding L1 to zoom in can help the accuracy of your shot and is especially helpful at the end stage when the portraits are so spread out and far away from you. Good luck! iv. >>> SNIPING CHALLENGE <<< + + + All right, one more wager! I’ve set up a sniper course on the PMC grounds for you to beat! Destroy the portraits of Solano and destroy Solano’s cars. You have to stay on the roof or you lose the bet! Wager: $10.0K - $100.0K Rewards: Level 2 - Fiona’s Favourites (x4) + + + Destroy targets (0/19) - Zoom in (R3 button) with the sniper rifle and take out the portraits and red barrels next to the cars littered around the villa’s front courtyard. Go in an order (i.e. from left to right) because it can be hard to see which ones you have taken out and which ones are still standing. Destroy bonus status (optional) - To pause the timer, you have to shoot the statues that are being either winched by a helicopter (they come right across your field of vision, so you will see them) or are in the back of a vehicle driving out of the front gate. Both vehicles move pretty slowly, so adding some time to the clock shouldn’t be any trouble at all. v. >>> WINCHING CHALLENGE <<< + + + Get the toolbox above the specified height and you’ll win Ewan’s wager! Wager: depends on your cash stockpile + + + Pilot Castro Transport - How much money you gain or lose in this wager is calculated by how much money you actually have. Therefore, in something that Pandemic probably didn’t think out, the more times you win this challenge, the higher and higher your cash reward will get, thereby speeding up the process. I am not even sure if there is a limit on the wager! All I know is that if you bribe a faction, just do a little bit of winching and you’re back where you were! For the actual objective here, either get in the helicopter in front or to the right of yourself. Stack the toolbox at the specified height above the ground - For the millions of dollars and the Gold trophy you receive by fully completing this challenge, it’s actually extremely easy. Firstly, winch the toolbox (left directional button controls the winch) away from the centre so you have more room to make your pile. Carefully grab and place a few of the items from around the area inside the yellow zone and then get the toolbox on top of the pile. Three cargo crates are enough for Level 3. Simple, yet satisfying and rewarding! Now, go get something nice for yourself, ya hear? vi. >>> DESTRUCTION RACE CHALLENGE <<< + + + Eva has set up a special race course for you to beat! The only way to increase your time is to destroy targets near each checkpoint along the course. Good luck! Wager: $100.0K - $500.0K Rewards: Level 1 - The Norse Wind (x1) Level 2 - Bogden Buddy (x1) Level 3 - Vulcan 4x4 (x1) + + + Enter Vulcan 4x4 - Head down the driveway and enter the monster truck. Yeehaw! Gotta love that music, too! Race to the checkpoint (0/27) - The actual race is easy to navigate; just remember to make a right at the T- Junction as you enter the flat plain and then take a right to head back down and into the PMC. Destroy targets to gain time (0/6) - The challenge description is a little misleading because there are actually only six red barrels to blow up, and they are certainly not near every checkpoint. Keep moving and use the right analog stick to aim and then blow up the barrels as you come near them. Careful not to be too close though, that Vulcan isn’t invincible! If you get all six, then you’re pretty much guaranteed to get there on time. Then again, just try your best all the time, okay? vii. >>> RACE CHALLENGE <<< + + + Let’s see how good of a driver you are! I’ve set up a course around the PMC to test your skills but I bet you can’t navigate it. Wager: $100.0K - $500.0K Rewards: Level 1 - Saboteur (x1) Level 2 - Black Heart (x1) Level 3 - Panzercycle (x1) + + + Enter Racing Inferno - You have to enter the one that’s marked, and not Fiona’s car. Stop whining and get in the car! Race to the checkpoint - You may be taken aback by the difficulty of this challenge. First of all, the car is just so flimsy, it’s disgraceful. One bump can set you’re back 5 health, and when you really add that up you can be struggling by the end. Follow each marker and pick the best line and try to weave through things rather than ram straight into them (the vases near the pool come to mind). If you can, pull off a really nice handbrake U-Turn at the end of the runway to get accelerating quickly again. The ramp can be extra tough, so I suggest picking a line so that the yellow marker and the blue one behind it is directly lined up. This way, you’ll head straight through the next checkpoint without having to do extra work. Follow the waypoints to head inside the PMC again and be careful you are not going fast on entry to the bridge, because you can hit the PMC itself which can thoroughly damage your car. Get through the finish line to complete the race. viii. >>> AIRSTRIKE CHALLENGE <<< + + + Misha is betting that you can’t destroy enough vehicles and barrels to earn the specified amount of points using just two airstrikes. Barrels will get you one point, jeeps two, trucks three and fuel tanks five! Wager: $100.0K - $1.0M Rewards: Level 1 - Scorcher (x1) Level 2 - Triton Patrol Boat (x1) Level 3 - The Urban Commando (x1) + + + Blow up enough objects to earn the specified points - This mission isn’t hard, but it can be frustrating for the wrong reasons. First of all, if you are hostile with the UP, then they will actually be attacking you from a nearby base, so try and get on their good side before the contract or kill them all during the mission. Secondly, the airstrike can actually hit the tower that is behind you, so try and stand to the side of the tower instead of in front of it when facing the flat plain. All you have to do is point the laser at the VERY MIDDLE of the paddock. This way, a massive chain reaction is begun to as many red barrels as possible, and this will spark off everything in sight. The two airstrikes can be a blessing and a curse. There are only two, so be wise about them, but also if you get enough points on the first airstrike, then you HAVE to do the second one which is a waste. The number of points you need to for each challenge increases every step through levels. Good hunting! -----------------------[[[ 2. UNIVERSAL PETROLEUM ]]]------------------------ /// a. Main Missions \\\ i. >>> THE DEVASTATOR <<< + + + The UP Mercs want a favor before opening the gate: retrieve their one-of- a-kind vehicle, the Devastator. Rewards: $25.0K + + + Retrieve the Devastator - The Devastator! You’re getting real down and dirty already! Take a nearby vehicle to the waypoint (place a beacon if you have to) and talk with the commander/executive guy. He’ll point you in the right direction. Oh my god, it’s absolutely, positively... Deliver the Devastator - Crap. It’s a little, pink Moped with a basket on the front of it. The only thing devastating about it is its ability to devastate someone’s reputation. Hide the tears of humiliation and get on with the job. Besides, the quicker you get it done, the less amount of time you have to be on it. Hop off the scooter in the yellow zone and the mission is complete. Looks like Pandemic Studios have a sense of humour. ii. >>> PHONE TAG <<< + + + VZ thugs have kidnapped a Universal Petroleum executive. Use the provided helicopter support to deliver listening posts and then we can track the kidnappers. Oh yeah, then rescue the hostage! Rewards: $500.0K 250 gallons of fuel Drew Marlowe - UP Depot Outpost contact + + + Deliver listening posts (0/3) - The difficulty is really ramped up on this one, and so too are the rewards you’ll pick up on its completion. There’ll be no pink scooters in Phone Tag! I like to work logically, so we’ll go from north to south. Along the way to the north-east Maracaibo marker, you’ll pick up a UP Supply Drop, Raven and Cluster Bomb. Wowsers! You’ll come across a dirt path, so continue off the beaten track until you reach a tank. Get too it before it gets to you, and hijack it. Once in control, blast open the outpost gate and head inside. The first thing you should do is destroy the alarm (steel frame pyramid with red light on top if activated) and the bunker attacked to it. I’ll say it once, but probably say it again: use fuel tanks and vehicles as makeshift explosives. Don’t waste the tank shells on individual enemies; press R2 to switch to the machine gun and fire away. Next, get out and walk into the yellow zone. Open up the support menu and throw the smoke signal for the listening post delivery. Wait for it and when it has been delivered then hop back in the tank. Get to the Maracaibo Airport area however you want, just make sure you honk throughout the city so the UP know you’re the mercenary, and not some VZ soldier with a death wish. When you’re at the airport, quickly blow away nearby vehicles like APCs and trucks. Soon enough a helicopter will arrive, bringing pain with it. You can’t call in Ewan with the AA turret on the opposite carpark building activated, so head up to the top of that carpark and kill the soldiers there. Hijack the AA turret and use it against that pesky helicopter! Once you know everything is clear, head across to the other carpark. You might even want to C4 the AA just in case. Call in the listening post and a deadline will start! Hop in any vehicle (Iguana works best) and get over to the south-east waypoint as quickly as possible. Make your way over to the far side of the compound; there’s an unoccupied tank just waiting to be used! Quite frankly, go berserk! There are tons of unneeded fuel tanks and trucks around the place, so being trigger-happy is perfectly acceptable, but don’t drag it on for too long, there’s a deadline ticking in the background. When your rampage is complete, get Ewan to deliver the third listening post. Hopefully by now you still have AT LEAST 10 minutes to spare. The three posts will triangulate their signals and reveal where the phone conversations are coming from: a moving van! Hijack the kidnapper’s vehicle - Get in a vehicle (preferably NOT the tank; speed is of the essence) and head over to the waypoint. You should reach the truck quickly, but hijacking it may take a few tries. You’ll have to get in front of it, jump out of your own vehicle, and quickly press triangle as soon as the kidnapper’s vehicle passes you. Complete the minigame, it’s pretty simple, and the van is yours. Deliver hostage to UP HQ - Simply drive the van into the UP HQ compound and drop the executive off. Enter “The Lucky Lady” - You and Ewan (read that aloud) will have a bit of a chat and sooner or later he’ll land nearby with his helicopter. Hop in and use the transit feature to go straight to the PMC villa. The half a million dollars are as good as yours and you now have your first real recruit: Ewan the helicopter pilot. He’ll now be able to steal resources and deliver supplies and vehicles to you out in the field! iii. >>> LEAVE NO TRACE <<< + + + Solano’s sending his army to nationalize the UP refinery. They’ve evacuated most of the personnel, but need us to protect an executive who has to finish some paperwork. Recommendations: 1 x Grenade Launcher Drop (Sold by: UP) 2 x UP Air Attack (Sold by: UP) 1 x Raven GL (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $995.0K + + + Find executive - Is that $995.0K some kind of joke? Who the hell would pay someone like that? Anyway, you actually can’t begin this mission until you’ve captured some outposts, so scroll down a little bit for more information on UP’s Side Missions. Once you’ve got the contract unlocked, accept it from the HQ. Head off to the Cabimas/Refinery area when you think you’re ready. Kill attackers (0/8) - Simply use an RPG to blow up one of the vehicles. This should kill the vast majority of the soldiers here. Don’t forget about the attacker on the bridge above you. Use your rifle to clean up the mess if needed. Speak to executive - Head inside the warehouse to find the executive cowering in a corner. Typical. Talk to him to gather the information you need. Bring executive to first site - Tell the executive to follow you then hop in a vehicle nearby and travel to the waypoint. Sneak your way through the barricades and get close to the caravan. Get to defensive position - Walk up the ramps onto the deck of the ship and commandeer the Recoilless Rifle marked on your radar. Defend executive - The VZ soldiers come in waves, so you don’t have to be shooting all the time. Try and get them as soon as possible, because an explosion close to the barricades may accidentally cause UP to become hostile to you. And why have two separate factions fighting you when you can just have one? Remember to anticipate the vehicle’s movements and plan ahead. You’ll have to move between the south and north half of the ship, so be quick and merciless. You have not been given a Recoilless Rifle to be diplomatic! Bring executive to second site - Pick up any ammo or C4 from fallen enemies around the area and then take the executive to the second area. Defend executive - This area is a little harder, because they bring in APCs, which are much tougher than a normal vehicle. Move between either the Heavy MGs on the ground or the Grenade Launchers in the tower behind you. Remember to aim high and shoot well with the GLs, or is it the other way round? Try to balance things out. If there are no enemies coming from one road, there are bound to be others on another. After a while, the game will tell you to get to the roof. There is a nice little package up there... Awesome! Grab the Anti-Air Rocket Launcher and aim for the incoming helicopters. There’s plenty of ammo for you on the roof, but don’t get too cocky. You have to wait for the green reticule to stop flashing before you can safely score a hit on the helicopters. After you knock them out, the executive should be done shredding up the confidential documents. Return executive to UP HQ - Just get in a car and take the executive back to safety. There is no opposition on the way back, but don’t get caught in friendly fire at the Maracaibo entrance. Steer clear of any VZ. Get the car in the yellow zone and the (almost) $1M is yours! Shopping spree! /// b. Side Missions \\\ i. >>> ALTAGRACIA OUTPOST <<< + + + We need to help Universal Petroleum take over an outpost in Altagracia. Once the outpost is secure the UP will set up their own operations, which includes more contracts we can take and support items we can purchase. Rewards: $300.0K UP Tank Attack (Shop: UP) Raven (Shop: UP) C4 Supply Drop (Shop: UP) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: UP) Jim Wahlquist - Altagracia Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - Outposts are vital in Mercs 2. As the contract states, they open up brand new contracts (they work like the Challenges in the PMC) and, because they each have their own heli-pad, a new transit zone for Ewan to travel to. Don’t forget about the shop in each outpost. Need a specific airstrike? Just head to an outpost you’ve unlocked to purchase one then and there. For starters, mark a beacon on the waypoint and travel to Altagracia (basically East Maracaibo). Upon approach, take out enemy forces surrounding the outpost, nothing too heavy here. Enter from the north and take out the enemies at the entrance. If you can, quickly explode the two fuel tanks to cause massive damage. When you know the coast is clear, open up your support menu and call in the UP Strike Team. When they land, the soldiers will forward into the outpost one by one. When all three have infiltrated the building, the outpost is yours and so is $300.0K! Head inside and check out the shop if you want, and then accept the next outpost contract. ii. >>> MARACAIBO AIRPORT OUTPOST <<< + + + The VZ currently have control of the Maracaibo Airport, which is preventing the UP from receiving much needed supplies. Get up there and help them take over the local outpost. Rewards: $300.0K Mantis Light Tank (Shop: UP) UP Ground Attack (Shop: UP) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: UP) Ali Zandi - Maracaibo Airport Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - Remember the airport area from Phone Tag? That’s where you’re headed here, but even further into the base. Grab a Raven and head for the airport. Break through the initial blockade and wipe out the first few waves of resistance. There are so many fuel tanks and munitions resources you’re almost spoiled. Get rid of all of them, and most of the enemies with it. Hunt around for any survivors and silence them (cruel, but you’re a killing machine, remember?). A good indication of no VZ presence is the music. It’ll die down when you’re the last one standing. Call in the team, wait for them to get inside and the contract is completed. iii. >>> CABIMAS OUTPOST <<< + + + VZ forces have occupied a key UP outpost in Cabimas, disrupting oil production for the entirety of Western Venezuela. Get over there and help the UP clear out the VZ out of the location. Recommendations: 1 x UP Tank attack (Sold by: UP) 1 x Mantis Light Tank (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $300.0K Anti-Tank Rogue (Shop: UP) UP Air Attack (Shop: UP) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: UP) Sean McKinney - Cabimas Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - You should stock up for this one, as it is pretty hard and one of the toughest side missions. Get the Mantis Light Tank and take it over to the Cabimas, which is really just the oil refinery from the Leave No Trace mission (if you’ve done it yet). Be ready for the enemy tank and Recoilless Rifles at the entrance. Once those are down, try and destroy the alarm in the compound as well as the bunkers nearby. Scour around getting rid of any more APCs, SAMs and any structure with RPG soldiers on them (a crane over the far side of the base is a good example). You cannot have any rocket interference when calling in the Strike Team. The outpost covers a large area, so just make a circuit checking nobody’s left. Get the UP soldiers inside the base to finish the mission. Congratulations, you have unlocked all of the UP outposts/landing zones! Now go and spend that cash on something for yourself, yes? iv. >>> BUILT FOR SPEED <<< + + + You need to drive a sports car from the refinery to the UP HQ. They’ve got a special course for you to take so make sure you stick to it and keep the car in one piece or they won’t pay us. Rewards: $300.0K Level 1 - Archer Guntruck (Shop: UP) Level 2 - Warhorse Patrol Boat (Shop: UP) Level 3 - Rogue Assassin (Shop: UP) + + + Enter Veloce - Enter Veloce. NOW! Race to the checkpoints (0/42) - Here, on each subsequent level, you’ll start off the race with less time and you receive less bonus time through the gates. Basically, be really, really fast! Here is a quick run-down of the course: you’ll go through the refinery, across the bridge, along the highway, up the mountain (make sure you slow down here, there is one corner which can really catch you and can damage the car a lot), along the mountain road, back through the city (swerve through the cars as efficiently as possible; keep up your speed and travel in-between the lanes) and into the HQ. You shouldn’t have too much trouble, but remember to prioritize the car’s health before its speed. After the mission complete screen, you get to keep the car, so have fun! v. >>> INTO THE GREEN ZONE <<< + + + Now that you’ve secured the airport the UP are bringing in some of their top brass from the States. These guys need protection on their trip from the airport to UP locations. These guys are paying top dollar for a safe trip and will even pay bonuses for escorting then to their destinations quickly. Recommendations: 1 x Raven GL (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $300.0K Level 1 - Light MG Drop (Shop: UP) Level 2 - CQB Kit (Shop: UP) Level 3 - Combat Rogue (x1) + + + Talk to the executive - You don’t have to call in a Raven, as there are plenty around the outpost. Hop in one and talk to the man marked by the waypoint. Deliver executive - Where you have to go, how long you have to get there, and the tip for getting there quickly changes as you climb each level. What also changes are the obstacles in your way. On Level 1 you’ll find simple VZ blockades on the way to the UP HQ, but on the next two levels they’ll be an assortment of APCs and tanks guarding the way to the UP Depot and Altagracia, respectively. For Level 3, you can either get a helicopter and take the executive over to East Maracaibo by air (but this is kind of cheating. Pandemic would hang their heads in shame!) or just take the Raven over there like you normally would (but this is MUCH harder!). You must practise, practise and practise the latter option. Know where all the tanks and blockades are, and strategize your route. The GPS one you are given is actually not the best, so instead of taking that first left down the mountain, continue along that cliff road and make your way to the bridge from the south. NOTE: This mission can only be completed by helicopter once you finish the Chinese contract The Price of Gas. Good luck! vi. >>> VERIFY HVTS (0/10) <<< + + + UP has provided you with a list of value targets they want taken care of. Capture or kill all of the targets. Rewards: 1 target - $150.0K - Mantis Light Tank (x1) 2 targets - $200.0K 3 targets - $250.0K - Anti-Tank Rogue (x1) 4 targets - $300.0K 5 targets - $400.0K - Tank Buster (Shop: UP) 6 targets - $500.0K 7 targets - $700.0K 8 targets - $1.0M - Combat Air Patrol (Shop: UP) 9 targets - $1.2M 10 targets - $1.5M - Combat Rogue (Shop: UP) + + + This is where we earn the big bucks! HVTs are a vital part to your financial stability here in Venezuela and they provide a fun getaway from the usual blowing up of stuff. I’ll go in an order here: I’ll go around the Maracaibo Lake from the northern slums of Maracaibo to the HVT near the Altagracia outpost. You’ll see what I’m doing soon enough. Please read the Hints and Tips section earlier on in this guide so you can get the upper edge in the battles here. Also remember that if you don’t want the challenge, you can just kill the HVT and take a photo of their body. *gives death stare at reader* I also suggest completing these before you are even introduced to the PLAV (i.e. don’t talk to Fiona until these missions are completed), as this way there is no faction mood to disrupt. Alrighty then, let’s get stuck in! * Northwest of Maracaibo (VZ) - Head around the entire dirt path picking off resistance. Use turrets to your advantage. Once everyone has been cleared out on the lower ‘floor’ head up the central hill onto the plateau. Watch your fire so that the soldiers, nor you, end up killing him accidently. Run up to him, melee, and press triangle quickly to arrest/subdue him. Make sure there’s no more opposition and then call in the new ‘Extraction’ option from the support menu. Carry the HVT over to the helicopter that arrives and load him on (all these actions are used with the triangle button). Your (presumably) first HVT! Over 50 more to go! * Northern slums of Maracaibo (VZ) - With a vehicle you can easily run over half of the enemies here in one go, obviously watching out you don’t snag the HVT in the slaughter. Hop out and get the rest. Careful the UP doesn’t join the fight, as they can kill the HVT just like any other enemy. Melee, subdue, call in, carry, load. Need I say more? * South of Maracaibo Airport (PLAV) - Your first faction on faction attack! It hurts you on the inside as well, you know. Sneak up in a disguise and subdue to HVT FIRST! That’s right, first. This is because the AI is so stupid that the HVT will actually run off the rock sometimes to try and kill you, thereby killing him. So anyway, once he is subdued, take care of the towers and fuel tanks around you, generally cleaning up the place. Call in the extraction when you’re ready. * West of Maracaibo entrance (PLAV) - Work your way up the mountain one step at a time. When you reach the top, take care of any reporters quickly. The PLAV report frequently and stopping them is your only choice. Clear the area, grab the cash next to the HVT and extract him. * East of Maracaibo entrance (VZ) - Over the other side of the road is another HVT, this time from the VZ. Use turrets if necessary, and make sure you kill everyone. Verify the HVT on top of the hill. * Northwest of PMC (PLAV) - Take the long dirt path up to the top and use the vehicles here as explosives. However, you may want to first use their turrets. There will be soldiers on the roof reporting you, so kill them ASAP. You can even C4 the buildings if you have to (not the one near the HVT though). Call in the chopper and load him on. * Gas station south of Altagracia (VZ) - This would be one of the easiest HVTs in the game if it weren’t for the dozens of red barrels and fuel tanks surrounding him. Yikes! Be very careful and aim for the heads so you don’t accidently set of a chain reaction. The resistance here is actually light, so head round picking them off one by one. Get to a safe clearing and extract the HVT. Now blow everything up! * East of gas station (PLAV) - This is a toughie! Work slowly and surely on this one, heading up the hill while clearing out the PLAV from each ‘storey’. C4 or RPG the alarm as soon as you see it and also watch out for Recoilless Rifles. Once you are at the top, you will have to snipe or RPG a man who is on top of the large tower. CAREFUL, because the HVT himself has an RPG so make sure you know who you’re exploding! Clear out the plateau and extract him. Woohoo! * Southeast of refineries (VZ) - Snake up the dirt path and onto the massive flat area. This is also a difficult one because the clearing is so large and enemies are in towers, APCs and bunkers. Hijack the APC to run over as many people as possible, then C4 all of the towers so no-one can disrupt the extraction. * East of Altagracia (VZ) - I’ve saved the hardest ‘til last! The HVT here is in the middle of a garden in a mansion complex. There is a lot of ground to cover, and simply put, you have to kill EVERYBODY to extract him safely. Remember those on the mansion itself and on the towers leading up to the villa. There is also a dock area which has a few vehicles and soldiers that must be killed. Once you know it is safe, whip out the support menu and extract that HVT! Congratulations, all the UP HVTs have now been verified alive. I hope you enjoy the few million dollars you have gained during these extractions! vii. >>> DESTROY TARGETS (0/13) <<< + + + UP is paying you to blow up some VZ occupied buildings that are dangerously close to their business operations. Recommendations: 3 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) Rewards: $100.0K per target 1 target - Grenade Launcher Drop (x2) 3 targets - Warhorse Patrol Boat (x1) 5 targets - Rogue Transport (Shop: UP) 8 targets - Grenade Launcher Drop (Shop: UP) 13 targets - Luxury Car (Shop: UP) + + + If the HVT missions are for the money, then the Destroy Targets missions are for the toys! Some of the buildings cannot be destroyed until you open some parts of the map, so talk with Fiona then Eva to unlock the Doom Patrol and MishaMilanich missions respectively. Refer to Hints and Tips for some important strategies. Here’s a quick rundown of what you should do: * Pirate Isles - Grab a boat and lay down an Artillery Strike beacon at each of the four buildings. The one on the island is a little harder due to the RPG soldiers and the jammer, so take out as much as possible as quickly as possible. * Maracaibo - These two are easy. You can use red barrels and the fuel tanks on the south building, but you have to use an airstrike or C4 on the other. There isn’t much enemy presence around them both anyway, so they’re pretty much slim pickins’! * North Merida - This one is actually tough, because the building is inside a fortified VZ base. Hijack the tank and destroy the alarm and bunkers. Head around wiping out everyone then destroy the building itself with tank shells. * South of Guanare - There is a clump of six of them on a mountain in the Amazon. There are no APCs or tanks, but there are plenty of turrets to keep you busy. Disguise is the key, so keep it up as much as possible. One C4 is all it takes to bring down each building, and there is more than enough ammo to keep you going. Well done, all thirteen buildings are down and out! Now blow up the radio tower for extra satisfaction. viii. >>> STANDING BOUNTIES <<< + + + UP is offering a standing reward for the destruction of PLAV assets. Rewards: 3 targets - Raven GL (x1) 10 targets - Archer Guntruck (x1) 25 targets - Rogue Assassin (x1) 50 targets - Raven GL (Shop: UP) + + + By the far the easiest side-mission-type in the game. Simply go around killing everyone in the opposite faction. Here, you’re targeting the PLAV but to be honest, you should have fully completed this mission while verifying the HVTs. If not (what are you, afraid of destruction? Go play We Love Katamari!), then get yourself down to Merida and start a riot! Anything that belongs to the PLAV is an asset, but soldiers are your best bet. Just don’t get reported and never forget your mother’s birthday. She gets worried about you, you know! --------------[[[ 3. PEOPLE’S LIBERATION ARMY OF VENEZUELA ]]]--------------- /// a. Main Missions \\\ i. >>> PAINT THE TOWN <<< + + + Acosta wants you to eliminate the VZ presence in Merida. That’s going to be difficult to do without locating and getting rid of Mendez, the leader of the VZ units in the area, but I’m sure if you destroy enough of his forces he’ll show up on the scene. Recommendations: 3 x UP Tank Attack (Sold by: UP) 2 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 1 x UP Air Attack (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $750.0K $500.0K bonus for no civilian casualties + + + Do not hurt any civilians (optional) - You can reap a hefty bonus if you can stay away from collateral damage. Essentially, keep explosions to a minimum and use MGs and your rifle as much as possible. Only use C4 and tank shells if there are no civilians around you. Also be careful on blowing up other cars, as this can hurt a pedestrian or a civilian in another car. Be safe, not sorry for this one. Destroy occupied buildings (0/3) - You’re straight in the thick of it. You’ve got to liberate Merida from the VZ and Acosta is giving you a bonus if you can stay clear from collateral damage. Hop on in a vehicle and head down the mountain, but then get in the tank at the base of the HQ. Drive over to Merida and destroy or hijack the enemy tanks at the nearby intersection. This way you have got some heavy firepower from the get-go. Careful of the RRs at the Merida entrance, too. Inside the city, the streets are sprawling with tanks, so the UP Tank Attack or Tank Buster airstrikes will help immensely. If you are on foot, just run around and find another tank to hijack. Use whatever explosives you’ve got to bring down the lone building, and then head off for the pair of targets northwest of your position. I won’t list it here, but the objective ‘Don’t damage cathedral’ pops up, so just watch your fire near the PLAV stronghold. One of the aforementioned airstrikes can really help near these two buildings, as there are easily three or four just waiting to blow you up. Destroy the targets to continue. Get to the cathedral - The PLAV church has come under fire from the VZ. Sprint or get in a fast vehicle to reach the complex quickly. Defend cathedral - This is where the mission gets ultra tough. Tanks will soon barge in to destroy the cathedral, so you have to use anything and everything to bring them down before they do likewise. Fiona will instruct you on where the tanks are coming from, so as you soon as you know, get over there. However, the enemy armor will begin to attack randomly, so you just have to alternate between the two sides. The PLAV have supplied you with artillery and RRs to use against the tanks, but always remember your airstrikes, RPG and C4 to blow ‘em up. As the battle progresses, Acosta will send in reinforcements, and never forget that you can also hijack one of the tanks and beat the VZ down with their own medicine. Missile medicine that is! You just have to wait until Fiona fully tracks down Mendez. Verify Mendez - Fiona has tracked Mendez to a nearby sports stadium. Typical! Get over there however possible and destroy the bunker at the front. Head around the block to take the tank in the carpark, and use the MG (any explosive may kill the HVT inside) to kill the VZ presence on the sports ground. Remember the RPG soldiers in the grandstands, as they can do some real damage. When you think it is safe, blow up the tents near Mendez. Try to be as careful yet swift as possible. Clear out any sign of trouble (don’t hurt the baseball players/prisoners/civilians next to Mendez though) and then extract the HVT outta there! ii. >>> CORPORATE HEADHUNTING <<< + + + You need to assassinate a set of high value targets for the PLAV. Recommendations: 1 x Chinese Sniper Kit (Sold by: PLAV) 1 x Anti-Tank Rogue (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $300.0K Castro Attack Copter (Shop: PLAV) + + + Assassinate targets (0/4) - Oh for the love of god please use a helicopter in this mission. It makes it MUCH easier than if you go in guns blazing and it’s over in a few minutes when done right. Call one in and fly over to the UP trespassing zone close by. Get the UP disguise up (if you called in the recommended Anti-Tank Rogue) and destroy the two tanks here lightning fast. Try to stop any reports (if you do, you’ll have to contend with another helicopter, so either kill the pilot inside the cockpit or mid-air grapple + hijack the other copter. The latter looks extremely cool if you can pull it off!) then head for the two HVTs. Kill them and move on, no need to dangle around here. Fly to the UP Depot Outpost for the next target. You can destroy the tanks if you like, but all that’s needed is for you to snuff out the HVT here and get out of the area. However, you’ll need to stop any reporters first. The final HVT is inside a compound near the Maracaibo Airport, but it is also a trespassing zone. Don’t even bother with ANYTHING else other than the target, because one he is down the mission is over. UP probably hate you now... but you dig it! ######################### Strategy by ‘Greatstar’ ########################### Greatstar sent an email saying that you can actually stop a report by flying upwards and away from the reporter. I myself haven’t tried this, so perhaps it is a glitch, but see if you can exploit this or not. Another handy tip he gave me is that once you have assassinated the fourth target, you can pause, save and quit the game before the final report is completed, thereby preserving your UP Friendly status (provided you didn’t muck up prior to this). Thanks Greatstar! ############################################################################# iii. >>> TROPICAL ISLAND GETAWAY <<< + + + The VZ have occupied an old colonial fortress near the mouth of Lake Maracaibo and are using it to disrupt supply shipments to the PLAV. Acosta wants you to put them out of commission by destroying large parts of the fortress. So much for historical preservation! Recommendations: 4 x Artillery Strike (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 2 x UP Air Attack (Sold by: UP) 3 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 2 x Prestes Patrol Boat (Sold by: PLAV) Rewards: $850.0K $500.0K bonus if all VZ barracks are destroyed + + + Destroy barracks (0/8) (optional) - To me, this shouldn’t be optional. There’s no reason why you stay away from these things, the reward is big and it makes the mission challenging and fun! To start things off, call in a boat to your location and head out for the island base. There are mines in the water as well as enemy vessels, so steer clear if possible of any major dangers. You’ll soon enter the trespassing zone, so quickly land at the beach and take out the bunkers and alarms. Next, begin to make your way up to the westernmost barracks, which is actually in a pair. If you want to use an airstrike, you’ll have to take out the jammer nearby. Otherwise, some well planted C4 or an RPG will take them out. The next few barracks have pockets of troops in towers or vehicles so the standard stuff applies. There is a Scorpion SAM further along the road, but don’t destroy it because you can use it to your advantage on the bunkers near your position. The last few barracks are simple but the jammer will cause problems in terms of air support, so use your own explosives to demolish them. Once the eighth bunker is down, the bonus task will be complete. Now for the ACTUAL mission... Destroy tower - Head up the stairs taking out the troops on the turrets and anyone else. Now, I know you are actually now in the castle, but we must first destroy the other targets before finishing on the one we are inside :). In the centre of the tower roof you’ll see the jammer which needs to be taken out before any airstrikes are used. Next, head up the last flight of stairs and commandeer the artillery cannon on the outlook. Using this, you should have a clear shot of the tower across the bridge. Destroy bridge - The cannon cannot go low enough to destroy the bridge, so hop off it and get to the target. Plant C4 charges across the whole bridge and then detonate it when you are OFF the target... the explosives should take care of the ancient structure. Destroy castle - Back on the castle, you may have to call in multiple airstrikes to bring the final target to rubble, especially if using something relatively light like an Artillery Strike or the Bombing Run. Keep at it until the castle can take no more and crumbles. You’ll reap over a million dollars and the PLAV story missions will be complete. /// b. Side Missions \\\ i. >>> ORINOCO RIVER OUTPOST <<< + + + Our PLAV contact wants you to help liberate an old guerilla outpost from a platoon of VZ soldiers. If you can do that then he’ll make sure the leader of the PLAV knows you’re the real deal and that should put you in contact with her. Rewards: $300.0K Martinez APC (Shop: PLAV) Artillery Strike (Shop: PLAV) Support Weapons Drop (Shop: PLAV) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: PLAV) Maria Vargas - Orinoco River Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - You’re now working with the PLAV, the guerilla faction of Mercs 2. You cannot actually do any contracts for the PLAV until you complete this outpost mission, so let’s get going. By the way, the name of the contact you just talked to is called Manuel Diaz. You learn something new everyday! Get to the outpost (it’s not pretty much down the road) and then let loose with your rifle. There aren’t any bunkers, alarms or Recoilless Rifles here, just a pure bullet ballet. When you have gotten rid of the resistance here, then call in the Guerilla Commandos. The ONLY trouble you might have here is a tank that’s positioned across the road on a mountain. Its missiles should miss, but I just wanted to warn you. When all three are inside, the outpost is yours. The PLAV bounties, targets, shops, and more importantly, its contracts are now available to you! ii. >>> EASTERN MERIDA OUTPOST <<< + + + Eastern Merida is overrun by the VZ, who are using an outpost in the area to conduct raids on neighboring PLAV positions. Our contact has let me know that if you take over the outpost for the PLAV they’ll provide you with much better support items to purchase. Recommendations: 1 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 1 x UP Tank Attack (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $300.0K Cavalera Light Tank (Shop: PLAV) Chinese Sniper Kit (Shop: PLAV) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: PLAV) Corporal Huang - Eastern Merida Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - Don’t listen to the recommendations. You have two chances to hijack a tank in this mission, the first being the one across the road I was talking about earlier, but this is optional. Head to the outpost area and break through barricades. If you have the tank, then destroy the one you see in the main street. If not, then hijack it. Not rocket science. But you have to USE rockets to destroy the bunker which is awakened next to the outpost building. Enemy vehicles and soldiers are cannon fodder in the face of your tank. Switch to your MG and search around the suburb for survivors. Bring in the Commandos to capture the outpost. iii. >>> SOUTHWESTERN AMAZON OUTPOST <<< + + + The VZ have set up an outpost a little too close to the PLAV HQ in the Amazonas. Take out the VZ and capture the Southwestern Amazon Outpost. Recommendations: 1 x Castro Attack Copter (Sold by: PLAV) 1 x Daisy Cutter (Sold by: PLAV) Rewards: $300.0K Castro-V Attack Copter (Shop: PLAV) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: PLAV) Manuel Vega - Southwestern Amazon Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - Unlike the previous contract, you should listen to the recommendations. Grab a helicopter (doesn’t have to be the Castro, but make sure it has either rockets or AT missiles) then fly it over to the outpost. Switch to some heavy weapons on the heli and destroy the tank and the bunker nearby and then sweep the area for the rest of the VZ. Land and then get the Guerrillas inside the outpost to capture it. You have all landing zones unlocked for the PLAV! iv. >>> JUNGLE CRUISE <<< + + + You need to pilot a boat prototype down a special course on the river to an island just off the coast. Apparently this is a trial run for a special PLAV client so you need to stick to the route and get there as fast as you can. Rewards: $300.0K $500.0K if prototype boat has more than 50% health Level 1 - Arbenz Mobile AA (x1) Level 2 - Junker (Shop: PLAV) Level 3 - Prestes Patrol Boat (Shop: PLAV) + + + Enter Prestes Patrol Boat - I really like this mission because it balances difficulty and fun with a few explosions thrown in the mix! Head down to the docks and get in the marked boat. Fancy! Also, before attempting Level 3 of this contract, I would recommend having the UP faction mood as at least neutral. I’ll explain soon. Race to the checkpoint - You’ll start off with less time and there’ll be more resistance along the course as you move up through the levels. One thing you have in your side, though, is a powerful jet boost which can be activated by pressing L2! Neat, huh! You just gotta make sure that there are orange flames coming out the exhaust before you let loose, otherwise it won’t work. Weave through the river obstacles which include spits of land and civilian trawlers. You’ll soon enter a trespassing zone full of mines, so pick your line early and gun it! You will be reported no matter what you do here, but if you’re friendly with the UP then the helicopters which would otherwise arrive to decimate you don’t actually come. Navigate through the barges and head straight for the middle of the sand ‘bridge’ on the island ahead of you. If you can time your boost, you can go straight over the island and cut off a huge chunk of time and effort in going around the island. Keep manoeuvring through the mines and oil towers and race to the finish line. If you have enough health, you can hit the jump if you want, but if you’re close to 50%, the ramp can kill off the bonus, so just head through the finish line normally. Upon completion of Level 1, you unlock ‘Introduction to the Pirates’ and the PLAV mission ‘Tropical Island Getaway’. v. >>> VERIFY HVTS (0/10) <<< + + + The PLAV has provided you with a list of high value targets they want removed from Venezuela. Capture or kill all of the targets. Rewards: 1 target - $150.0K - Cardenas Inflatable (Shop: PLAV) 2 targets - $200.0K 3 targets - $250.0K - Bombing Run (x3) 4 targets - $300.0K 5 targets - $400.0K - Daisy Cutter (x3) 6 targets - $500.0K 7 targets - $700.0K 8 targets - $1.0M - Bombing Run (Shop: PLAV) 9 targets - $1.0M - Bombing Run (Shop: PLAV) (that’s not a mistake...) 10 targets - $1.5M - Daisy Cutter (Shop: PLAV) + + + Welcome to another verifying contract! Here, you’re targeting the UP and VZ, but seeing as though you should be done with the UP missions, you can kind of let your hair down. If they become hostile toward you, then it isn’t the end of the world for you. However, it is important to get the UP faction mood to neutral or better when you take on the mission “Get Solano” if that has not already been completed. Of course, these ones a little harder, so if you haven’t yet, then just scan over the Hints and Tips section to see some handy methods of going about things here. Also, I’m sorry about the description of the locations but just go along with me. * North of PMC (UP) - Let’s start with an easy one. Just regular soldiers with the odd turret. Remember those on the roof and stop any reports. Extract the HVT alive when the coast is clear. * North of Southwestern Amazon Outpost (UP) - Destroy the two cars and fuel tank at the start and head left at the T-Junction. Shoot the enemies, working your way to the rather cowardly HVT behind the crates. Capture him when you see fit. * Northwest of PLAV HQ (UP) - Snake up either dirt path (the two which are shown on the map, there is another entrance but it is not marked) which leads up to the HVT and get rid of the enemies at both entrances (they are close together but you have to go around a whole pile of rocks). Move through the area killing off any enemies you see. Ironically, the resistance near the HVT is pretty light, but for god’s sake do not destroy the fuel tanks which are right next to him. After you dominate the area, verify him alive. * Southeast of Southwestern Amazon Outpost (VZ) - Your first P.L.A.V. V.Z. H.V.T. non-U.P.! Wait, what? You’re not fighting normal soldiers here, everyone is in a white suit and carries a Machine Pistol. Some sort of G8 Summit for oil tycoons. Anyway, head around the whole circuit snuffing out the henchmen as you go. You’ll arrive at the HVT’s base which will probably take you aback the first time you see it. An alarm will alert a bunker which is next to six fuel tanks. And guess where the HVT is? C4 the bunker ASAP but make sure the HVT isn’t too near. Don’t touch the fuel tanks as they can spark a nearby car, and bedlam may erupt. As if it hasn’t already. Use cars as cover as you kill the henchmen swarming the area. Subdue and extract the rather extravagant HVT and then take one of the Mobius Sport cars for a test drive. You’ve earned it, but you’ll look like a snob. * West of PLAV HQ (VZ) - Use a VZ disguise to get nice and close to the alarm in the centre of the base. Hop out and C4 it immediately so NO-ONE can activate the three bunkers nearby. You’ve prevented a major hassle, but the work isn’t done yet. Blow up the fuel tank nearby to take out a few vehicles with gun turrets on top of them, then clear out the rest of the VZ. Extract the HVT and then blow up the bunkers for extra carnage. Chicks dig guys with shrapnel lodged in their hearts. * Southwest of PLAV HQ (VZ) - Take a left at the fork in the road here. You are at a bit of a seaside base here, so the turrets will all be facing away from you if you enter from the land. This equals good, as you could most likely tell, so this one should be over in a heartbeat. It’s extract-tastic! * Northeast of PLAV HQ (VZ) - Destroy the alarm at the entrance (not sure what it’s connected to...?) and feel free to hijack the tank on top of the nearby hill (it was referenced in two of the outpost missions for more information). With the tank, this extraction becomes a cakewalk. But when you get down to the HVT, switch to the Machine Gun for the remaining enemies, because the missiles can snag him in the splash damage radius. Capture him and then call in the PLAV team when you’re ready. * Southeast of PLAV HQ (VZ) - If you’ve been following this list in order, then the boat docked inside the ‘hangar’ near the previous HVT works brilliantly in this next HVT site. It’s disguised as VZ, it’s armed, and it’ll get you to the HVT without any arduous mountain trekking. If you can, hop out and then get on the boat’s turret to wipe out the Recoilless Rifle on the coast, but you’ll probably be blown up, but that’s not too bad. If your boat is intact, then keep killing the enemies on the beach until there are no more. Swim into the base and use the turrets to clear out the opposition (they’re all Heavy Soldiers, so watch out for RPGs). Once you’ve checked for any leftovers, arrest the HVT and load him into the extraction helicopter. Now find a way out of this dump! * North of Eastern Merida Outpost (UP) - This UP HVT is an easy one. Just head around wiping out the soldiers, but keeping an eye on your fire as the HVT tends to hang around some red barrels. Call in the extraction (does anyone know of a synonym for ‘extraction’?) and load the HVT on. * Northeast of Eastern Merida outpost (UP) - This is by far the toughest of the PLAV HVT list. Head across the road from the previous HVT and kill the lone soldier at the entrance. Head into the compound and stir some trouble. There are enemies EVERYWHERE, but don’t worry if someone reports you. If there wasn’t a helicopter here before (if there was, why haven’t you hijacked it yet?) then there is now. This helicopter is only a worry when you are on the ground, because once you are inside it, you can open a can of whoop-ass on the situation. If someone manages to report you again, then you’ll need to shoot down a second helicopter. Do not aim for the body; aim for the cockpit, where it is actually possible to kill the pilot inside and destroy the helicopter. Continually sweep the area for soldiers, turrets and vehicles. Killing everybody actually takes a few good minutes. When you are confidant everyone is down and out, land (C4 the heli to make sure no-one gets in it while your back is turned) and then subdue the target. Call in the extraction and watch as the money just rolls in. All PLAV HVTs verified! vi. >>> DESTROY TARGETS (0/13) <<< + + + The Guerillas are paying you to disrupt VZ operations by destroying key targets around Venezuela. Recommendations: 3 x Artillery Strike (Sold by: UP/PLAV) Rewards: $100.0K per target 1 target - RPG Kit (Shop: PLAV) 3 targets - Combat Air Patrol (Shop: PLAV) 5 targets - Bolivar Guntruck (Shop: PLAV) 8 targets - Civilian Car (Shop: PLAV) 13 targets - Arbenz Mobile AA (Shop: PLAV) + + + Once again, all the buildings here belong to the VZ, so there’s next to no chance of ticking off any factions. I often think the Bombing Run is better than the Artillery Strike, mainly because the AS goes a little overboard when all you need is one big blast (I’m assuming you’ve done the ‘MishaMilanich’ contract so that you’ve got the BR unlocked). The targets in this mission are a little more clumped than those in the UP equivalent, so I’ll only need three parts: * Merida - The targets here become a little easier once you have done the ‘Paint the Town’ PLAV contract, however they are not impossible if the VZ still occupy the town. One of them is challenging because there are just so many Heavy Soldiers and Recoilless Rifles next to it, so throw whatever you need at the building and run like hell. C4 is sufficient for most of them. * South Guanare - There are pretty much either Recoilless Rifles or Heavy Soldiers next to each target now, so do things quickly. Even though an RPG cannot bring down a building by itself, it can achieve the perfect getaway as you blast all the vehicles that stand in your way. There’s plenty of ammo around the buildings. * North Guanare - Things are going to get a little bit crowded. Because this little suburb is so tight, it’s easy to have collateral damage, so civilian deaths are unfortunately inevitable. Some of the buildings here are extremely well defended, so death (possibly your first) is just around every corner. I suggest airstrikes here; C4 often means going right up to the building and in some cases that’s just not happening. Once all 13 targets are down, you’re done. vii. >>> STANDNG BOUNTIES <<< + + + The PLAV is offering a standing reward for the destruction of UP assets. Rewards: 3 targets - Bolivar Guntruck (x1) 10 targets - Cavalera Light Tank (x1) 25 targets - Castro-V Attack Copter (x1) 50 targets - Bolivar Quad-50 (Shop: PLAV) + + + Again, this type of mission is pretty darn easy. And, again, you should have gotten all 50 targets during the HVT verifications. And and, again, if you didn’t get all 50, then head to the rival faction’s city. And andand, again, don’t get reported. Why are you still here? viii. >>> DESTROY BILLBOARDS <<< + + + Destroy billboards! Rewards: 1 target - C4 Supply Drop (Shop: PLAV) 5 targets - Corales MG Scout (Shop: PLAV) 10 targets - Castro-II Attack Copter (x1) 20 targets - Tank Buster (Shop: PLAV) 40 targets - Castro-II Attack Copter (Shop: PLAV) + + + Umm, in case you didn’t get the hint from both the mission title AND the mission description, you have to destroy billboards (and also remove the crayon stuck in your brain). This mission is pathetically easy: all you have to do is go ANYWHERE that has those Solano propaganda signs about Venezuela and bring them down any way possible. Seriously though, a few STREETS in Merida have enough billboards to complete the mission. Just keep the Support Weapons Drop or C4 Supply Drop stocked up, otherwise you’re gonna have to start buying tanks, and that’s just wasting your money and fuel. Once you’ve destroyed 40, you never have to touch a billboard ever again, but hey, at $5,000 a board, who’s complaining? -----------------------------[[[ 4. PIRATES ]]]------------------------------ /// a. Side Missions \\\ i. >>> CENTRAL ISLAND OUTPOST <<< + + + The VZ Army has occupied the Central Island outpost and now controls local shipping lanes. Capture the outpost for the Pirates. Recommendations: 1 x Grenade Launcher Drop (Sold by: UP) 1 x Daisy Cutter (Sold by: PLAV) Rewards: $300.0K Puma Light Tank (Shop: P) Piranha Patrol Boat (Shop: P) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: P) Glamity Jane - Central Island Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - You can’t actually begin the Pirate outpost missions until “Blended With a Twist” is completed, so scroll down the page if you need help on that one. Upon arriving at the beach of Central Island, you’ll have to destroy or hijack the tank. Use the recommended Daisy Cutter to blow up the pesky barracks positioned near the outpost and make sure the majority of troops in the towers are eradicated. Call in the Boarding Party once you feel the area is safe enough to be taken over. Territorial expansion ahoy! ii. >>> MAINLAND OUTPOST <<< + + + The Pirates have contracted us to eliminate VZ forces from a military outpost on the mainland so they can establish a base of operations to smuggle their goods. Go capture that outpost! Recommendations: 1 x Artillery Strike (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 1 x Piranha Patrol Boat (Sold by: P) 1 x C4 Supply Drop (Sold by: UP/PLAV) 1 x Strategic Missile Strike (Sold by: UP) Rewards: $300.0K Anaconda (Shop: P) Speedboat (Shop: P) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: P) Queen Stoosh - Mainland Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - This mission is pretty tough, so the recommendations can be useful in certain spots. Grab a boat and head for the Venezuelan coast. As soon as you can, throw down an Artillery Strike beacon near the fuel tanks to optimize the damage on the bunkers. Any other airstrike, particularly the Strategic Missile Strike, can come in handy for taking out the rest of the coastline forces. Move up the hill and destroy the AA turret as well as the two bunkers which surround it with some C4. Aaahh C4, can you do anything wrong? Keep moving forward up to the outpost taking out tower soldiers and the final bunker. Once all AA is down call in the Pirates and get them inside the building. All Pirate outpost contracts complete! iii. >>> ENDANGERED CARGO <<< + + + Deliver the cargo to the shipping dock. The pay is for each box so deliver as many as possible. Rewards: $300.0K Level 1 - Armadillo Jammer (Shop: P) Level 2 - Kestral Attack (Shop: P) Level 3 - Capuchin AA (Shop: P) + + + Acquire truck - Head around the corner to get in the marked Buju Truck. This is going to get very interesting... Deliver the specified amount of parrots - Pirates smuggling parrots, it’s genius! There’s no time limit for this one, but plenty of resistance so it’s no walk in the park. There are three routes you can take, but the west and east ones contain ramps which can easily throw off all of the birds in your boot if you’re not careful, so the middle route is the one I always take. Beware of guntrucks and other vehicles which will attempt to barricade you, so cautiously swerve through the obstacles. You must drive very slowly in the downhill-shanty town area so that the maximum amount of cargo can be saved. Steady out onto the dirt road and then park in the yellow zone to end the mission. Further levels increase the amount of resistance present and introduce tougher objective conditions. iv. >>> YO-HO-HO AND A TRUCK FULL O’ RUM <<< + + + The UP Mercs have confiscated a cargo of rum from the Pirates. Take the rum back and deliver it to La Cantina in the Maracaibo outskirts. Rewards: $20.0K Level 1 - Buju Technical (Shop: P) Level 2 - Gunney Attack Copter (Shop: P) Level 3 - Armadillo (Shop: P) + + + Acquire truck - Welcome to one of the hardest missions in the game. For hardened veterans stuck on Level 3, I feel for you. For those who have never experienced the adversity of Yo-Ho-Ho, you’ll find out soon enough, mwuhahaha! Jump onto a nearby jet ski and head for the mainland. In the camp, you can either kill or ignore the guards here. Just make sure no explosions happen near the truck, otherwise you’ll be at a disadvantage before you even start the main objective. Hop in when you’re ready. Deliver the specified amount of rum - This is where the fun begins! And by fun I mean extreme pain and sorrow. Get out of the compound as soon as you can and duck between traffic to escape the clutches of the UP (and AN if you are trying this is the second half of the game)! The major issues start near the Maracaibo Airport. There is a helicopter on patrol here that, if it spots you, can absolutely lay waste to your truck. What you must do is park the car somewhere near the airport where you can see the chopper but far away enough so that it doesn’t spot you. Wait there until the chopper carries on over the mountain so that you can pass on this stretch of road without any hassles. Get through Maracaibo while avoiding APCs and Recoilless Rifles and exit the truck in the yellow zone outside the pub. It’s almost impossible to have all the rum with you at the end of the mission, so you’ll have to make do with the small paycheck which does not reflect the difficulty of the contract. On subsequent levels you will have to deal with guntrucks and helicopters swarming you at all times. My advice is to gun it wherever you can and use “road cover” as much as possible (as in, go underneath the freeway not on top of it). Good night and good luck! v. >>> BLACK MARKET, WARM HEART <<< + + + The pirates have a truck full of some sort of cargo. Take the truck and deliver whatever it’s carrying to the drop-off location! Rewards: $300.0K Level 1 - Capuchin Guntruck (Shop: P) Level 2 - Kestral Tank Hunter (Shop: P) Level 3 - Mosquito AA (Shop: P) + + + Enter the truck - What is with all these cargo missions? Can’t these pirates do their dirty work for themselves? Well, I guess if that were to happen then there wouldn’t be much of a game. Fortunately, this is the final mission of its type in the game, and it’s also the easiest Pirate contract in the game. To start things off, just run down the hill and enter the marked Buju truck. Deliver the cargo - It looks as though the Pirates need some “cargo” in strange “boxes” to be “delivered”. Plot a course on your GPS and set sail!.. On land. The trick for this mission is to keep calm. Sure, there are enemies along the entire route, but they are not much of a danger if you can keep away from them and the REAL trouble resides in the collapsing towers and booby traps beside and after the refinery. Stick to the left side of the road for both of the crane demolitions to stay away from the falling debris. After the traps, the contract becomes pretty straightforward and there is a MASSIVE bonus if you can get all $30.0K of cargo in the yellow zone. It turns out the cargo was just organs for the needy! Cheeky Pandemic... vi. >>> BLENDED WITH A TWIST <<< + + + The Pirates want you to prove your skills before they will deal with us. See how fast you can complete one of their smuggling routes. Rewards: $100.0K Level 1 - Wave Skimmer (Shop: P) Level 2 - Motorboat (Shop: P) - Monster Truck (Shop: P) Level 3 - Sports Car (Shop: P) - Devilbwoy’s Buggy (Shop: P) + + + Enter Little Dimba - This contract must be completed first before any others are initiated. Working with the Pirates is great because they supply the VZ vehicles and equipment making disguises much easier to get. Hop on the jet ski and get ready for some full throttle action! Race to the checkpoint (0/30) - This is a tough course and it covers a LOT of sea. The amount of time you start off with and the bonus time through each gate is lessened on each level, as usual. With the first few gates, don’t even bother with the ramps because they can slow you down if you hit them wrong (although you need to use the final ramp to touch the gate). Make sure you get your lines right for maximum efficiency. Be careful of the obstacles by the mainland coast as they can come outof nowhere if you aren’t alert. The mines section is actually pretty easy andgetting to the finish line will open up contracts and bounties for thePirates. As a side note, complete the Pirate “Destroy Targets” contract ASAP after unlocking it because there is a VZ occupied island which can blow you out of the water on later levels. If you have done the contract, there will be no VZ opposition. vii. >>> VERIFY HVTS (0/10) <<< + + + These targets owe the Pirates a lot of money and need to pay up or face the consequences. Rewards: 1 target - $100.0K - Gunney Transport (Shop: P) 2 targets - $125.0K 3 targets - $150.0K - Iguana MG (Shop: P) 4 targets - $175.0K 5 targets - $200.0K - Motorcycle (Shop: P) 6 targets - $250.0K 7 targets - $300.0K 8 targets - $500.0K - Kestrel (Shop: P) 9 targets - $750.0K 10 targets - $1.0M - Jaguar Heavy Tank (Shop: P) + + + Here we go again! The Pirate HVTs are the toughest yet and there is at least one target belonging to each faction in the game. It will be tough not to disrupt faction mood, so concentration and strategy is necessary. Also, around half of these HVTs cannot be captured until after the “Get Solano” mission, when the entire map is unlocked. Let’s get down to business. * Southwest of Amazonas (PLAV) - This HVT is inside a large jungle compound, so things can get hairy. Use a disguise to get to the far side of the hideout to destroy the tough barrack as quickly as possible. You can use the RR here to wipeout the other buildings or troops posing a threat, being careful not to fire anywhere near the HVT, or you can also use the MG on top of a nearby tower to kill the resistance with precision instead of power. Either way, you will need to subdue and extract the target eventually. * Northwest of Guanare (PLAV) - Use a PLAV vehicle to get very close to the HVT’s tent, then quickly strike him down and arrest him. Head outside and make your way down to the actual base where the rest of the squadron is. Call in the chopper when ready. Straightforward. * South of Cabimas outpost (UP) - Once you get to the base, you will need to hijack the tank here and quickly blow up the bunkers. Next on the hit list are the RPG soldiers hanging about on the rooftops. Switch to your MG for the remainder of the fight so the HVT has no chance of being crushed inside the shelter. Get him out of there when the coast is clear. * Southeast of Cabimas outpost (VZ) - This target is very isolated, but don’t be fooled into using a helicopter to dominate this remote base because there is an AA Tank patrolling the grounds. Bombing Runs and Cluster Bombs are a good idea for the barracks in the area but you’ll have to use C4 on any threats near the HVT. Before calling in the extraction, make sure that SAM is out of the picture. * North of Pirate HQ (VZ) - The hard way of going about this is having to lay waste to all the little VZ camps along the road which lead up to the HVT, but it is much easier to use a helicopter and land directly at his location. Destroy the tower soldiers and any others which stand in your way and then extract him. * Northwest Caracas (UP) - For this HVT, you either get a disguise with the empty tank on the base of the mountain or cause a ruckus by nabbing the active one patrolling the road. Either way it’s not gonna count for much because the battle on the plateau is pretty tough to get through. The RPG soldiers on the rooftops can be a real pain, but they must be taken out with the MG. The HVT is difficult to verify alive because he is right above a fuel tank which can devastate the building he is standing on, so you need to subdue him and carry him off to a safe location BEFORE devastating the area with explosives. You will probably be reported here, so don’t beat yourself up about it if it happens. Return to the HVT and extract when the coast is clear. * Southeast of Allied HQ (CA) - If you are following this in order, then this will be your first Chinese target, and it is a doozy! First of all, the CA soldiers are equipped with Fuel-Air RPGs, which are like normal RPGs but MUCH more devastating. Firstly, find the tank prowling around somewhere and get into it. Take out all alarms, towers and those pesky Fuel-Air soldiers I was talking about before. Extract the HVT when you know it’s safe. * Northeast of North Guanare (AN) - Now for your first AN target! This one, however, is relatively easy so don’t psych yourself up about it. Clear out both ‘tiers’ of the base before moving in to extract the HVT. Easy. * East of Guanare (CA) –Some people have docked a boat by the base and made their way up to the HVT, but you can completely disregard this lower base and concentrate on the actual HVT base by using a helicopter, or by trekking over the mountains from the next HVT (depends on the order, these last two are interchangeable because of their proximity). Clear out the opposition (including barracks and tents) on the plateau and then nab the HVT. * North of quarry (AN) - This HVT is luckily just over the hill from the previous one, so not much exploration is needed. Also luckily is that you would be attacking the base from the back, so an element of surprise is at play here. With an armed vehicle (you can just hijack the tank here) bombard the area with MG fire to snuff out the AN forces. When the dust settles lob an extraction smoke grenade and load him onto the chopper. Good job on verifying all Pirate HVTs! viii. >>> DESTROY TARGETS (0/11) <<< + + + The Pirates want you to help them reclaim their waters and some island real estate. You’re getting paid to destroy UP and VZ targets. Rewards: 1 target - Covert Supply Drop (Shop: P) 3 targets - Armadillo AA (Shop: P) 5 targets - Utility Vehicle (Shop: P) 8 targets - Jaguar Tank (Shop: P) 11 targets - Condor (Shop: P) + + + I’ll only need two headings for this installment of “Destroy Targets”: * On land - All land targets are on the one island in the Pirate Isles occupied by the VZ. Every target is one of those weak barracks so simply stock up on C4 ammo and blow stuff up! There are five altogether and you shouldn’t experience much difficulty at all. * On water - The targets in question here are colossal warships scattered around the Pirate Isles and they are pretty well defended. If you can get your hands on them, Bunker Busters and Laser-Guided Bombs work great because you can designate the target without getting uncomfortably close. Another method is to simply use a helicopter to fly in and destroy the fuel tank barrels on board, but be prepared for some resistance. There is one target which cannot be destroyed until you open up the second half of the map (which happens after “Get Solano”), so you’ll have to wait for that one. Behold the majesty of the sinking ship! ---------------------------[[[ 5. CHINESE ARMY ]]]--------------------------- /// a. Main Missions \\\ i.>>> EXIT STRATEGY <<< + + + You need to rescue the Chinese VIP from Allied custody and deliver him to the Chinese. Recommendations: 2 x Fuel-Air RPG (Sold by: CA) 1 x Liberator (Sold by: AN) 3 x Rocket Artillery Strike (Sold by: CA) 3 x Cruise Artillery Strike (Sold by: AN) Rewards: $5.0M + + + Destroy Allied buildings (0/3) (optional) – The contract is easier to finish if you complete this bonus objective, but things can get overwhelming when you’re trying to pursue it. First of all, you only need to call in a Fuel-Air RPG drop because Peng gives you the Rocket Artillery Strikes anyway! If you haven’t worked with the AN then a helicopter called the “Jade Wind Heavy Transport” is the Chinese equivalent of the Liberator, but it’s not necessary. Let’s head to those targets! There is a tank on the south bridge in order to don an AN disguise for the trespassing zone. This can also come in handy in destroying the multiple SAMs and other nasties surrounding the complex, otherwise you might be fighting an uphill battle. Trust me, it is pretty much impossible to stop all of the reports that go on, so just power on ahead and swap between armoured vehicles when needed. The area immediately surrounding the three buildings is a tough nut to crack, but it’s important to know that there is no time limit on this, so take your time in regenerating health and such. We can use tank shells or the Rocket AS’s that Peng gave us to destroy two of the three buildings, but wait until the next objective is over before you aim on the tower with the actual hostage on it. Rescue Chinese VIP – Hop in either of the two choppers mentioned previously, or call in a heli that you KNOW can hold more people (ie a transport heli, no weapons). Land on the provided helipad (ensuring all AA is down), eliminate opposition and release the prisoner. Make sure you select the follow command, and get back in the chopper. Deliver Chinese VIP – Take the heli to any patch of Chinese territory and land (but NOT in the designated zone). When both of you get out, press triangle next to him in order for him to “stay”, “fetch”, “roll over” and “play dead” (the middle two are not possible in the game...). Seriously, make him stay and then head back into Cumana to take out the final building. No need to stay battling the AN, just get in and out ASAP. Return to the VIP and take him to the rendezvous point safe and sound any way possible. Well done! ii. >>> THE PRICE OF GAS <<< + + + Peng basically wants you to eliminate UP operations from Maracaibo. He’s paying us to destroy the Maracaibo Bridge, the UP supply depot and the UP HQ. This man means business! Recommendations: 3 x Strategic Missile Strike (Sold by: CA) 3 X Fuel-Air RPG (Sold by: CA) 3 x Cruise Missile Strike (Sold by: AN) 5 x Fuel-Air Bomb (Sold by: CA) 2 x Carpet Bomb (Sold by: AN) Rewards: $10.0M + + + Destroy the Maracaibo Bridge (0/3) – This is a contract which will irreversibly alter the landscape of Maracaibo, so if you’re not ready to say goodbye to the first Mercs 2 city, then hold off accepting the contract. That said, the contract is a blast and one of my favourites in the game, although it can get hectic. The key is to adhere to the recommendations, which will definitely aid you in the destruction of the targets. Also, acquiring a Laser Guided Bomb will aid you invaluably for the final objective, but it can be done without it. Let’s get cracking! Get to Maracaibo any way you can and be prepared to take out the jammers and SAMs nearby the bridge. There are tons of troops as well, so use cover and/or vehicles to keep your health up. A helicopter may arrive on the scene so hijack it to make taking out AA, ironically, easier. Also make sure that when you take out the bridge (Carpet Bombs work well here) you are on the MARACAIBO SIDE of it, so you don’t have to take a lesson in Swimming 101. It can be frustrating and completely unnecessary. Destroy the UP Depot (0/15) – Call in a tank or attack helicopter and make your way to the once-useful outpost. You might be taken aback by the sheer amount of opposition here, so this is where your many airstrikes come in handy (ones that use a satellite designation are particularly useful, as you can stay at a safe distance). This objective is all about laying waste to the area, so take no prisoners. If you run out of viable options, then the Fuel-Air RPG is great because these are relatively weak buildings. Once you have completely decimated your surroundings, it’s time to turn our attention to something a little more valuable... Destroy the UP HQ – I actually liked this building in the game, so blowing it up may or may not have made me shed a tear... there may or may not have been something in my eye, too. This is where the aforementioned Laser Guided Bomb comes in extraordinarily handy. Simply get to a position where you can see the building (you might need to move a little closer to it for the laser to register it) and fire away. Make sure you keep aiming squarely at it until Misha drops his bomb, otherwise it goes wayward. There! You have just completed the final objective without any further trouble! If for some reason you don’t want to approach it this way, you will have to get up closer to utilise a Missile Strike and there are thousands of guards, tanks, helicopters and APCs swarming the capital. Have fun. Us Laser Guided people are wishing you luck... iii. >>> BATTLE FOR CARACAS VS. ALLIES <<< ***YET TO BE COMPLETED*** /// b. Side Missions \\\ i.>>> SOUTHWESTERN CUMANA OUTPOST <<< + + + Before they contract out to you, the Chinese want you to capture a VZ outpost just west of Cumana. Rewards: $1.0M Tank Buster (Shop: CA) Tempered Hammer Artillery (Shop: CA) Anti-Air Kit (Shop: CA) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: CA) Rocket Artillery Strike (x2) Lieutenant Chu – Southwestern Cumana Outpost contract + + + Capture outpost – China is the easily the best faction in the game. The first sign of this FACT is that there is a tank garage situated across the road from this outpost. Full of tanks. Unoccupied tanks. Did I mention tanks? Get in one immediately and knock on the front door of that outpost! This gets a little hectic even with a tank, as there are a few enemy tanks already stationed here and a couple of bunkers. Prioritise and execute is my motto! Keep swapping tanks if necessary and using C4, and when the dust has cleared call in two lots of Chinese Commandos to fill the six spots and you’ll be sweet. The Chinese HQ and its bounties have now been unlocked for your hunting pleasure. Yew! ii. >>> CARACAS ESTATES OUTPOST <<< + + + You need to capture the estate outpost to the east of Caracas so the Chinese can gether more information on the Allies before their invasion. Rewards: $1.0M Sundered Dragonfly IFV (Shop: CA) Fuel-Air RPG (Shop: CA) Fuel-Air Bomb (Shop: CA) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: CA) Iron Dove Heavy AA (x1) Captain Sun – Caracas Estates Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost – Grab a tank from the previous outpost’s garage (you’ll be doing a lot of this so make it routine) and head for the hills! It’s such a shame that we are about to lay waste to this beautiful area... those rich suckers had it coming! It actually works to your advantage if you attack from behind, but I believe an Anaconda helicopter arrives either way, so hijack it and swiftly take out the AA turret here with ease, moving onto the bunkers as you see fit. Eventually the heli will probably be destroyed, so move around the compound using turrets (they’re everywhere) and explosives. It’s important to remember that the mansion itself is completely expendable (the outpost is actually a shack in the backyard), so destroy it to prevent a lot of respawning RPG soldiers from ruining your fun. An easy way to do this is C4 the airstrike munition in the middle of the building. Otherwise, a simple Bombing Run or Daisy Cutter should work fine. Call in the backup and head down the driveway to eliminate the rest of the VZ if need be. Done! iii. >>> SOUTHEASTERN CUMANA OUTPOST <<< + + + The VZ are conducting military operations against the Chinese from a junkyard outpost on the outskirts of Cumana. Capture it! Rewards: $1.0M Dragon Lance Light Tank (Shop: CA) Rocket Artillery Strike (Shop: CA) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: CA) Commander Lee – Southeastern Cumana Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost – This one is a fair way away, so using a tank may be a little slow for our liking. My method doesn’t utilise tanks anyway, so get over there any way possible. Just ensure that you have either a VZ or civilian disguise when you reach the compound (if you are hostile with AN, get the disguise before you enter the city). You’ll notice when you enter the outpost is structured like tiers. This works in our favour if you drive your car right to the very top of the base and immediately blow up the bunkers here. From there, it’s simply a matter of sing their own turrets against them because you can aim right at them facing downhill. You will have to take care of the SAM at some points in the battle, but a simple RPG strike or grenades can solve this. Ensuring the coast is clear, call in the Commandos and capture the outpost. All Chinese outposts completed! iv. >>> THE LAST IN LINE <<< + + + Our Chinese contact is challenging us to drive one of their tanks through Allied-occupied areas within a set amount of time. Chinese tanks are some of the most powerful armoured vehicles in the world so this should be a piece of cake! Rewards: $1.0M Level 1 – Armoured Tiger MLRS (x1) Level 2 – Salamander APC (Shop: CA) Level 3 – Jade Wind Heavy Transport (Shop: CA) + + + Enter Iron Mountain Heavy Tank - The description makes a mockery of the stratospheric heights of difficulty this contract can reach. However, focus and precision can nullify these concerns, as well as learning how to shoot while moving in a tank well. Hop in the nearby tank and let’s do this thang. Race to the checkpoint (0/21) - Do NOT open fire on anything at the first gate, because this will get you reported by the Chinese and end the mission. However, after that you can go relatively nuts! I’d recommend sticking to the MG for the first half of this mission in order to conserve shells for the tougher parts, however. To save you from counting, when you encounter the first enemy tank is when you switch. Try to destroy it as far away from it as possible as not to give him greater chance of hitting you. The course itself is a cinch, so proceed up the hill. At the hilltop, you’ll see a few stationary tanks but they ARE active, so get them out of the picture ASAP. It is also difficult to go through the checkpoint up here because of the carnage, so hopefully you have destroyed enough red barrels to give you some sway in terms of time. Strangely, there are AN tanks in the Chinese outpost but they are unoccupied, so there is no need to open fire. Cross the finish line and you’re done. Destroy bonus targets (0/19) (optional) – It says optional but it’s pretty much compulsory to blow up some, if not most, of these barrels on the higher levels. As I mentioned before, use your MG for the first 10 or so, then switch to the shells for the next 10. I don’t believe you gain any reward for destroying them all. An important advantage of actually failing a lot is that you learn where everything is, so the more you retry the more you understand the course and its obstacles. Keep at it and it will come. v. >>> MEDUSPLOSION <<< + + + Be a hero! Pave the way for that ambulance and ensure it arrives at its destination safely. Rewards: $1.0M Level 1 – Armoured Tiger MLRS (Shop: CA) Level 2 – Cluster Bomb (Shop: CA) Level 3 – Iron Dove Heavy AA (Shop: CA) + + + Enter armoured vehicle – Self-explanatory. Rendezvous with ambulance – There is a cunning shortcut you can make by just going behind Cumana’s buildings and heading straight for the marker, the terrain is more or less fine and it’s just a neat way of saving time. Make sure the ambulance arrives within time limit – If you didn’t take my shortcut for some strange reason, then check that you have at least 3 minutes here otherwise the mission’s a dud. Nearby every AN obstacle on the path is a mine which can be detonated by shooting at it. This can wipe out the infantry nearby, but if there are stragglers then just blast them. An important note to make is that if you move along the path to quickly, you’ll fail the mission, so you need to stick by the ambulance the whole time. You’ll eventually come to an AN APC which takes a LONG time to destroy using your vehicle, so I would just get out and hijack this new APC (ensuring the first vehicle is not blocking the ambo’s path) and using it for the rest of the contract. Let the ambulance enter the camp and it’s mission accomplished. Destruction + compassion + a million bucks in under four minutes = best side mission ever. vi. >>> VERIFY HVTS (0/10) <<< + + + There are a number of important VZ and Allied targets the Chinese want dead or alive. Rewards: 1 target - $1.0M - Combat Air Patrol (Shop: CA) 2 targets - $1.2M 3 targets - $1.5M - Cluster Bomb (x2) 4 targets - $2.0M 5 targets - $2.5M - Strategic Missile Strike (Shop: CA) 6 targets - $3.0M 7 targets - $4.0M 8 targets - $5.0M - Warsong Attack Helicopter (x1) 9 targets - $7.0M 10 targets - $10.0M - Laser Guided Bomb (Shop: CA) + + + The welcome increase in financial compensation is matched by a difficulty spike that can make you throw your controller at the TV if you’re trying to reach that coveted ‘alive’ bounty status. It is important you are stocked up on the essentials (RPG, C4, airstrikes, tanks, etc.) before each HVT, and remember to save after each successful verification. Good luck, soldier! ***YET TO BE COMPLETED*** vii. >>> DESTROY TARGETS (0/8) <<< + + + Help the Chinese disrupt the Allied power grab by destroying their oil rig and their encampments. Recommendations: 3 x Fuel-Air Bomb (Sold by: CA) Rewards: 1 target – 12.7mm Anti-Material Rifle Kit (Shop: CA) 3 targets – Iron Dove Jammer (Shop: CA) 5 targets – Leaping Fox GL (Shop: CA) - Surgical Strike (Shop: CA) 8 targets – Iron Mountain Heavy Tank (Shop: CA) + + + * Caracas Estates – There are three mansions here as designated targets, so head of the posh side of town and paint it red. These places are well- fortified, so hijack or call in an AN tank and let loose. There are so many fuel tanks and munition crates here it’s not even funny! Actually, I lie. I was cackling with glee! * Caracas – The recommended Fuel-Air Bombs are good here, as are any medium-scale airstrikes. Use a disguise to sneak past the heavy defences and call in the big guns. Make sure you run like hell, though. It may not be courageous, but you’re a mercenary, goddamn it! * Oil rig – Surprisingly, this is the easiest target out of the entire set. Grab a heli (make sure it has rockets or some heavy ordinance) and head out for the structure. The platform is littered with fuel tanks (not the normal kind, they are disguised, but just open fire anywhere...) which will hopefully set off a chain reaction which eventually blows the whole rig sky high. Don’t even worry about AA, they’ll go down as soon as the SAM hits the fan! viii. >>> STANDING BOUNTIES <<< + + + The Chinese are offering a standing reward for the destruction of Allied assets. Rewards: 3 targets – Dragon Lance Light Tank (x1) 10 targets – Strategic Missile Strike (x2) 25 targets – Locust Assault Helicopter (Shop: CA) 50 targets – Warsong Attack Helicopter (Shop: CA) + + + I feel sorry for you if you didn’t get this without actively trying... to quote The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, “Deception, disgrace, he asked for trouble the moment he came”... not much relevance to this, but in the time you took to read it you could’ve got this. You didn’t? *hangs head in shame* -------------------------[[[ 6. ALLIED NATIONS ]]]-------------------------- /// a. Main Missions \\\ i. >>> MISSILE COMMANDO <<< ii. >>> LOST AND FOUND <<< iii. >>> BATTLE FOR CARACAS VS. CHINA <<< /// b. Side Missions \\\ i. >>> SOUTHERN CARACAS OUTPOST <<< + + + It’s good to see that you’re interested in helping the Allied effort here in Venezuela. We’ve got some big operations you could help out with but first we need to test your capabilities. There is a VZ outpost in Southern Caracas – help us take it over and we’ll be in business. Rewards: $1.0M Anti-Tank Missile (Shop: AN) .50cal Anti-Material Rifle Kit (Shop: AN) Laser Guided Bomb (Shop: AN) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: AN) Carpet Bomb (x2) Guardian Artillery (x1) Jordan Smith – Southern Caracas Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost - General Welch has asked you to take over an outpost so that negotiations with you and the AN can begin. The AN is a great faction for providing some incredible airstrikes, as highlighted in the contract’s rewards, so let’s get cracking! Get a VZ disguise and head straight for the tank in the middle of the compound. Hijack it and immediately turn your attention to the alarms. There are multiple bunkers here in a cramped space, so if they are alerted then it will be hard to manoeuvre yourself out of danger. It’s important you clear out both entrances and when the coast is clear then you can call in the two sets of Coalition Assault Squads necessary to fully take over the outpost. ii. >>> PORT OF CARACAS OUTPOST <<< + + + The Allies have contracted is to rid the port of Caracas of VZ troops. Capture the outpost at that location and we’ll be in the money! Rewards: $1.0M Guardian Artillery (Shop: AN) Anti-Air Kit (Shop: AN) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: AN) Statesman IFV (x1) Sergeant Patterson – Port of Caracas Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost – This is actually a tough one, so be patient. Head for the port up north, and when you reach the compound there are two routes you can take, depending on whether you want the hard work done first or last. Heading straight into the compound means you’ll be bombarded by fire everywhere you look, but you can take over the nearby SAM to blast away close opposition until you’re destroyed by RPGs. After this you can C4 the bunkers surrounding you and then hijack the tank over the far side to further dominate the proceedings (making sure to get the RRs first). When the coast seems clear, you’ll have to head down to where all the crates are and pick off the one or two troops here and you’ll be done. On the other hand, you can creep your way around and take out these first few soldiers and get the tank first. This is difficult but it’s possible to get rid of the bunkers and SAMs fairly quickly using tank shells. It’s basically a question of whether you wanna be under fire on foot or in a vehicle, but I normally take the ‘SAM first, tank last’ route. It’s up to you, but just make sure that the fuel tank next to the outpost doesn’t explode, otherwise it’s game over. Call in reinforcements and capture the outpost when ready. iii. >>> SOUTHEASTERN CARACAS OUTPOST <<< + + + Another day, another outpost! You know the drill: get those VZ units out of that outpost and the Allies will be able to provide us with some cool new toys. Rewards: $1.0M Statesman IFV (Shop: AN) Guardian AT (Shop: AN) PMC Fuel Storage Upgrade (Shop: AN) Sergeant Lo – Southeastern Caracas Outpost contact + + + Capture outpost – Depending on the order you play, this will probably be your last outpost contract, and they go out with a bang! The important thing is to nab the tank at the gates and destroy the jammer, Recoilless Rifles and alarm at the east side of the compound as quickly as possible. It’s a big ask but taking out those three things will keep you focused on the helicopter which you will need to hijack when it comes into the battle about a minute in. AA soldiers will try to bring you down, but they are all pretty much on rooftops so just sweep the area with your gatling gun repeatedly. Don’t be afraid to get rid of the fuel tanks nearby each of the buildings, but be careful you don’t shoot the ones close to the outpost. When you land, C4 the heli to ensure no leftover troops get inside and cause even more frustration. Call in the Assault Squad and all AN outpost missions (and possibly all in the game) will be completed! Job well done! iv. >>> GIVE IT A WHIRL <<< + + + The Allies want to see what kind of sky-jockey you are. Show them what you can do while piloting their surplus helicopter and they’ll pay you if you can make it through their course in time. Rewards: $1.0M Level 1 – Anti-Tank Messenger (Shop: AN) Level 2 – Cluster Bomb (Shop: AN) Level 3 – Ambassador Gunship (Shop: AN) + + + Pilot Rogue Transport – If you’re still a little wonky and wayward in a whirlybird, then don’t attempt the contract. You’ll need to be able to fly a chopper confidently in order to emerge unscathed. Race to the checkpoint (0/23) – You get less time on each level, as always. Right off the bat you’ve got a tight squeeze through two buildings. The game has made sure that your wingspan is only a little shorter than the distance you get in some of these checkpoints, so coming at them from the wrong direction or too fast can get you into a world of hurt. There are two checkpoints situated under the freeway, and these can be especially harrowing. It’s important to know that if you HAVE the time, then TAKE your time. This is harder in Level 3, but there’s no use crashing into every obstacle when you’ve got forty seconds up your sleeve. Another tip is that unlike other races, you have to factor in vertical direction as well as horizontal into the course. There are some sharp drops and climbs here, including one especially wickedlyhigh checkpoint as you race through the Caracas side streets the second time around. Apart from that, just know your lines and gun it, and have fun, especially with that thumping music in the background! You get to keep the heli after the race, but it’s unarmed so don’t go jumping for joy... I know, I’m a party-pooper. v. >>> VERIFY HVTS (0/10) <<< + + + Chinese and VZ leaders are making their moves and the Allies want these targets dead or alive. Rewards: 1 target - $1.0M - Messenger .50cal (Shop: AN) - Bombing Run (Shop: AN) 2 targets - $1.2M 3 targets - $1.5M - Surgical Strike (Shop: AN) 4 targets - $2.0M 5 targets - $2.5M - Liberator (Shop: AN) 6 targets - $3.0M 7 targets - $4.0M 8 targets - $5.0M - Guardian APC (Shop: AN) 9 targets - $7.0M 10 targets - $10.0M - MOAB (Shop: AN) + + + These guys means serious business... just look at those rewards! A MOAB! But with great power comes great responsibility, my fancy way of saying that these HVTs are damn difficult! Many of these guys follow a pattern so read closely and hopefully you’ll nab him! ***YET TO BE COMPLETED*** vii. >>> DESTROY TARGETS (0/24) <<< ***YET TO BE COMPLETED*** viii. >>> STANDING BOUNTIES <<< + + + The Allies are offering a standing reward for the destruction of Chinese assets. Rewards: 3 targets – Guardian 25mm (Shop: AN) 10 targets – Daisy Cutter (Shop: AN) - Cruise Missile Strike (x2) 25 targets – Guardian Jammer (Shop: AN) 50 targets – Carpet Bomb (Shop: AN) + + + You better be reading this just to remember what you won for getting this. Remember, when you got this by just doing the contracts and stuff? That’s what I thought. And on that bombshell (possible quite literally), this is the end of the main walkthrough. I hope you have found some value in it (I know I have. Replaying the game has often seen me check my own guide!!), and have enjoyed reading it. Now onto some sections that entail me reviewing stuff. YAY!! ============================================================================= ============================= VII) STOCKPILE ================================ ============================================================================= * THE STOCKPILE SECTION HAS NOT YET BEEN COMPLETED * ============================================================================= ========================== VIII) MISCELLANEOUS ============================== ============================================================================= --------------------------[[[ 1. SPARE PARTS ]]]----------------------------- ---------------------------[[[ 2. SOUNDTRACK ]]]----------------------------- I love this game’s soundtrack, so I felt I should devote an entire section to it. Many people aren’t really going to care about this section, but for those who appreciate Chris Tilton’s magnificent sequel soundtrack, then you’ll stick around for my review of each individual song on the album. Maybe I can convert a few new music enthusiasts! Hopefully I didn’t sound to Jehovah’s Witness there... kidding! -----------------------------[[[ 3. TROPHIES ]]]----------------------------- ============================================================================= =============================== IX) END NOTE ================================ ============================================================================= This is just a quick shout-out to a few people/companies who made this guide possible. Big thanks to: * My family, who were very patient with me when I would be on the computer for hours, continually asking them to check, check again and recheck my work. * Pandemic Studios who made this great game and started a fantastic franchise. Don’t listen to the haters! * Mercs 2 community board, which helped me out in many a jam or pickle! Why are problems always named after food? * To anyone who contributed strategies and tips for this guide. It really does mean you care. You DO care, right? * GameFAQs and Gamespot. Keep doing what you do... whatever it is! Seriously though, thanks for all the gaming goodness you’ve given me. * As always, my buddies on the R&C forums. Some of them may have left us behind, but those who remain have filled the void respectively. * Of course, YOU! That sounded too Soulja Boy for my liking. Anyway, thanks very much for reading this guide and I hope you have found it interesting, detailed and funny. No-one likes looking at a slab of text without a sense of humour! Once again, if you have any suggestions or errors you’d like to clear up for me, contact me on insomniac_dog@hotmail.com or add me on PSN and we’ll talk. Until then, see you on my next guide! Cheers, Insomniac_dog