| Mission index (for /m param): | 015 |
| City name on PC: | Beijing |
| Map and level files (PC): | map032.mad, c032l002.dat, |
| PC Campaign: | Church of N. Ep. mail 16 |
| Citydrop code name: | Rain Of Terror |
| First objective: | Assassinate hacker |
May faith be with you.
Seek and obliterate a dangerous, meddling hacker who hides among the Unguided, for he has gained
control of a strategic weapons satellite above Beijing.
An outcast hacker with access to UTOPIA satellite defences is bringing steel rain from heaven where
and whenever he chooses. He must be stopped. He must be found and eliminated.
Be wary, Disciple. Beijing is a faithless place, ridden with the Unguided, who see only through the sights of their
guns.
Go with spirit.
Virgil
He who lives in the eye of the storm is a mote in the eye of an angry god.
- The Book of Cataclysm.
This mission is the first one where the enemies present a real challenge.
The Unguided are better armed, more numerous, and better co-ordinated here than in previous missions. Many carry launchers and are a real threat to even heavily modified agents. I suppose Automedikits begin to be useful here, but I didn't have them researched yet, so don't despair.
You'll be greeted by a single Unguided with a launcher at the start. Kill him. I like to position my zealots on the ramp just outside the IML link for the next bit, or sometimes on the flat ground just to the north. There they are in firing range of the flying car that is doing circuits - sometimes it will come at you, if it does, kill it with launchers. Otherwise you will be attacked by bikes which drop off pairs of Unguided. Once you've killed four or five they stop coming.
Right, time to take the offensive. Start by shooting down the Unguided opposite the IML Link from across the street - they probably won't be any real threat to you, but why take the chance? Now head towards the bank, again taking the Unguided down with LR Rifles before they get in threat range.
There's a trap at the bank (there's also an Unguided stuck in one of the walls, he's no real threat but will drop an explosive if you really need another way to level the bank), but it isn't exactly very clever. When you approach the front side with an agent a couple of KO gas traps will be thrown out. Run away, wait for them to expire, blow the bank up (use launchers - you can sell any remaining HE at this point), grab the cash. Kill anyone who comes after you but the response is likely to be weak.
Remaining now are the Unguided in the middle compound and on the far side from the IML link. They don't support each other so do them in any order, but the ones on the far side are much easier - there's not many of them and they're strung out, so easy to take down with rifles.
The middle is somewhat harder.
There's a pair of flying cars and several ground troops. The best thing is to try and catch the attention of either the flying car nearest to you (probably the one doing the patrol on the bank side of the compound) or some of the ground units by hitting them with rifles from outside or as far away as possible - you don't ideally want to fight both at once. The car will go down to launchers and the troops to accurate LR Rifle fire but both at once have enough firepower to be a problem. You can take cover from flying cars in nearby buildings if necessary.
Once the first car is down, take out the remaining ground forces, then go to the open square to shoot down the second flying car with launchers - it's easiest to wait until it attacks you, since then it won't be dodging and you'll get a solid hit in. Almost all the Unguided on the map should now be dead save those at the top of the map near your objective. Advance through the central compound towards them and shoot the guards at the ramp, dealing with anyone who comes to support them. Now, when you go up the ramp the building to your right will explode. Solution: blow it up with launchers first. Similarly, I recommend launchering the building your target is in. It won't kill him, but he can at least then be shot with long range rifles.
Before you do, though, prepare for a quick escape.
A large Unguided force will spawn around you the moment he hits the ground. I recommend activating supershields and retreating - they'll chase of course, but at range we can use our LR Rifles and take them down one by one. In a close-range melee the Unguided are much more dangerous.
Another reason to retreat is that if you've penetrated this area too far you're about to trigger a prolonged barrage of Satellite Rain. Even if you didn't trigger it, though you're going back to do so, because the hacker dropped a Satellite Rain when he died and we want that. So, head in, wait until you hear the Satellite Rain trigger noise, run away, and come back when it's all over.
Make your way back to the IML link; now we're done.
Prophecy transcript
Resolution uncertainty: Very low
New research: Stasis Field (always)
New weapons: Satellite Rain
Possible loot: 1500k cr
Mission peculiarity: Can be failed
There is a lot of Unguided on this level. They have 6 hoverbikes, 4 flying cars and loads of ground troops. You have to be really careful to complete this, and you will have to do several repeats.
While getting rid of all the hoverbikes, it may be a good idea to not rely on drugs for shooting. If you do, your 4 shots will be into the hoverbike, and the Unguided who drive it will leave the vehicle soon after. Then you will have to wait for reload, which leaves yo vulnerable.
Stand near enough to the road so that hoverbikes notice you and park. Then run away, ie. into entrance of the former Police Station. There, either enable Red Mist or target the Unguided manually.
The Police Station entrance is also a good place to hide from flying vehicles. After it receives enough Launcher shots, the station may fall - but you should be now modded with everything v3, which would allow you to easily withstand the fall.
When all the vehicles with nearby patrolling routes are no more, start clearing wider area. Watch out for the Bank though - getting near it will trigger its robbing by a single Unguided.
Trigger the robbing when you're ready, by running towards the Unguided who tries to blend into the bank wall. He will leave two High Explosives, then run. Wait until he leaves both, then pick up bombs, and escape in the same direction he did - the bank has another explosion scipted inside, so it crumbles even without the bombs exploding. Then snipe the Unguided robber before he picks up the suitcase. There's only one suitcase this time, though worth 1,500,000 credits.
Gradually clear the level of all Unguided, then turn your eyes towards the sector where target hacker is. When you go up the ramp, one of the buildings will explode. Make sure you have full health when you do that, you may also go with one agent only - up the ramp, then quickly back down.
That exploding building was not everything, unfortunately. There will be a serious ambush after the hacker is dead, with several Satellite Rains being activated throughout the city. But there is a safe spot - the Zealot church. So the best approach is: get 3 acolytes to the church, and go near the hacker building with fourth one. But do not just kill the hacker - you need time to escape. So arm High Explosive near the building, and escape to your team at the church.
After the hacker is dead, some recently spawned Unguided will go towards you. You will easily snipe them from within church compound.
When all is silent again, go to evac point. You did it!
Tech ex machina
It is unknown whether there is a way to acquire Satellite Rain on this level.
This mission can be failed without consequences. It disappears after it's failed.
You were blessed by this premonition from Beijing episkopy, please do not reply.
⨁ Start point
⨁ Unguided
｜⨁ Unguided bank robber trigger and location
⨁ Zealots near church
⨁ Bank
⨁ Abandoned Police Station
⨁ Unguided hacker
⨁ Building which explodes on reaching top of the ramp