Sticky Situations

Part of the subtle glory of Mercenaries™ is its innate unpredictability. You never know what's going to happen or how it's going to go down.

For example, after finishing an exhausting battle the other day, I took a look around and realized that I was out in BFE. I like hiking, but I wasn't about to spend my time trotting back to civilization to snag a vehicle, so I paid $43,000 to get a Humvee dropped on my location.

I watched as the helicopter dropped in, but just before it dropped the beautiful orange hummer on my location, a North Korean jeep came careening down the hilltop, stopping just short of me in the middle of the signal grenade smoke. The chopper pilot, either by random chance or keen tactics, dropped the Humvee right on top of the idling jeep, crushing it and the two troops it carried.

It was a freak coincidence, but it was awesome to behold.

Just relaxing.

While Mercenaries is unpredictable at its core, there are a few situations you'll likely find yourself in on more than one occasion. Lucky for you, we've got a list of tips on how to handle such challenges.

Lone Wolf no Longer
You'll frequently find yourself storming an enemy location all by your lonesome. In the beginning stages of the game, this won't be a real issue, but as the game ratchets up the difficult, you'll need some more help.

Try honking your horn while you're stationary in a vehicle. Any nearby allies will heed your honking call and join you in the vehicle. Then, when you plow behind enemy lines and jump out to take 'em on, you'll have a couple buddies by your side.

Pesky Tunnels
Scattered throughout the map are small tunnel entrances (they look like little concrete huts). They may look innocuous, but they're purpose is to continually spawn enemies. As long as a tunnel entrance is standing, enemies will continue to pour out of it.

Try calling in a surgical stroke to bring them down. Collapsed tunnels will make your lot in life much easier.

Ijust love to blow stuff up.

Supplies on Top of Supplies
Individual missions can require a variety of tactical options. Trouble is, you'll often find yourself without the proper weapons or equipment.

Don't be afraid to call in multiple supply drops during a single mission. They're cheap and effective. For example, when you find yourself on high ground looking down at an enemy encampment, go ahead and call in a sniper supply drop, so you can pick off your enemies from a distance.

Banged-Up Ride?
Calling in vehicles can get spendy real quick. If you've been traveling around in your favorite vehicle, but it's all banged up, try accepting a contract from a faction.

Once you accept the contract, you'll find your vehicle parked outside the factions headquarters with 100-percent health.

Open Up!
Certain gates only open for certain faction vehicles. Be aware of the faction area you're in—whether it’s a North Korean base, Chinese-controlled airport, or what have you. That way, you can simply nab a vehicle of the appropriate faction and watch the gate slide open before you.

Does this posture make me look tough?

Damage from the Deck of 52
If you're hunting a member of the Deck of 52, and you kill him, you'll only receive half of the appointed bounty. That's no good. Trouble is, these wanted criminals will shoot you as you approach, but you can't shoot them without risking a kill.

The solution? Trying tossing a flashbang grenade at them (don't get too close to the blast radius yourself, though). When it blows up, you'll see the enemy stunned. Then, you can run up and detain them without getting riddled.

You'll find uses for the aforementioned tips scattered throughout your adventures in Mercenaries. Keep your eyes peeled for other similar situations where you can devise your own tips and strategy. Half of the fun of Mercenaries is finding disparate solutions to common problems.

By Alex McLain