Ace of Clubs Walkthrough

Throughout the entirety of Mercenaries™, you will be hunting down members of the deck of 52, one suit at a time. You begin the game hunting down the 13 clubs in the deck, ending with Dung Hwangbo, the Ace of Clubs. Most of these 52 missions take place somewhere on the normal map, but the Ace missions involve special environments built specifically for these missions.

The following is a subjective walkthrough of the Ace of Clubs contract (after all, you can beat any mission in a variety of different ways) …

Getting the offer.

At the beginning of the mission, you're dropped off via chopper and meet instant resistance. The first wave of attackers is nothing to be too concerned with, though. At this point, you shouldn't have much trouble wading through them, but be aware that one of 'em is toting a rocket launcher.

Once you've cleared the immediate area, you should see a small base. (It's just to the south of where you're dropped off.) Here you can find some health and ammunition as well as a North Korean jeep (if you haven't blown it up by accident).

Before hopping in the jeep and jetting off to your first objective, check to see if you have the equipment you want. If not, now is the time to order a supply drop. Once you get deeper into the map, your radar will be jammed, making support options unavailable.

First Jammer
Once you're all set, it's time to set off on your first objective. I played through this level a few times, and I found taking care of the far west North Korean Jammer to be the best starting point. It's the easiest of the three primary objectives, and it will lead you toward the secondary (optional) objective of clearing the LZ.

The easiest way to take out this the Jammer is to get in the jeep you found near your drop zone and drive it full speed to the first objective. You should be disguised as a North Korean while in the jeep, so you shouldn't meet with any resistance along the way.

When you pull up along side the Jammer, hop out and plug two rockets into the side. (You'll want to hold off on the Carpet Bombing runs till later.) If you don't have a rocket launcher, take out any immediate threats and plant some C4 on the Jammer.

When you're done, don't bother standing around and fighting. Just get back to the jeep and drive off towards the LZ.

Grab that jeep.

The LZ
Clearing the LZ on the southern tip of the island is not an easy job, but there is a simple process to getting it done quickly.

1. Roll up near the group of North Korean forces (within a 200 to 300 yards, but no closer), and get out of your stolen vehicle.
2. Call down a Carpet Bombing run (you should have four available from the start of the mission) and place the target in the middle of the enemy forces. This should take out three units or so.
3. Call down a sniper rifle supply drop. With half the units already destroyed, you should be able to pick off the rest with the sniper rifle from a distance, without too much danger of being spotted.

Final Two Jammers
You should be able to handle the last two Jammers in a similar fashion as the first one. Use hit-and-run tactics. Drive up near the objective (within 200 yards or so) while disguised in a North Korean vehicle. Hop out and plug two rockets into them (or use C4 if you don't have the rockets).

When the Jammer blows up, get back in your vehicle and drive off. The northern objective can be the most problematic, since you'll need to drive down a narrow path to get there, but you can also go on foot through the foliage, which may be a better bet.

After destroying the northern objective, it's easiest to get away by disappearing into the jungle.

Calling down supplies.

The Finale
Once you've eliminated all three Jammers, you'll find the location of the Ace of Clubs. As it turns out, he's inside the skyscraper tower in the middle of the map.

You'll be granted the use of a Bunker Buster missile to take down the tower. Use it from afar, and Dung Hwangbo will appear outside amidst the rubble. Don't go charging in yet, though.

Try using the following steps to ensure you complete the mission and don't have to retry.

1. Fill up on supplies at any safe and remote area of the island.
2. Go back to the LZ you cleared earlier, and you'll find Allied troops there waiting to help you.
3. You should have access to an armored personnel carrier (APC) vehicle drop. Call down the APC, get in it, and then honk the horn to get the Allied Troops to enter the vehicle.
4. Drive back near Hwangbo's location. You should see an enemy gunship hovering overhead. Call down your own gunship support to deal with the enemy's chopper.
5. Under the cover of your own gunship and your allied troops, rush Hwangbo, cuff him, rush him back to the APC, and throw him inside.
6. Drive to a safe part of the island to call in a chopper to hall you and Hwangbo away from the island.

Case closed! Enjoy the cash you get from this mission because you've earned it. If you follow this walkthrough, you should have an easier time completing the mission, but it will still test every bit of your Mercenaries skill.

Now, get out there and tackle the next suit in the deck of 52. Enjoy!

By Alex McLain