Tactical Considerations from the War Zone

Published September 4, 2008

Learning to shoot, drive, call in airstrikes, and otherwise take advantage of the devastating gameplay mechanics of Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ should come as second nature to most. They're expertly implemented and intuitively mastered.

Kill the gunner first if you want to hijack a tank.

Identifying just how to take advantage of the world around you though, the battlefields, encampments, resources and factions, can take a shade longer. With the following tips and tricks, you should profit (literally) from your time with Mattias, Chris, or Jennifer.

Wager Cash
Whether it's Eva's races, Ewan's winching challenge, or Fiona's target practice ranges, there's a lot of available money to earn for any player willing to wager vast sums at PMC headquarters. However, you'll earn only a pittance in the early stages of the game, so you might want to wait until later to really spend some time with these challenges.

For example, while you can only wager a half-million or so on Ewan's chopper-based challenge early on, you can put five million on the line once you've plowed roughly halfway through the story. Keep checking back with your colleagues as you progress to see whether their betting limits have increased.

Replenished Stock
The vast tankers of fuel, bundles of cash, and munitions scattered throughout the world are not one-time affairs. They replenish over time during play and reappear automatically whenever you load your saved game.

Scan the base for anti-air before you dive in.

Make a note of their locations, especially around the PMC headquarters, so you can stock up easily on whatever resources you need.

Alarm Observations
Whenever an enemy triggers a base's alarm, they set into action a nearby building filled with limitless soldiers, usually wielding rocket or grenade launchers. You'll spot these irksome soldiers leaning out of windows, and while you can kill them, they'll be replaced almost instantly. The only way to eliminate them for good is to demolish the building itself. A single helping of C4 ought to do the trick nicely.

Of course, you can always shoot the soldier before they reach the alarm to keep these troublesome buildings dormant.

However, you can turn these activated buildings to your advantage. For example, if you're fighting against United Petroleum, you should earn $5,000 from the PLAV for every kill, provided you've established a relationship with them. Rotate around one of the alarm buildings and you can score kills and money for as long as you wish.

Shoot the Messenger
Hijacking a High Value Target (HVT) from a faction you want to stay friendly with can be a dicey business. However, if you can keep faction members from blabbing back to headquarters you should be able to maintain a Friendly rating.

When in doubt ...

Keep your eyes trained on your mini-map for any highlighted enemy radioing back to base. Provided you can silence them before the timer runs out, you should be able to maintain your current faction standing.

Faction Repair
If you do find yourself falling out of favor with a faction, you can repair the rift in a couple of different ways. First, you can fork over a bundle of cash in the form of a bribe. Talk to Fiona at PMC headquarters for this tactic, but beware, it will cost you … a lot.

If you've got some time on your hands, you can get busy attacking your chosen faction's archenemy. For example, if you want to curry favor with United Petroleum, start waylaying PLAV camps. Cause enough mayhem with a faction's rival, and you'll earn their respect all over again.

Pickups
You can tag more than one nearby object for Ewan to pick up, and most importantly, he'll collect them all simultaneously. Make sure to tag multiple nearby objects before you call him in to collect resources. This is especially useful after a battle at a large base.

C4 Buildings
Each faction asks that you demolish a number of enemy buildings to further increase favor with the faction, and, of course, earn money. However, razing buildings with artillery strikes and the like can be an expensive business. Try instead to use C4. It won't work on the heavily fortified buildings, but it should do the trick on most, and will save you a bundle in the process.

Don't Skimp
Your leaderboard position may very well be based on your current cash stores, but don't sweat this in the early going. Specifically, don't shy away from spending lavishly on airstrikes and vehicles. These items are so much a part of the fun and strategy of Mercenaries 2 that it would be a disservice to not take advantage of them. Trust me, you'll earn plenty of money in the end game, and in co-op with friends.

The button sequence is the same for the same vehicle every time.

Supply Ammunition
If you're calling in a supply drop to access a new weapon, be sure to pick up the weapon first before grabbing the ammo. If you don't, you'll find your current weapon loaded up with clip after clip of ammunition, and your new weapon reduced to a single cartridge.

Car Shields
Every vehicle has its own unique health rating apart from your own. Most importantly, the moment you enter a vehicle, you're entirely protected from taking personal damage, as long as the vehicle's health survives.

When the screen's pulsing red and your character's voice sounds like someone toggled slo-mo on an 8-track, make a beeline for the nearest vehicle. Take stock of each nearby vehicle's location so you know just where to go when you're in trouble.

The thriving if war-torn world of Venezuela is teeming with subtle opportunities and dangers, but with these tips, you should find easy profit and fewer pitfalls around every turn. Good luck, mercenary!

Article by Ryan Treit