And now a dissertation on enemies to be faced in the game. No new enemies this time, aside from the fact that depending on how you play (see Mission Structure, on the previous page), you could end up fighting other Silencers(!).
Guards (Security Cartel)
Guard (WEC, Conscript): With low morale and little training that had any impact, conscripted guards are the weakest enemies the Resistance faces. However, even conscripted guards in important enough territories have been given upgrading, recently?better armored and armed (with an RP-32) than before, they have a boosted sense of morale, and are nearly as effective as volunteers would be. In backwater regions, though, they are still armed with the standard BA-41 pistol.
Guard (WEC, Volunteer): There are a few young men and women who believe enough in the WEC to volunteer for service. Only a few of these are so inept as to be assigned to guard duty. These guards are almost always armed with RP-32s (if not, they carry PA-21s) and are slightly tougher and more dangerous than their conscripted fellows. In recent months, they have begun an upgrade in training and equipment to more reflect their LMC compatriots.
Guard (LMC): LMC guards are always volunteers. Given their more hostile work environment, they are better trained, better equipped, and better armed than earth-based guards--in a way, they are the prototype for the new breed of WEC guard. Standard equipment for all LMC guards includes an RP-32 and medium body armor. Veterans or guards in sensitive areas often choose an SG-A1 or even a PA-31, or more rarely are given the GL-303 and trained as grenadiers. After the destruction of Darkside Base, there are few LMC guards left, save those that were trained on Earth and hadn?t been shipped up to the moon yet.
Training: Guards are given basic training and some tips in place of full squad tactics. They are taught enough to use medikits in an emergency?however, in order to save on medical supplies, the WEC overstates the potential side effects of medikits to guards, so they will be more reluctant to use them.
Tactics: The primary strength of guards is that they are rarely alone and work in squads. However, they aren?t very well trained to work together, and so are only marginally more deadly than if they were simply thrown together and told to shoot everything that moves. Volunteer and LMC guards will duck behind cover and are capable of limited dives and rolls.
Soldiers (Military Operations)
Soldier: Soldiers are the grunts of MilOps. They are to MilOps as guards are to SecCart. However, soldiers are more fanatical about the WEC?s agenda than any guard. Soldiers are rarely, if ever, conscripted, and those are put into an intense indoctrination school?and no soldier is more fanatical than the indoctrinated conscript. They are armed mainly with BA-41 pistols, though some who have survived for a few years are granted an RP-32 or SG-A1. They are not very smart, but are still dangerous due to their fanatical outlook. Many will take the BA-41 from a fallen comrade and use it simultaneously with their own. Though they technically fall under MilOps? jurisdiction, sometimes MilOps will trade soldiers (especially veterans) to SecCart for favors, such as increased security at certain facilities. Soldiers who survive the first five-year term of service are immediately promoted, because in order to survive they have become smarter, more vicious, or have a lot of luck.
Vet Soldiers: These are the soldiers who know how to survive?the most cunning, the most vicious, or the most lucky. They often carry an RP-32 or SG-41, increasing their lethality.
Training: Soldiers often simply go through basic training, are given a weapon, and are told to go kill Rebels. They are generally too confident or too stupid to use medikits.
Tactics: The greatest strength of most soldiers is their stupidity. They will charge into battle with little thought for their own safety, making them a frightening opponent. The greatest weakness of soldiers is their stupidity. They will charge into battle with little thought for their own safety, making them easy to deal with from a distance. They also tend to overuse ammunition in wild burst fire. Vet soldiers, though, are truly dangerous?they?ve had a lot of time and experience to learn from their mistakes, so their only real weakness is that their equipment and training is no match for a Silencer?s (or other more competent troopers).
Stormtroopers (Special Forces)
Standard Stormtrooper duties are defense of WEC administrative buildings; they rarely take part in strike missions. On Darkside Base, they occasionally patrolled the mines. In response to repeated penetration by the Resistance, the WEC has increased the number of Stormtroopers assigned to guard facilities. Now, Stormtroopers are often found in groups of 2 or 3, instead of carrying out lone patrols through the complex.
Stormtroopers: Looking sinister in black armor, stormtroopers are usually drawn from the ranks of the smartest, toughest veteran guards, though sometimes they are the most promising recruits from MilOps and SecCart academies, or the most dangerous soldiers who have survived the five-year term of service. They are much more highly trained in combat than their lessers, and are equipped with limited NBC gear and heavy armor. Nowadays, stormtroopers are rarely found alone, usually patrolling in groups of two or three?and unlike guards, they are trained in squad tactics. They are generally issued an SG-A1 or PA-31 (some, chosen for long range support, take a GL-303 or MAG-3).
Elite Stormtroopers: Only soldiers with outstanding service records and an ongoing record of loyalty are elected to serve with the Elite Stormtroopers. Elite Stormtroopers are extremely strong contenders in battle. Like Stormtroopers, they are devoted to protecting their assigned territory at any cost. However, their armor has been upgraded from the standard Stormtrooper armor to a type that defends against projectile and some energy attacks better than standard GyroPlex armor does. With better NBC protection, more freedom to choose weaponry, and either years more experience or a good helping of natural talent, the elite stormtroopers are a full step above stormtroopers. They can be found leading squads of their lesser brethren, or?less commonly and more terrifyingly?part of a squad of their fellows, or even functioning as support for their betters. Their spread of weapons has been expanded to include the PL-1.
Training: The standard stormtrooper is over 30, and has been with the WEC for over a decade. To become a stormtrooper, applicants are shipped off to an isolated training facility and undergo a rigorous six-month orientation. The top ten trainees in each of these classes are automatically promoted to the elite stormtroopers.
Tactics: Aside from their basic training and years of experience, stormtroopers have been taught squad tactics, weapon repair, and marksmanship. Elite stormtroopers are even worse, knowing how to deal with spider bombs, minefields, and on occasion snipers. However, most stormtroopers, including the elite, will be confounded by spider mines, disrupters, and other highly advanced weaponry.
Enforcers (Special Forces)
Enforcers represent the WEC's most treasured fighters, helping to protect precious physical and personnel assets. Every soldier reaching enforcer status represents five years of intensive training and millions of credits' worth of equipment, so every one slain or lost to the Resistance is a measurable blow to the Consortium. Applicants who wish to gain enforcer status must receive five unsolicited recommendations from their superiors.
Second only to Silencers and the small force of HQ elite guard in sheer deadliness, enforcers are still occasionally considered disposable by the WEC in cases where sensitive intelligence might be compromised. Typically, however, they achieve their mission objectives without difficulty. Most recognizable by their stern disposition and remarkable weapons, they are under strict orders to fight to the death and to avoid capture at any cost. This makes for a deadly disposition, and no Enforcers have ever been detained by the Resistance. In addition, no enforcer has ever defected, nor is it likely any ever will. Enforcers often carry out lone patrols, although they are occasionally sent out for group expeditions. In either case, they are extremely deadly and allow very few security breaches. Enforcers can either be assigned to MilOps or SecCart. Those Enforcers assigned to MilOps are often relied upon to spearhead Consortium attacks on Resistance bases. Enforcers essentially run SecCart, though they are technically Special Forces.
Training: Enforcers must attain 99th percentile scores on the annual marksmanship exams. Those that are chosen undergo five years of rigorous training in the IEPU (Isolated Enforcer Preparation Unit) and are not allowed to have marriage contracts or any contact with the outside civilian world.
Tactics: Enforcers are equipped with deadly weapons, and Enforcers are deadly shots that rarely miss a target. Skilled soldiers with good agility can deal with one in a one-on-one firefight, but it is more advisable to use cover, even when dealing with a single enforcer. The heavy armor worn by enforcers makes it difficult to kill them before they shoot back, unless you can sneak up on them and attack quickly at close range. Enforcers carry the devastating UV-9 Pulsar, but occasionally select to use a GL-303 grenade launcher instead. Both are extremely deadly, so it does not really matter which they select. If you run into more than two enforcers, look for some type of indestructible cover, or retreat temporarily, because their weapons will demolish any cover that can be blown apart, leaving you exposed. Enforcers have a penchant for working alone, and rarely call for reinforcements; despite this, they are well-versed in squad tactics and their dangerousness increases geometrically with each additional enforcer on the scene. The smartest enforcers can deal with spider mines and detect disrupters.
Headquarters Elite Guard (SecCart)
While relatively small in number, the HQ Elite Guard are second in deadliness only to Silencers. Because they are so few in number, they generally guard only sensitive facilities and VIPs. If the loss of a facility (such as SecCart headquarters) or person (such as President Gauthier) would be devastating to the Consortium, they are generally protected by the HQ Elite. They have heavy body armor, though oddly enough their uniform does not include a full helmet. It does include a visor and either ear protection or comm gear; this is likely so that they do not lose peripheral vision or fine auditory range. They almost always choose big, powerful weapons, though none use the FR-1 or LNR-81 for safety reasons. HQ elite guards are believed to be even less likely than enforcers to turn traitor, and none of their number have yet.
Training: HQ Elite Guard are skilled, cunning, and highly-trained veterans, drawn from the best of SecCart and the Special Forces, and are required to re-attend training when only half of the enlistment period has passed.
Tactics: Only the most advanced, newest, or most innovative techniques will defeat a member of the HQ elite; basic tactics simply do not work. Cocky as they are, the HQ elite, unlike enforcers, are not too proud to work in teams, usually patrolling in teams of two, three, or even more. Only a few will be found alone, and these will call for reinforcements even if they perceive a minor threat. The HQ elite sometimes work in tandem with enforcers when defending critical facilities.
Silencers (Independent)
Mobile weapons platform. Killing machine. One-man army. These could all be considered synonyms for Silencer, save that they fall short of the mark. They are far more nimble than any assault vehicle. They can do far more than just kill, and are too inventive to be machines. And they are much stealthier than an entire army. In essence, Silencers are the next best thing to the perfect soldier. They are free to choose any weapons or equipment they believe they will need before a mission, and even unarmed are deadly foes. As well, they are usually free to make use of whatever other soldiers accompany them however they see fit. Strangely, though much of their training is aimed towards making Silencers less independent, their freedom to choose or even develop mission strategies, the ability to select any needed equipment, and to sometimes handpick accompanying forces has led to a somewhat independent temperament.
Training: Silencers, instead of being enlisted, are identified in adolescence through the aptitude exams citizens take during those years. If they score within a certain range (which is currently unknown), they are taken away and all emotional stimuli from their previous life are avoided. They are trained in survival, interrogation techniques, advanced squad tactics, strategy and planning, and the martial arts, and are masters with nearly all types of weaponry. With small-scale tactics, they are geniuses, and sometimes seem to dance their way through a crowd of enemies. Silencers cannot retire; at 40, they leave the front lines to enter the training facility as instructors. In return for such devoted service, Silencers are given an unlimited supply of credits.
Tactics: A Silencer?s military training is so advanced that he is prepared for virtually any situation, and his equipment makes him practically invulnerable. Their armor plating is enough to stop several shots from a standard projectile weapon outright, and because of the shields they so often possess, they are often nigh-indestructible when it comes to small arms. Against Silencers, nothing short of sheer numbers and firepower will consistently prevail. A lone Silencer, properly equipped and with advance warning, is enough to take on an entire platoon of conventional troops
Perhaps the only way to consistently stop a Silencer cold is through use of explosives. Enough mines, grenades or rockets can penetrate any shield type, and will severely cripple any soldier, no matter how advanced his equipment is. Silencers are agile and intelligent enough to avoid almost any traps laid out for them, and have no vulnerabilities short of sheer firepower. In addition, horrifying enough as one Silencer is, they tend to work in groups of three.
Ideas and storylines are always great 