Mission 13: Cheyenne Mountain
Welcome to Cheyenne Mountain, a pivotal mission where your strategic prowess will be tested against a new, formidable enemy. This guide will help you navigate the complex facility, neutralize threats, and secure vital objectives.
Mission Briefing & Preparation
Before deploying, ensure your squad is optimally equipped. You'll be facing a new type of enemy, so energy weapons are highly recommended. Consider bringing:
- Energy Weapons: Plasma Rifles, Laser Rifles, and Gatling Lasers are excellent choices.
- Heavy Weapons: A well-placed Rocket Launcher or Grenade Launcher can clear groups of enemies.
- Medkits & Super Stimpaks: Expect heavy resistance and sustained firefights.
- Tools & Lockpicks: While not strictly necessary for progression, they can open up alternative paths or hidden stashes.
Focus on a balanced squad composition: a heavy weapons specialist, a skilled energy weapon user, a medic, and a scout with high perception and stealth can be invaluable.
Entering the Facility
You begin at the entrance to Cheyenne Mountain. The initial area is relatively clear, but patrols are frequent. Move cautiously.
- Initial Engagement: As you approach the main entrance, you'll encounter a small group of new enemies. These foes are resilient and often carry advanced weaponry. Prioritize targets that pose the most immediate threat.
- Securing the Entrance: Clear the immediate vicinity of the entrance. There may be some minor loot in nearby crates or lockers.
Navigating the Main Corridors
The facility is a maze of corridors and interconnected rooms. Keep your squad together and advance slowly, using cover effectively.
- Patrolling Enemies: Expect regular patrols throughout the main corridors. Use your scout to identify enemy positions before engaging. Ambush tactics can be highly effective here.
- Automated Defenses: Be wary of automated turrets. They are often placed in strategic choke points. A well-aimed shot from a heavy weapon or a concentrated burst from energy weapons can disable them quickly.
- Side Rooms: Explore side rooms for potential supplies. Look for lockers, desks, and storage containers. You might find ammunition, stimpaks, or even new weapons.
Objective: Disable the Security System
Your primary objective is to disable the facility's security system, which is located in the central control room.
- Locating the Control Room: The control room is typically situated in the central section of the map. Follow the main corridors, and look for signs or maps on the walls (though these can be damaged).
- Breaching the Control Room: The control room is heavily guarded. Expect a concentrated force of enemies and potentially more automated turrets. Use grenades or rocket launchers to soften up the defenses before entering.
- Interacting with the Console: Once inside, locate the main security console. A character with high Science or Repair skill can interact with it to disable the security system. If no such character is available, you might need to find a keycard or a specific terminal elsewhere.
Objective: Access the Lower Levels
After disabling the security system, you'll need to find the access point to the lower levels of Cheyenne Mountain.
- Elevator or Stairwell: The access point is usually an elevator or a reinforced stairwell. It will typically be marked on your map once the security system is down, or you might receive a radio update.
- Final Resistance: Expect a final wave of resistance guarding the access point. These enemies may be tougher than previous encounters.
Key Items and Locations
- Security Console: Central Control Room. Required for disabling security.
- Medical Bay: Often contains Medkits, Super Stimpaks, and occasionally a Doctor's Bag.
- Armory: If found, can yield valuable ammunition, armor, and advanced weapons.
- Storage Lockers: Scattered throughout the facility, providing various supplies.
Tactical Tips for Cheyenne Mountain
- Stealth & Ambushes: Use stealth to get the drop on patrols. A well-placed ambush can conserve health and ammunition.
- Cover is Key: Always utilize cover during firefights. The new enemies hit hard.
- Focus Fire: Concentrate your squad's fire on one enemy at a time to quickly neutralize threats.
- Explosives: Grenades and rockets are highly effective against groups of enemies or entrenched positions.
- Energy Weapon Advantage: The new enemy types often have high damage resistance against conventional firearms, making energy weapons a superior choice.
Good luck, soldier. Cheyenne Mountain is a tough nut to crack, but with careful planning and execution, victory will be yours.