Helmets

Learn about the different types of enemies in Intravenous 2: Mercenarism. Understand their states, levels of expertise, and combat behaviors to better plan your approach.

Alright, let's talk about the folks you'll be running into in Intravenous 2: Mercenarism. These guys, often called Goons, Thugs, Junkies, or Bodyguards, are your main obstacle. They range from low-life junkies to serious muscle for criminals, and they won't hesitate to open fire if they spot you. It's not all just blind rushing, though. These enemies have some pretty complex behaviors you'll want to understand. ### Levels of Expertise First off, not all goons are created equal. They have three levels of experience: "Unxperienced," "Experienced," and "Elite." While you won't see many Elite or Experienced enemies early on, they start showing up more often after you've played through the "Abandonded Warehouse" mission from the first game. You can usually tell their experience level by how they hold their weapons – the less experienced ones might hold them awkwardly, while the more seasoned ones handle them like pros. These expertise levels affect: * Thug's accuracy * Thug's reload speed * Thug's reaction time * Thug's ability to lay down supressive fire ### States of Behavior Goons cycle through different states, and knowing them can help you predict their actions. #### Calm This is their default state, unless the map dictates otherwise. In this state, they might be: * Idling: Just standing around or sitting, not doing much unless disturbed. * Patrolling: Moving between set points, with specific durations and angles for how long they look around at each spot. * Watching cameras: Keeping an eye on security monitors. They'll report anything they see, like dead bodies, other alerted goons, your presence on camera, broken cameras, activated sprinklers, or alarms. They won't react to blood or open doors, though. Pro-tip: While in the Calm state, goons take 3x more damage, so try to engage them when they're not actively looking for trouble. #### Suspicious If something seems a bit off – like a light being turned off, a noise, or a brief glimpse of you – a thug will enter the Suspicious state. They'll investigate the disturbance and might even call nearby goons to join them. If they find nothing, they'll go back to their usual routine. But if the disturbance happens again, they'll move on to the next state. #### Searching This state kicks in after enough minor disturbances, or if they witness a