Deception

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For the Greater good ... Mission Description

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Deception is the final mission of ArmA 2's Operation Black Gauntlet campaign.

Diary

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Somehow, we've ended up in this situation - dressed up as goddamned guerillas waiting to strike by the side of the road. This is almost too much for me; I can tell it is for Poet, too. My gut tells me just to retreat to Point Eden, but my head knows that if we do, the investigators are as good as dead - and then we'd have to face Reynolds anyway. I'm not ready to die - we're so close to the end - to my ticket out of here. I know that this is the pragmatic choice - the best decision for the majority of people all around the world, but it's a heavy weight on my mind. Is this what heroes do? Put the needs of others before their own? Am I just being selfish by considering taking any other course of action? It's up to me, in the end. This is my decision, my cross to bear - I have to live with the consequences.

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Overview

The players control ION mercenaries Brian Frost and Henry Asano. Reynolds has accepted the duo's help to fulfil the contract with his mysterious client. Disguised as anti-government militants, they must prevent Dr. Ruce and the UN inspection team from leaving Zargabad with the evidence from OKB-754.

Everything is at stake here; should they fail, the world's economy will be thrown into turmoil...

Roles/classes:

• Brian Frost
  • Specops / Special Machinegunner
• Henry Asano
  • Specops / Special Machinegunner

Default loadouts:

• Brian Frost
  • Primary weapon: PKM (4× magazines)
    • No attachments fitted
  • Secondary weapon: Makarov (4× magazines)
    • No attachments fitted
  • Equipment: Binoculars, RGD-5 (2×), Smoke Grenade (White) (1×), Smoke Grenade (Blue) (1×)
• Henry Asano
  • Primary weapon: PKM (4× magazines)
    • No attachments fitted
  • Secondary weapon: Makarov (4× magazines)
    • No attachments fitted
  • Equipment: Binoculars, RGD-5 (2×), Smoke Grenade (White) (1×), Smoke Grenade (Blue) (1×)

Loadout options:

• Weapons:
  • Stored inside SUV; stashed from previous missions
• Ammunition:
  • Stored inside SUV; stashed from previous missions
• Equipment:
  • Stored inside SUV; stashed from previous missions

Objectives

Primary

• (1) Take IED
• (2) Eliminate Investigators
• (3) Return to Eden

Optional

• (4) Last Stand

Mandatory

• Frost and Asano must survive
• The UN inspectors and their escorts must not be allowed to flee
• Do not attack Reynolds or his men
• Avoid detection and don't get spotted by NATO reinforcements

Walkthrough

Primary 1: Take IED

Collect the IED from the SUV's boot.

Primary 2: Eliminate Investigators

How you silence the inspectors is up to you, but you can plant the IED to blow up the inspection team's SUV, or destroy the lead APC and trap them before gunning down the survivors who get out. Regardless of whichever approach you take, make sure you kill every last one of the UN inspectors.

Do not allow their vehicle or their escorts to flee from the area.

Primary 3: Return to Eden

Now head to Point Eden (check your map and look for a small building in the east). Rendezvous with Reynolds inside the walled compound. You can choose to go about any way to get there as you see fit, but watch out for the American reinforcements coming from the north. Once you arrive at the compound, Reynolds will have a brief chat before the mission and campaign ends.

You will instantly fail this objective if any of the reinforcements detect you. If needed, go prone or hide behind any of the hills if you didn't manage to get away from the ambush site fast enough.

Optional 4: Last Stand

Should either player be detected by the backup NATO forces or the convoy survivors were able to radio for help, you will no longer be able to return to Point Eden. All you can do now is fight off the reinforcements as best you can. Everything - from tanks, APCs, attack helicopters and even Reynolds' security team will be on the hunt for you.

You cannot win. Once Frost and Asano are dead, both the mission and campaign will be "finished".

Tips

• If you managed to salvage RPG-18s or better yet, Metis launchers from any of the previous missions, ambushing the convoy will be much easier as you can simply bombard Ruce's SUV and his escorts from afar.
• Avoid going up the second floor of the nearby building. It'll make escaping from the ambush more difficult and increase the likelihood of you getting spotted by the reinforcements.
  • In addition, it doesn't offer much help in the way of cover when you're ambushing the convoy since the second floor walls are wooden, and won't stop the convoy APC's 12.7 mm bullets from penetrating through.
• Although it's tempting to do so, avoid taking the SUV when returning to Point Eden. The reinforcements will easily spot you from afar and their tanks will destroy your vehicle in a matter of seconds.
  • It is much better to head there on foot as you'll attract less attention, though make sure you're covered by the sand dunes (facing north).

Trivia

• Although it isn't actually unveiled in Deception's ending, Reynolds' client is revealed to be a government official from the People's Republic of China; the true backers behind Takistan's nuclear programme.
• In the alternate ending where Frost/Asano manage to silence the inspectors but are spotted by the reinforcements and are killed before returning to Point Eden, the epilogue will reveal that their deaths were covered up by Vrana.
  • The company states that both mercenaries valiantly (but ultimately in vain) defended the convoy from insurgents, and were tragically killed in the process alongside Patrick Dixon.