Mission 18: Blood Runs Deep

Mission 18

- Thi[Subsistence] mission has a lot of optional objectives, some of which you'll want to postpone for later playthroughs. The main objectives are to eliminate (or extract) a former rebel Mbele soldier stationed in Bampeve Plantation, followed by rescuing at least one child prisoner. It isn't too demanding to opt for rescuing all five children, however.

- Yo[Subsistence] can bring either Quiet or D-Dog as buddies for marking enemies. Bring along a rocket launcher if you intend to destroy the gunship that hovers around the mission area most of the time. It's best to destroy it when you're far outside of enemy camps, but it might be difficult to do so without a homing missile, something which is only unlocked later in the game (so you might just want to skip this optional objective for now if it turns out to be too difficult). One way to do it with a regular rocket is to shoot one at the chopper, most likely missing but possibly luring attention - it will then come flying straight towards you. Immediately reload and take a steady aim, then fire. It's tricky, but not impossible.

- From th[Subsistence] landing zone south of Bampeve, move towards the plantation and move along the higher ground to the east of the entrance. From here you can mark (and stealthily take out) various soldiers already. The Mbele soldier you need to extract is located further north. If you haven't done so yet, be sure to also destroy the anti-air radar dish near the north exit to unlock a new LZ.

- Optionally, you can Fulton extract three armored vehicles (with Fulton Cargo 2). This can wait for a future playthrough, but they are found at the following places: 1. Drives in circles between outposts south of Bampeve Plantation. 2. Moves from the north of Kungenga Mine towards the outpost far south. 3. Starts from Bampeve Plantation (north exit) and drives south/southwest to the first outpost (roughly at the same longitude as Kungenga Mine).

- After extracting the former rebel Mbele soldier, move towards Kungenga Mine. There are two ways you can approach the mine; from the east/northeast, or from the south. The latter is a much easier path with less opposition from enemy soldiers, so it is to be preferred.

- Not[Subsistence]: Two of the five snipers you need to optionally eliminate are stationed to the far south of Kungenga Mine (and even a little bit south from the gorge's south entrance). The others are stationed at a second spot to the east of Kungenga Mine (three in total). Leave this objective for a different playthrough, unless you want to pretty much clear out the entire area of soldiers (as it requires quite a lot of travel).

- If yo[Subsistence] choose to move in by the south, do as follows. Make your way through the green gorge until you reach Kungenga Mine. The tunnel on the east (you should be close already) has a locked door. Neutralize any nearby soldiers - don't forget the one in the nearby watchtower - then unlock the door of the tunnel and head inside to find the children behind the next door.

- Not[Subsistence]: If you want to fulfill the optional objective where the enemy doesn't even notice that you rescue the children, neutralize ALL enemies in the entire Kungenga Mine until you have 'captured' the area. This takes quite some time, needless to say.

- The children will follow you to the other side of the tunnel, with the exception of one wounded child whom you'll have to carry. From here you'll have to travel all the way back south, out of the gorge, towards a landing zone. Neutralize any enemies in advance and order the kids (with the command on the left of the display) to either wait or go. You must be relatively close to the kids to given them orders. When taking out enemies, put the wounded child aside in a cover position and have the group wait while you move your moves. Proceed when the area directly up ahead is safe and sound.

- If yo[Subsistence] haven't eliminated the gunship, there's a chance it'll notice Pequod's chopper at the end. If this happens, pull out your rocket launcher and dispose of it ASAP. Alternatively, some enemy soldiers will show up should they have noticed the children's escape.

- [Subsistence]-Rank Tips: Again, speed and Stealth are imperative. Extract the former Mbele rebel from the Plantation as quickly as possible, then use D-Horse to ride towards the children. Preferably you to try to get an S-Rank when you have the Fulton children extraction upgrade, allowing you to immediately float them to safety outside the tunnel. Destroying the anti-air radar allows you to exfiltrate the mine by chopper immediately - eliminate any nearby enemies the old-fashioned way.