Yeah nah, it's always been difficult for new players. Slave Master is using a sniper rifle with scope. Maybe take him out first, then you can steal his gun and use it on his guards, like he was doing to you?

Or maybe, first buy the m14 at B2, or the Dragunov at poacher camp.

Yeah thanks for the advice bro, but even if we could go back to the start of the combat which we can't because like I said, we're playing on the Iron Man mode, the Slave Master surrenders when he's had enough and can't be killed until the end of the fight, and even when he is executed he doesn't drop the rifle. And having already completed the game once I hardly consider myself a 'new player'.

Experienced players would have use stealth to sneak upto the slave Master house first, use melee chain kills to take out the 2 guards on duty outside the house, take down slave Master, take the rifle from the table, ...being careful not to destroy the table.

Yeah, whenever I get to the point in any game where I know exactly where the enemies are and how many there are, and where exactly I should have each one of my dudes standing for the most optimal effect, I just uninstall and move on. Each to their own however.

does Livewire existing mean you uninstall by default then?

Uncle Nick there was suggesting that I should play the game enough to learn the locations of all the enemies even without Livewire, because if I don't then clearly it's not about the game being difficult, it's just me being inexperienced.

youre right
its your own choice how to play the game

and i also am weirded out about some things i experience in the game
sometimes a fleatown tile has 10 defenders
i start a new game and it has 18 defenders
same difficulty and without "pile of corpses" or whatever that advanced setting for more enemies was called
i did use that setting between those 2 savegames tho
so i wonder if something somehow got carried over but its certainly just RNG

also bobby rays sometimes only has cheap trash for weeks
other times he keeps having tons of explosives and stat magazines
i dont get it

Well, it's been awhile since i played A2 in Mission Impossible. You are correct that you can't take the special rifle; but i'm sure an experienced player like yourself would already have a Dragunov or another sniper rifle and a machete.

Eventhough, you may know the strength and general whereabouts of the enemy, no two gameplays are ever the same due to the roving enemy guards and RNG.

What i thought was going to be an easy 2 enemy guard stealth kill at the slave master's house, turned into a 5 enemy shootout after the opening stealth kill failed. Kalyna machete strikes also missed a few times due to RNG.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230361194

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230368942

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230370654

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230371182

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230371806

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230375505

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230381519

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230382235

These guards were easy to pick off; but you still have to deal with some RNG. Kill numbers 9 & 10 are doable with one bullet (one shot, 2 kills) due to thermal scope and Kalyna's perk; but Kalyna was denied by the RNG.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230383771

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230390748

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230392854

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230394063

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230394936

All these guards will run around depending where you are, stealth or no stealth. No two playthrus will be the same. A2 is definitely still possible to capture with sniper, machete or noob tubes.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230398442

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230399136

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230399972

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3230405873

what is mellee chain kill?
what is a noob tube?

Originally posted by leader cocaine:

what is mellee chain kill?
what is a noob tube?

A noob tube is usually a grenade launcher. A chain kill is killing one enemy and then killing another in quick succession.

They added a few extra perks to difficulties like heavy wounds, weather, money, and so on. Those are set at the start of the game.

The key to this whole game is stealth. Once the bullets start to fly the game can do some really weird ♥♥♥♥. Melee is king, followed by snipers, then gunners.

The way I usually handle RED A2 is to make a big circle going around the outside through where the prisoners are kept and clear those parts of the map using stealth. Then I sneak two mercs up on the hill and use my snipers to keep the boss busy while they take out the enemy.

Shooting the boss's arms can make him less accurate if he is tagging you to much. You can take the golden riffle once he is dead. It is sitting on the ledge of the balcony. Just don't blow up the balcony.

Originally posted by MacKaris:

I can't recall the game being this merciless when on my own play-through, so what's up with this nonsense now?

A2 can be difficult when you are new to the game. If your friend is starting I would suggest:

a) clear Ernie and Ernie Fort (get Barry or make IMP with explosives)
b) take Mufumu mine. Clear Fleatown chruch (talk to priest at take his quest) and Market.
c) clear Priest quest on other side of river
d) Clear Ghost Manor north of Fleatown church
e) go to Port Cacao
f) clear Port Cacao and Museum.
g) clear N-Night quest in port Cacao
e) go to diamond Red on A2

with this approach you should get enough equipment to make A2 easier. I would suggest sneaking your explosives expert below the balcony near the Slave Master and let him stand there hidden. When the fight starts your explosives expert can throw Tear Gas grenade and blind him (also possibly panic him).

Marauders with full auto can hurt. Keep your mercs crouched behind the cover.

Get your mercs Recoil Management perk or/and compensator mod on weapons. That way you can do single shot and follow up attack that is significantly more precise. That way your second shot can be burst shot or shot to arms or legs.

You could also use more precise but lower damage weapons early game like FAMAS and MP5 (you must install regular stock or heavy stock on MP5 to get full bonus from aiming).

Install Quick Scope on FAMAS, MP5. That way if your first action in a round is to attack will get a big boost to successfully hit.

craft pipe bombs with your explosive expert. Throw a bomb near enemy for 3 AP, shoot the bomb to make it explode.

craft smoke grenade and at the end of the round throw it in front of your team to make a smoke screen so enemies are less likely to hit you.

Good luck in liberation of Grand Chien.

Originally posted by leader cocaine:

what is mellee chain kill?
what is a noob tube?

Melee chain kill is when you get a few perks. You need Agi 70 perk Hit and Run (after you use melee attack you gain free move). And you need Str 70 Killing Spree (attacks against different targets in a same round do increase damage). Health 70 Full body contact also helps (gives 15 temporary hitpoints after melee attack. you can have maximum 30 hitpoints at any moment).

Works with one merc but early game it works also when you have two dagger/machete mercs.
Basically you move merc 1 & 2 toward same target (if possible also position them to flank the enemy. Flank = 20% more damage). Attack once with merc 1 & 2. Target is probably dead. Free move merc 1 & 2 toward second target. Repeat the process. Basically you can kill multiple enemies.
On higher levels your solo merc can kill multiple enemies (usually single shot and critical hits) and then run away and hide behind cover because of free moves.

This isn't specifically about the A2 being difficult. I only brought it up because of that one guy there (slave master) who one-shot two of my mercs, THROUGH THE BUILDING, when he wasn't in ANYONE's line of sight. This is mostly about the general feel of the game, I mean I finished the game once, and my friend has finished all the Xcom games on the Iron Man mode so he's not exactly new to these types of games either. When I played JA3 solo a while ago, I can't recall the marauders having been particularly nasty at any point. Now they are easily the most dangerous enemy type at least of the ones you meet in the early stages of the games. They have loads of hitpoints, they fire full auto from the max distance and practically always hit for 20-30 damage no matter the circumstances. Even when I have the mercs in full cover. And of course they never run out of ammo either. It just feels completely unfair, since of course my mercs can't hit ♥♥♥♥ and don't have unlimited ammo either.