Backstab is the third mission of the Beyond the Mirror campaign in Act of Aggression. This mission is unlocked on completing Sword of Damocles.[1]
Walkthrough[]
The difficilty of the mission varies greatly on approach. The only way to get more infantry other than the provided Cartel ones is to capture a Chimera Outpost and gain access to their assets. Until then, existing Cartel infantry must be used with caution.
Use the Jackals to take down the first few FELINs, and then other enemy infantry occupying the Banks. Once they are clear garrison them with Contractors and punishers, so enemy Namers and FELINs cannot easily recapture it. Shershens and Vipers should be deployed nearby.
Exploit the Aluminum Fields. They are few in quantity, so save them for upgrades. Deploying a Vehicles Bay may not be necessary, but Medical Subcontractors and Force Projection are all recommended.
Generally it's a matter of waiting for Chimera forces to attack before capturing any POWs they may have. Convert the first filled Barracks with an Aluminum module for an infinite stream of it. Build more for additional sustainability.
Enemy assaults mostly consist of Pumas, FELINs, Namers, Terminators, Tigres and Exosoldiers. PAK FAs will also be summoned to destroy aircraft and ground vehicles. For this reason, attacking earlier on can be an extremely risky proposition. Instead, focus on getting a Tokamak Generator, Underground Stock Market, Air Control Center (for the Phased Array Radar upgrade to detect enemy aircraft at range), and a Prototypes Bay. Research Breaching Training as well.
The Data Center is guarded by FELINs and Grenadiers, alongside a few Chimera Outposts and SPEAR Vehicle Bay. Destroying the latter is only feasible with Valkyries or a proper attack force, so don't start moving until some BREM-80Us, Otomatics, Koalitsijas and Spectres have been produced. Having the Advanced Softwares upgrade allow groups of Otomatics to eliminate missiles, and a few Jackals to take out the infantry inside. Do not enter the structure yet, and focus on capturing at least one Outpost before converting it to a Construction Outpost so Chimera assets become available. Build either another HQ or Outpost back at the base before enemy units could destroy it.
Once the desired Chimera building has been secured, the mission becomes far easier. FELINs can be mass-produced to capture POWs, with the Non-Lethal Tactics Upgrade granting more POWs than usual. Large groups of Terminators can rip bases apart like paper (there is one undefended prison that is inaccessible to ground vehicles, so a Superhind or Valor is required to retrieve them), and Repair Outposts can be used to heal large groups of vehicles. The Omega Blitzer, being the only superweapon available, is likewise useful for simply overwhelming enemy HQs when all other approaches fail, as the AI does not build any Antey-2500s in this mission. Feel free to continue setting up unit production, Antey-2500s and other matters before securing the data center.
As soon as the data has been acquired enemy assaults will upscale and their superweapon will be typically fired. From there, a few options exist to finish the two bases:
- Build large numbers of Omega Blitzers and focus on destroying the HQs.
- Produce massive amounts of Terminators and overwhelm the enemy base with sheer firepower. If losses continue to be a concern, artillery units should be brought along.
- Build many Air Control Centers and incinerate them with Valkyries.
Related achievements[]
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Thor's Hammer Complete Backstab
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Jail break Rescue all prisoners
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Among the shadows Complete all Cartel missions
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Janus Complete all Chimera & Cartel missions
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Trivia[]
- When the POWs are rescued, they despawn, and new infantry units simply spawn in their place. This can be observed if they are destroyed before other nearby enemy units and structures are taken down.
- The Barracks provided at the start cannot be upgraded with Ransom Network, despite having a Prison Module.
- ↑ Eugen Systems, Act of Aggression. Beyond the Mirror mission 3: "Backstab".