MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries/Solaris Missions

Overview[edit]

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries Solaris Missions details the unique campaign featured in Solaris Showdown, which can be played in both Campaign and Career Modes.

Calling All Mercenaries[edit]

Date of Transmission: 8 May 3040
Transmission Expires: 7 November 3040

With the Inner Sphere entering a period of relative peace after the War of 3039, the easing in the general tempo of conflict has forced less well-known mercenary units like the Cavaliers to make do with lower paying and more infrequent contracts, causing Commander Jake Mason to fear his unit has lost it's edge.

This malaise is broken when Mason is approached by Wayne Dyr, a notorious Solaris VII-based information broker with an intriguing offer on Galatea. With the Mercenary's Star facing increasing pirate activity, Planetary Governor of Galatea Lawrence Bonham wants to employ proven mercs capable of dealing with the situation before it escalates, if Mason succeeds in this Dyr promises other opportunities will be on offer.

Depart for Galatea[edit]

Dyr is delighted that Mason has accepted and will notify Governor Bonham of his imminent arrival. With the famous Wolf's Dragoons drawing away more "honorable" mercenaries to their landhold of Outreach, crime and piracy has spiked among the less reputable commands that remain, a situation Governor Bonham is desperate to quickly resolve to protect the reputation of the Mercenary's Star. Dyr reminds Mason that success in this mission will open doors for his unit, but also points out that the opposite will result if he fails.

Galatea[edit]

Date of Arrival: 25 December 3040

Back In Business[edit]

  • Mission Brief: Having reached Galatea, Governor Bonham reveals that the Galatea City has has been raided by Ronan's Shredders, a surprisingly well equipped pirate force who launched minor attacks across the planet before hitting the Mercenary Review Board Center and securing data caches filled with secret intelligence and information on hundreds of mercenary units that could be sold on the black market. Hansen's Roughriders were employed to assist in planetary defense but found themselves outmatched by the Shredders, Bonham needs the Cavaliers to link up with and assist the Roughriders defeat Shredder forces to retake the MRBC before word spreads and irreversibly damages Galatea's increasingly shaky reputation.
  • Mission: 340 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 65 mission to destroy three Shredder defensive bases to reach the under attack Roughriders fend off their attackers.

Payday[edit]

  • Mission Brief: Governor Bonham is pleased that the Cavaliers have broken the stalemate and linked up with Hansen's Roughriders, but Ronan's Shredders remains bottled up in the Mercenary Review Board Center and the longer they maintain control of the data caches the more chance they will leak or destroy them. Convinced the pirates are a trojan horse sent by the Dragoons to undermine Galatea, Bonham begs Mason to deal with the situation quickly.
  • Mission: 340 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 75 mission to join Hansen's Roughriders in defeating the remains of Ronan's Shredders, but embittered at being overshadowed Wolfgang Hansen will strive to ensure only the Roughriders will collect the contract if they succeed.

Depart to Hardcore[edit]

True to his word, in response to Governor Bonham's glowing review of the Cavaliers' abilities, Wayne Dyr provides Mason with an opportunity for a highly unusual but potentially high paying contract. Arena MechWarrior Duncan Fisher is looking for a partner to fight beside him in the qualifying tournament being held on the Magistracy of Canopus entertainment world of Hardcore to secure a slot in the upcoming FedCom Unification Tournament to be held on the Game World of Solaris VII. Dyr teases another high paying job on Solaris should Mason undertake the 141 day journey to Hardcore and prove his mettle, but warns that Fisher is very much a oddball character.

Hardcore[edit]

Hardcore Hurdles[edit]

Date of Arrival: 8 July 3031
  • Employer: Solaris Sponsor Network
  • Targeting: Solaris Arms
  • Mission Brief: Thanking Mason for accepting the contract, a rambling fast-talking Fisher unsuccessfully attempts to convince the Merc he is the real deal, slated to be reach the same lofty pinnacle as Cabol Hirsch, Gray Noton and Justin Allard... despite the fact he had to hurriedly flee Solaris before. Attempting to get to the point and not linger on this or his failed relationship with arena commentator Ava Masters, Fisher advises that his new and effectively unknown teammate will need to help him beat their opposition to secure their ticket to Solaris.
  • Mission: 100 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 70 "gauntlet match" where the team of Mason and Fisher must the similarly two-member teams of the Teal Twins, Invictus Stable, Forgotten Foes, and The Goldbaras.
  • Rewards: 2x PPC-X (tier 5), Medium Rifle BF (tier 5), AC/10-RF (tier 5)

Ticket to Solaris[edit]

Depart to Solaris[edit]

Very impressed given the calibre of their opposition, Wayne Dyr looks forward to Mason making his way to Solaris, but warns him of concerning developments that may complicate the situation. A shadowy group of ex-Arena MechWarriors operating under the banner of The Inglorious OutKasts, incensed at the ill-treatment at the hands of the equally corrupt Great Houses and Solaris Stables, have turned violent and are rumored to be seeking to attack Steiner Stadium to disrupt the FedCom Unification Tournament. Dyr advises he will have his sources secure more concrete information by the time Mason and Fisher complete the 155 day journey to the Game World.

Solaris VII[edit]

Swamped[edit]

Date of Arrival: 29 December 3041
  • Employer: Solaris Sponsor Network
  • Targeting: Independents
  • Mission Brief: Reaching a ready to explode Solaris as the Inglorious OutKasts continue to escalate their attacks, Mason is baffled when Fisher's first thought is visiting the less than glamorous Bracken Swamp. Duncan insists there is a method to his madness though, the stinking fetid location perfect for a clandestine meeting with Travis Sherk, a contact who can hook him up with an impossibly souped-up LostTech equipped BattleMech developed by Solaris Arms that will allow him to secure victory in the tournament.
  • Mission: 100 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 80 mission to link up with Duncan's contact and secure the "Super 'Mech", only Reggie Philburn's Highwaymen want to rob anybody who travels through Bracken Swap and Solaris Arms recall when Duncan left them in the lurch and might not be quite so willing to hand the 'Mech over as he assumed.
  • Rewards:

Let the Games Begin[edit]

Showdown in Steiner Stadium[edit]

Arena Missions[edit]

Outside of the Solaris Showdown quest line, the DLC also adds arena duelling mission contracts to the Inner Sphere map, even if the player is unable to or refuses to except "Calling All Mercenaries". Variations of Arena include "Free-for-all", the solo player versus multiple other solo competitors, "Duel" where the player alone must defeat a single opponent, "Lance Duel" where the player and their lance must defeat an opposing lance, "Pairs" which sees the player and a another unit member facing multiple teams of two, and "Exhibition" where the player on their own must weather multiple teams focuses exclusively on defeating them. Arena missions feature specific weight requirements or occasionally "Open" options.

Unlike the other mission types in MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, Arena Missions can be found on various Industrial Hubs across the Inner Sphere as well as a small number small number of notable duelling or mercenary worlds in the BattleTech universe such as three locations of Solaris Showdown, Outreach and Westerhand. Maps for most arena missions are procedurally generated aside from the inclusion of the circular Hardcore Scrapyard map from "Ticket to Solaris". As an added bonus, if the player has completed the Solaris Showdown quest line, if they undertake arena missions on Solaris VII they may encounter unique maps representing the famous arenas of Solaris City such as Steiner Stadium, Boreal Reach, The Jungle and Ishiyama, complete with Duncan Fisher serving as announcer.

Arena Fame[edit]

Similar to the Bounty Hunter Rival Intel system, Solaris Showdown introduces Arena Fame which is earned for completing Arena missions. Such missions also feature optional "Excite the Crowd" requirements offering additional Arena Fame if achieved, ranging from destroying a specific number and/or type of components or including certain of amount of damage. At the contract negotiation stage requirements for specific weapon types are called out, otherwise the are randomly determined with more concurrent bonuses added the higher the players Arena Fame level.

Level C-bills Weapons / Equipment / Other
Level 1 No Name
Level 2 Frestmeat
Level 3 Up and Comer
Level 4 Cestus
Level 5 Hoplomachus
Level 6 Rudiarius
Level 7 Challenger
Level 8 Gladiator
Level 9
Level 10

Prestige[edit]

Like Rival Intel, starting at Level 11, the Arena Fame tiers switch to "Prestige."

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