The Mercenaries (2024)

1 The Mercenaries
2 The Elite Mercenaries
3 Landing and Behavior
- 3.1 Mercenaries
- 3.2 Elite Mercenaries
4 Strategies
- 4.1 Helpful Locations
- 4.2 Tactics
- 4.3 Useful Items
- 4.4 Gun Combinations
- 4.5 General Strategies
5 Assets

The Mercenaries

The Mercenaries, also known as Alpha Squad, are a group of soldiers that arrive on the island on Day 2. There are a total of 5, each have a unique appearance, weapon, and role.

Commander {100 HP | 220 Armor} - Wields a Combat Shotgun. Guides the group of Mercenaries to locations.
- Isle+: Replaced with a Tactical Shotgun+, capable of dealing heavy damage at a distance.
Sniper {100 HP} - Wields a Scoped Rifle. Can shoot players that have been spotted from a long distance.
- Isle+: Replaced with a Sniper Rifle+, which fires in a volley and still kills unarmored players easily.
Spotter {100 HP} - Wields a Battle Rifle. Spots players from further distances than the others. Alerts the others to your position.
- Isle+: Upgraded to a Battle Rifle+, which can kill in a single volley.
Medic {100 HP} - Wields a Submachine Gun. Passively heals all wounded Mercenaries at a rate of 1 HP per second.
- Isle+: Replaced with a Tactical Pistol+, which is slower but much more accurate.
Gunner {100 HP | 220 Armor} - Wields a Light Machine Gun. Relies on suppressing fire up to a medium range.
- Isle+: Upgraded to a Light Machine Gun+, which is much deadlier in general.

The Elite Mercenaries

The Elite Mercenaries, also known as Bravo Squad, are a group of soldiers that arrive on the island the day after the Mercenaries are eliminated (they even attempt to appear on day 6, although you get kicked before they land). Each and one of them possess unique appearances, weapon and role, similar to its predecessors. One major difference is that they lack a medic, which means all damage caused on them will be permanent and irrecoverable. They also lack long range weapons if you exclude the drone, which can be taken out with a sniper easily.

Operator {100 HP | 300 Armor} - Wields a Tactical Shotgun. Operates a drone, which immediately retaliates with an auto-targeting turret when he is attacked.
- Isle+: Replaced with a Proton Cannon+, which is slow but has long range and chains to other targets.
Demolitionist {100 HP | 200 Armor} - Wields a Grenade Launcher. Launches grenades at players in an arc, exploding and causing splash damage, and will attack upon seeing a player, even when they lose line of sight.
- Isle+: Upgraded to a Grenade Launcher+, allowing it to almost always kill unarmored targets.
Ghost {100 HP | 250 Armor} - Wields a Revolver. Ambushes players by going invisible and through teleporting. When the Ghost teleports, he will teleport behind the player he's attacking, so when you see him, put your back against a wall.
- Isle+: Replaced with a Double Barrel Shotgun+, capable of dealing up to 320 damage in one shot.
Firebug {100 HP | 500 Armor} - Wields a Flamethrower. Can rapidly spray fire at players in extreme close distances. Fire lingers after dealing damage and completely ignores vests. Firebug also moves significantly faster than the other mercenaries.
- Isle+: Upgraded to a Flamethrower+ for much higher lethality.
Specialist {100 HP | 500 Armor} - Wields a Gatling Gun. A more dangerous counterpart of the Gunner with an increased level of range, accuracy, and durability, he can kill unprepared players quickly.
- Isle+: Upgraded to a Gatling Gun+, enabling it to kill with four shots.

Landing and Behavior

Mercenaries

The mercenaries will drop in via helicopter at the beacon near the ship on Day 2, but if the Lighthouse has been activated, they will drop next to that instead. If the fuel pump at the Hangar has been turned on, they will prioritize dropping next to the Plane Shed over any other location in order to attack the fuel pump. Mercenaries will drop in a fixed order: First Commander, then Sniper, then Spotter, then Medic, then finally Gunner.

When all Mercenaries drop off the helicopter, Commander will lead the way and the rest will follow. Their destination is randomized each time they move (though limited to various points of interest around the map). When they reach their location, they will stand still for a bit and then decide what location to move to next (also randomized) and begin moving there. If the mercenaries spot a target such as a player or the Experiment, they'll charge towards that target instead of heading to their next location. Generally, one of the music tracks will play when the player sees or gets close to the mercenaries. When the target is eliminated, or they lose track of them, the mercs will continue on their randomized patrol route.

The mercenaries follow the Commander in a straight line searching for players to kill. They also communicate with each other, emitting a beeping noise whenever they speak. Their communications can be intercepted and remotely accessed if the Radio Tower has been powered by the Generators. The mercenaries are able to climb slopes more easily than players. While players without climbing tools often slide down steep slopes, mercenaries can climb them with relative ease.

Each mercenary has a sight distance of 300 studs, except the Spotter who has a sight distance of 1200 studs.

When all five mercenaries are killed, all users will receive the following pop-up text:

You feel a heavy sense of dread for the following day...

Elite Mercenaries

The elite mercenaries will drop in via a much faster helicopter at the beacon near the ship the day after the first wave of mercenaries is killed, but just like Alpha Squad, they will drop at either of the other two locations instead depending on what has been activated. The Elite Mercenaries drop in the following order: Operator, then Demolitionist, then Ghost, then Firebug, then finally Specialist.

Similar to the regular mercenaries, the elite mercenaries move to a randomly determined location repeatedly until they spot a player. They can also climb up steep slopes very easily. There are some differences, however; for example, the Operator's Drone can spot players significantly well, and the elite mercenaries overall have significantly greater walk speed.

None of the soldiers have a farther sight distance than 300 studs, exactly like its predecessors (aside from the Spotter).

There is no pop-up text for killing all five elite mercenaries.

Strategies

Helpful Locations

Impact Zone (Shipwreck)

The Impact Zone is right next to the beacon where the mercenaries spawn, so you usually won't have to use goggles to locate them. This way, the fights can go much more quicker. The Armory is a safe area from Stan and also a way to stockpile your weapons and stay safe from the mercenaries. The elite mercenaries are much more dangerous at the shipwreck, however, as most of their weapons are close range and the demolitionist is much more accurate here.

Tactics

Luring

Sometimes, the first wave of mercenaries will not head to the location you are staying. So, you will have to lure them over.

For the first wave, use vision goggles and get close to them. As soon as you see them heading towards you, run the other way. Make sure you aren't luring them in completely open areas, as the Sniper can aim at you at any time. Make sure you have a way to keep cover at all times. Head back to your location, and the mercenaries should follow you there.

As of Update 8.3, the elite mercenaries will tend to move directly to your location upon spawning, so luring the second wave is often not necessary. If they, for some reason, do not, the same process of luring from the first wave goes for the elite mercenaries. However, this time keep an effective short-range gun in case the Ghost teleports to you; you will want to take out the Ghost at the beginning. The Demolitionist may also be a threat if you're in an open area. The second wave is more dangerous when luring, since they have much faster walking speed.

Taking Cover

Without any cover, you will be very vulnerable. For example, if you're in a flat terrain and the Sniper aims at you, you're basically doomed. Make sure that you choose adequate cover to minimize the chances of getting hit. The locations previously mentioned before are examples of cover.

Useful Items

Ballistic Vest and Shield Pack

The Ballistic Vest provides extra defense by adding an additional 200 hit points to a single player when the vest is in their inventory. There is a guaranteed spawn in the cove. The shield pack also functions similarly, with 300 additional hit points. It spawns at the bottom of Grand Lake.

HVG/EVG/Drone

HVG, EVG, and Drone are crucial items for locating the position of the mercenaries. When wearing these vision goggles or having Drone set to Survey mode, the mercenary characters will be outlined. The Drone can also provide additional damage to the mercenaries and carry a net 2 additional items (3 minus the controller, but the drone has no weight limit). There is a guaranteed HVG spawn at the observatory, a guaranteed EVG spawn at the Facility, and a guaranteed Drone spawn at Rock A. Drones can also be found in level 4 crates in the Facility.

Healing Items

Medical Kit and Healing Spray restore your health in case you were injured by the mercenaries. Medkits are found at tier 1 spawns, and healing spray can be found at tier 2 spawns.

Artifacts

The most helpful artifacts in combat are Artifact A and Artifact B. Artifact A allows the player to turn invisible for a brief period of time after taking damage (on a cooldown) and Artifact B reduces all weapon aim and recovery times by 50%, increases your movement speed while firing, and makes your attacks uninterruptible. As you might think, the combination of these two artifacts would make you an extreme threat to most things on the island. As long as you have a weapon of your own before you begin fighting the mercenaries (as well as both artifacts activated), you can kill a mercenary then pick up the weapon they drop to continue the fight, repeating the process until all enemies are dead.

Gun Combinations

Scoped Rifle + Ammunition Crate

Scoped Rifle with Ammunition is one of the most popular combinations when dealing with the mercenaries. It is also very safe, since its long range means you can keep your distance for the entire duration. Since Scoped Rifles are single use, ammunition crates supplies more ammo.

A Scoped Rifle is guaranteed to spawn at the watchtower, which is the ideal location for this strategy. Ammunition crates are found underwater: you dive in shallow areas or use diving gear to find them in deeper areas underwater. To get scoped rifle ammo, make sure you have a Scoped Rifle in your inventory when placing down a crate. This will guarantee that at least one out of the four ammo boxes will be Scoped Rifle ammo. After that, it is recommended you find vision goggles to be able to see the mercenaries.

Artifact C is another useful tool as it can serve to locate ammunition crates and the mercenaries, without taking up any inventory space.

For both waves, simply stay at the watchtower and shoot them, refilling your ammo each time. For the first wave, it is recommended you take out the medic first. For the second wave, it is recommended you take out the Operator's Drone first and then the Ghost. If the Ghost teleports to you, use the guns from the first wave (LMG and Combat Shotgun are the most effective) to take him out. Then, take out the remaining mercenaries. True Champion is now complete.

Grenade Launcher + Medium Range Guns

Grenade Launchers are very effective against the mercenaries, since it does splash damage and can ideally damage all five mercenaries at once. You will usually want to carry an additional medium range gun (such as Battle Rifle, Tactical Pistol, or Gatling Gun) to finish them off.

You can find a Grenade Launcher by unlocking level 4 crates in the facility, which are located in the crate room of Wing A. Each facility contains up to 3 level 4 crates, and unlocking one will have a chance of dropping a Grenade Launcher. Medium range guns can be found in level 3 crates or at spawns out in the open. When at the facility, it is advised you take EVG as well.

Artifact B is particularly helpful, as decreasing the aim time for Grenade Launcher from 3 seconds to 1.5 seconds makes shooting go noticeably quicker. It's fairly out-of-the-way though, requiring a somewhat-filled diving gear to obtain it.

When dealing with the first wave, fire two grenades at the mercenaries. If the two grenades both hit all 5 mercenaries, you should have roughly 2-3 mercenaries remaining. Use your secondary gun to finish the rest of the mercs. When dealing with the second wave, use a Scoped Rifle (from the watchtower or from the Sniper's drop) to take out the Operator's Drone first, then fire the remaining grenades at the elite mercenaries. Finish them off with your secondary gun and the guns retrieved from the first wave. True Champion is now complete.

Proton Cannon

The Proton Cannon is a solid choice due to its chaining abilities, capable of bringing down all three armorless soldiers in only a few shots. With medium damage output, the cannon is a strong choice for anyone looking to bring down several targets simultaneously.

Short Range Weapons + Watchtower

The goal is to camp the Watchtower and shoot the mercenaries as they climb up the ladder. High DPS weapons such as the SMG, Gatling Gun, Combat Shotgun, and Assault Shotgun are ideal.

You can easily find short range weapons in the facility. Typically, any combination of at least two guns will work - for example, a Submachine Gun and Combat Shotgun, providing both high DPS and stun.

General Strategies

The strategies mentioned before are by no means the only possible ways of killing the mercenaries. However, the most effective means follow these general steps:

Mercenaries

The mercenaries are quite easy to avoid with the right equipment, you can even take them down if you are armed well, but you should avoid the mercenaries altogether unless you are trying to take one out for a level 3 keycard.

The Medic should be your first priority if you are trying to kill the entire squad, as his healing ability can negate any efforts made.

The Sniper should be a priority target, as it is the only mercenary that can be a threat from a major distance (which is likely how most players die to the mercenaries).

The Spotter is also another priority target if you don't want the mercenaries finding you, killing the Spotter will make the Sniper a smaller threat, as the sniper has a sight distance of 300.

Since the Commander and Gunner have close range weapons, they should be your last priority when going for the predator badge. Keep in mind the Commander and Heavy Gunner have a vest, meaning they will take more bullets to kill. Commander can be left alone if the mercenaries are in your way. Consider taking out the Commander to slow him down, but make sure the medic doesn't heal him. Heavy Gunner is mainly anti-brute defense, as he can actually do a good job of shredding vests and players alike, don't bother with heavy gunner unless you are trying to get the predator badge.

Elite Mercenaries

Similar strategies against its predecessors, with many differences. The drone is capable of firing from a far range, so it's best to take out the drone or the operator first to stop it in its place. Once you're spotted, be prepared to shoot the Ghost using any short ranged weapons.

Both the Operator and Firebug have short range attacks, so you don't have to bother shooting the Firebug. However, Firebug ignores the ballistic vest and is advised to keep them in a certain distance.

Both the Gunner and Specialist are somewhat similar, but their range and damage output differs. Gunner has less range and deals less damage compared to the Specialist, who uses a minigun. However, both of these excel at crowd control and making sure the enemy will have an issue attacking even at a distance. Try taking these two out from a distance.

Do not bother to fight the Demolitionist in the open or cramped areas, unless you want to get blown up by the grenades. However, if the Demolitionist is alone, you may take advantage and dodge its incoming grenades or sneak up really close and blast him away.

The Ghost is very easy to handle, unless you are missing a vest to protect yourself. Prepare a shotgun or something similar against him, once you've been spotted.

At some point, they will scatter up in one area, so it'll be easier to take them down one by one.

Assets

Take note that you have to use the hat override in the "Advanced" menu when you customize your avatar in order to complete some of these outfits.

According to Badorkbee, all of the mercenaries wear the SPHINX Frogman shirt and SPHINX Frogman pants.
The Sniper wears the Black Ninja Headband of the Silent Sun, and the Midnight Sunglasses.
The Spotter has the Roblohunk Hair and wears the Night Vision Goggles.
The Medic wears the Biker Cap, re-textured Nerf Belt and Secret Agent Shades.
The Commander appears to wear a re-texture of the 1st Battalion Red Devils Beret, a resized and re-textured green ROBLOX CS Headset, a Ninja Mask of Shadows, and a re-textured Nerf Vest.
The Heavy Gunner has the Bombo Hair, re-textured Nerf Bandoiler and wears the Renegade Bandana.
Four of the elite mercenaries wear SPHINX Medal of Honor Panther shirt and all wear pants.
- The Ghost is an exception, he wears SPHINX Phantom of the Operator shirt.
The Firebug has the Brown Charmer Hair and wears the Ninjafaic, and the Camo Goggles.
The Demolitionist has Dangerous Dude and wears Steampunk Shades and Renegade Bandana.
The Ghost has Cool Guy Hair and wears Eyepatch.
The Specialist has Andrew's Beard and wears Safari Slouch and what appears to be a re-texture of Bret MacLann -Ninja FBI, as well as white re-textures of the Nerf Bandoiler and Nerf Belt.
The Operator has Pal Hair and wears Disguise Scarf, Xenotargeting Oculus Beta, a resized ROBLOX CS Headset, and a re-textured Nerf Vest.

Upon coming into contact with the Mercenaries, a random theme out of six themes may play.