JAGGED ALLIANCE STRATEGY GUIDE
CONTENTS:
Page 1 Introduction
Pages 1 & 2 Section 1 Game Objectives
Pages 2 - 6 Section 2 Hiring,Firing & Dealing With Mercs & Natives
Pages 6 - 21 Section 3 Game Tips
Pages 21 - 24 Section 4 Breakdown of game items
INTRODUCTION:
Jagged Alliance is a combination Strategy, Role-Playing game with a touch of Adventure added in. It features turn based combat at the squad level much along the lines of XCOM. Its most endearing feature is the interaction between its characters. There are over 4,000 lines of spoken dialogue, much of which is highly entertaining. The dialogue skillfully blends into the game, and the voice acting is terrific. One publication called it "XCOM with personality". Well, put! The combat is often a bit slow-paced and less "edge of the seat" than XCOM, but the personality part of the game adds something special that other combat games lack. Strategy Plus called it "addictive alliance" and applauded its innovation. PC Gamer awarded it an Editors' Choice award. Computer Gaming World gave it 4 1/2 of 5 possible stars and described it as 'truly a genre-busting product........must buy."On the down side there are some frustrating and un-realistic aspects to portions of the game play. The save game scheme needs shipping out to sea. Version 1.0 is prone to crashes. You need to get the Version 1.1 patch ASAP and do not use smartdrv under any circumstances. Glitches aside, this is one heckuvva good game. Since it's a "first try" it will hopefully evolve into a much better one in subsequent incarnations. (A Head To Head offspring is already in the works.)
The primary purpose of this Strategy Guide is to help beginning players get started and shorten the learning curve. It is not intended to be a detailed and all encompassing FAQ. This is not a replacement for your manual. If you don't have a manual, I suggest you buy the game. Enjoying the game right off the bat is the goal, and of course ultimately winning. Short and sweet. Good games have more than one strategy approach that can prove successful. If there was only one correct way it would be a very boring game. There are lots of ways to skin a cat. This is just one of them. If you have a better way, go for it. This guide is for those who don't.
Winning at Jagged Alliance revolves primarily around Strategic Thinking, Combat Skills, Cash Flow & Resource Management. Now let's get to the meat of the matter.
SECTION 1 GAME OBJECTIVES:
Your primary objective is to recapture the Island of Metavira and regain control of its Fallow trees, whose sap can cure diseases the world over . You must "save the sap" from the evil clutches of Lucas Santino and his red-shirted thugs. To achieve this you must eliminate the enemy in all of the 60 sectors on the map of Metavira. You start the game with only one sector "in hand" #60. "Milestone" objectives along the way are as follows:
Day # 1 Find the "micropurifier".
You will find this in the 1st sector you capture. I recommend Sector 59.
You must find the micropurifier to be able to resume Fallow Tree production.
Day # 3 Secure the "Water Source."
Capture Sector 29 to accomplish this.
Capture Sector 30 to complete the re-taking of the entire water source.
Day # 4 Capture "Brenda's Lab"
Capture Sector 28
note: The enemy will attempt to re-capture Brenda's Lab and kidnap Brenda. This may or may not happen and is dependent on certain variables (some of which may be beyond your control). There are two paths to the game that diverge here depending on the outcome of the above. You continue to capture sectors regardless of which occurs. However, if Brenda is kidnapped. You will want to find & rescue her along the way.
Day # 5 or later Capture the 2nd Factory
This allows you to increase your Fallow Tree production as by now your first factory in Sector 60 is probably running at or near capacity.
Later on: You must find the "Pomillia Flowers" and return them to Brenda.
They exist in only one sector & they can be vital in your attempt to win the game.
Also later on you need to:
Capture the 3rd Factory
Capture the Natives' "Sacred Burial Grounds"
Capture the 4th Factory
Find "Brenda's Journal"
Find the Natives' "Sacred Headstone"
& Ultimately
Get Rid of Santino (and possibly save the sapling)
SECTION 2 - HIRING,FIRING & DEALING WITH MERCS & NATIVES
To accomplish all of the game's objectives, you will need to hire (and sometimes fire) Mercs. They are your only means of dealing with Santino and his thugs. This takes money. You start with a set amount of capital depending on the difficulty level you are playing. Starting amounts are as follows:
Easy Level: $25,000
Normal Level: $20,000
Hard Level: $15,000
Mercs are paid a daily salary,Natives are also paid daily to act as "Guards" or tree "Tappers".
You will find that your starting capital will quickly erode without a source of income. That source is the production from Fallow Trees captured in ensuing sectors. Money and personnel management are vital to your success in the game.
Natives must feel secure that their lives are not in danger, and that they are being treated and paid properly.
Mercs in addition to wanting money all have distinct personalities that can come into play. Some of these personality traits can be quite trying to you the "master of mercs".
You are their employer, and like all employeremployee relationships, things are not just cut and dried. Some mercs don't want to work with other mercs, some will quit or demand more money if you fire one of their buddies. Personality conflicts are just as prevalent on Metavira as in the ordinary,everyday outside world. You may also find that firing mercs early in the game can have some very negative bearings on the proceedings. (For example: if you fire "Tex" he will bad-mouth you to all the other mercs.) You may also find that it is often better to "let" a merc be killed rather than firing him or her early in the game. However, if too many mercs get killed early in the game, other mercs may turn down your offer of employment on the grounds that they would have to be crazy to hire on with someone who keeps getting his mercs killed off in short order. Firing Mercs in the early part of the game is a potenitally hazardous experience. Later in the game, it seems to take on a more realistic bent.
The majority of the best Mercs are too expensive to hire at the games onset, and many of the best ones won't work for you anyway, until you "prove" yourself.
Almost all of the cheaper Mercs will be only too happy to work for you. But as in real life you generally get what you pay for, and in the case of "El Cheapo" mercs this is often the same. Some of these people are real misfits. Most of them can't shoot worth a hoot. Mercs that can shoot are critical to your chances of survival on Metavira.
There are some "cheap" Mercs that will prove to be good team members with a little experience. There are also some medium priced Mercs that worth vastly more than their salaries would indicate. Below are some ideas to keep in mind when hiring Mercs and some reccomendations of specific ones to consider.
Don't load your boat with Mercs the first day. Hire 4 or 5 at most to begin with. Most of the first sectors you will go after are not difficult enough to justify a full boat's worth of overhead.
As you assemble your team, you will ideally want a final early game group that has 2 Mercs with good skills in each of the main skill classes. These skills are Marksmanship, Mechanics, Medical, & Explosives. (I prefer all of these to be decent shots or have high wisdom so that training will resolve the deficiency. I also want high Agility ratings so that they can move and act as a team with no laggards).
Other important traits are high ratings in Agility, Dexterity, & Wisdom.
Agility seems directly related to Action Points. You want all high agility types in the field. If a merc has low agility, forget him or her for field duty. Low agility types will always be lagging far behind everyone else in traversing the terrain. Agility also relates to reaction abilities.
Dexterity seems to play into several equations. Hand precision in particular, which can be very important for Doctors performing surgery.
Wisdom means smart Mercs pick up points fast when trained and learn quickly from their experiences.
Experience Class as the manual will tell you is the most important trait in the game. "it reflects the sum of their abilities" < see pg. 6 of the manual. However, in the beginning this is not an option that you can do a lot about. Merc "Kills" seems to be directly related to gains in experience class. Ivan is a 2, but when I finished the game he was a 5 with 90 kills under his belt going into the final day.
You want at least one of the following in your employment by day # 4:
Category Recommendation Comments
Marksman Ivan $1,500 but worth every penny.
a "must have." Cheap at twice the price. Only speaks
Russian, but it would be okay with me if he could only speak Swahili the way he shoots.
Mechanic Vinny a good mechanic at a good price $385. needs a couple of canteens at all times. Those Brooklyn types can't hack the humidity.
Medic Fox good $ value with high wisdom. She won't work the first day, but will arrive on day 2 if asked. $515
Explosives Fidel expensive at $1,550, but highest rated explosives guy in the game & good marksman. I would wait until Day 4 to hire him. He should be another canteen carrier.
Jack of all trades
Grunty good $ value & much better than his stats would indicate. Start with him. $490
Wolf a good mid-game choice -- a bit expensive at the start.
$1,850
Budget Marksman
Hector good $ value and learns fast. $410
Native Guides Elio is offered to you on Day #2. all are free but of limited value.
They do however give you some interesting information on the history of each sector.
Accept ELIO when offered to you, but allow him to be "killed off" the same day and a few days later you will be offered HAMOUS,who is a 74 mksman compared to Elio's 28
"Stay at Home"
Medic, Mechanic
Eli Can alternate between being an in house Medic and Mechanic. Can also alternate in the field if needed.
I would not hire him until Day #4. $1,400
2nd premium Marksman
Ice 2nd only to Ivan in this price range $1,300
add him when cash flow allows
Other Possibilities
Speck excellent in house only mechanic-budget price $365
Sparky in house mechanic - very cheap. $205
Jimmy very good inout mechanic. mediocre shot $800.
Hurl budget medic. decent shot. low agility $400
I'm sure there are probably other good possibilities in addition to the ones above. Those mentioned herein are ones that I have either personally used or come recommended by a number of other players.
Mid Game Possibilities when you have a big positive cash flow
Dr. "Needle" Kranhium Top Medic and can shoot $1,900
"Doc" Koolhan Very good Medic and can shoot $1,750
Rudy "Lynx" Roberts marksman supreme $3,300
Victoria Waters multiple talents $2,850
Mid-Late Game it only takes money, and lots of it
"Magic" multi talented super star at a price $5,600
Leo Kelly $4,700 excellent marksman. good mech.
"Scully" Very good all around (with an M16 rifle to boot)
$7,500
End Game Mike when money is no object and you need the very best
(and you might, as the final sector has more red-shirts than you can shake a stick at) $12,000
SUGGESTED MERC HIRING SCHEDULE
DAY # EASY or NORMAL LEVEL NORMAL or HARD LEVEL
1 Ivan,Grunty,Vinny,& Hector Ivan, Grunty, & Vinny
2 Fox Fox
3 ----------- ---------
4 Fidel & Eli Fidel
Later as cash flow permits Ice Eli, Ice, & Wolf or "Doc"
Mid Game if needed see Other Possibilities see Other Possibilities
below below
note: if Ivan,Ice,& Fidel survive to the late game, they will be just as experienced as many of the "Heavy Hitters"
note: The Easy or Normal Merc hiring scenario makes your personnel handling simpler, earlier in the game than the more difficult Normal or Hard approach.
By having Hector you can train him in marksmanship,and he is available as a replacement for a wounded Merc that might require a day as a patient. You acquire Eli sooner, and with him on board, you no longer need to have Vinny take days off to repair items, as Eli can do this on days wehn there are no wounded to tend to. This also frees up Fox to speed up her marksmanship training and to be available for missions as a replacement along with Hector. So generally, though it costs more per day in the early game, it's much easier to get started with Easy or Normal team. The other scenario is much more difficult but is affordable even at the Hard level (which is really the only reason to use it if you are a beginner).
SUGGESTED MERCS - SALARIES & STATS
NAME Salary Hlth Agil Dext Wisd Medic Explos Mech Marks Exp. Cls
Ivan Dolvich $1,500 94 90 95 83 5 40 10 91 2
Helmut "Grunty" Gunther 490 82 79 76 72 14 25 40 69 1
"Vinny" Massimo 385 73 75 74 65 0 4 87 65 1
Hector Alvarez 410 79 84 88 72 6 17 38 61 1
Cynthia "Fox" Guzzman 515 77 85 100 76 60 8 15 54 1
Fidel Dahan 1,550 88 83 64 71 3 97 6 85 2
Dr. Eli Summers 1,400 81 73 58 77 70 0 65 49 2
"Ice" Williams 1,300 90 88 87 71 0 0 35 86 2
OTHER POSSIBILITIES
"Wolf" Sanderson 1,850 87 73 84 74 44 32 48 74 2
Dr. Ahmad "Doc" Koolhan 1,750 74 77 61 83 83 0 3 66 2
Rudy "Lynx" Roberts 3,300 81 79 86 71 23 50 19 99 3
Victoria Waters 2,850 79 85 72 85 16 28 90 80 3
Col. Leo Kelly 4,700 95 87 91 81 13 0 67 94 4
Earl "Magic" Walker 5,600 90 99 88 80 14 22 91 93 4
Robert "Scully" Sullivan 7,500 90 90 96 93 36 58 61 91 5
Mike 12,000 97 95 94 96 67 97 98 99 8
SECTION 3 -- GAME TIPS:
The following should help you get "rid of the red-shirts" (and hopefully some of the game's frustrations)
CAPTURING SECTORS
Capture 3 sectors every day possible. This will do more for your cash flow than anything else in the game. (example: if your overhead per day is say $8,000 and you are able to capture 3 sectors instead of 2 for two days. you will have 6 sectors, (and their income-producing trees) for a overhead cost of $16,000 as opposed to 4 sectors at the same cost of $16,000. Thus you have saved a full day's overhead of $8,000 (assuming only 2 sectors captured per day). This adds up to big bucks as time goes by. (note: to do this requires adequate combat skills, which is up to you to learn and learn fast. Consider replaying perhaps the 1st 3 days worth of sectors until you've gotten the knack. This beats plunging ahead after getting off to a bad start. Yes, this means starting the game over, and possibly over again. This is of course a total pain in the neck. This game can get you far behind the eight ball in a hurry. Catching up later on can be very difficult. Practicing & polishing your combat skills right off the bat, will make the game much more enjoyable later on. Capturing 3 sectors in a day is actually easier early on than later, if you have the necessary skills. Many days of course this is just not possible. You can finish the 1st two sectors and then partially complete the 3rd sector. Kill as many enemies as possible, and retreat before dark. You must be back in a "friendly" sector before 7:00 p.m. or the game will wound and/or kill some or all of your mercs "....while retreating"). The enemies killed in the un-captured sector will not be there to harass you the next day, thus speeding your capture of the sector. Another important thing to know is don't waste a lot of time picking up things in sectors until after the sector's capture. This is very time-consuming. Don't waste valuable time after the sector's capture. Don't try to pick up every known goodie. Get only those you really need (which will be most of them the first few days).Move along rapidly to the next sector. If worse comes to worse you can alway
have your mercs traverse through and pick up some goodies on the way to somewhere else in later days.
Speaking of cash flow, for a moment, build a POSITIVE cash flow of $4,000 -- $5000 before making any further major expenditures. The reason for this is quite simple. The early game seems to try to lure you into the feeling that you have the cash situation well in hand, before it throws the next monkey wrench in your lap. Forewarned is Forearmed.
Where you enter a new sector FROM, is often important. Look at the sector map to get some idea of the lay of the land. You normally will want at least some nearby cover to use in your advance. Advancing across vast open spaces is often an invitation to disaster. Sometimes where you enter from can greatly affect the difficulty of the sector. Sector # 38 is classic example of this. Most of the places you can enter this sector have a lot of open space to cross, and there is a guy with a shotgun here that can do major damage to your mercs caught out in the open with little cover to protect them. This can quickly become one big nightmare. It's best to enter this sector in the NW corner coming from the SW corner of S-28. You have a small building to shield your entrance and then a line of trees to follow while moving South. The guy with the shotgun has lost his open spaces long-distance shooting advantage and the sector becomes pretty much of a quick and easy proposition.
Sector 39 that I call the "3 Bridges Sector" is another example. If you enter this one anywhere East of the river, you will have to cross at least one of the bridges to get anywhere. Bridges are a constant source of enemy "booby traps" throughout the game. This sector is no exception. Enter S-39 from the South or North West of the river, and stay far to the West side of the sector. You will probably never have to cross any of the bridges, as the enemy will likely come to you.
So look before you leap. Yes, make a conscious effort to make the enemy come play where it's advantageous to you and not vice versa. Avoid the Jungle, bushes, and bridges that the red shirts love to lure you into. This is not always possible of course, but do your best to make him play on your turf, not his.
SECTOR SCHEDULE -- A Plan for Capturing Sectors in a Scheduled Sequence
You Begin the Game With Sector # 60
DAY # SECTOR # COMMENTS
1. 59 Find the Micropurifier. transfer 4 guards here.
50 Get your first big batch of trees. put the other 4 guards here.
49 "Warehouse" sector. Finish the day here. Stay in the sector until dark if completed as you won't have enough guards to transfer any here until the next morning and by staying you can defend it against any attacks.
2. 48 "Booby Trap" Sector. Find the Shotgun but beware of the 2nd box. & avoid searching buildings
40 Traverse back to this sector and find .357 Magnum & 9mm pistols.
39 enter from the South only. Stay West of the bridges. this requires traversing. get out before 7:00 PM if not captured by then.
3. 39 finish "3 Bridges" sector # 39 if not done so on day
29 "Water Source" sector. enter from the South. stay in the long N/S corridor on the West side of the sector and "draw" the enemy out to you. The last enemy will probably require a trip into the bush.
30 Enter from SE corner of S-29. get the silencer & other goodies.
4. 19 9mm w/silencer,TNT,Cash to find in this one. Takes some looking.
28 Brenda's Lab, take metal detector and search diligently.
5. 38 enter from SW corner of S-28 stay near treeline bearing South.
find the.357 magnum pistol and Shotgun Ammo.
37 take TNT w/detonator in case Vinny can't pick lock,or keys not found
27 2nd Factory -- use silencers only to capture if possible. this prevents
"sabotage" and saves lots of lost cash flow if successful. Any enemies located must be whacked in the same turn or they will alert the others, who will in turn start the sabotage process.
note: there is around $4,700 in hidden or sometimes obscurely located cash in these opening sectors (that I know of). Cash finds can occur from time to time throughout the game. So keep your eyes open & go get the greenbacks.
