MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries/Solaris Missions (2024)

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.

Outside of the quest line, the DLC also adds arena dueling mission contracts to the Starmap, even if the player doesn't or is unable to accept "Calling All Mercenaries." 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 of notable dueling or mercenary worlds in the BattleTech universe such as Outreach, Westerhand, and the three locations in the Solaris Showdown story. 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, they may encounter unique maps on Solaris representing the famous arenas such as Steiner Stadium, Boreal Reach, The Jungle, and Ishiyama, complete with Duncan Fisher serving as announcer.

Calling All Mercenaries[edit]

Date of Transmission: 8 May 3040

Transmission Expires: 6 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 its 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 to 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

Employer: Galatea (Subsidiary of House Steiner)

Targeting: Pirates

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 in defeating Shredder forces to retake the MRBC before word spreads and irreversibly damages Galatea's increasingly shaky reputation.
• Mission: 340 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 65 Demolition Mission to destroy three Shredder strongholds and reach the Roughriders, who are pinned down by the pirates.

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 Assassination-like Mission to join Hansen's Roughriders in mopping up the remains of Ronan's Shredders, though Wolfgang Hansen, embittered at being overshadowed, will strive to ensure only the Roughriders collect the contract if they succeed.
• Rewards: 15 Reputation, LDK-X2A Loader King

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 195 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 3041

• Employer: Solaris Sponsor Network
• Targeting: Solaris Arms
• Mission Brief: Thanking Mason for accepting the contract, a rambling fast-talking Fisher unsuccessfully attempts to convince him that he's 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 Arena 2v2 Gauntlet Match where the team of Mason and Fisher must defeat the Teal Twins, Invictus Stable, Forgotten Foes, and The Goldbaras.
• Rewards: Two Tier 5 PPC-Xs, one Tier 5 Medium Rifle-BF, one Tier 5 AC/10-RF

Ticket to Solaris[edit]

• Employer: Solaris Sponsor Network
• Targeting: Independents
• Mission Brief: Delighted that Mason has proven even better than he'd hoped and shown that Ava Master's belief they'd crash and burn was in vain, Duncan Fisher is eager to rack up a sizable bar tab convinced that nothing can stop his triumphant return to Solaris, not even a free for all match with everybody desperate to win that golden ticket to fame.
• Mission: 100 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 75 Arena Pairs Free-for-All Match in the Hardcore Scrapyard where Fisher and Mason must defeat the Spawned Knights, The Exterminators, Demon Sharks, The Mudslingers, and Red Pythons in Round One; before overcoming The Ares Stable, The Impossibles, The Slashers, Purple Cobras, and Team Scratch in Round Two.
• Rewards: 1,000,000 C-bills, 10 Reputation, HGN-VEST Highlander, one Tier 5 Heavy Rifle-BF, one Arena Supercharger Mk III

Depart to Solaris[edit]

Very impressed given the caliber 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 174 day journey to the Game World.

Solaris VII[edit]

Date of Arrival: 29 December 3041

Employer: Solaris Sponsor Network

Targeting: Independents

Swamped[edit]

• 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: the stinking fetid location being perfect for a clandestine meeting with Travis Sherk, a contact who can hook him up with an impossibly souped-up LosTech-equipped BattleMech developed by Solaris Arms that will allow him to secure victory in the tournament.
• Mission: 100 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 80 Assassination-like Mission to link up with Duncan's contact and secure the "Super 'Mech"—except Reggie Philburn's Highwaymen want to rob anybody who travels through Bracken Swap, and Solaris Arms recalls when Duncan left them in the lurch and might not be quite so willing to hand the 'Mech over as he assumed.
• Rewards: 3,000,000 C-bills, 10 Reputation

Let the Games Begin[edit]

• Mission Brief: Though Fisher secured his prize, Solaris Arms has the last laugh, the souped-up 'Mech has been fitted with a kill switch rendering it useless. With his own 'Mech too battered to go on, Duncan Fisher reluctantly asks Mason to fight in FedCom Unification Tournament without him, only able to offer up his colorful support from the sidelines. Quite accepting of fighting without Fisher, Mason is even able to call in the rest of the Cavaliers for the first match, assistance he'll need as Wayne Dyr reveals more details of the Inglorious Outkasts plan to sabotage Steiner Stadium's protective measures to strike at the Solaris Council.
• Mission: 400 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 80 Arena Lance Free-for-All Match where the Cavaliers must take on the Silver Bullets, Red Pythons, and Team Star Wolf who have conspired to make sure Mason doesn't make it to the final match, while Fisher attempts to counteract the dour and apathetic commentary of Terry Zee.
• Rewards: CTF-VE1 Cataphract

Showdown in Steiner Stadium[edit]

• Mission Brief: Though Mason was able to triumph and move to the final match, Dyr notes the fact the remaining lances all ganged up against him indicates the Inglorious Outkasts are aware of Mason's efforts to oppose them. With the Outkasts in control of the arena and the situation about to explode, Dyr impresses on Mason he will need to make use of the automated repair bays along with all of his talent and skill to both win the tournament and prevent the Inglorious Outkasts' assassin from taking his kill shot.
• Mission: 100 Tonnage Limit, Difficulty 90 Arena Free-for-All Match with Mason being pitted against eleven other competitors in each of three rounds before facing off against Caleb Rourke in a one-on-one duel to prevent him from taking out the Solaris Council, the frantic and frenetic action being called by his friend Duncan Fisher.
• Rewards: 1,000,000 C-bills, 10 Reputation, COR-XT1 Corsair

See you in the Arenas[edit]

Date of Completion: 29 December 3041

Rewards: 1,000,000 C-bills, 100 Reputation, ANH-1E Annihilator

Though not aware of the full extent of Mason's efforts against the Inglorious Outkasts, Duncan Fisher echos Wayne Dyr's congratulations for overcoming all challengers to achieve victory in the FedCom Unification tournament and assisting him in securing a position as a Solaris Games commentator that will broadcast his voice across the Inner Sphere. Seeking to celebrate the shared trials and tribulations of their journey to Solaris at the Valhalla Club, as well as drinking to the departed Terry Zee, Duncan hoped to retain Mason's services to ward off enemies like the Highwaymen and Solaris Arms, but recognizes Mason is a MechWarrior at heart and wishes him well, promising if he chose to fight for the Solaris Championship that the combination of Mason's skills and his commentary would be an unbeatable one.