Story Mission: The Cleansing

• Prerequisites: Resistance Rating Level 2+ (Holland Valley)—Need to complete an activity.
• Rewards: None
• Details: Eden’s Gate is taking the cleansed to John’s bunker. Pastor Jerome freed you, but there are others who need rescuing and he can’t do it alone.

MISSION Commencement (1)

Once you’ve built up the Resistance in Holland Valley to Level 2 or more (shown in the bar graph on your world map), John Seed starts radioing his “Capture Parties” to hunt you down and drop you using “Bliss bullets.” Look for pickup trucks with foes and strange sparkling light enveloping as you’re shot. There’s no real way to resist these attacks. You fall unconscious.

After an enforced baptism, you’re dragged into a van and are halfway to John’s Gate (his compound in the far western mountains of this region) when Pastor Jeffries and the Resistance makes a daring rescue attempt, ambushing you just before you reach the security gate partway up the mountain.

SECURE the Area

KILL the Remaining Cultists

Look north, uphill to the security gate . This is a straight-up firefight, so utilize the cover of the rocky grass bank to the left, and make a clockwise circle, dropping enemies at the security gate. Expect around eight initial foes, including two snipers on the roof of the security “bridge” structure.

Attack them from the western (left) side, as they aren’t expecting you. Then climb onto the security gate structure, which affords some cover and a height advantage. Mop up enemy stragglers in the area.

If there are two of you, split up to draw enemy fire in different directions.

You may also find projectiles helpful to lob at enemy vehicles heading downhill to bolster the cultists.

TALK to Pastor Jerome

SEARCH for Merle

You must now begin an uphill reconnoiter, facing enemy fire (including mortar rounds!) as you search for Merle Briggs. Head roughly north, up the dirt road toward a parked truck and trio of foes . You can certainly attack them head-on, but a better plan is to climb the steep grass slope to the west, then peer down on them from the cliff overlooking the road, and quickly dispatch them.

KEEP Searching for Merle

RESCUE Merle

Follow the road to a parked vehicle near a hut and some Resistance members. The cultists are holed up on the other side of a suspension footbridge over a ravine. Though there’s only three or four to tag with your binoculars, one is using a mortar, and the explosive rounds can hamper your progress.

You could snipe the mortar operator and two other foes prior to crossing the ravine, but you need to be quick, as that mortar can kill you easily.

A better plan is to immediately cross the ravine. Heading over the footbridge is dangerous, so either use the zip line or descend into the ravine and head over the corrugated metal spanning the waterfall.

Climb the south side up to the cluster of foes at , up the rudimentary trail to a campfire where you can free Merle. Either before or after, you can quickly drop the foes on the cliff, including the mortar operator.

DEFEND the Extraction Point (02:00)

ENTER thet Helicopter with Merle

You now have two minutes to remain close to the extraction point , where a resistance helicopter will arrive to pick up you and Merle. During this time, expect to deal with waves of foes coming in a variety of directions:

• Across the footbridge from the western side of the ravine.
• Across the lower corrugated metal bridge, and up either side of the rock outcrop you’re on.
• Appearing from the woods behind you (to the east).

Make periodic checks (after 5 to 10 seconds) while standing close to the mortar, so you’re not attacked from behind. Optionally use the mortar; it is devastating but a little too cumbersome to hit all foes; a sniper rifle or medium-ranged rapid-fire weapon is much better.

Retreat to whenever you wish. The extraction point rock is a good place to stand, as you’re not easily overrun and can see foes in all directions (that they attack from).

When the chopper arrives, get to it, ignoring any further enemies unless you’re wanting to drop them from the relative safety of the helicopter.

STAY with Merle Until Drop-off

Now ride in the chopper until you and (a furious) Merle are dropped off on a grassy hillside to the east of the John Seed base. The mission then concludes.