When you want greater challenge outside of the Splinter Cell: Blacklist Campaign mode, grab a few friends and engage in 4E Missions and Spies Vs. Mercs for split-screen and online play! 4E Missions, or 4th Echelon Missions, allow you to engage in either Co-op or Solo play to show off the skills and know-how you learned during the Campaign. You have the choice to play 16 missions featuring a range of scenarios, including grabbing valuable intel and surviving wave-after-wave of hostiles. Spies Vs. Mercs is a battle for supremacy in either 2 vs. 2 or 4 vs. 4 matches ranging from Extraction and Uplink Control to SvM Blacklist and Team Deathmatch. Since each faction has certain strengths to get the job done, it will be important to work together as a team to achieve success! Be sure to study each subclass before you hit the battlefield to maximize your chances of victory! Best of all, whether you play 4E Missions, Spies Vs. Mercs, or the Campaign mode, the money you earn can be spent to help you further customize and develop your character. Hours of supercharged action and stealth await you online!
4E Missions
4E Missions, or 4th Echelon Missions, are a new feature to the Splinter Cell franchise. Like the Campaign, you can earn money by completing 4E Missions. To engage in these special missions, talk to your 4th Echelon team members, or captives, aboard the Paladin. There are 16 missions, and you can select them from the SMI Map. Pressing the appropriate button enables you to see each mission and its location on the world. The great thing about 4E Missions is that you can play all of them with a friend in Co-op, and 12 of the 16 missions can be played Solo. The available options are:
- Split-screen: Play side-by-side in a private Co-op match.
- Online: Play with a friend in a public Co-op match, or find a random teammate.
Prior to each mission, you will be able to customize your inventory like you would prior to a Campaign mission. Additionally, all items you’ve purchased will be available in 4E.
Here is a breakdown of the available missions:
Briggs Missions (Co-op Only)
Sam and Briggs must work together to get to the root of a nuclear weapons smuggling operation, one whose roots reach back to one of 3rd Echelon’s darkest secrets.
Briggs’s missions are only available for Co-op play.
Charlie Missions (Co-op/Solo)
Infiltrate an embassy to retrieve valuable intel. The Engineers will try to stop you from getting out by sending waves of attackers to stop you. To get past one wave and move on to the next, you must knock out or kill all hostiles. Survive at least five waves to earn the right to extract from the battlefield, or you can stay and fight for another five waves, up to 20, for a larger extraction bonus. If you complete a wave without dying or retrying, you will earn additional bonus points. At every fifth wave, one or more High Value Targets will appear, and you must capture them nonlethally before time runs out. Failure to capture them immediately ends the match.
Charlie missions are available for both Co-op and Solo play.
Grim Missions (Co-op/Solo)
Complete three objectives involving collecting intel and planting wire taps, and extract while remaining undetected. Try to leave as little evidence as possible, avoid hostiles rather than killing or incapacitating them. Every time you complete an objective, you will earn Ghost points for every hostile untouched, resulting in an Objective Bonus. However, if hostiles hear your activities or find a body, they will go on high alert, and no further Objective Bonus will be awarded.
Grim missions are available for both Co-op and Solo play.
Kobin Missions (Co-op/Solo)
Fashioned like the Campaign missions, in the Kobin Missions you must kill or knock out all hostiles in an area to proceed while collecting Dead Drops, Blacklist Laptops, and High Value Targets (HVTs). If you are detected at any time, remaining hostiles will call in reinforcements. Clear an area without triggering reinforcements for Bonus Points when you complete a mission.
Kobin missions are available for both Co-op and Solo play.
Multiplayer: Spies Vs. Mercs
It’s power versus stealth as players take on the roles of nimble Spies and powerful Mercs. Competing in teams, you must work to complete objectives, and take down enemies, in the following gameplay modes:
SvM Blacklist: Games of 4 vs. 4, consisting of two rounds each. In the first round, one team plays Spies and the other team plays Mercs. In the second round, the teams switch roles. In each round, the Spy team must hack three terminals scattered across the map. The Merc team, consequently, must prevent the Spies from succeeding. The strategy is straightforward: Mercs must kill the Spy hacking the terminal while the Spy team must defend the hacker and keep them safe. At the end of the two rounds, the team that hacked the most terminals wins. If both teams tie, the team that made the most progress on the remaining terminal wins.
SvM Classic: A classic spin on Spies Vs. Mercs. Games feature teams of 2 vs. 2 in a game of light and shadows, with Spies vanishing in the dark. No customizations are available, as Spies have night vision while Mercs carry flashlights.
Extraction: Games are 4 vs 4 and consist of two rounds. In the first round, one team plays Spies while the other team plays Mercs; in the second round, the teams switch sides. In each round, the Merc team must collect a briefcase of intel from the Spy base and carry it back to the Merc base in order to “capture” it. At the end of the two rounds, the team with the most captures wins.
Uplink Control: Games are 4 vs. 4, but the teams can be a mixture of both Spies and Mercs. Each team begins the round with one Uplink, and then must try to capture the remaining uplinks by holding them for a period of time. Only one Uplink can be active at a time. At the end of the round, the team controlling the most Uplinks wins.
Team Deathmatch: Games are 4 vs. 4, but the teams can be a mixture of both Spies and Mercs. The goal is simply to kill as many members of the opposing team as possible. Whichever team has the most kills at the end of the round wins.
Performance Match Scoring
After each match, you will be scored on your performance. Winning the match, completing objectives, assisting teammates, and killing opponents all add to your score. In public matches, your score is converted into money and XP (experience points), helping you level up.
Leveling Up
Your score earns you both money and XP, which enables you to level up. When you level up, you will also be awarded Unlock Tokens, which are required to access more advanced gear. Reaching Elite Levels 50 and above earns Elite versions of each Torso armor part.
Spies: Overview
Spies play from a third-person perspective, and have the ability to climb up walls, pipes and vents, hang off ledges, and lurk in the corner. They can also Shadowblend, meaning they will disappear from enemy sight while in shadow. Lacking heavy weapons and armor, Spies are fragile in a shootout. The best strategy is to sneak up on an enemy from behind or drop from above for an instant kill.
Spy Subclasses
Spies can equip one of three pieces of Torso armor to gain special abilities:
Intel Scout: Equipped with the Intel Suit, Scouts can tag all enemies in the vicinity. Tag information is shared withal teammates.
Predator: Equipped with the Digital Ghillie Suit, Predators can cloak for a short time to be nearly invisible to enemies.
Saboteur: Equipped with the Overcharge Suit, Saboteurs can make mines and grenades explode against their owner. Overcharge also depletes the Special Ability resource of nearby enemies.
Spy Vision Modes
Spies can equip one of three following vision modes:
Thermal: Reveals in real-time nearby enemies by their heat signatures.
EMF: Analyzes in real-time electromagnetic fields to detect electronics emitted by enemies or gadgets.
Sonar: Uses intermittent high-frequency sound pulses to locate enemies through walls.
Spy Gadgets
Spies have the following gadgets available to them:
Smoke Grenade: Fills the area with opaque smoke, covering your movements.
EMP Grenade: Generates a miniature electromagnetic pulse, disabling nearby lights and destroying enemy gadgets.
Flashbang: Creates a flare and concussive blast, blinding enemies.
Sentinel: Harmlessly neutralizes incoming enemy grenades and drones.
Sticky Camera: Sticks to walls and other surfaces to give you a remote view, and is great for using as a decoy or detonating to kill nearby enemies.
Mercs: Overview
Mercs play from a first-person perspective. Equipped with heavy weapons and armor, Mercs can tear through their opposition in open combat. Unlike Spies, Mercs can’t climb ledges or hide in cover. Their best strategy is to maintain long sight lines to shoot down attackers, while being mindful of not walking into an ambush.
Mercs Subclasses
Mercs can equip one of three pieces of Torso armor to gain special abilities:
Peacemaker: Equipped with the Adrenaline Suit, Peacemakers can increase their speed, have better vision in the dark, instantly heal, and temporarily boost their regeneration.
Hunter: Equipped with the UAV for remote-control recon, Hunters can deploy a drone and detonate it near enemies to neutralize them.
Disruptor: Equipped with the Disruptor Suit, these Mercs can disable gadgets and scramble enemy vision modes by tagging systems, leaving them blind. Disruptor also disables all enemy Special Ability activation.
Merc Vision Modes
Mercs can equip one of three following vision modes, which will always be active once equipped:
Motion Tracker: Detect enemy fast movements. Vision doesn’t detect Spies who move in crouch or on ledges.
RFD: Uses radio frequencies to detect enemy electronic signatures emitted by gadgets and the use of vision modes or special abilities.
ATS: The Acoustic Targeting System locks onto the sound of explosions and weapons fire. It also detects enemy movements at close range.
Merc Gadgets
Mercs have the following gadgets available to them:
Frag Grenade: Detonates in a spray of shrapnel, doing massive damage in an area.
Proximity Mine: Sticks to walls and floors, detonating when enemies get close.
Intel Device: Sends an intermittent beam that tags enemies within range.
VX Gas Grenade: Fills the area with an incapacitating chemical mist that kills enemies over time.
Resupply Pack: Refills weapon and gadget ammunition for yourself or a teammate.