The Assault on Fort Mercer

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Red Dead Redemption missionThe Assault on Fort Mercer
Start	Fort Mercer
End	Fort Mercer
Given by	Leigh Johnson
Location	Fort Mercer
Rewards	$50, 150 Fame
Progression
Unlocked by	Leigh Johnson mission strand: "Hanging Bonnie MacFarlane" and Nigel West Dickens mission strand: "The Sport of Kings, and Liars" and Seth Briars mission strand: "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead" and Irish mission strand: "On Shaky's Ground"
Unlocks	Irish mission strand: "We Shall Be Together in Paradise"

“Williamson is a proud fool. Question is, which will win out between his pride and his instinct for survival.”

–John Marston

The Assault on Fort Mercer is a mission in Red Dead Redemption.

Story

John Marston and his group, consisting of Marshal Leigh Johnson, Deputies Eli and Jonah, Nigel West Dickens, Irish, Seth Briars and an unnamed deputy break into Fort Mercer, and try to find and capture Bill Williamson. West Dickens provides an armored stagecoach, Seth distracts the gang, Irish provides a Gatling Gun, and the Marshal and his deputies provide firepower. John then is to find that he had fled to Mexico to find Javier Escuella. John therefore must head to Mexico using the help from Irish and continue his search for Bill Williamson.

Walkthrough

Mission Prerequisites

Before this mission becomes available, the player must complete:

• Leigh Johnson mission: "Hanging Bonnie MacFarlane";
• Nigel West Dickens mission: "The Sport of Kings, and Liars";
• Seth Briars mission: "Let the Dead Bury Their Dead"; and
• Irish mission: "On Shaky's Ground"

Mission Objectives

To complete this mission, the player must:

• Board Nigel's wagon and sneak into the fort.
• Gun down the bandits with the Gatling Gun.
• Fight his way around the fort ramparts.
• Regroup with his allies.
• Gun down the bandit reinforcements with the Gatling Gun.

Mission Details

This is the first mission in which you are able to use a Gatling Gun. In the mission, the Gatling Gun is mounted inside West Dicken's stagecoach. As the stagecoach pulls inside, the back opens up and the posse is engaged in a fierce firefight with members of Williamson's gang . They will approach from directly in front of the wagon and to the right of it. The well in the center of the courtyard will crumble under enough concentrated fire, allowing easier aiming for some of the more hidden enemies. When they are dealt with, a search of the rest of the Fort reveals Williamson is not there, and the only inhabitants are a few of his goons. The last sequence of the mission has the player man the Gatling again and fend off reinforcements attacking the main gate of the fort. These reinforcements include both mounted and unmounted enemies, and 2 wagons with Gatling Guns mounted on them. You will fail the mission if Leigh Johnson or any Deputy dies. Once they've been dealt with, sit back and enjoy the treatment of prisoners in the old west!

Mission Dialogues

Main article: The Assault on Fort Mercer/dialogues

Mission Tips

• If the player is having trouble dealing with the two Gatling Gun wagons, there is a dynamite box on each of these wagons located slightly behind the driver. Simply shoot the boxes to take the wagons out easily.
• Make sure to check all the rooms in Fort Mercer; money, ammunition for Weapons, and other valuables can be found in chests hidden through the fort.

Mission Failure

The mission will fail if the player:

• Abandons his traveling companions.
• Assaults or kills Marshal Johnson, Eli, Jonah, Seth, Irish or Nigel.
• Kills any horse ridden by Marshal Johnson, Eli, Jonah or Irish.
• Kills the horses pulling Nigel's coach.
• Breaks the law.
• Kills a dog.
• Commits vandalism.
• Assaults or kills townsfolk (if any).
• Dies.

New Game Elements Introduced

• Firing a mounted weapon
• Use of a Gatling Gun

Trivia

• Despite the fact that Irish apparently never turned up to the battle, he is still seen alongside Marston in the opening cutscene.
• Despite this being Williamson's Gang, two Bollard Twins Gang members (Harry Dobbing and Irvin Pennick) appear in the cutscene and momentarily in the gunfight, but are more than likely killed instantly from machine gun fire. Unlike other criminals who's character model respawn often, only these two respawn once.
• Very rarely while riding into the fort in the wagon, a lawman may be killed by a cougar, failing the mission instantly. This is most likely to happen at night when cougars are most active.
• In earlier missions Eli referred to West Dickens usually as "Mr." or other respectful terms, yet here he simply calls him the "snake oil guy", possibly due to his flustered state.
• The "Assault on Fort Mercer" may have been inspired by the scene in The Dirty Dozen in which Lee Marvin's commandos win a war game by smuggling a heavy machine gun in an ambulance. It could have also been inspired by an extremely similar scene in the spaghetti western, Django , in which the title character and a gang he works with at the time assault a fort in the same manner as John and his gang do using a machine gun hidden in a prostitute wagon. Due to the closer resemblance to "Django", and the fact that Rockstar based both Red Dead games on spaghetti westerns, the latter is most likely.
• This mission could also have been inspired by the 2006/2007 video game, Call of Juarez. Both games involve the protagonist storming a Mexican fort and gunning down outlaws with a hidden Gatling Gun.
• There is an unnamed deputy seen in the cutscene and during the battle (between Marshal Johnson and Irish in the image at the top of the page).

Gallery

"John."

"Marshal."

"Why, what's happening?"

"Seth has managed to get himself inside the Fort."

"Huh?"

"Williamson is a proud fool."

"Come on..."

"Come on in! Welcome to my humble abode!"

"It's a trap!"

"Say hello to my little friend!"

"Fuck a dang pig, them cocksucking sons-a-bitches escaped to the other side of the fort!"

"Can't find Williamson anywhere."

"Wait, wait, wait I've missed it."

"Javier Escuella. He's gone to see Javier Escuella. This should make things interesting."

"Where in Mexico, you little shit!"

"Awwwww, Chupa-feckin'-rosa?!"

Video Walkthrough

Achievements

Completing this mission contributes toward the following Trophies/Achievements:

	LAND OF OPPORTUNITY 30 gamerscore Bronze bronze Complete The Assault on Fort Mercer.

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	REDEEMED 100 gamerscore Gold gold Attain 100% List in the singleplayer game completion list.