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Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops

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Learn how to recruit allies in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. This guide covers capturing, rescuing, and special conditions for unique characters.

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Learn how to recruit allies in Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. This guide covers capturing, rescuing, and special conditions for unique characters.

You can't complete Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops without allies. Every mission contains enemy soldiers, and you can't capture dead ones. To recruit an enemy soldier, you must first knock them out, then drag them to the truck (or a cardboard box later in the game) before they wake up. After completing or aborting the mission, they will appear in prison on the Squad Management screen. From there, you can view their skills, remove equipment, change their name, or dispose of them. After a few days, they will join your unit. Having a soldier from the Politician career in your squad will speed up this process.

Special conditions:

  • Rescuing a captured soldier will immediately make them join your unit.
  • Unique Characters can be recruited, but require special conditions to be met.

The following characters will join your unit immediately after capture/rescue:

  • Jonathan
  • Para-Medic
  • Python
  • Raikov
  • Sigint
  • Sokolov
  • Eva
  • Venus
  • Teliko
  • Gene (in EU version)
  • Any soldier rescued during a mission
  • Any soldier via AP Scan
  • Any soldier via password (GAKO soldier and Zero are recommended if you don't own the Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel; other soldiers are obtainable without passwords)
  • Any soldier who joins via Cyber-Survival

Career:

Every soldier has a career that affects their abilities:

CareerEffectBest unit to put
AthleteMovement speed is fasterInfiltration Unit
QuarterbackThrowing distance is longerInfiltration Unit
ArtistMagazine (book) has no effectOnline Unit
ScoutStalking speed is fasterInfiltration Unit
RescuerDragging movement speed is fasterInfiltration Unit
GamblerIncreases chance of hitting weak spot/getting hit in weak spotCyber-Survival
DeliverymanCan send items back to Campbell's truckInfiltration Unit
BaitMakes strong enemies appear more oftenInfiltration Unit
StuntmanQuick recovery from knockoutsOnline Unit
SurveyorIncreases detail in stage mapIntelligence Unit
Spy/AgentDecreases enemy life (by 10%)
Note! It will also decrease your recruits life, so use them with caution!
Intelligence Unit
Arms DealerIncreases chance of finding ammunitionIntelligence Unit
Arms SpecialistIncreases amount of ammunition that can be carriedTechnical Unit
Elite engineerVery high technical development skillsTechnical Unit
EngineerHigh technical development skillsTechnical Unit
ChemistWorks on medicine developmentMedical Unit
DoctorIncreases life recovery speed for your squadMedical Unit
NutrionistIncreases stamina recovery speed for your squadMedical Unit
PoliticianPrisoners become allies more easilyANY UNIT

Cyber-Survival:

After gaining allies, you can use them in Cyber-Survival mode via a WLAN point. Assign equipment to your unit and send them online. Check their condition after 12 hours. If you lose, save the battle report to identify mistakes. You may capture enemy soldiers, and some may even join you willingly, sometimes offering a gift like the Stealth Camouflage. However, be cautious, as losing can result in your soldiers being captured.

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