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Ballard series armored vehicles
Ballard M5B1 Scout
The Ballard M5B1 Scout.
Vehicle in Just Cause
Type Series of heavy armored cars with varying turrets
Weapons Multiple, see below
Rarity Rare
List of owners Black Hand
Guerrillas
Montano Cartel
Rioja Cartel
San Esperito Military
San Esperito Police Department
Unknown
Export


The Ballard series armored vehicles are military vehicles in Just Cause (1).

There are 3 vehicles in this series, only differing in the turret, so they are in the same article for convenience.

A few missions and sidemissions call them tanks.

The 3 vehicles[]

Appearance[]

The lower parts of the vehicles are identical. They have 8 wheels. Real 8 wheeled vehicles have at least 4 wheels that turn, but the game limitations don't allow more than the 2 front wheels to turn. The engine is at the rear. The rear ends of the side walls have fuel canisters connected to them. They all have invisible machine-guns at the right side of the front wall.

The vehicles don't appear to be based on any one real armored vehicle. Instead they are made up of the elements of several. The body looks mainly like that of the B1 Centauro and to a lesser degree the LAV-25. The turrets are fictional.

Performance[]

Its velocity is above what might be expected from an armored vehicle, though still well below any sports car. It has a tendency to drift a little on higher speeds.

Weapons[]

Each variant has a different turret with a different main weapon. The turret is a little glitchy, as turning it may cause the vehicle to lose control, but switching weapons to the MG locks the turret for a more stable driving experience. All variants have a secondary machine gun mounted below the right headlight. The MG does not have a moving model, but it does function (this kind of front wall MG-mounts were very common on tanks until the end of WW2). It has decent accuracy and damage, mowing down infantry and unarmored targets with ease.

Ballard M5B1 Scout:

Ballard Sentry STRL - 14:

  • Multiple rocket-launcher turret. The rockets lose altitude quickly, allowing it to be used similarly to a howitzer. Theoretically, it can be used to kill enemies on the other side of a hill in this way. The rockets appear to be large-caliber munitions, between about 155mm and 200mm.
  • Front machine gun.

Ballard Centronel AAWV- 21:

  • Quad anti-aircraft autocannon turret, with a little radar antenna. The cannons appear to be of either 20mm or 30mm caliber; too large to be considered machine guns.
  • Front machine gun.

Survivability / armor[]

All Ballard variants and their tires are completely immune to small arms fire. They can survive 3 direct hits from any explosive weapons (rockets/missiles, another Ballard M5B1 Scout's gun, hand grenades, triggered explosives), before the fourth hit causes the vehicle to catch fire and explode. In anything explodes too close to it, the explosion can move the vehicle to a short distance.

Name[]

Unlike the DTWV-2 vehicles, these vehicles do not have a specified name for the series.

In case of the M5B1, the "B1" designation may have been added to specify a modification, which would mean that the M5 is the default name. This corresponds with the designation system of the United States Military, which many of San Esperito's military vehicles are named after, but M-numbers that small have not been in wide use since the 1930s, with the confusing exception of the Abrams having an M1.

Ballard M5B1 Scout[]

This version has the turret of a tank.

Being armed with a tank gun, it's effective against all targets. A skilled operator can even shoot down helicopters.

There's a unique unmarked brown one hidden in a forest, with an unknown affiliation. The area has a few small houses and there are civilians walking around. It's located in a small valley, surrounded by steep cliffs. The jungle keeps it completely hidden from aerial observation. Unless you want to jump off a cliff, it can only be approached from the north. The valley entrance has a wire fence with barbed wire at the top edge - just like the fences around some military bases. There's a gap in the middle of the fence, so it's not really obstructing anything. Be careful when driving it out, as the red barrel next to some wooden boxes will explode when hit. The vehicle would survive the explosion, but it would remove about 25% of its health.

There is a version with San Esperito Police Department markings that appears in Guerrilla sidemissions as a vehicle that needs to be captured. When the crew exits the vehicle, they are revealed to be soldiers rather than police. It's unknown why the military is operating police-marked Ballards, or would a police-marked one exist in the first place.

See the video section at the bottom of the page.

Its turret looks similar to miniaturized turrets of the PzKpfw. V tank or T-34/76.

Locations and users[]

Owner Color Location
Guerrilla Green
San Esperito Military Gray
Black Hand Black
  • Appears during some sidemissions.
  • Appears in Taking Out The Garbage Vol. 1. on Isla Dominio. Technically savable in a garage, via amphibious transportation back to mainland San Esperito. See the bottom of the page for how to do this.
Rioja Cartel Yellowish
Unknown - unmarked Brown
San Esperito Police Department Blue
  • Appears in a Guerrilla sidemission. Cannot be saved.

Gallery[]

San Esperito Military version[]


Black Hand version[]


San Esperito Police Department version[]

Guerrilla version[]


Rioja Cartel version[]


Other[]


Ballard Sentry STRL - 14[]

This version has a multiple rocket-launcher turret.

The rocket-launcher has 12 visible rockets, but as all other vehicle weapons, it has infinite ammunition. The rocket-launcher cannot be effectively used against flying machines as it doesn't have much range.

In the beginning cutscene of Broadcast News, Tom Sheldon is playing JC1 (considered to be an easter egg) and he is controlling one of these. However, he doesn't have one in reality.

Locations and users[]

Owner Color Location
San Esperito Military Gray
Black Hand Black
Guerrilla Green
Tom Sheldon Green
Montano Cartel Purple
  • Appears in a Rioja side mission.

Gallery[]

San Esperito Military version[]


Black Hand version[]


Montano Cartel version[]


Other[]


Ballard Centronel AAWV - 21[]

This is the anti-aircraft version.

Armed with four barreled anti-aircraft autocannon, this version is effective against helicopters and low-flying aircraft, with it's great angle of vertical fire. The weapon cannot depress enough to effectively engage ground targets and is useless against ground vehicles. The turret has a little radar antenna.

The turret resembles the real world ZSU-23-4.

Locations and users[]

Owner Color Location
San Esperito Military Gray
Brown
Guerrilla Green
Black Hand Black
Montano Cartel Purple
  • Appears in a Rioja sidemission.

Gallery[]

San Esperito Military version[]


Montano Cartel version[]


Black Hand version[]


Miscellaneous[]


Trivia[]

  • On all three of the vehicles, the wheels aren't actually attached to the underside, but rather the vehicle itself is floating above the tires. See picture above.
  • All three of the Ballards have a glitch where if you rotate the turret too fast, the physics engine will glitch and suddenly throw the vehicle around. See above pictures.
  • The decals on the front and left side of the Ballard are always inverted, as seen in a picture above, but the decals on the rear and right side are normal.
  • Unlike every other vehicle in the game, the Ballard will not immediately explode upon being turned upside down.
  • For a certain period of time, the wiki stated that the Ballard's mounted machine gun was invisible, even though it was fully visible, just with a static model.
  • The Ballard M5B1 Scout role as a main battle tank/IFV equivalent makes it the predecessor to the SV-1007 Stonewall from Just Cause 2, CS Odjur from Just Cause 3 and Warchief Assault Tank/Prizefighter Tank from Just Cause 4
  • Every faction in the game except The Agency has a variant of at least one of the three models of this vehicle.
    • In fact, The Agency is the only faction that does not own a variant of the Ballard M5B1 Scout.
  • The Falconer AA Tank can be considered the successor to the Ballard Centronel AAWV-21.

Acquiring the Black Hand variants from Isla Dominio[]

While incredibly difficult and time consuming, it is technically possible to move a Ballard variant from Isla Dominio to the mainland of San Esperito via amphibious transportation with a Pequod - Harpoon PC 350. This will be a very challenging feat to pull off and may require plenty of trial and error before you do it successfully. Should you make the choice to attempt this, the steps to do it are as follows:

  • Step 1: Liberate Hacienda Coronado in order to unlock Guerrilla Safehouse 31 - Boathouse Camp. While this is technically an optional step, it is highly recommended, as this is the closest safehouse to Isla Dominio.
  • Step 2: Begin the first part of Taking Out The Garbage.
  • Step 3: When you reach the Jaeger 5FJ 7, turn around and head to the mainland. Then use Heavy drop to call in a Whiptail Gyrocopter. This step is optional, but will make your attempts much faster.
  • Step 4: Fly over Isla Dominio and exit the helicopter, then paradrop down to the airfield on the south side of the island. You're aiming for an area about halfway along the airfield. with minimal trees that provide a commanding view of the road just to the west.
  • Step 5 (optional): Hijack the Delta MAH-15 Chimaera that will spawn, then land it around the middle of the airfield, just behind your location. It can serve to reduce the helicopter spawning and provide a grapple point for you.
  • Step 6: Watch the road and be patient. When the Ballard M5B1 Scout spawns, hijack it - but try not to go in while there are other vehicles otherwise they'll attack and potentially destroy you. If for whatever reason your attempt at hijacking it doesn't work, you can use the Chimaera as a grapple point to return to the airfield runway and wait for another chance.
  • Step 7: Once you acquire the Ballard, drive down the airfield and turn off into the forests to the east. Then follow the shore until you reach a small clearing just before the SAM site near the corner of the shore.
  • Step 8: Park the tank at the edge of the cliff and get out, then run down to the water and hijack a Pequod - Harpoon PC 350.

IMPORTANT: If you enter another vehicle after the Pequod, it will cause the Ballard to despawn. DO NOT enter any other vehicles. If you need to clear out any other boats, use your guns.

  • Step 9: Drive the Pequod under the cliff, getting as close as you can, and line up the rear deck with the shoreline as best you can. It helps to tap the reverse button lightly, as the boat will then drift into the shore and stop completely. Don't let the boat drift, make sure it's as still as it can be.
  • Step 10: Return to the Ballard and line up with the rear deck of the Pequod. Back up to the small hill just behind you, then floor it. Floor it at full speed and attempt to land straight on the back of the Pequod. If you land on the boat successfully, then now's the time to make any adjustments to secure the Ballard as best you can. You won't get a chance later.
  • Step 11: Exit the tank and get in the Pequod. Now comes the hard part.
  • Step 12: Going incredibly and extremely slow, gently begin sailing away from shore and move northward. Make sure you watch the wheels on your Ballard - because the tank moving will trick the game into thinking it's rolling, which will in turn make the wheels spin and exert a port or starboard force upon the Pequod that may be too strong to counteract depending on the wheel speed. Work with it if possible, but slow down if the force is too strong for you to counteract gently. Remember that moving slowly and keeping the Ballard on your back is your first priority.

IMPORTANT: DO NOT GET OUT OF THE PEQUOD AFTER THIS POINT

Normally when exiting a Pequod, Rico will appear on the back deck - right where the Ballard will be parked during this. Getting out will result in appearing inside the Ballard, which in turn will cause instant death, so if you need to get out of the boat (which you probably won't have to, anyway), use the stunt position instead.

  • Step 13: While you're restricted to moving incredibly slowly, still try to get as far away from Isla Dominio as possible, as soon as possible. At any point during this step a Black Hand boat could spawn, or a helicopter, or any number of things that could then attack you and damage the boat or stop you from losing your Heat.
  • Step 14: This step is pretty important: just relax and keep your fear under control. By this time, after having done the previous steps several times due to its tendency for failure and subsequent repetition, you'll probably be very nervous and fearful to lose your progress. To which I say, just breathe. After you're out of Isla Dominio's heat zone and you're free of the threat of the Black Hand, the only thing that can really stop you now is yourself. Don't get greedy, don't take any risks, just go slowly and gently. Keep your speed low and your turns (if necessary) gentle. Breathe and keep it under control. Relax. You'll be fine. You'll get there. It'll take as long as it needs to, just be patient and keep on sailing.
  • Step 15: When you reach the mainland shore, beach the Pequod. You might need a slight (but careful) burst of speed as you're coming in, because it's good to try and completely beach the boat, leaving nothing but sand below it. As a result, if the Ballard falls off in its own here, then it'll be on the shore and you can continue.
  • Step 16: DO NOT EXIT THE PEQUOD CONVENTIONALLY IF THE BALLARD IS STILL ON THE REAR DECK. If you've beached the Pequod and the Ballard is still on your back, use the Stunt Jump position to get to the roof of the boat, then leap off. After that, try to jump onto the deck of the Pequod itself. Once you're there, get in the tank and drive off. If you accidently get in the boat again, THEN I REITERATE YOU MUST USE THE STUNT JUMP POSITION TO GET OUT OTHERWISE YOU MAY INSTANTLY DIE.
  • Step 17: Once you're inside the tank, drive off of the boat onto the beach. If you're stuck on the boat and can't move, (this probably won't happen to you, though, but just in case,) then use the physics glitch to dislodge yourself. Switch to the main cannon and wiggle it slightly to free yourself, then drive off onto the shore.
  • Step 18: Go straight to Guerrilla 31. Technically you can go to any safehouse you want now, but after all the previous steps you'll want to save as soon as possible because you did it. So that's why you need Guerrilla 31 unlocked.
  • Step 19: Put the Ballard in Guerrilla 31's garage, make sure you're far enough away for the door to close, then use grenades to kill Rico. The mission will fail, after which you can press abort and return to free roam.
  • Step 20: You'll probably spawn at Guerrilla 31. Save the game - this is the earliest chance for you to do it, and you'll want to do it as soon as possible.
  • Step 21: After the game is saved, go to the garage at Guerrilla 31 and celebrate. You did it - and you never have to do it again.

Attempting this, should you choose to do it, will be very time consuming and extremely difficult. It will most likely take multiple attempts, and plenty of trial and error to get right. Good luck.

Notes[]

  • Theoretically this can be done for all land vehicles from Isla Dominio, though it has only been tested on the Ballards, so in other cases, this may not work.

Video[]

This video shows how looks two versions of the Ballard M5B1 Scout: the Military and Guerrilla versions.

(HD)_Ballard_M5B1_Scout,_version_Military_and_Guerrilla_(ERL)_-_Just_Cause_1

(HD) Ballard M5B1 Scout, version Military and Guerrilla (ERL) - Just Cause 1

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