Operation Thunderbarge

Operation Thunderbarge
	; The main part of the weather-machine at Zona Dos.
Mission in Just Cause 4
Type	Main storyline
To unlock	Complete Thunderbarge: Ion Coil Delivery.
Starting location	Casquillos Vacíos
Reward	Kunka region unlocked for capture.; Thunderbarge is unlocked for Supply drop.

This article has been evaluated to be at quality level 5.
This article may seem complete to the untrained eye, but the gaps in information are still large enough for this elite team of Panauan Ninjas to hide inside of.

Operation Thunderbarge is a mission in Just Cause 4.

Introduction[]

Quote from the map icon: "The lightning-proof boat is ready. Meet Mira and Sheldon at Casquillos Vacíos to commence the operation and storm Zona Dos."

It's advised to restock on assault rifle ammunition before starting the mission. A rocket launcher may come useful, but is unnecessary.

If you set the map marker as a travel destination, you'll get a phonecall from Tom, who tells you that the "Thunderbarge" is ready. Mira can also be heard and she sarcastically asks why it's not called just "the boat". She does not approve of the name.

Walkthrough[]

Spoiler warning: Significant plot details follow.

Mira, Tom and Rico meet at a dock. Mira informs Rico that the Black Hand are setting up patrols along the Río Wanay river. Rico suspects that the enemy have figured out their plan and wants to get going before it's too late.

Rico looks at the Thunderbarge. He sees the mortar and "50 cal", but asks about possible additional weapons. The others say they added something and laugh a little.

By this mission Rico and Tom are getting along much better and he asks Tom to accompany him in the Thunderbarge.

On the way to Zona Dos[]

The game quickly becomes darker after the cut-scene. As you travel, it also starts raining and eventually there's a lightning storm.

Along the way there will be a minefield and many Black Hand boats and helicopters trying to stop you. Tom takes out some of them with his turret. The barge has a health bar and the "mortar" (actually a guided missile launcher) has infinite ammunition, so it's advised to help him out.

At one point there are something similar to flood gates on thee river. Stop the boat and destroy the generators at both sides of the river. There are several solders with assault rifles, snipers and RPGs on both sides, but there's also plenty of things to take cover behind. The generators can be destroyed by simply grappling their doors off and then grappling their internal parts.

If any helicopter is attacking the Thunderbarge, just grapple it to the ground to make it crash, using the retractor.

Then drive through the gate by simply pushing it open.

Next there's a waterfall. There's a bridge over the fall, but a jet fighter blows that up for some reason.

Drive over the fall and turn left where the river splits. Tom now reveals an additional weapon: Lightning will hit where ever you have already hit with a missile, causing additional damage. Tom calls this "Thundergun".

Next there's a lot of additional Black Hand boats and many soldiers (some with RPGs) at a coastal village. Keep firing the mortar to clear a path.

At Zona Dos[]

Eventually you'll reach Zona Dos. As soon as you drive over the ramp-like edge of the base, the boat's health bar disappears.

From here on you're free to destroy the base creatively. Mira calls and says to destroy three lightning rods around the base.

While destroying the base, lightning will constantly be present. Do your best to maintain a low altitude, and move fast/take cover under a building or something when lightning is about to strike. This is indicated with a shower of sparks crackling above Rico. See article Lightning storm for more information.

Two of the rods (the one on the right and the one behind the weather machine) can be destroyed easily by simply launching a lot of missiles at them from the boat, but if that's too boring, it's a better idea to grapple yourself up to the base and destroy the rods yourself. The storm creates a constant updraft, so opening the parachute will immediately pull Rico up when almost anywhere in the base.

The rods each have two bight orange devices on their sides. These can easily be destroyed by small arms fire, but the whole base is densely full of enemy soldiers. In some areas there may be up to three sniper lasers on you at the same time. This may seem difficult, but there's no time limit and there's lots of places to take cover behind. There will also be attacking helicopters, but they can be retracted into the ground and into nearby buildings. One may be tempted to hijack a Spectre Attack Helicopter or a Bloodhound Siege Heli since they are armed with missiles which could deal heavy damage to the rods, but don't. It's pointless since lightning will strike you down almost immediately. There's no need to attempt to deal with the attacking helicopters. Due to them being at a higher altitude than most other objects, lightning will bring them down within one to two strikes.

One rod is a little further away from the river and could not be destroyed by the boat's missiles.

When the last rod is destroyed, the enemy sends multiple small drones after you. These drones can take a lot of bullets (maybe even bulletproof), so it's advised to instead try to grapple them to things, like the helicopters, or get back to the boat to use its infinite guided missiles.

The next task is to blow up the red parts on the weather machines three crane booms. Again the easiest way is to destroy them with the missiles, but feel free to use whatever else is available.

When these are blown up, the middle of the machine begins to blow up. It sheds its outer layer, revealing a rotating brightly colored eye-like ball. When this is adequately damaged, it triggers a long cut-scene.

The storm core's sphere explodes. Mira arrives in a helicopter and gets to work with other Army of Chaos members.

Old Agency outpost[]

Tom asks Rico to accompany him to show him something. They go to a very nearby set of ruins, on a hill next to the base. Tom explains that there was an old Agency outpost there. He touches a rock in a stone column and this activates a big elevator. They ride the elevator down to a big room with computers.

Tom mentions that this is where the Agency was keeping an eye on the Project Illapa and that the facility is about 30 years old.

Rico looks at an old photograph of 4 men and possibly recognizes his father in it. It's unclear which one he is as there are 4 men.

Tom activates an old computer and finds a security camera recording with Miguel Rodriguez mentioned in the file name.

The recording shows a man with a white coat (Miguel) talking to a man in a suit (according to the subtitles he is "Espinoza") and complaining to him about having sacrificed too much for his job. He quits and walks away. A woman who according to the subtitles is simply an "agent" points out that if Miguel leaves, he would be a serious liability. Espinosa responds that if they'd take care of that liability (implying kill him) now, it could cause problems for Lanza Morales (another scientist) who works at Zona Uno. Espinosa instead says to let Miguel get back to his family at Medici and continues to explain that he has a unit of Black Hand stationed there with Di Ravello, who last he checked was "in the Agency's pocket".

The video ends and Rico is angry. He kicks over a table.

Tom explains that he had no idea and that he was still new in the Agency back then. He had specific orders to save only Rico.

In the end Rico contacts Mira. He doesn't tell her anything about this and tells her to take out Project Illapa. She sends the signal and one of the Illapa towers explodes.

The Agency outpost cannot be entered after the mission.

Trivia[]

This mission leaves it unclear which Espinosa is responsible for the Project Illapa and the assassination of Miguel Rodriguez. It could have been either Oscar, or his father Leon Espinosa. A later mission, Meeting Lanza Morales, clears this up by explaining that Miguel left when Oscar took over after Leon's death and intended to weaponize the project.
Don't ask why, but the writer of this article had to do the mission twice. The second time there was a minor glitch, consisting of when the boat was parked at the gates, Tom got out of his turret and was just standing on the boat. Later he eventually slipped off the boat when going at a higher speed. Initially Tom's voice was changed to radio voice, as the game normally does when Rico is suddenly away from a vehicle that contains a mission character, but then that disappeared too. By the time the boat got past the waterfall and into the village area, the game had spawned Tom back into the turret.
Tom exhibits unusual behavior during the mission.
- The military body armor vest he wears in this mission is merely part of his model, and therefore does not increase his resilience against gunfire as its appearance may suggest. This was reported on October 21st, 2019, though it is not known if this has been changed at a later date.
- However at Zona Dos, he somehow becomes invincible should you choose to pull him out of the turret in the Thunderbarge. He wields a Bárbaro Machine Gun and will shoot at any Black Hand that get close to him. If you pull him out and into the water, there's a possibility that he won't despawn after the mission ends, meaning you now have Tom Sheldon in free roam, albeit only in your surrounding area. If you leave the area, he despawns.
While technically part of the main story, this mission doubles as a "region strike" for securing Kunka.