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Benning slums aka Firebase Ghost

Cerberus is attacking civilians on Benning. Land on Benning and provide protection while civilians are evacuated.

Acquisition[]

The mission is acquired after completion of either task the turian and krogan leaderships gave you.

Preparation[]

This mission takes place on the multiplayer map Firebase Ghost. You will be fighting basic Cerberus light infantry often supported by Turrets in a tight urban environment with many similar-looking prefab structures. Be aware of the number markings on each building to help orient yourself. The final portion of this mission is basically a "holdout" scenario where you will have to fight off a large number of enemies attacking from multiple directions at once; while ammo and grenade pickups are fairly plentiful on the map, ammo consumption can still be a concern especially if playing a more weapon dependent class. In terms of squadmates, those with access to powerful long range weaponry and extra staying power tend to do well, especially if placed in locations with good fields of fire.

Walkthrough[]

N7CerberusAbductions-BenningArrival

Head to the Arcturus Stream (6 o'clock on the galaxy map), travel to Euler and then land on Benning to begin this mission.

Upon heading towards the first nav-point, you will enter Building 52. To the right next to the sink will be a PDA to examine. Continuing through the latrine and into the bedroom, you will find a bunk bed with a dead civilian. Spare Parts worth 2,500 credits are located on the floor.

Secure upper streets[]

A civilian will run through the entrance and be gunned down by Cerberus. Engage Cerberus and take them out. There will be a single wave of Assault Troopers, supported by a Combat Engineer and a Centurion. Once all hostiles have been eliminated, the mission will update and provide you with a second objective.

Warning: There will be a Turret already set up in the area so approach with caution and take it out from a safe distance.
Legendary Edition: There is no pre-built Turret at this location, but the Engineer will soon start setting one up, so take him out before he can.

From the building with the bunk beds where you found the dead civilian, head towards Building 27. As you make your way to Building 27, Building 22 will be to the right. On the ground next to a pillar close to Building 22 will be the Dog Tag belonging to Alliance Soldier Bilal Osoba. The Dog Tag is required to complete the side mission Benning: Evidence.

Note: If you miss the Dog Tag on Benning you can purchase it from the Spectre Requisitions store in the Spectre Office in the Citadel Embassies for 1,000 credits and present them to Osoba to complete the mission.

In the same courtyard, you will find Building 97. Under the painted number "97" is a black and yellow dumpster. To the right of the dumpster on the ground you will find the Capacitor Helmet. Enter Building 27 nearby. You will find a med-station, and Spare Parts worth 2,500 credits on the bridge between Building 27 and Building 25.

At this point you will hear or see Cerberus troops attacking a group of civilians on the streets below. Clear out the area of hostiles. As you make your way to speak to the civilians, you will be near Building 7 which contains a computer console with an email warning civilians to not trust Cerberus. Left from the middle stairs leading from Building 7 there is a small alley. There you will find Spare Parts worth 2,500 credits next to a machine labelled "M382".

Defend Civilians[]

Upon talking to the civilians, your goal now is to defend them as they move towards the landing pad for extraction. Initially the civilians will stay where you found them but then move onto the battlefield. Luckily, the civilians are impervious to damage and you can safely ignore them for the rest of the fight, though their occasional sprints forward toward the shuttle pickup point will serve to mark your progress. Before talking to them, it's a good idea to mark the location of ammo/grenade and medi-gel refills should you need them during the upcoming battle.

Combat Strategy: If you're looking for a good spot to defend, return to Building 7. It's the building nearest to the spot you found the civilians and the one with the Computer Console message telling you to "Run!". Building 7 offers a good view of the courtyard and plenty of room to dive away from grenades without exposing yourself too much. You will need to keep an eye on the two side entrances, since an occasional enemy will head around that way, but the narrow approaches in those directions will tend to bottleneck the enemy advance and you won't likely be seriously flanked, especially if you stay to the right closer to Building 5 to cover it while leaving your squad inside 7 with a clear view of the central approach.

Tip: Biotics generally and the Lash power in particular can be used with great effect for pulling enemies out of cover and even throwing them off the edge of the map. You encounter no enemies with armor on this mission except the odd Turret, and as such the shield penetration upgrade of Lash will allow you to use it against all enemies, even Centurions and Engineers.

The Cerberus troops will ignore the civilians and focus on you. There are several waves of enemies: the first waves consist of Assault Troopers (and a Centurion or two on Insanity level), and towards the end a mix of Assault Troopers, Combat Engineers, and Centurions. During battle, watch your flanks as Cerberus troops will climb ladders to gain height advantage or come through buildings around the sides.

N7CerberusAbductions-BenningDeparture

Once you have eliminated all Cerberus troops, Shepard will declare an "All Clear" and the civilians will head to the landing zone and wait there. You can now safely pick up any remaining credits, upgrades, etc. from around the level.

Warning: If Shepard does not declare an all clear, there is at least one active enemy remaining, and it might be a Turret, which the Engineers that appear towards the end tend to leave near your landing zone, sometimes concealed on low ground as you approach. Unattended Turrets with no other enemies around will eventually self-destruct if they aren't actively being engaged (you might hear the explosions).

On the way back to the landing zone, you will pass Building 5 where you will find a med-station. There are also Spare Parts under the counter for 2500 credits, and a PDA to examine next to the sink.

The mission does not end until you select the shuttle to leave, so feel free to complete this mission at your own pace.

Aftermath[]

Upon debriefing, Admiral Hackett will inform you that a rogue Cerberus group may be responsible for the continued attacks on civilians. As a result of Shepard's help, the Alliance will regain a foothold on Benning and retake the planet from Cerberus. You will be rewarded with 10,000 credits of Alliance funding and the Arcturus First Division war asset.

After a few missions, Shepard will also receive an e-mail from one of the saved civilians.


Thank you!



From: Jessica Frohm


Dear Commander Shepard: My name is Jessica Frohm. You saved my life on Benning. I've lost so many friends in all this. But I find hope in the idea that their memory lives on in me. I know I'm just one woman, but I wanted to let you know you're making a real difference.

Bless you, Commander,

Jessica Frohm

Enemies[]

Logs[]


Comm Log: Svetlana Alexandrov

They have us surrounded. Private security from the depot tried to help, but they got slaughtered. Someone has to know. Someone has



Run!

To anyone reading this--don't trust Cerberus. They're taking people against their will! Just run--whatever you do, don't look back. RUN.



BE CAREFUL!

Nemo--if you can read this, stay away from the taxi stand. That place is crawling with Cerberus soldiers! Elly.

Bugs[]

  • Several people have reported a bugged invulnerable turret that wouldn't shoot in the early part of the mission. Reloading a save can fix the problem.
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