Galaer on 23/2/2020 at 16:03
MISSION 11 - PRECIOUS CARGO
I had some problem to get out from long elevator. I hid in it's corner, then used metal ramp and found full shadow on left side. Moving with keys wan't any problem. And in the storage at the beginning of Underground Base I managed to disable my first bot in this challenge.
Getting to New Scripture was tricky. I decided to go from first house, I mantled on wooden fence on roofs near 2 archers and jumped to railing near cave. Unfortunately patroller noticed me, so I quickly hid in cave. After reading New Scripture I jumped into water and got a treasure. Then I realized that getting to cave with New Scripture would be easier if I would swim to second house.
The rest of the mission was easy. I skipped few locked chests and there was no vine arrow for me to get loot on high beam above pirate base. This mission was surprisingly easy.
STATS:
Time: 47 min 4 s; Loot: 1147/1627
Pockets Picked: 4/4; Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 1
Secrets: 1/1
Busts: 0
Galaer on 2/3/2020 at 08:40
MISSION 12 - KIDNAP
This mission will be tricky. First of all I'm grabbing scroll that trigger Cavador and without reading it I'm taking it through Station #4 to locked door to Station #5. This means every 10 seconds I need to drop scroll.
Then I visit Station #6. Rope arrow so far I only found in starting building. That's pretty far. I entered building, then exited near bot and strafe jump over lava. Then quietly went to silver drill and invisibility potion. I abused fact that conversation restarts after every reload. I mantled on statue, jumped on the other side and hid in building. I took invisibility potion with me to Station #5.
Near first crossroad in first house on path leading to Station #7 I found second invisibility potion, which I also took to Station #5. I also think that locked door to Station #5 are automatically closing, so I brought crate with me to block it.
The plan for me is to read the scroll, so Cavador will leave and open door to the Station #5 for me. Then I will block it with crate and loot it. If necessary I will drink invisibility potion. Potions weren't needed. I crouched at the edge of shadow on the side. When door opened, I frobbed them to close and from now on door became unlocked forever. And that's good, because I checked that crate isn't strong enough to block this door.
I used water arrow from 1st floor to douse gas torches on 2nd floor. This allowed me to enter Cavador room and steal Cavador's Diary. Well, now is time to find Cavador and kidnap him. I found him near Station #3 when he was returning to his Station #5. I took invisibility potion with me and KO-ed him (bust #1). Then I ran away to hide in shadow.
When guards calmed down, one of them went back to Station #5, golden helmet guard stayed in place with body behind him. He had a key, probably for Station #5. Good to know this key exist. I waited for him to calm down even more and took the body. Then I went to exit. On my adventure I skipped many locked chests and skipped some loot in Station #4, #7, #8. I completely skipped Station #3. And yet I managed to collect almost all loot.
STATS:
Time: 1 hour 11 min 11 s; Loot: 2208/2508
Pockets Picked: 7/10; Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 1
Damage Dealt: 1; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 1/1
Busts: 1 (blackjack for Cavador)
Galaer on 2/3/2020 at 08:41
MISSION 13 - CASING THE JOINT
Most of the mission is easy. At the beginning I loot outside guards. Carrying Cuckoo to clock wasn't hard either. The problem appeared together with exit. I can't use lockpicks, So my only option is breaking window at 3rd floor. I didn't found any water arrows or rope arrows. And there is only 1 broadhead arrow in Storage in SW part of 2nd floor. Luckily there is a lot of wood to store it.
Before getting arrow I opened secret passage to room when in next mission will be trap mechanism locks. With arrow I quickly run into passage. Guard in lookout will go into search mode, but because you weren't in front of him for too long, it doesn't fail ghosting objective. Hide in passageway to next room. On your right is window to break. Patroller here will go into search mode, but it doesn't fail this mission. Mantle on window and go to it's edge to finish this mission.
STATS:
Time: 50 min 18 s; Loot: 2140/2685
Pockets Picked: 8/9; Locks Picked: 0
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 9/9
Busts: 0
Galaer on 8/3/2020 at 20:58
MISSION 14 - MASKS
OK, this is an interesting mission. I can't get to Control Room of south corridor on 1st floor, so I just pass watcher in front of it. It's impossible to get to Ballroom, because door is locked. I get through Foyer to north part and grab white key from patroller of NE corridor. It opens door leading to stairs, but doesn't open 2nd floor door. Doing north part is normal. I get into storage with Hammerite and behind him I enter 2nd floor.
You are in 2nd floor of Ballroom. There are only 1 way forward. Drop and loot Ballroom, then you need to climb to wall in NE part and mantle on NE balcony with patrolling archer. Here is the only opened door to 2nd floor corridor. I needed to pass another watcher and then get to corridor with secret passage.
Going south required me to get out of secret passage by jumping on carpet and quickly jump on NE carpet, then hide in shadow. Very slowly go under guard's window and turn of watchers. Return and go to Foyer.
Unfortunately all doors in south corridor are locked, so I'm skipping this part and go to secret passage to 3rd floor. But first I need to time watcher in the corner and slowly go under another guard's window. First I went through secret passage, then I went north to corridor with bot and archer, went behind them, opened secret passage and hid in shadow. I turned off security, then I mantled on secret passage door and mantled on wooden beams.
It's time to steal masks. Is it possible without any rope arrow and without any crate (because I didn't find any)? First gallery room is possible. Just drop to middle podium with masks. Go on it's edge and grab side masks. Then I jumped+mantled to fireplace and on shelf going around room. In the end I mantled to passageway leading to next room. In the same way you can get masks from other rooms.
For Cultivator door I needed 2 lockpicks (bust #1-2). I went upstairs and jumped down in the way that I mantled on lower part of podium with Cultivator. Then I grabbed it and left. I sneaked through corridor to double door, opened it and mantled on door and wooden beam. Then I went south and stole the rest of masks.
Alright time to get more loot. I went back to Ballroom, dropped on 1st floor, stole broadhead arrow from stationary archer and went to door leading outside. Also wooden looking walls in Ballroom are made from stone. I dropped on grass and went along wall around guard near double door near starting point.
Near double door is lamp. You can mantle on it, then mantle on little roof and mantle to terrace leading to Bar. Door is closed, but you can shoot arrow to break window. This opens north part of 2nd floor. Unfortunately there is not enough loot. I need more.
I returned to Ballroom via broken window and selected vine arrow (bust #3). With it I managed to get purple box from wooden beams. Then I dropped to 1st floor and went to corridor patrolled by 2 guards. There were windows to 2nd floor offices. I roped there and grab all loot. Unfortunately it was just barely not enough.
So I went to 3rd floor and opened right bedroom with 3 lockpicks (bust #4-6). There I got enough of loot. To exit I broke again window. This time with vine arrow, though it's also easy to grab broadhead arrow from one of patrolling archers. I mantled on the window and went to it's edge to finish this complicated mission.
STATS:
Time: 1 hour 36 min 12 s; Loot: 3267/3667
Pockets Picked: 2/11; Locks Picked: 2
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 0
Secrets: 3/3
Busts: 6 (2 lockpicks for Cultivator door, vine arrow and 3 lockpicks for 3rd floor bedroom door)
I believe it's possible to complete loot objective with only 5 busts. Vine arrow gave me around 300 loot, but I ended with 58 loot short. 3rd floor bedrooms gave me around 500 loot, so it would be enough to complete loot objective. So I didn't need vine arrow in the end.
Unless I missed 58 loot available for me without lockpicks somewhere in the mansion. Then I could use vine arrow and skip 3rd floor bedroom. This way I would end with just 3 busts.
Galaer on 15/3/2020 at 21:56
MISSION 15 - SABOTAGE AT SOULFORGE
First grab vine arrow near crossroad and turn right. Vine up, then sneak to Plans Room. You can store your vine arrow on little metal vents on wall. Near Plans Room are also 2 water arrows. In Plans Room you need to be careful of dropping key. Mechanist has very good hearing. I don't grab frog eggs, because you can't drop them to store them and I don't need them in places where I found them. Oh, and getting to Plans Room require 2 lockpicks (bust #1-2).
Then I opened Storage #2 with 3 lockpicks (bust #3-5). I realized afterwards that I should combine opening this storage with Plans Room to score 3 busts instead of 5 so far. From storage I took Signal Bolt and Steel Plate and took them near Factory Bay A. Signal Bolt and Stage Pieces can't be thrown unlike Steel Plate. I also noticed that patrolling bot in Bay A stopped moving.
I went back to Plans Room for 1 water arrow and took it all the way to spider bot near Bay B and C. I disable it (I actually wasted 2 water arrows), then I went down and disabled other patrolling bot in Bay A. I easily made Stage 1 Piece in Bay C, then I went to Bay A to make Stage 2 Piece. I completely forgot that I need to use switch in order to make machine work.
I took Stage 2 Piece to ladder in NW part of Factory, then I returned to Plans Room for my vine arrow. I took it to mentioned ladder. Climbed up with Stage 2 Piece and from bridge I jumped to passage behind bot and into ventilation shaft to Bay D. I left Stage 2 Piece near Sealing Machine and used vine arrow to get into passage with key opening 2 doors, which gave me access to control panel.
I went to Storage #3 by using 2 lockpicks (bust #6-7) and took Gauge and Bantam Node. I created Stage 3 Piece and went through passage to Bay E. I created Guiding Beacon. Transporting this item is easier, because I can use it like a key. I went to N Apse and activated 1st tower.
I returned for second water arrow and went to second map. I turned left and doused all torches. Then I went to elevator guarded by bot. I went along wall behind him, send elevator down, mantled on switches, send elevator up and jumped on elevator. Bot spot me and alarmed others, but I avoided getting hurt. I went to activate 2nd tower. I waited for bots to calm down. I ride elevator down and to my surprise bot ended closer to wall and looking into wall. So I could easily go to shadow.
I went west to lower level. There is easy 3rd tower and elevator to Experimentation Area with another tower. I turn off lights, then I went into lighted side room near watcher. There I got water arrows except one. Maybe will be needed someday. I climbed ladder, mantled on generator. I crouched and walk on metal wall. I stood up and slowly went right and mantled to ladder. On top of it was 4th tower. Then I descended and fell on carpet near lever. Then through water I returned to lighted room. I took vine arrow from this room to carpet stairs leading upstairs. I shot into it vine arrow to store it.
I went east to 3 corridors with bots and 2 switches. This led me to 5th tower. Then I returned all the way to area where I doused 6 torches and went to moving shadow with watchers room. I went to room with 4 Mechanists and appearing fire. I appeared in room with watcher and ramp activated by switch. I mantled on top of machine and sneaked under watcher on the other side. Then I moved to crusher that moves up and down. You need to be careful of watcher, stand on crusher and move forward against wall to fall into water on the other side. Rest is easy. And I activated 6th tower, then returned to room with moving shadow in watcher room.
Then I went to area with bots and traps to get to 7th tower and access to previous tower. Time to leave. In the end I spotted vine arrow near ladder in NW part of Factory. Mission wasn't very hard. Creating Guiding Beacon force you to a lot of going back and forth with items and sometimes you need to transport your arrows through a lot of the mission, but that's all.
STATS:
Time: 1 hour 30 min 19 s; Loot: 0/0
Pockets Picked: 0/0; Locks Picked: 3
Back Stabs: 0; Knock Outs: 0
Damage Dealt: 0; Damage Taken: 0; Healing Taken: 0
Innocents killed: 0; Others killed: 0
Iron Beasts Destroyed: 0; Disabled: 2
Bodies Discovered: 1
Secrets: 1/4
Busts: 7 (7 lockpicks for 3 doors). It's possible to lower this number to 3 by travelling with same lockpick between 3 doors.
TOTAL STATS:
Time: 14 hours 18 min 13 s; Loot: 23512
Damage: 39; Received: 0
Busts: 21 (where 13 busts is only from last 2 missions)
FINAL NOTES
First of all I was wrong with key items that can't be dropped and must be used. There is no such thing in Thief 2. I wonder if there is something like that in Thief Gold. Second thing is that this challenge was fun. Most of the missions were quite easy, but there are some interesting situations. Destroying icicles with fire arrow grabbed from fire near 2 monkeys in Trail of Blood was the most interesting. And very stressful.
I thought that the hardest challenge will be final mission - Soulforge. But while creating Guiding Beacon was troublesome, it wasn't hard in the interesting way. In that matter Masks mission surprised me very positively. So many locked doors and you don't get any vine arrow. Completing loot objective was very difficult for the first time. But my biggest achievement is stealing masks without using vine arrow. I never thought it would be possible.