The Second Battle of Hoover Dam is the second offensive mounted by Caesar's Legion against New California Republic forces entrenched on Hoover Dam, as well as in the Mojave Wasteland, taking place in the year 2281.
Prelude
After the First Battle of Hoover Dam, Robert House knew that as soon as either the NCR or the Legion became victorious at the Dam, they would turn their attention to New Vegas. In an attempt to stop this and allow the city to remain under his control, he had Victor hire a courier to retrieve his platinum chip, a data storage device capable of upgrading the city's defense systems and activating a massive army of securitrons, which would give House the ability to single-handedly crush the Legion and intimidate the NCR into a retreat. However, the leader of the Chairmen, Benny, learned of this plan and ambushed House's Courier outside of Goodsprings, shooting the Courier in the head and leaving them for dead in a shallow grave and taking the platinum chip, throwing House's plans into disarray.
The Courier survived, however, and began a journey to the New Vegas Strip to find Benny and exact revenge, in the process learning the true purpose of the platinum chip and its power. The Courier was faced with the choice of either giving the chip to House or destroying the securitron army, or even using it to create an army of their own. The Courier's journey attracted the attention of the NCR and the Legion, both wanting such an influential individual on their side. In preparation, the Courier traveled the land looking for tribes to ally with.
Battle
Hoover Dam
The Courier's role in the battle depended greatly on which faction they sided with. If the Courier sided with House or Yes Man, the battle played out in a similar fashion, both involving the activation of the securitron army. From there, the Courier was forced to fight their way across the dam and into the Legion camp. The NCR questline had the Courier perform the same basic task: fighting through enemy forces to get to the Legion camp on the other side of the dam.
While traversing the dam, any aid the Courier had enlisted would have been acted upon by the corresponding faction. Once the Courier reached the other side of the dam and entered the Legate's Camp, they would face off against Legate Lanius. The resulting confrontation would either have had the Courier fight and kill the Legate, or solve the confrontation diplomatically. After dealing with the Legate, the Courier returned to the main gate, at which point General Lee Oliver and his men destroyed it. If siding with the NCR, Oliver would have congratulated the Courier; however, if siding with Yes Man or Mr. House, the Courier would have been forced to confront General Oliver, either fighting and killing Oliver and his men or solving the issue through diplomacy.
If the Courier sided with the polar opposite, the Legion, the battle played out in a similar fashion to the battle involving the Courier siding with the NCR, only it would play out in reverse; the Courier started at the Legate's camp, and then fought their way across the dam to reach the NCR's position, confronting General Oliver. Once again, the Courier was forced to choose between killing the General or convincing him to leave through diplomacy.
Elsewhere
The details of the battle at Hoover Dam are unclear, however the fighting was not just limited to that relatively small location; violence engulfed the entire Mojave Wasteland as Legion forces and its allies attacked NCR targets and locations across the region, with varying levels of success:
- The NCR Embassy on the New Vegas Strip was bombed, and if they had not been stopped by the Courier already, the Omertas attempted a coup d'état but were stopped by the Chairmen and the White Glove Society, as well as the securitrons.
- Rioting broke out in Freeside, although its severity is unclear; if the Courier forged an alliance between The Kings and the NCR, the riots were far more tame.
- The Fiends attacked Camp McCarran, but if the Courier killed their leaders beforehand, they were easily repulsed.
- Camp Forlorn Hope was attacked by the Legion, but if 1st Recon were present and the Courier managed to solve the camp's many problems, the NCR soldiers were able to fend off the attack.
- The frumentarii made an attempt to bomb the monorail outside McCarran, whether it was successful or not depends on whether the Courier uncovered their plot or not.
- Camp Golf was attacked, but due to a heroic effort from the Misfits (if they were trained by the Courier) easily defeated, otherwise Chief Hanlon and the other rangers stationed there were crucified.
- Novac was attacked by the Legion and many of its citizens were said to have died in its defense, but if the Bright Brotherhood was aided in starting their pilgrimage, they returned to help the citizens restore the town.
- If Yes Man was told to ignore or Caesar was convinced to temporarily spare them without making peace with the NCR, the Brotherhood of Steel would have attacked and taken over HELIOS One. They then would have inflicted casualties on the NCR troops fleeing from the Mojave.
Aftermath
Independent
Narrated by Ron Perlman
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
The Courier, with the aid of Yes Man, drove both the Legion and the NCR from Hoover Dam, securing New Vegas' independence from both factions. With Mr. House out of the picture, the remaining Securitrons on The Strip were hard-pressed to keep order. Anarchy ruled the streets. When the fires died, New Vegas remained, assuming its position as an independent power in the Mojave. |
Complete Wild Card: You and What Army? for an independent New Vegas without upgrading the Securitrons. |
| 2 | |
The Courier, with the aid of Yes Man, drove both the Legion and the NCR from Hoover Dam, securing New Vegas' independence from both factions. With Mr. House out of the picture, part of the Securitron army was diverted to The Strip to keep order. Any chaos on the streets was ended, quickly. Chaos became uncertainty, then acceptance, with minimal loss of life. New Vegas assumed its position as an independent power in the Mojave. |
Complete Wild Card: You and What Army? for an independent New Vegas with the upgraded Securitrons. |
Mr. House
Narrated by Ron Perlman
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
Mr. House's Securitron army took control of Hoover Dam and The Strip, pushing both the Legion and the exhausted NCR out of New Vegas. Mr. House continued to run New Vegas his way, a despotic vision of pre-War glory. The streets were orderly, efficient, cold. New Vegas continued to be the sole place in the wasteland where fortunes were won and lost in the blink of an eye. |
Complete The House Always Wins for Mr. House. |
Caesar's Legion
Narrated by Ron Perlman
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Caesar entered The Strip as though it was his Triumph. The Legion pushed the NCR out of New Vegas entirely, driving them back to the Mojave Outpost. The Legion occupied all major locations, enslaving much of the population and peacefully lording over the rest. Under the Legion's banner, civilization - unforgiving as it was - finally came to the Mojave Wasteland. |
Do not allow Caesar to die in Et Tumor, Brute?, complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. |
| 2 |  |
The Legate is crowned as the new Caesar. He entered The Strip as though it was a military target, destroying anyone who resisted him. The Legion brutally occupied all major locations, killing and enslaving a large amount of the population. Under the Legion's banner, civilization - savage as it was - finally came to the Mojave Wasteland. |
Allow Caesar to die in Et Tumor, Brute?, complete the endgame quest Veni, Vidi, Vici for Caesar's Legion. |
New California Republic
Narrated by Ron Perlman
| # | Slide | Voice-over narration | In-game condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
The New California Republic celebrated its second victory at Hoover Dam, establishing definitive control over the entire Mojave Wasteland. Soon after, they negotiated terms to annex The Strip, Freeside, and many surrounding communities. The Mojave Wasteland, at long last, had entirely fallen under the NCR's banner. |
Complete the endgame quest Eureka! for the NCR. |
Notes
- Yes Man and Mr. House's participation in this battle are mutually exclusive - if the Courier chose to support an independent Vegas, then they would already have had control of the securitron army and House would have been long-dead by the time the battle started.
- It is unknown which side the Great Khans supported, however if the Courier did not intervene, they would have supported the Legion by default.
- It is unknown whether the Brotherhood of Steel supported the NCR or not (or if they were destroyed), or which side the Enclave remnants supported (or if they were ever gathered).
- It is unknown which of the three factions the Courier sided with during this battle, as aligning with one side would ultimately result in the Courier's exclusion from the other two; however the Courier's actions played a vital role in the battle, regardless.
- If the Courier was idolized by the Boomers, they would have supported them in the final battle. If the B-29 bomber was not salvaged for the Boomers, then they would have fired artillery at the Dam. If the bomber was salvaged, then the bomber would have flown over the Dam, dropping bombs at the Courier's adversaries, but no artillery would have been fired.
- If the Courier accidentally shot their allies during the battle, no penalty would have been given.
Appearances
The Second Battle of Hoover Dam occurs in Fallout: New Vegas.