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At the battle for Project Purity, you proved yourself... and any doubt that I had about you dissipated on that day.Elder Lyons

Who Dares Wins is a main quest and achievement/trophy in the Fallout 3 add-on Broken Steel. It is the third main quest in Broken Steel and the fifteenth and final main quest overall.

Quick walkthrough[]

Add-on Main Quest: Who Dares Wins 
Locate and enter the utility tunnel from Pennsylvania Avenue. Travel to the Presidential sub level and enter. 
Navigate the Presidential sub level, locate M.A.R.Go.T. and identify yourself to M.A.R.Go.T. 
Ignore M.A.R.Go.T. and pick the lock to the Presidential metro
Tell M.A.R.Go.T. you're looking for Adams Air Force Base
Tell M.A.R.Go.T. you're from the U.S. Army (Speech). 
Tell M.A.R.Go.T. to override security parameters (Science). 
Use the Senate employee ID and pretend to be a U.S. Senator. 
Fail on first attempt. 
Succeed. 
MARGoT classifies you as "hostile". 
Fail on second attempt. 
MARGoT classifies you as "friendly". Speak to MARGoT to gain information. 
Enter Presidential metro and encounter the Presidential metro sentry bot 
Kill the sentry bot and take the main fuse. Insert the fuse into the power box. 
Kill all the ghouls in the Presidential metro. The sentry bot activates system power. 
Ride the train to Adams Air Force Base and encounter the Enclave guarding the enterance. 
Kill the Enclave sentries. 
Pick the lock and sneak behind the guards to attack and kill them. 
Pick the lock and sneak behind the guards to bypass them. 
Locate Adams Air Force Base, retrieve your orders and equipment from the resupply crate, fight or sneak through the base and search for the access terminal in the air control tower to lower the ramp on the mobile base crawler
Locate and enter the mobile base crawler and search for a way to the upper platform. 
Deactivate the pulse field. 
Switch it off (Science). 
Blow it up (Explosives). 
Smash it. 
Encounter Stiggs in the repair bay. 
Encounter Enclave Squad Sigma in the high security area. 
Speak to Stiggs 
Kill Stiggs, Sparky and Hoover
Kill Sigma squad. 
Unlock the pulse barrier to the armory and loot armory. 
Search area, find and access the mainframe. 
Hack the terminal to access the mainframe (Science). 
Pick the lock on the access door to the mainframe (Lockpick). 
Kill any Enclave officer and use his keycard to access the mainframe. 
Access the mainframe's security terminal. 
Access the mainframe's robot control (Science). 
Unlock all interior and exterior doors and the armory. 
Disable robot targeting parameters. 
Change robot targeting parameters to target Enclave (Robotics Expert). 
Exit to launch pad and locate the satellite control tower. 
Enter satellite control tower and locate the control room 
Access communications terminal. 
Access security control terminal and unlock doors. 
Access satellite uplink terminal. 
Fire payload on the Citadel (negative Karma). 
Fire payload on Adams Air Force Base (positive Karma). 
Exit satellite control tower via upper door and enter verti-bird. 
Land at the destroyed Citadel and survive the hostile BOS
Watch the air base's destruction and land at the Citadel. 
Reward: 1500 XP, Precision Gatling laser, alien blaster, masses of ammunition and supplies. 
Enter the Citadel and loot the armory. 
Visit the Citadel's laboratory and locate Liberty Prime's head. 
Reward: Callahan's Magnum, weapons and ammunition. 
Reward: Tesla cannon (2). 
Leads to: Freeform Quests Getting Ready for Prime Time and Blood Brotherhood

Detailed walkthrough[]

Paladin Tristan has tasked the Lone Wanderer with infiltrating the Enclave's final, massive base at Adams Air Force Base, and destroying it with an orbital strike. The quest begins at White House Plaza. The utility tunnel that leads to the White House now also has a connection to the Presidential metro, which should lead directly to Adams Air Force Base. Reach White House Plaza and enter the tunnels. The metro is crawling with feral ghouls, Mister Gutsies and sentry bots. The player will proceed down several different tunnels before meeting with M.A.R.Go.T., the protector, and dispatcher of the metro. The robots (and M.A.R.Go.T, to some extent) are initially hostile, but if by passing a difficult Speech or Science check, or present a valid Senate employee ID, M.A.R.Go.T will mark the player as friendly, and they will have a chance to use her for information or help.

Contain the Security Breach[]

The player can learn that the train to Adams is offline, due to a "security breach" which has resulted in "the forced removal of a main fuse." M.A.R.Go.T can repair the fuse and train, but only if the breach is contained. According to her, the intruders have depleted 22% of the metro security units, have no internal body heat, and are emitting lethal levels of radiation. The metro units should be able to handle the breach at lower levels, but higher levels can result in facing several reavers, which will make short work of the sentry bots. If you aid in containing the breach, the Presidential metro sentinalIn-game spelling, punctuation and/or grammar unit will repair the Adams tram; if not, one can find the main fuse on its body, as well as in the room with the fuse box, and can use it and a Repair check to fix the train.

Enter Adams Air Force Base[]

After a quick ride on the train, one will wind up in the Adams metro station. Continue through the tunnels, and the player will encounter the first of many Enclave soldiers in Adams. Reach the surface, climb the stairs, and take a left to find the "Resupply Crate" Tristan mentioned. Inside is a Tesla cannon at 100% condition, 50 electron charge packs, 50 microfusion cells, and the Lone Wanderer's orders, contained within a voice recording, courtesy of Tristan. There is also a dead robobrain nearby containing a few energy cells.

Proceed to the right, and begin the long trek to the mobile base crawler. The path is littered with Enclave troops, regular and Hellfire, banks of turrets, deathclaws, and several combat-ready Vertibirds. Make use of the Tesla cannon to destroy the Vertibirds in one shot. As one approaches the next objective, the player will begin to see Vertibirds gunning down the runway, lasers firing in all directions. They will be firing on a contingent of Brotherhood soldiers, who are the "distraction" Tristan promised.

Find the access terminal to lower the ramp on the Mobile Platform[]

The mobile base crawler can only be entered via a ramp. To lower the ramp, one will need to enter the Air Traffic Control Tower and find the Main Access terminal. Upon reaching the main battlefield on the runway, take a right, and enter the small building through a set of stairs on the west side. Inside are a few Enclave robots, which can range from robobrains to sentry bots, depending on level. When the player reaches reach the top, activate the unlocked terminal and hit the "Lower Access Ramp" entry. Beware, though, that as one enters the control tower, three Vertibirds will appear overhead, the last of which fires three missiles straight at the tower. The resulting explosions could easily cripple or kill the player, so it is best to take cover on the stairs. Alternatively, you can shoot down the Vertibirds with the Tesla cannon, if you act quickly enough.

Enter the Enclave Mobile Platform[]

Return back down to the runway, and head on over to the ramp. There are several more Enclave troops, but a Brotherhood of Steel task force will arrive and cover the player. Run up the ramp, and enter the final Enclave stronghold.

Destroy the Enclave Mobile Platform with an Orbital Strike[]

The first thing one will come across is an Enclave Repulsion Field. Using the blue panel to the left, it can be deactivated (Science 80), set with a timed charge (Explosives 50), or smashed. Smashing the panel will cause an explosion (which will damage the player), as will setting the charge (the difference being that there is time to escape). Either way, the field will still be partially active, and passing through it will cause damage. If deactivated with Science, the field will be harmless.

Turning left will introduce the player to Enclave Squad Sigma after an alarm goes off. Turning right and heading into the repair bay yields plenty of ammunition, as well as an encounter with Stiggs, who fixes the robots. Talking with him yields some useful information:

  • The floor above is a deathclaw research facility, but the majority are out fighting in checkpoints across the Wastes.
  • The facility is patrolled by robots, who are all controlled through a mainframe, located on the floor above, in the middle.
  • To reach the Satellite Tower, one must reach the Central Control Area, then to the Launch Platform. After the platform, one must fight or sneak through a few Enclave soldiers to reach the tower.

Heading up the ladder in the repair bay or the stairs where Sigma Squad attacked will lead to the second level. The target is the mainframe in the center of the floor. The deathclaw research facility should contain one or two Enclave-controlled deathclaws, which will be a great asset if one still has the deathclaw control scrambler. The mainframe is locked behind several "High Clearance" doors, which can only be opened with a High Clearance keycard. The various Enclave officers each carry one, which will open all the doors. The mainframe itself is divided into two sections: Door control and Robot control. The door control terminal is unlocked and can be used to unlock any doors on the floor, the Armory, and the doors leading to the Platform. The Robot terminal is locked Hard, but if hacked, one can deactivate all the robots, or scramble their targeting parameters. If one has the Robotics Expert perk, they can even reverse the friend-or-foe settings, marking the Enclave as hostile, and themself as friendly.

Head to the satellite tower. Once inside, head to the top, to the terminal. Make sure you've thoroughly searched the crawler, then hit "Fire Payload" and choose your target:

  • Preset Target 01: Citadel
  • Preset Target 02: Project Purity
  • Preset Target 03: Megaton
  • Preset Target 04: Rivet City Carrier
  • Preset Target 05: Adams AFB Platform

Only two of the targets can be fired upon: Adams AFB Platform, or the Citadel. Be warned, anything in the Crawler will be lost forever, no matter which choice you make. Once you make the choice is made, unlock the door from the active terminal to the right, and head through the door at the top back outside, where a Brotherhood of Steel Vertibird lands. If Sentinel Lyons survived the activation of Project Purity, she will personally escort the player to the Vertibird.

If the Citadel was chosen: One is rewarded with 1000 negative karma, and on the flight back the pilots seem to think the Vertibird is malfunctioning when the Citadel will not respond to radio. Upon landing and seeing the smoldering ruins, they quickly pick up that it was the player, and attempt to kill them, deeming the Lone Wanderer a traitor and a murderer. Any other Brotherhood of Steel members encountered from here on, such as in the Washington Monument, GNR building, White House Plaza, Arlington Library, and the Jefferson Memorial, will be hostile as well. One also can enter the Citadel's hidden armory, filled with plenty of goodies such as Tesla cannons, alien power cells, Nuka-grenades, mini nukes, and Callahan's Magnum.

If Adams AFB Platform was chosen: One is rewarded with 1000 positive karma, and the Vertibird lands a little off Adams AFB to allow everyone to watch the missiles strike. After getting back on the Vertibird, the player is taken to the Citadel, where Elder Lyons is waiting with a heart-warming speech of thanks. One may then speak with Scribe Rothchild and Paladin Tristan for two additional unmarked quests. The player can also return to Adams AFB after the quest where there are eight Tesla cannons spread about in four different resupply crates. Three Dog will also occasionally make a funny report about the Lone Wanderer's deeds and tell his "children" to have pity on the Enclave; they're homeless after all!

Reward[]

Quest stages[]

StageStatusDescription
10 Enter the Presidential Metro
20 Locate the Exit to Adams Airforce Base
25 (Optional) Clear the security breach in the Presidential Metro
30 Retrieve your orders and equipment from the Resupply Crate
40 Find the Access Terminal to lower the ramp on the Mobile Platform
50 Enter the Enclave Mobile Platform
60 Destroy the Enclave Mobile Platform with an Orbital Strike
70 Escape from the Enclave Mobile Platform
80Quest finishedBoard the captured vertibird

Notes[]

  • Finishing this quest does not end the Enclave, and random Enclave camps continue to respawn. Paladin Tristan explains this by saying that several Enclave troops already deployed across the Capital Wasteland remain and that it may take months for them to learn of the base's destruction.
  • Like all turrets in the game, the laser turrets mounted throughout the base have terminals that connect to them. Trying to hack them to clear the targeting data will cause the terminal to display a message saying "ERROR: Turret(s) Not Responding." However, it is still possible to activate or deactivate the turrets even with the error.
  • Destroying parked Vertibirds may prevent Enclave reinforcements from pouring out.
  • Followers do not ride in the Vertibird; they will appear at the Citadel.
  • If the Lone Wanderer hacks the robot mainframe and sets the remaining robots to attack the Enclave, a communications terminal in the satellite uplink room will reflect this.
  • It is not possible to damage or destroy the captured Vertibird, even after it has dropped the party off at the Citadel.

Behind the scenes[]

"Who Dares Wins" is the regimental motto of the British Special Air Service (SAS) special forces, coined by the founder David Stirling. One of their main roles (and the role for which they were originally conceived) during the Second World War was the destruction of Axis aircraft and positions at airbases behind enemy lines in North Africa. The saying comes from the similar Latin expressions, "Qui audet vincit" and "Qui audet adipiscitur."

Bugs[]

  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 After clearing the area of ghouls, the optional quest of containing the security breach may not trigger as complete, preventing the Presidential Sentinel Unit from repairing the train. If playing on the PC, this can be fixed by opening the console and entering set DLC03NQlvl.PlayerHelped to 1 or set "xx0011AD".BS3BreachDone to 1. If those commands do not work, another alternative is to resurrect then kill previously slain ghouls until the required number of ghouls have been killed (the script requires 21 ghouls killed in total). Alternatively, one can destroy the Presidential Sentinel Unit, take the fuses from its body, and do the repairs. Be warned that destroying it will turn all the other surviving robots hostile. To avoid this, use V.A.T.S. to disable its combat inhibitor, and the other robots will actually assist in destroying it. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sentinel Lyons will mention the first time she met the Lone Wanderer, outside the GNR building, even if the player bypasses that part of the main quest entirely. [verified]
  • PCPC Playstation 3Playstation 3Playstation 3 Xbox 360Xbox 360 Should the Citadel be destroyed, the Brotherhood Initiate will yell "Kill this traitor, kill him!", even to a female character. [verified]
  • Xbox 360Xbox 360 Sometimes, when picking up the high security clearance cards, they will not appear in your Pip-Boy. [verified]
  • PCPC After the platform has been blown up and one has returned to the Citadel, Sentinel Lyons may just walk away instead of starting her speech, and the player will be stuck unable to move. Use the console command EnablePlayerControls and start talking to her to finish the quest. [verified]
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