Iron Nest Mission 7 Guide: The Gorge

Iron Nest Mission 7 The Gorge is an escort under ambush: the logistics column is struck in a mountain pass, Iron Nest takes a hit that ruptures pressure lines, and a forward enemy element holds the gorge ahead. The mission’s defining instruction is easy to miss — you are not expected to fix what broke. You are expected to finish without it.

Quick Answer: Mission 7 The Gorge

• Verified on build/version: Source-checked 2026-09-12. The cited mission record does not publish a game build number, so no version is claimed here.
• Fixed rules: Iron Nest opens damaged — “Armour held. Pressure lines ruptured. Engines require manual restart”; the briefing says to review the affected system and complete the mission without restoring it; a forward enemy element blocks the pass and must be destroyed before the column proceeds; every target is soft, so HE alone clears the board.
• Random or run-specific data: Iron Nest’s grid, the direction to the forward element, and all contact positions come from the current operation.
• Starting resources: 200 requisition and 10 powder charges are listed in the mission record; the roster lists 10 entities with no armored targets.
• Gold conditions confirmed by the mission record: Measured Fire Star (ally kills ≤ 0), Unrelenting Volley Medal (kill streak ≥ 10), No Quarter Cross (kills ≥ 30), Ordnance Efficiency Cross (kills ÷ shots ≥ 2 with ≥ 10 kills).

1. Deal With the Damage First — Then Leave It Alone

The impact report is specific: hit aft port underside, armor held, pressure lines ruptured, engines require manual restart. Restart the engine manually so the Nest is operational. After that, take the briefing at its word: “Review status of the affected system. You are not expected to restore it. You are expected to complete the mission without it.” Do not burn the mission trying to fully repair a system the operation has written off — the engine restart procedure you learn here returns in later missions, so learn it well.

2. Clear the Forward Element Holding the Pass

The column will not move until the forward element ahead is destroyed. What you get at the start is deliberately thin: a direction from your position and the note “No further intelligence has been compiled. Reconnaissance is at your discretion.”

• Column guard reports are honest about their limits: “NO EXACT FIX ON POSITION. VISUAL CONTACT ONLY.”
• Use your own spotters or discretionary recon to turn the rough direction into plotted targets.
• Every target is soft — the record recommends HE and nothing else. Save the fancy ordnance for later missions.

3. Primary First, Rear Contacts Optional

The pass-clear message ends the required mission: the escort reports the route open, and you may stand down. Secondary enemy elements at the rear of the column appear as contacts, but the record marks them explicitly as not a required target — continued fire support is at operator discretion. If you stay engaged, watch the Measured Fire Star: escorts and guards are allies, and a single ally kill forfeits its gold.

Mission 7 Medal Conditions

• Measured Fire Star: Gold with ally kills ≤ 0.
• Unrelenting Volley Medal: Gold with longest kill streak ≥ 10.
• No Quarter Cross: Gold with enemy kills ≥ 30.
• Ordnance Efficiency Cross: Gold with (enemy kills ÷ shots fired) ≥ 2 and kills ≥ 10.

Common Failures

• Trying to fully repair the damaged system. The briefing says to finish without it; the manual engine restart is the only restoration the mission expects.
• Waiting for intelligence that never comes. The record states none was compiled; reconnaissance is your choice to make.
• Bringing AP or specialty shells. All targets are soft; HE is the documented answer.
• Firing through the escort. Allied units are in the fight at close quarters; ally kills void the Measured Fire Star.

Sources / References

• Iron Nest DB — The Gorge mission record — Operation 7 resources, roster, damage report, manual restart note, forward-element orders, and medal thresholds.

Update Log

• 2026-09-12: Published the source-checked Mission 7 walkthrough. Contact positions and directions remain run-specific.

Previous: Mission 6 — Siege of Cartagena. Next: Mission 8 — Rock of Gibraltar.