Iron Nest Mission 9 Guide: Dead Reckoning

Iron Nest Mission 9 Dead Reckoning turns the usual reconnaissance logic off: the Cádiz garrison is dug into the old city’s cellars and stonework, invisible to aerial reconnaissance, and allied troops will not advance until it is dealt with. The mission’s own note is the whole puzzle in one line — invisibility to reconnaissance does not confer immunity to artillery fire.

Quick Answer: Mission 9 Dead Reckoning

• 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: Three primary positions are invisible to aerial recon until TEAR shells force the defenders into the open; once visually confirmed, destroy them in detail; sound the war horn only after all three are destroyed; signaling early orders troops into contested ground and fails the mission.
• Random or run-specific data: All grids, spotter observations, and the relay’s reported region come from the current operation.
• Starting resources: 300 requisition and 10 powder charges are listed in the mission record; the roster lists 9 entities with 2 armored targets, so bring AP alongside HE and TEAR.
• Gold conditions confirmed by the mission record: Measured Fire Star (ally kills ≤ 0), Unbroken Volley Medal (kill streak ≥ 6), No Quarter Cross (kills ≥ 15), Austere Service Medal (requisition spent ≤ 30).

1. TEAR First: Make the Invisible Visible

The orders are explicit: “TEAR shells will force them into the open, permitting detection by aerial reconnaissance. Once positions are visually confirmed, destroy them in detail.” All three primary positions start dug into structures, and the initial intelligence confirms no photo identification is available until TEAR does its work.

Sequence each target as two problems, not one: a TEAR round to expose, then destructive shells to kill. The companion note matters for your confidence while doing this — the garrison being unseeable does not make it unhittable; if you have a solid fix, artillery works whether or not recon can produce a photograph.

2. Work the Field Intelligence

The initial intelligence gives the three positions in mixed formats — the relay is only “reported active” in a region, while the assembly area and commander come as combinations of distances, bearings, and coarse directions from the three allied spotters. Plot every constraint from the current run before committing expensive shells; a region-level report is a search area, not a target.

3. Confirm Three Kills, Then Sound the Horn

The war horn commences the allied advance — and the mission states the failure case in advance: “Signaling before all three positions are destroyed will order our troops to advance into contested ground.” The corresponding MISSION FAILED message confirms the advance broke against defences that should have been silenced. Three confirmations first, horn second. After the primary objective, hidden stragglers may remain in the city; the record marks continued engagement as discretionary, with forward observers available to help locate them.

Mission 9 Medal Conditions

• Measured Fire Star: Gold with ally kills ≤ 0.
• Unbroken Volley Medal: Gold with longest kill streak ≥ 6.
• No Quarter Cross: Gold with enemy kills ≥ 15.
• Austere Service Medal: Gold with requisition points spent ≤ 30.

Common Failures

• Sounding the horn before three confirmed kills. The documented mission-killer.
• Skipping TEAR and hoping for a photo. No aerial identification exists until TEAR forces the defenders out.
• Assuming invisible means invulnerable. The record explicitly denies this — fire on a good fix.
• Treating the relay’s region report as a point. It is a search area; refine it before firing.
• Forgetting AP. Two armored targets are on the roster.

Sources / References

• Iron Nest DB — Dead Reckoning mission record — Operation 9 resources, roster, TEAR exposure rule, recon-immunity note, three-target structure, war horn caution, and medal thresholds.

Update Log

• 2026-09-12: Published the source-checked Mission 9 walkthrough. All observation values remain run-specific; only the record’s stated rules are treated as fixed.

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