Being the sixth main mission in Ready or Not, Ides of March also proves to be one of the toughest missions in the entire game.
The heavily armed suspects calling themselves the ‘Left Behind’ threaten a lot of damage in a tiny apartment, and if you don’t have a thorough strategy and the right equipment to deal with these goons, you’re in for a world of hurt.
To help you avoid that, however, we’re here with our Ides of March mission guide that you can benefit from down below.
What are all the objectives for the Ides of March mission in Ready or Not?
Unlike other missions, there are no soft objectives in Ides of March required to achieve that coveted S Rank, so you can breathe easy and simply focus on the primary objectives.
There are seven main objectives for the Ides of March mission:
- Bring Order to Chaos – Make sure you handle any contact in the hotel, either with some fancy handcuffing or, you know, the more action-packed way. The Left Behind is a well-organized crew, and there’s quite a posse of them patrolling the place.
- Rescue All of the Civilians – Be gentle with the civilians; they tend to hide in nooks like bathrooms and closets. So, be trigger-happy with care. Luckily, the Left Behind gang likes to play dress-up in military gear, making it easier for you to tell them apart from the innocent folks. And whatever you do, don’t try to get The Devil achievement here.
- Locate First Sniper Rifle – Apartment room 1204 is the sniper’s sweet spot. You’ll find it cozied up to the window. Spot it and report its location.
- Arrest Three Suspects – If you can slap cuffs on at least three Left Behind members, you’ll get a little extra bonus. It’s not the trickiest goal, and you can still complete the mission even if you miss this one.
- Find the Music Producer – In apartment 1202, keep an eye out for a tall dude rocking sunglasses – he’s a high-profile civilian being held hostage by the Left Behind. Make sure to untangle him from that mess.
- Find the Retired Navy Officer – Similarly, in apartment 1203, there’s another high-profile civilian held captive by the Left Behind. This time, he’s a medium-built guy. Be the hero and set him free.
- Locate Second Sniper Rifle – Apartment room 1201 hosts a sniper nest, cunningly positioned near the window. Seek it out and drop a pin on its location.
What is the best gear to use for the Ides of March mission in Ready or Not?
Mastering Ides of March requires not just a solid strategy, but also the perfect gear selection for the highest ranking possible. Given the mission’s emphasis on dodging lethal damage, it’s a no-brainer to opt for non-lethal weapons. Here’s a killer no-kill loadout to ace the challenge:
- Shield
- Pepper Spray
- CS Gas
- Pepperball Launcher
- Beanbag Shotgun
- Mirrorgun
- Flashbangs
- Taser
Make sure the team member rocking the tactical shield for breaching has the heavy ceramic armor with the Kevlar helmet.
Additionally, make sure to carry along at least five wedges with your team since the suspects in this level frequently wander around. Locking down the area to make sure no one sneaks up on you is one of the best calls you can make.
How to complete the Ides of March mission in Ready or Not
Once you hop into the level, gather your team outside the hallway door—usually, the room with the water tanks at the entrance is clear, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
As you breach the hallway, keep an eye on the lengthy left corridor leading to the central room. There’s another door there opening up to where suspects might wander out. The right hallway is shorter, but it’s got more doors and openings for suspects to pop out.
Secure that right hallway pronto and wedge the apartment door on your right from the fire exit. Next up, breach the central room where the bar is. Be cautious; one of the doors is often booby-trapped. The main entrance on the left and a smaller one on the right across the apartment are your options.
Whip out the mirrorgun to check what’s behind the other door. If there’s a trap, steer clear of breaching it. Preferably, breach the right door for more cover. If you opt for the main entrance, flashbangs are your best friends for safety.
Usually, there are one or two suspects in the bar area, along with some hostages. Lock it down pronto and backtrack through the hallway.
In Ides of March, there’s just one floor to clear, but the rooms are separated. After handling the bar at the center, sweep the circular hallway in your chosen direction. Make sure the hallway is clear before breaching the next rooms.
The real snag is finding open apartment doors—suspects might shoot or dash into the hall. Cue the wedges. Shut doors carefully and wedge them; you can open them later when you decide to breach. Some apartments are linked, making clearing them a tad easier.
Once hallways are clear, move to the laundry room near the elevators. Use the mirrorgun to check for suspects and traps, then breach to ensure it’s clear. Suspects sometimes hide in this room.
Now, pick which apartment to breach first. No golden rule here; just check with the mirrorgun for traps and suspects.
Things get dicey inside the apartments with multiple rooms and bathrooms for suspects to lurk. There are also multiple hostages, including the high-profile ones. The music director is usually in the bathroom of the apartment with the grand piano.
To tackle the threats inside, always breach with the flashbangs you brought. Let the SWAT unit with a shield take point to draw enemy fire. Note that in Commander Mode, the AI with the tactical shield always leads the breach.
The sniper rifles you’re after are in apartments 1201 and 1204, always by the windows. Report them by getting close and pressing Z. Once all primary objectives are ticked off, consider the “Ides in March” mission wrapped up.
If you’re lucky enough, you should get an S Rank finish at the end of the mission, assuming no officers, suspects, or civilians die.
