Gus Tarballs is a character in the Jagged Alliance series. First appearing in Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games as a NPC, he's also in Jagged Alliance 2 in which can be hired from A.I.M..
Background
Jagged Alliance
While Gus does not directly make an appearance in the firstJagged Alliance, playing through the campaign in Deadly Games will reveal that he and a friend had been hired to work for Lucas Santino as part of his armed forces during his occupation of Metavira. Though he was present on the island, likely at the same time as the player and the mercenaries from A.I.M. were, he and his friend never saw combat as they had misgivings about Santino and his actions, and left shortly after being hired.
Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games
Gus' officially appears for the first time in Deadly Games as a non-player character who hires the commander to perform a series of missions, eventually culminating in a takedown of terrorist organization DFK.
Notes
- If there's room in the team, Gus will join your merc squad on the very last mission to take on the DFK in their own headquarters. He carries with him high stats all around with the exception of a slightly subpar agility and medical skill, high level gear (to match the gear your squad has undoubtedly accumulated at this point) and joins for free. His stats remain the same in Jagged Alliance 2, though they come this time with a hefty price tag.
- He performs the entire mission with a huge smile on his face, no matter what's going on. Evidently he really meant it when he said he wanted to get onto the field.
Jagged Alliance 2
"After rather heated negotiations, A.I.M. is pleased to announce that the legendary DFK annihilator, Gus Tarballs, is now a member of our ranks. Gus's induction was delayed slightly when his mobile home slipped from its support blocks while he was in the process cleaning the septic hosing. Fortunately, his crushed right leg has healed rather nicely. Additional info: Our medical staff has recently cleared heavy weapons specialist Tarballs for full active duty." -A.I.M. Dossier
Character Info
Gus is a fantastic all-rounder, and his price-tag evenly matches his stats. In addition to being a good soldier with high marksmanship, he is well-versed in explosives, repairs and the teaching and training of mercs and militia, and while he isn't a doctor, he's also a servicable field medic. Gus holds the highest starting level in Jagged Alliance 2, a sign of his age and experience on the field, and is an expert in heavy weapons, which can turn him into a key mercenary to have on your team during the endgame. His marksmanship ranks just belowthat of Lynx and Scope (99) an matches that of Reaper (97). And while his agility is subpar (he's not quite an old man, but he's getting there), he boasts a high strength, allowing him to carry large amounts of gear without complaint.
Skills
- Heavy Weapons (Expert)
Equipment
Jagged Alliance: Deadly Games
- Modified M-16
- M16 ammo x2
- 5-pocket Assault Vest
Jagged Alliance 2
- 5.56 mm mag
1.13
- FN SCAR-H CQC
- 7.62x51mm mag
- TAC-1A Vest
- TT 3-Day Pack
Relationships
Likes
Is Liked by
- None
Dislikes
Is Disliked by
- None
Notes
- His low agility is likely due to a combination of his age and his bum leg.
- Peter "Wolf" Sanderson thinks Gus is a "real military hardnose", something he expresses while on call in Deadly Games. He doesn't seem to hold it against him though.
- The only character appearing in sequels that the player was required to interact with in previous games, and thus the only character able to act like they remember the player from previous engagements.
- A strong believer in fighting for the right cause.
Quotes
All Games
- "Woody!"
- "Horsecrap!"