Black Hand in JC3

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Black Hand in JC3
Their logo in JC3.
Faction in Just Cause, Just Cause 3 and Just Cause 4
Goal, or purpose	To earn money as "the most elite private military force in the world" and their projects
Ideology	Presumably to work for the highest bidder
Leader	Not mentioned in this game
Starting base, or HQ	Hive (Insula Lacrima) Stingray (Scolio)
Source of money	Sebastiano Di Ravello eDEN Corporation Whoever else hires them

The Black Hand is a mercenary faction appearing in Just Cause, Just Cause 3 and Just Cause 4.

This article is about the Black Hand in Just Cause 3. It's the same organization as in Just Cause and Just Cause 4, but there's just too much information for a single article. Not to mention spoilers.

Description

In Medici, the Black Hand have been upgraded with lots of body armour. Their uniform has a black and red colour scheme to it and they are authorized to use any Medici Military vehicle available if required. Judging by their accents, they appear to be either English, Australian, or South African. They can take more damage than the military.

Black Hand units are considerably less involved in Medici. They are exclusively found on Insula Dracon and Insula Striate, in oppressed installations. Unlike the Medici Military and D.R.M., Black Hand units do not appear during heat outside of Insula Lacrima, or Scolio. They can also be seen patrolling in the surrounding sea and there is a possible bug by which it's possible to make a small number of them show up at other regions.

Units that work specifically for the eDEN Corporation can be found guarding eDEN Extraction Site Alpha, eDEN Extraction Site Bravo, and the eDEN Airship.

The Black Hand are introduced to the player during the mission Three's Company, where Tom Sheldon describes them as mercenaries who work for Di Ravello in exchange for some Bavarium. As a continuity error (one of very few in the Just Cause game series), Rico has no idea who they are. This was probably done because Just Cause is a bit underplayed so the average Just Cause 3 player would not know they existed at one point in the series before.

According to the Di Ravello tapes, Di Ravello hired the Black Hand as an elite private military force to assist in the security of his own bases and prisons, to help train his own military, and to provide a role model for all Medician military forces.

The Black Hand are seen working for the eDEN Corporation in the Sky Fortress DLC. These Black Hand mercenaries only turn hostile if provoked or if a heat source is nearby.

The Black Hand became the main antagonist in the Mech Land Assault DLC, and their faction is expanded with the introduction of two new NPCs, new structures and equipment, new vehicles, and the new skull insignia. The DLC also reveals that the Black Hand have a leader, or high-ranking individual whom the other units answer to.

The Black Hand return as the main antagonist in the Bavarium Sea Heist DLC. A former eDEN Corporation research facility called the "Stingray" has been taken over by the mercenary group, and is guarded by the full might of the Black Hand's fleet. The facility is located out in the middle of the ocean, west of Insula Dracon and is equipped with a weapon that is capable of manipulating and controlling lightning.

Projects

Storming the Hive, the final mission of the Mech Land Assault DLC, reveals that the Black Hand were secretly working on something called the "Global Change Project", but no further details about it came to light in JC3. The BH were looting weather research technology from the eDEN Corporation so it makes sense to assume that it was used to aid in the Project Illapa in Just Cause 4.

Some Insula Lacrima locations, like the Unnamed port at N 40 52.250 E 5 35.700, have some Black Hand shipping containers. Oddly, those containers have "Global Exchange Project" written on them instead of Change, almost as if there was a development error. This can be explained by there being both a "Global Change Project" and "Global Exchange Project" in the works.

Unit types

There are five types of Black Hand units in Just Cause 3, with a fourth and fifth type added in the Mech Land Assault DLC. The unit type names are known from the "The art of Just Cause 3" book that came with the collectors edition of the game. Also, Eden asks if Rico is afraid of ghosts before sending a few "ghost" soldiers after you in the mission Taking Control.

See the bottom section "Counters" for good ways to defeat these five enemies.

• Aegis
• Ghost
• Titan
• Pilot
• Warden

Aegis.

Aegis units are the most common Black Hand soldiers and serve as the front line infantry for conflicts the Black Hand are involved in. Befitting their status as soldiers in one of the world's most powerful military forces, they are well-trained and well-equipped. In the vanilla game, they are armed with CS Predators and grenades. They are also equipped with advanced body armor that allows them to take more damage than even the most elite of Medician soldiers. While they are primarily found in military outposts and bases on Insula Striate, they can occasionally be found in some of the bases around Insula Dracon, albeit in much smaller numbers.

In Sky Fortress, Aegis troopers can be found aboard the eDEN Airship serving as private security for the ship. Unlike the standard Aegis troopers, these soldiers wear white and cyan outfits and are equipped with Bavarium Splitter rifles. They posses the same durability as the standard Aegis soldier.
In Mech Land Assault, the Aegis trooper becomes substantially more common, serving as the primary military force and heat response on Insula Lacrima. While they still primarily wield the CS Predator, some Aegis troopers carry different armaments, such as the Prizrak U4 and UVK-13, depending on their roles, such as motorcycle trooper or RPG trooper. RPG troopers will switch from the UVK-13 to the U-55S Pozhar sidearm when Rico gets close. Aegis troopers also serve as paratrooper reinforcements on Insula Lacrima.

There is an glitch in the Insula Fonte region which causes them to spawn consistently in Black Hand vehicles with rarely used weaponry.

Ghost.

Ghost units are the next most common Black Hand soldiers, albeit still relatively uncommon. These soldiers serve as skirmishers and employ hit and dodge tactics. In the vanilla game, they are equipped with dual CS Wraith 225Rs and possess advanced body armor that allows them to take a surprising amount of damage. They are very agile and will constantly run, dodge, duck and weave in combat to avoid incoming gunfire and grapple attempts, but are unable to directly avoid weapons that deal splash damage, such as grenades. Like other Black Hand soldiers, they are primarily found in military outposts and bases.

In employ of the eDEN Corporation, they are only seen once in one mission, Taking Control.

In the Mech Land Assault DLC, Ghosts also fill in the role of snipers and wield the USV 45 Sokol. Like regular Medician snipers, they will switch from the Sokol to the U-55S Pozhar sidearm when Rico gets close. Ghost snipers will not employ the same bullet-dodging abilities as the standard Ghost soldiers, making them much easier to eliminate in combat. Ghost snipers need to have their sight on the target for at least 5 seconds before firing a shot. When engaging with rebels, Ghost snipers will slowly aim their laser sight onto the rebel, wait for at least 5 seconds where the rebel is either stationary or the sight is directly on the rebel, then shoot. Either they miss the shot, or they instantly kill the rebel. They are rarely sent when the player has heat in Insula Lacrima.

Titan.

Titan units serve as the heavy of the Black Hand forces and are trained and equipped to deal with high-level threats while protecting critical military assets and personnel. They wield the mighty Urga Vulkan minigun, which is capable of killing Rico in seconds should he be caught out in the open. They also wear the most body armor of any Black Hand soldier are able to survive an entire clip from the CS Predator and even a point-blank shot from an RPG (though barely). Additionally, due to their incredible strength, they will almost immediately break free from being grappled. Due to all of these factors, they are one of the biggest threats (when Rico is on foot) in the vanilla game and should not be taken lightly. Thankfully, these troops are extremely rare and are normally only found inside of Military Bases, however they can spawn in Police Stations. Two spawn as a late wave of reinforcement at Bellevia.

They can also be found in the Mech Land Assault and Sky Fortress DLCs, but unlike the Aegis or Ghost soldiers, they do not wield any new weapons. Strangely, they drive boats during heat in the ocean. They wield the U-55S Pozhar as a self defense weapon.

Pilot.

Pilots are only see on Insula Lacrima in the Mech Land Assault DLC. As their name suggests, they serve as the operators for the Mechs, Urga Postolka, CS Navajo and CS Odjur that the Black Hand use to defend the island. While they wield the U-55S Pozhar sidearm for self-defense, they never use them as they are, with one exception, never found outside of a vehicle. The one exception is where one is manning the mounted gun of a Urga Szturm 63A during the Hold the Fort phase of the Nebio Sud Detention Camp.

They can spawn in sea vehicles armed with a CS Spectre Mark V.

Warden.

Wardens are units that were added in the Mech Land Assault DLC. They are elite Black Hand soldiers who have been placed in charge of the detention camps around Insula Lacrima and serve as a "boss" that must be defeated in order to liberate the camp. Despite being decked out in what appears to be riot gear they have even more health and durability than Titan soldiers, making them the toughest infantry encountered in the game. They are equipped with the Urga Vdova 89 or, if Sky Fortress is installed, the Bavarium Splitter, both of which are capable of quickly tearing through Rico's health. They only appear once Rico has completed enough tasks in the detention camp and often flanked by two Ghost soldiers. Also, as evidenced by their body structure and voice, Wardens appear to be the only female Black Hand soldiers in Just Cause 3.

Counters

• Aegis: They are effectively just higher health versions of the regular Medician soldiers, so all of the same tactics work. Rico's grapple kick/reel-in is very effective as it will knock them over and leave them vulnerable and unable to retaliate for a few seconds.
• Ghost: Due to their agility, fighting them with guns tend to be dependent on chance as they may or may not dodge. The easiest way to deal with them is to either grapple-kick or reel them in. A successful grapple will knock them down, allowing Rico to dispatch them with ease. The sniper variant is no different from an average Medici Military sniper.
• Titan: They are very tough and capable of dealing a large amount of damage very quickly, so try to avoid getting caught out in the open or engaging one-on-one. Because of their heavy armor and weapon, they are slow moving, which makes it easier to maneuver around them and attack them from the side or behind. Their slow speed also leaves them very vulnerable to grenades and explosive weapons, which, under some circumstances, kill them almost instantly. One or two headshots from a CS110 Archangel is also enough to drop a Titan. On the other hand, if you're in an armored vehicle equipped with an internally controlled cannon (such as a tank), Titans pose a minimal threat, since they will take a while to destroy such vehicles but cannot stand for themselves when confronted with explosive weapons. Another strategy (albeit risky) is to melee the Titan to death. Up close, the Titan will try to only melee Rico, dealing moderate damage.
• Warden: They are just tough as a Titan and are just as capable of dealing a large amount of damage in a short period of time. Like Titans, it is best to avoid engaging them in a one-on-one fight and exploit their slow speed. Since they are not resistant to grapplers like Titans, the stategy used on Ghosts are just as effective. Additionally, one could place a GE-64 explosive charge or two on the door of the barracks, then either detonate them manually, or use them as improvised proximity mines with the appropriate gear mods.

Quotes

All four types of Black Hand NPCs (except the Warden) have the same voice and have the potential to say all these quotes, but it is most common to hear the Aegis speaking, while the other three, (Ghost, Titan, and Pilot,) will largely stay silent during combat. They talk with a robotic voice, probably a voice changer to mask their identity.

With no heat

• "Citizen, if you do not leave, I will be required to eliminate you." - When Rico arrives at a restricted area.
• "Lower your weapon citizen, now." - When aiming at them without Heat and outside of a restricted area. It is strange that the Black Hand would call Rico a citizen since citizens shouldn't run around with weapons.
• "Citizen, leave the area or face elimination." - When Rico arrives at a restricted area.
• "Citizen has a parachute." - When Rico uses his Parachute with no heat.
• "Citizen, get down from there!" - When Rico lands on top of a vehicle.
• "Think twice, citizen." - When Rico is holding a weapon without heat.
• "Careful." - When Rico bumps into a Aegis unit.
• "Exercise caution, citizen." - When Rico runs into a Aegis unit.
• "Watch it, citizen." - When Rico runs into a Black Hand soldier without heat.
• "Citizen state your business and/or leave immediately." - When Rico enters a restricted area. However, "or" can be said instead of "and" (one or the other).
• "Citizens standing on top of a vehicle." - When Rico lands on top of a vehicle.
• "Parachutes are forbidden in Medici airspace." - When Rico uses his parachute without heat.
• "Hey yeah that's pretty cool." - When Rico uses his wingsuit without heat.
• "There's a citizen flying by in a wingsuit." - When Rico uses his wingsuit without heat.
• "Parachute overhead." - When Rico uses his parachute without heat.
• "There's a citizen flying in a parachute." - When Rico uses his parachute without heat.
• "Uh, warning, clutz in my sector." - When Rico crashes his wingsuit without heat.
• "Careful, citizen!" - When Rico crashes his wingsuit without heat.
• "Citizen, be more careful." - When Rico crashes his wingsuit without heat.
• "Citizen, exercise more caution." - When Rico crashes his wingsuit without heat.

With heat

• "Heads up, insurgent has a parachute." - When Rico uses his Parachute.
• "Target's in the air. Bring him down!" - When Rico uses his parachute or Wingsuit.
• "Target is in my sector." - When Rico goes near a Black Hand soldier.
• "Target located." - When Rico goes near a Black Hand soldier.
• "Target is after military assets!" - When destroying a chaos object.
• "Insurgent is targeting military assets." - When Rico destroys a Sabotage destructable object.
• "Another one down!" - If you destroy more than one Sabotage destructable object in front of the same unit.
• "It's got me! / Mayday! / What?" - When attached to Rico's grappling hook.
• "Heads up, insurgent moves fast!" - When using the Grappler.
• "Heads up, insurgent has a zipline." - When Rico uses his Grappler.
• "The insurgent is using a grapple device!" - When Rico uses his Grappler.
• "The insurgent has a tank!" - When Rico uses an armored vehicle.
• "Warning, insurgent has heavy armour!" - When Rico uses an armored vehicle.
• "Game's up, target has a tank." - When Rico uses an armored vehicle.
• "Get back, it's about to blow!" - When a vehicle or a grenade is about to explode.
• "I'm hit!" - When shot successfully.
• "Target got me!" - When shot successfully.
• "Grenade away!" - When throwing a grenade.
• "Good hit!" - When successfully shooting Rico.
• "Target is taking damage!" - When successfully shooting Rico.
• "Flanking the target!" - When moving around the battlefield to attack Rico or other NPCs from a different direction.
• "Target has a chopper!" - When getting into a helicopter.
• "Engaging target." - When Rico fires a weapon near a soldier or attracts heat.
• "Lost the insurgent." - When a Black Hand soldier cannot find Rico.
• "Target located." - When a Black Hand soldier finds Rico during the searching phase.
• "Warning, grenade out!" - When a Black Hand soldier throws a grenade.
• "Insurgent gone." - When Rico escapes from a Heat.
• "Targets taking fire!" - When a Black Hand soldier beings to fire and successfully hit Rico.
• "Additional units requested!" - When a Black Hand soldier attempts to radio in for reinforcements.
• "Sector is clear, returning to position." - When Rico escapes from a Heat.
• "Contact." - When Rico goes near a Black Hand soldier.
• "Target acquired." - When a Black Hand soldier finds Rico during the searching phase.
• "Target in range, neutralizing." - When Rico goes near a Black Hand soldier.
• "Initiate pursuit." - When chasing after Rico.
• "Identify the target." - When searching for Rico.
• "The insurgent's in my sector." - When Rico gets near a Black Hand soldier during heat.
• "Insurgent located." - When a Black Hand soldier finds Rico during the searching phase.
• "Engaging insurgent." - When Rico goes near a Black Hand soldier during heat.
• "Reinforcements to these coordinates!" - When calling reinforcements.
• "Reinforcements to my location!" - When calling reinforcements.
• "Reinforcements to this sector!" - When calling reinforcements.
• "Move out!" - When exiting a vehicle.
• "Target is on the chopper!" - When Rico grapples on to a helicopter piloted by a Black Hand NPC.

Conversations

It has been reported that although almost never heard, they do actually have discussion lines, similar to how The Rebellion soldiers can talk to each other in a car.

To hear these, the player has to somehow arrange, or find, a situation where a Black Hand soldier is in the same car as a D.R.M., or Medici Military soldier. It would then be a good idea to block the road with another vehicle.

• "I wonder how much longer we'll be stationed here. HQ seems pretty interested in this Bavarium stuff. I bet the Black Hand will be allies of Medici for a long while."
• "Bavarium is interesting... so many uses. And weird it's only found in Medici, huh?"
• "Have you heard about the new TZ13? Yeah, some guy was telling me about it, and they say it's... quite a thing to see!" (This line is a Star Wars Easter egg)
• "You know what's going on? Maybe it's another drill." (This line is a Star Wars Easter egg)
• "Medici is the prettiest place we've ever been stationed. If I didn't have any idea what was going on, I'd almost want to retire here."
• "You know the wall across Insula Striate was only built a decade ago... to keep citizens from meddling in military affairs. They should've done something like that back home... make things easier."
• "I keep wanting to say 'Me-DI-ci', but the locals say 'ME-dici."
• "You know the language they speak here? I thought it was Portuguese or something, but it's actually called Interlingua. I guess everyone in Medici has been speaking it since the sixties. Part of some initiative to bring ethnicities together for a common language."
• "XO's been coming down hard on guys who don't stay alert on patrol. Insurgents here are creative. You need to stay sharp."
• "This Di Ravello must be paying a fortune for HQ to deploy so many troops here. There are more Black Hand here than any zone I've been deployed to so far."
• "These Di Ravello Militia make me sick. They have no discipline. They just stomp around like morons, giving orders. No wonder the rest of the military looks down on them. They're an unruly mob of buffoons."
• "Nah, these Rebels aren't too difficult to deal with. Sure they have a couple'a leaders we haven't rounded up yet, like this Rico character. Yeah, but we'll get them all."

Radio announcements during heat

Like the Medici Military, the Black Hand also has radio announcements during heat in the Mech Land Assault and Bavarium Sea Heist DLCs.

In Insula Lacrima region

• "He's hacking our control station, all available units engage!" - When reinforcements are called.
• "This is Lacrima control station, all available units engage! - When reinforcements are called.
• "Engaging the target, all units converge! - When reinforcements are called.
• "All units, we are being engaged! - When reinforcements are called.
• "Aditional troops inbound. - When reinforcements are called.
• "Troop support inbound, backup is on its way. - When reinforcements are called.
• "All units, find target and eliminate! - Searching
• "This is Lacrima control station, did you get the insurgent?" - After escape.
• "Toggle off search. Target no longer in area." - After escape.

In Scolio region

• "Sending additional reinforcement." - When reinforcement are called.
• "Support en route to your location. Eliminate that target." - When reinforcements are called.
• "Situation required, increase response." - When reinforcements are called.
• "Situation escalated, sending heavy support." - When reinforcements are called.
• "This is command, we have boats on route to your location." - When Black Hand boats are dispatched.
• "Be advised, we have naval forces en route." - When Black Hand boats are dispatched.
• "We are sending naval support to your location." - When Black Hand boats are dispatched.
• "Naval forces are inbound, providing additional support." - When Black Hand boats are dispatched.
• "Sending air support to your location." - When Black Hand helicopters are dispatched.
• "Dispatching heli-support to contact point." - When Black Hand helicopters are dispatched.
• "Helicopters inbound." - When Black Hand helicopters are dispatched.
• "Target gone, terminate search." - After escape.

Drones and their counters

Main article: List of eDEN drone types.

In Mech Land Assault, the Black Hand have acquired and reprogrammed combat drones from eDEN Corporation installations. They've repainted them to show Black Hand colors, and will use them in combat against Rico or other enemies.

Light Drone

The Light Drone is the smallest drone available to the Black Hand, equipped with a single minigun, and a small body. Being the lightest of the three drones, it is also the fastest and most agile. They can be seen pursuing Rico or covering the air above Black Hand bases. Additionally, they have a Black Hand insignia on their heads.

The best way to counter a Light Drone is to use the Grappler to tether it to the ground, then reel in, making it crash. Alternatively, the player can tether it to other drones, killing two birds with one stone. If that is impractical for the situation, small-arms fire will bring it down pretty well.

Eviction Drone

The Eviction drone is the big brother to the Light Drone, being equipped with missiles as well as a Minigun. It is a larger drone, making it slower, less agile, and presenting a larger target, but it has more armor and offensive power. It is only seen during high Heat.

Like the Light Drone, enough small-arms fire will bring it down, but the best way is to place a GE-64 charge on the head. Grappling this drone is impractical, as you'll become a sitting duck to its missiles.

Suppression Drone

The Suppression drone is used by the Black Hand for defensive purposes. Visually a large turret, the Suppression Drone is equipped with dual miniguns for anti-personnel, and missile pods on the back for anti-aircraft and anti-vehicle. Thankfully for the player, the missile pods are very inaccurate when attacking Rico in the air, but the miniguns can be very damaging if you let them. This drone only appears in the mission Storming the Hive.

The best way to destroy a Suppression drone is to place a GE-64 charge on its head. If you can't get close to it, use an explosive special weapon.

Significant plot details end here.

Weapons

• CS Predator - Most common assault rifle for the Aegis.
• U-39 Plechovka - Wielded by the Aegis in a few missions, like A Long and Dangerous Road.
• CS Wraith 225R - Wielded by the Ghost infantry.
• Urga Vulkan - Wielded by the Titan.

Weapons (Mech Land Assault and Bavarium Sea Heist)

In addition to the above weapons, the Black Hand can now also be encountered with the following:

• CS44 Peacebringer - Wielded by Aegis bikers driving the Pavouk U-15. Note that this is very rare to see and only in Mech Land Assault at Lacrima.
• Prizrak U4 - Wielded by Aegis bikers driving the Pavouk U-15. This can only be seen at Insula Lacrima in Mech Land Assault.
• U-55S Pozhar - Wielded by Aegis rocket troopers, Ghost snipers, and the Pilot, only at Lacrima and Scolio.
• USV 45 Sokol - Wielded by Ghost snipers at Lacrima or Scolio.
• UVK-13 - Wielded by Aegis rocket troopers at Lacrima or Scolio.
• Urga Vdova 89 - Wielded by the Warden if Sky Fortress is not installed.
• Bavarium Splitter - Wielded by the Warden if Sky Fortress is installed.

Exploitive\Glitch weapons

These are caused to spawn through a glitch relating to the top 2 provinces that have borders clashing with the EDEN Airship causing random Black Hand (aegis and pilot types) to spawn throughout Insula Fonte and the Aegis troopers use very rare weaponry.

They all have a chance of being used by Urga Szturm 63A machine gun operators.

• CS9 PDW-K - Rare.
• U-24 Zabijak - Rare.
• CS Wraith 225R - Uncommon.
• CS Spectre Mark V - Uncommon (used by Black Hand Pilots, but there is still a chance one might not be able to see it).

Vehicles

They don't have a color scheme to call their own and none of their own vehicles are ever seen, but they seem to be authorized to commandeer any vehicle in service with the Medici Military. During combat at the bases and mines they protect, they've been seen using theWeimaraner W3, CS Baltdjur, Stria Obrero and the Urga Szturm 63A. In the Mech Land Assault DLC, the Black Hand use their own military vehicles, and have their own decals and paint.

Vehicles (Mech Land Assault)

Mech Land Assault adds a small variety of Black Hand-owned vehicles that can be seen and driven on the island of Insula Lacrima. Their color scheme is mostly black with an orangish red. Light grey can also be seen on Black Hand vehicles, but not all of them.

• Anvil omni directional industrial mech.
• Corvette.
• CS Navajo.
• CS Odjur.
• CS Powerrun 77.
• Custode 29.
• Pavouk U-15.
• Stria Campania 115.
• U41 Ptakojester.
• Urga Hroch.
• Urga Postolka.
• Urga Szturm 63A.
• Weimaraner W3.

All of these vehicles except the U41 Ptakojester, Urga Hroch, and Stria Campania 115 can be encountered during Heat. The Ptakojester drops paratroopers during the Hold the Fort phase of prison liberation, the Hroch only appears in the mission Storming the Hive, and the Stria Campania 115 appears in the Mech Arena activity.

Allies and enemies

• Medici Military - Ally.
• D.R.M. - loose Ally.
• eDEN Corporation - Ally, but enemy of the rogue drones on Insula Lacrima.
• The Rebellion - Enemy.
• Former Prisoners of Lacrima - Enemy.
• Rico - Enemy.
• Anyone else who opposes them - Enemy.

Trivia

• There is a symbol on the Titan's left shoulder that resembles an uppercase Q. This is not the their official Just Cause 3 logo, but it might be a secondary logo.
• The Black Hand always consider Rico as a citizen without heat and will give him fair warning whenever he enters a "restricted area" rather than simply open fire.
• It is possible to find Black Hand Aegis and Titans at police stations in Just Cause 3.
• All Black Hand soldiers have the same robotic voice. This includes the female Wardens as well as the other infantry, and Black Hand dispatchers. The only reason it may seem that the Aegis is the only one, is because they're the most talkative.
  • According to dialogue in The Heist Begins, the robotic voices from Black Hand units are a result of a standard issue voice modulator.
    • Upon close inspection, this modulator seems to be visible on the Aegis.
    • In fact, during this mission, Rico is given one of such voice modulators to mask his identity. Upon acquiring it, he does a humorous impression of a Black Hand soldier.
• If Sky Fortress is installed, the Warden will use the Bavarium Splitter. If only Mech Land Assault is installed, they will instead use the Urga Vdova 89. Needs confirmation.
• A quote made by Rico in the mission Storming the Hive for the Mech Land Assault contradicts his apparent lack of knowledge about the Black Hand in Three's Company. He clearly recalls what happened back in San Esperito and notes that ever since, the Black Hand have always been on the "dictator's side".
  • If so, then this statement would be considered a major anachronism on the part of the developers.
  • Rico's quote isn't necessarily the only contradiction found in Mech Land Assault. Before the mission Stowaway, when Sheldon calls Rico to ask if the name "Black Hand" means anything to him, Rico's response isn't one of denial but rather "Creepy military dudes? Lots of body armor? Very skilled?"
• The Eden Callaghan tapes for Bavarium Sea Heist reveal that the Black Hand were initially turned down by the eDEN Corporation when they first approached the company to make an offer. Eden Callaghan's primary reason for refusing to do business with them was that she considered herself to be a highly ethical person, and expected her company to act in the same manner. Doing business with the likes of a shady mercenary organization that operates outside any form of governmental jurisdiction could've threatened the eDEN Corporation's reputation.
  • Ironically, after it killed all personnel on the eDEN Airship, the self-aware AI named Eden, programmed with Ms. Callaghan's voice, discovered a non-executed contract with the Black Hand in the eDEN Corporation's files. Seeking to cover up the truth of what "she" recently did and to buy time in her hunt to acquire more Bavarium, Eden ultimately decided to make use of this contract and enlist the Black Hand's services.
• In the mission The Heist Begins for Bavarium Sea Heist, Sheldon advises Rico to gain access to Stingray by claiming to be running a "Code Fuchsia" for delivery to the Black Hand. Upon hearing this, the Black Hand sentry talking to Rico immediately grants him access to the base and gives him a personal thanks for the delivery, claiming that Stingray is extremely boring and that it would be a major relief to finally have something to pass the time with other than eDEN files and reports.
  • Based on the sentry's response, it's possible that the Black Hand classify "Code Fuchsia" as R&R (rest & relaxation).
• It has been reported that according to one of the loading screens in Just Cause 4, Gabriela Morales became the leader of the Black Hand "5 years ago". JC4 is set at an unknown time, but if it's set at the same time as the game's launch year, it means that she already commanded during the events of Just Cause 3. This is also supported by the ending of Mech Land Assualt DLC, where in a cutscene, a Black Hand Aegis is seen talking to a person on a laptop. The image is unidentifiable, but the voice sounds like a modulated female voice, similar to that of the Warden unit.
• As revealed in Just Cause 4, Aegis soldiers are elite units (basic Black Hand units are poorly equipped privates). It would make no sense to send almost only elite units, especially since they need all the soldiers they can get because of the Solíno Civil War, unless Di Ravello specifically requested it.
  • What probably happened is that the developers intended for all Black Hand units - even the basic ones - to be pretty capable soldiers. But then the Black Hand became the main enemy force in JC4. If all basic Black Hand units were hard to kill, and Black Hand units were really common, then JC4's infantry combat would be extremely challenging compared to be the other games. So instead, they severely nerfed Black Hand privates.
• Back in JC1, their color scheme was all black with a hint of grey and white in places, but in JC3, their color scheme has become more varied, featuring black, red, grey, and even beige or brown.
• The "17-2" on Black Hand vehicles in Just Cause make a return in Just Cause 3, most dominantly being seen on the Pilot's helmet.
• This organization might be named after the famous real world terrorist group called the "Black Hand" that started World War I. Link to Wikipedia. However, that group is not the only (or first) real world group that has called itself the "Black Hand".
  • There are a lot of "Black Hand" factions and other organizations in many other works of fiction. Examples include:
    • The Brotherhood of Nod from the Command & Conquer series has a unit of elite special-forces and religious police known as the Black Hand amongst their armed forces.
    • The high ruling council of the Dark Brotherhood, a joinable faction of assassins in the Elder Scrolls series, is known as the Black Hand.
    • A splinter terrorist organization of Helghan fanatics, ex-military and civilian nationalists, and radicals known as the Black Hand from Killzone: Shadow Fall.
    • "Black Hand" is the title bestowed upon an elite and highly respected hunter under the king from Dark Souls 3. Link to their armor set.
• There is an interesting amount of similarities between the Just Cause 3 iteration of the Black Hand, and the Helghast from the Killzone series:
  • As stated above, there is a "Black Hand" organization appearing in Killzone: Shadow Fall.
  • The voices of the Black Hand Troopers sound remarkably similar to Helghast troopers.
  • Visually, the Ghost bears resemblance to some Helghast and Shadowfall Black Hand troopers.

Gallery

Weapons

CS Predator - Used by the Black Hand Aegis infantry.

CS Wraith 225R - Used by the Ghost infantry.

Urga Vulkan - Used by the Titan infantry.

Prizrak U4 - Used by Aegis biker infantry.

USV 45 Sokol - Sniper rifle used by Ghost snipers.

UVK-13 - Used by Aegis rocket infantry.

U-55S Pozhar - Aegis rocket infantry and Ghost snipers will switch to this if approached. Also used by the Pilot.

Urga Vdova 89 - Used by the Warden if Sky Fortress is not installed.

Bavarium Splitter - Used by the Warden if Sky Fortress is installed.

Infantry

Aegis

A close-up of an Aegis trooper. Note the voice modulator on his chest, connected to his helmet by wires.

Note the snow details.

On the eDEN Airship in a Sky Fortress trailer.

On the eDEN Airship they only attack if you have heat from something else.

A wet Black Hand Aegis, after it has rained.

Multiple Aegis stances.

Aegis soldier in the rain.

EDEN Aegis soldier on the eDEN Airship wielding the Bavarium Splitter.

Ghost

Ghost soldier in the rain

This loading screen can only be seen if you have the Mech Land Assault DLC installed. Also note the sniper rifle, which can't be seen without Mech Land Assault.

Ghost soldier wearing the colours of the eDEN Corporation.

Ghost in front of a damaged CS Odjur.

Titan

Note the symbol on the shoulder. That's not seen anywhere else.

At Di Ravellos house, at Citate Di Ravello.

On the eDEN Airship. They kick Rico away using the minigun, if he should approach them.

Titan guarding Di Ravellos house in Citate Di Ravello

A dead Titan at Porto Coclea.

Titan juggernaut engaging the player.

This seems to be a glitch, as the Titan pictured did not get up and engage Rico immediately.

A Titan at a police station. This particular position seems to be a glitch, because the Titan aiming the Urga Vulkan looks more like an Aegis unit aiming a CS Predator.

Titan on the eDEN Airship.

Pilot

These pictures were achieved by grappling the Pilot out of his mounted gun at Nebio Sud Detention Camp, except for the boat pictures at the end.

In a Urga Szturm 63A at Nebio Sud Detention Camp.

From a CS Powerrun 77.

A Pilot wielding a CS Spectre Mark V onboard a CS Powerrun 77 ship.

Warden

Seen in a loading screen, wielding the Urga Vdova 89. Also note the tooltip.

A dead Black Hand Warden.

Drones

Light Drone

Eviction Drone

A damaged Eviction drone.

Suppression Drone

The Suppression Drone only appears during Storming the Hive, but can be found immediately after the mission. It is impossible to find them after leaving the game post-mission.

In the mission Storming the Hive.

Serving the role of anti-aircraft defense in Storming the Hive.

Vehicles

The Pavouk U-15, their motorcycle.

The Weimaraner W3, their most common vehicle.

The Urga Szturm 63A, a heavier transport equipped with a mounted gun.

The CS Odjur, their main battle tank.

The autocannon variant of their Mech, their most powerful vehicle.

The Bavarium splitter variant of their Mech, their most powerful vehicle.

The Urga Postolka, their light attack helicopter.

The CS Navajo, their helicopter gunship.

The U41 Ptakojester, their heavy cargo plane, used for paratrooper, supply, and vehicle transport.

The Custode 29, their lightest patrol boat.

The CS Powerrun 77, a heavier patrol boat equipped with two machine guns.

The Military Corvette, a gunboat in service with the Black Hand naval forces.

The Urga Hroch, used for suppply and vehicle transport over water.

The Stria Campania 115, presumably a prison bus. This vehicle is only seen during activites and cannot be obtained.

The Stria Campania 115. Found near ruins above Guardia Libeccio I.

Structures

A Black Hand Soldier quarters. Gameplay-wise, it is used to spawn Aegis troopers to attack the player, and occasionally to spawn the Warden.

The inside of a quarters.

A Black Hand surveillance camera.

A Black Hand guard tower.

A spotlight, seen on top of the guard towers.

Their flag, seen on a guard tower.

A Black Hand guard post.

A Black Hand Mech charging station and Mech bay, complete with Mechs.

A Black Hand armory. These can be opened with explosives, or by pressing the button.

A Black Hand cell block.

A Black Hand version of the SAM trailer.

Another view of a Black Hand SAM site.

Miscellaneous

A hoodless Ghost. Appears in a cutscene only.

A hoodless Ghost. Appears in a cutscene only.

Fully armored Black Hand member as part of Di Ravello's personal guard.

A Black Hand mech with a skull-logo.

Their new symbol in JC3, as seen on a Mech.

Think you can have a peaceful drive? (See Just Cause 3 Bugs and glitches.)

O_O What will they bring for heat level 5? (See Just Cause 3 Bugs and glitches.)

Concept art during game development.