Are you trying to get your hands on a cheap yet strong legendary merc? Here’s how to hire Shadow in Jagged Alliance 3.
Shadow is considered one of the most elusive mercs in the game as he can simply refuse to join your squad or not be available for recruitment during your entire playthrough. To get Shadow, players will need to level up their other mercs to level three or higher.
In this guide, I will explain everything you need to know on how to hire Shadow in JA3 and list his stats to showcase his best role in your squad.
If you’re looking to make your playthrough more interesting, check out our list of the best mods for Jagged Alliance 3.
How to Hire Shadow in Jagged Alliance 3
To hire Shadow in Jagged Alliance 3, players will need to have all their mercs at (or above) level three. If they are below that, Shadow will almost always refuse to join you.
Keep in mind that even with level three Mercs, there’s still a 10% chance for Shadow to refuse to join you. Unfortunately, he is one of the most elusive legendary mercs in the game.
If he refuses to join your squad, the answer is final. There’s nothing you can do to make him change his mind, even if you recruit all other mercs.
Additionally, there is a chance that when you try to hire Shadow, he’ll say “I’m visiting a sick friend.” If this happens, Shadow will never join your team in the whole playthrough.
If you really want Shadow and got this message, you’ll need to restart your playthrough to get him.
If you managed to recruit Shadow, keep in mind that he’s the main requirement for hiring Reaper, another extremely strong but elusive legendary mercenary. For more details, check out our guide on how to hire Reaper in Jagged Alliance 3.
Shadow Stats in JA3
Shadow has the following stats in Jagged Alliance 3:
| Health | 95 |
| Agility | 96 |
| Dexterity | 83 |
| Strength | 88 |
| Wisdom | 77 |
| Leadership | 35 |
| Marksmanship | 92 |
| Mechanical | 12 |
| Explosives | 22 |
| Medical | 30 |
With these stats, Shadow is an excellent marksman for your team that can shine in both ranged and melee combat. His high Health allows him to stay alive for longer, while his Agility, Strength, and Dexterity allow him to move around the battlefield quickly and become a huge threat to enemies.
As long as your remaining squad members can make up for his lack of Leadership, Mechanical, and Medical skills, you’ll be good to go.
Wrapping up
To sum up, players have a high chance to hire Shadow in Jagged Alliance 3 if they increase the level of the mercs in their squad to three or higher.
Then, Shadow will only have a 10% chance of declining your offer. However, if he does decline your offer, his answer will be final and won’t change throughout the entire playthrough.
Did you manage to recruit Shadow from your first try or did you have to restart the game multiple times? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.
Before leaving, consider checking out our guide on how to get The Thing in Jagged Alliance 3 which is the best melee weapon in the game.
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