Mercenaries' cave

"Khans of New California" 
The mercenaries' cave ("Raiders" on the map) is a very small cave system halfway between Broken Hills and Vault City in 2241, which forms the base of operations for a group of mercenaries led by Angel-Eyes and currently hired out by the Bishop family.
==Location==
The cave is located north-northwest of Broken Hills, at a range of 3.75 grid squares. From Vault City, the cave is on a heading south-southwest, 7 grids south, one grid west.
==Background==
The raiders here are a bit different from the usual lot typically found out in the wastes. Their tenacity and success rate has found them hired on by the Bishop family to harass Vault City's trade routes in order to force them into becoming annexed by the NCR.Fallout 2 Official Strategies & Secrets
==Layout==
One with sufficiently high Outdoorsman and Perception stats can locate at least one of the two entrances to the cave without the benefit of a map.
The cave is broken into two principal sections, each with its own entrance.
The main, natural entrance to the cave leads into an uninhabited section. This winding maze-like section of cave does not serve as home to any of the raiders, but multiple sinkholes can drop an unwary explorer into a level below, home to a small horde of small radscorpions.
However, it is the deeper reaches of the cave that are of interest to an explorer with a talent for combat. Accessible either from the entrance cave or from a manhole disguised by a small ruined building on the surface, the rear section of the cave is the base of operations for three raiders: Blondie, Tuco and Angel-Eyes.
===Contents===
Used to store sensitive documents, the raiders' safe is both difficult to pick and booby-trapped with explosives. Only those with relatively high Traps and Lockpick skills, as well as the appropriate tools, should attempt to open the safe. The safe can also be cracked if one has a high Luck stat. Inside is evidence of the Bishop family's involvement with the raiders and their attacks on Vault City.
Each of the three raider captains has a locker that contains their respective dog tags. Having all three creates a new option in the dialogue box for the safe that allows it to be opened without picking the lock.
==Notable loot==
* First Aid Book – In a locker inside their base.
* Guns and Bullets – In Angel-Eyes's safe.
* Angel-Eyes' dog tags, Tuco's dog tags and Blondie's dog tags – In the mercenary captain's lockers.
* Cat's Paw - Two, in Angel-Eyes' safe and in a locked footlocker.
* Account book - In Angel Eyes's safe.
==Notes==
* The background music is "Khans of New California," which was originally used for the Khan Base in Fallout.
* One can find Shadow-Who-Walks here. He's the native guide Stark was talking about in Vault City.
* A second map for the mercenaries' cave location can be found in Bishop's safe.
* In the original, unpatched version of Fallout 2, the location for the mercenaries' cave had an existing button for it albeit reused Arroyo's. This was unintentionally broken in the v1.02 patch by removing the label, leaving an empty space. 
==Appearances==
The mercenaries' cave appears only in Fallout 2.
==Behind the scenes==
Boilerplate left in the Tibbets design document reveals the lower area infested with radscorpions was originally going to have had a boss, Spud, as a tribute to the Fallout team's mascot who died shortly after Fallout was completed.
==Bugs==
It is possible if the Highwayman is brought to the ladder entrance location for the front half of the car to disappear. This will render it useless, only leaving access to the car's trunk.
==Gallery==
Mercenaries' Cave Ladder.png|Ladder entrance
Merc caves first_section.jpg|First section of the caves, which is uninhabited
Merc caves 3.jpg|Second section of the caves, where the raiders are stationed
Merc caves low level.png|A level of the cave accessible after the Chosen One falls through one of the sinkholes of the first section
FAB mercenaries cave.png|First Aid Book and Cat's Paw (hidden footlocker)
Fo2 Angel Eyes.png|Guns and Bullets and Cat's Paw
Fo1 Khans Townmap.png|Great Khan's town map
VB DD01 map Radscorpion Nest.gif|The original design of the lower level, from Van Buren design document boilerplate
==References==
 
pt:Mercenaries' Cave
ru:Лагерь налётчиков
uk:Табір нападників
zh:雇佣兵的洞穴