STAG

**Affiliations** | * Monica Hughes
* Steelport Police
* Josh Birk (Nyte Blayde)
 **Weapons** | * Viper Laser Rifle
* S3X Hammer
* Annihilator RPG
* McManus 2015
* KA-1 Kobra
* Riot Shield
* Sonic Boom
 **Vehicles** | Land* N-Forcer
* Crusader
* Peacemaker
* Bulldog

Naval* *Thermopylae*
* Commander (unused)

Aircraft* F-69 VTOL
* Condor
* Specter
* Gawalek A36
 **Businesses** | * Law enforcement
 **Games** | * *Saints Row: The Third*
* *Saints Row IV* briefly

**STAG** is a type of law enforcement in *Saints Row: The Third*.

## Overview

STAG, short for **Special Tactical Anti-Gang Unit**, is a technologically-advanced paramilitary force lead by Commander Cyrus Temple and his subordinate, Kia. It operates under the control and supervision of the United States Government, and acts as a replacement for the SNG at higher Notoriety levels, although the Steelport Police and a minor SWAT presence still remain. STAG has their own, unique arsenal of futuristic weapons and vehicles.

STAG is deployed to Steelport following a devastating attack on the Hughes Memorial Bridge in Stilwater, perpetrated by the Luchadores. Senator Monica Hughes, wife of the late Alderman Richard Hughes, gains unanimous approval from the US Senate to initiate "**The STAG Initiative**" upon the city, essentially putting it under martial law with the intent of eliminating the 3rd Street Saints and The Syndicate for control of the city.

STAG arrives in force aboard the aircraft carrier *Thermopylae*, ambushing Playa, Oleg and Viola DeWynter in Technically Legal, and begins deploying troops and mobile bases throughout the city. Initially relegated to a peacekeeping role in Steelport, STAG's role and actions intensify following the sinking of the *Thermopylae* by the Saints. The city is placed under lockdown and STAG begins to actively combat the four gangs with their specialised commando units, focusing primarily on the Saints.

## Technology

The STAG unit possesses a variety of futuristic weaponry, some of which is described as experimental microwave technology. STAG's troops wear advanced body armour and carry laser rifles, while vehicles use a variety of exotic energy weapons and advanced features. The STAG F-69 VTOL, Condor and Specter also have the ability to transition between hover and jet modes, using miniature jet engines to maneuver like a helicopter in the former state.

STAG has possession of at least two massive carriers, a conventional "wet" carrier, *Thermopylae*, and an advanced airship called the *Daedalus*.

## Specialists

STAG specialists are known as **Commandos**. They are easy to distinguish from conventional STAG troops by their bright orange suits, with orange accents on their white armor. Furthermore, they always wear gas masks. Commandos are unique among all other specialists in that they do not appear as hollow red dots on the HUD. This is somewhat problematic, as the only other way to see them coming is to examine the color of their armor as they approach.

Overall, Commandos are really just regular STAG soldiers with increased health, and they don't have any unique weapons; exclusively carrying the Viper Laser Rifle. Commandos can withstand a great amount of damage, and often attack in pairs or even teams, similar to Morningstar and Deckers specialists. Commandos also cannot be taken as Human Shields. Furthermore, they are impervious to fire, albeit fire-based attacks still damage them. Being the toughest specialists in the game, a group of Commandos can present quite a challenge, thus making fights against them both long and dangerous.

Because their armor is thick enough to prevent them from flinching all the time whenever they are shot, the most effective means of dealing with Commandos is to use melee weapons or explosives against them; especially the Woodsman as it can kill just about anything in one hit, including Commandos. The only named Commando is **Sgt. Steiner**, an arrogant, self-proclaimed, one-man-army who is listed as an Assassination target in the Saintsbook.

## Vehicles

### Land

STAG use the N-Forcer as their main transport, an armoured light truck equipped with a top-mounted machine gun. At higher Notoriety levels their special tank, the Crusader, is used in place of the National Guard's Challenger. An even more powerful Crusader, at one point called the "STAG Tank V2", is an optional unlockable in the mission "My Name is Cyrus Temple".

### Naval

There is a STAG version of the Commander in a promotional image; however, this variant is not available in the game and STAG do not use any boats aside from the giant aircraft carrier *Thermopylae*.

### Aircraft

STAG's workhorse aircraft is the Condor, corresponding to the SNG's Eagle. For heavier work, the F-69 VTOL corresponds to the Tornado and Vulture. STAG also use heavy cargo planes, one of which is configured as an AWACS. In one of the two final mission choices STAG calls in their ultimate airborne weapon, a giant airship carrier / battleship called the *Daedalus*.

The Specter is a "jetbike" which only available if it is chosen during the mission "My Name is Cyrus Temple" and is never used by STAG itself.

## Weapons

STAG troops are primarily armed with Viper Laser Rifles, a rapid-fire carbine which never needs to be reloaded and is instead governed by a heat gauge. Their special shotgun is called the S3X Hammer and works in much the same way, never requiring reloads. STAG do, however, sometimes use more conventional hardware, with specialists occasionally using the Riot Shield and KA-1 Kobra, and snipers armed with McManus 2015s in certain missions.

While never used by STAG itself, the Sonic Boom is described as a STAG-developed weapon[*reference?*] and the Satchel Charges can only be accessed by choosing to research them in "My Name is Cyrus Temple." However, Satchel Charges are present in every Friendly Fire store, on a low shelf on the opposite side of the store to the counter. In the promotion poster for STAG, they carry Bowie Knives but never use them.[*screenshot?*]

## Radio

These are played after Gang Bang and before My Name is Cyrus Temple.

* STAG Rallies 1
* STAG Rallies 2

These are played after My Name is Cyrus Temple and before Stag Film.

* STAG Protest 1
* STAG Protest 2

## Trivia

* Their symbol is a tribal styled stencil of a stag's head. Within some of their bases, like the *Daedalus*, exists an alternate symbol which looks like a stag's skull.[*screenshot?*]
* Despite STAG replacing the SNG, SNG helicopters still spawn at the Sierra Point base throughout the game.
* Completing the eliminate Killbane end of the mission "Three Way" and destroying the *Daedalus* unlocks STAG infantry armor in the Wardrobe, and at Let's Pretend.
* Even though STAG has left Steelport after the last mission, there are still some STAG Outposts located around Steelport and some even have an F-69 VTOL or a Condor.
* There was intended to be a STAG-related Stronghold in the game. As it is, STAG is the only enemy in the game with neither a single territory or a Stronghold.
* STAG is the only law enforcement unit in *Saints Row: The Third* to have female members, although they have identical uniforms to male members.
* In the Survival diversion on Arapice Island, there are STAG zombies that drive Criminals and attack Playa just like a normal zombie. They reuse the same model as a living STAG soldier.[*Screenshot?*]
* The promotional image shows a soldier with a rifle resembling an M16, despite STAG using laser weapons in-game.[*images?*]
* Although they are supposed to be an elite unit, they are pretty incompetent as the Saints run rings around them, the Deckers have little trouble in raiding their PR Center for a super computer, albeit they lost it to the Saints, and the Luchadores fight them to a standstill with a possibility of a Luchadore victory had the Saints not have intervened.
* STAG only appear in large numbers in Loren Square, moderate numbers in Sunset Park and very few elsewhere.
* STAG soldiers spawn near the Saints HQ, Kinzie's Warehouse and Leather & Lace.
* The storyline of the game ends with the reputation of STAG ruined either by Kia trying to destroy the Magarac Statue or by Cyrus Temple's near destruction of Steelport.
* It is never revealed why STAG is so focused on the Saints rather than The Syndicate, but it might be because of the Saints destroying the *Thermopylae* and kidnapping Josh Birk, and STAG knew that it was the Saints that caused these problems.
	+ In *Saints Row IV*, Phillipe Loren implies that The Syndicate bribed Monica Hughes to keep her and STAG away from The Syndicate, and mentions The Syndicate paid for the Hughes Memorial Bridge.[*reference?*]
* STAG is the only faction in *Saints Row: The Third* that is not an unlockable Gang Customization option.
* STAG, despite being a law enforcement agency, uses unconventional warfare methods, including the use of propaganda to convince the civilian population to protest against the Saints[*mission?*], and a false flag operation in an attempt to frame the Saints.
* Some armed vehicles that have scanners, such as the Tornado or F-69 VTOL, say "Scanning Objective" and "STAG Targeting System v2.67".[*reference?*]
* In reality the United States senate has no jurisdiction over a military organisation such as STAG. The only people who can issue orders to the military are the President of the United States or the Chiefs of Staff.
	+ Additionally, it is unconstitutional to use military force against United States citizens. Declaring Martial law and seizing the Downtown district violates the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the power of the federal government to use (federal) military force in order to enforce domestic policies. However, declaring and enforcing martial law in a state of emergency is perfectly legal, and has even been done before (e.g., during the Reconstruction Era, immediately following the Pearl Harbor attack, etc.).
* In *Saints Row IV*, during the character creation, the news ticker at the bottom of the screen states that after the events of *Saints Row: The Third*, STAG disbanded, and most former members found employment in Parking Enforcement.[*screenshot?*]
* STAG's white, orange, and black colour scheme is similar to that of the vehicles of the fictional group Megaforce from the movie of the same name.
* Matt Miller successfully hacked in STAG's secure database and changed all the top secret file names to RagnarokWinsAgain.
* A homie conversation between Cyrus Temple and Asha Odekar in *Saints Row IV* reveals that a good deal of STAG technology came from MI6.
* The STAG symbol resembles the United States Air Force Symbol.
* Concept art depicts STAG fighting the Steelport National Guard and SWAT, but in the game, STAG assists the authorities.
* The Morningstar are defeated immediately before STAG arrive in Steelport, so they do not interact in the storyline.
* STAG soldiers drive Peacemakers.[*screenshot?*]

## References

1. ↑ ***Saints Row* website**: Cyrus shirley Temple, post #5
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 **Mission**: Three Way
3. ↑ **wouldyoukindly**: Saints Row: The Third details from Game Informer take it up a notch, published 2011-03-08
4. ↑ **Mission**: Gang Bang, Cutscene #3
5. ↑ **Mission**: Gang Bang, Cutscene #3 *My name is Cyrus Temple, Commander **Special Tactical Anti-Gang Unit**. I'm here to answer your questions about the STAG initiative.*— Cyrus Temple
6. ↑ **Mission**: Pimps Up, Hos Down
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 **Mission**: The Ho Boat
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 **Mission**: Convoy Decoy
9. ↑ **Mission**: Return to Steelport
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 **Mission**: Gang Bang
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 **Mission**: My Name is Cyrus Temple
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 **Mission**: STAG Film
13. ↑ **Image**:
14. ↑ **Mission**: STAG Party
15. ↑ **Game data**: STRONGHOLD\_START\_MESSAGE\_STAG: START STAG STRONGHOLD in "tt mission\_us.le\_strings"
16. ↑ **Mission**: Learning Computer
17. ↑ **Mission**: My Name is Cyrus Temple
18. ↑ **Mission**: Nyte Blayde's Return
19. ↑ **Dialogue**: Homie conversation Cyrus and Matt

**Cyrus**: "*Aren't you the kid who hacked into STAG secure database and changed all the top secret filenames to...What was it? Something with an R.*"
**Matt Miller**: "*What? Me? No, I'm sure of thinking of somebody else. I'm a member of MI6.*"
**Cyrus**: "*I remember, RagnarokWins. You sure that wasn't you?*"
**Matt Miller**: "*RagnarokWinsAgain. And yes that totally wasn't me.*"
20. ↑ **Homie conversation**: Asha and Cyrus

**Asha**: "*You know a good deal of STAG technology came from MI6.*"
**Cyrus**: "*Pardon me? I'll have you know everything we use is 100% designed and made in the U.S.A.*"
**Asha**: "*You honestly can't believe that can you?*"
**Cyrus**: "*I have the personal assurance of the highest authority in my country!*"
**Asha**: "*You mean, from the President? A person just like the current president who you tried to kill back in Steelport?*"
**Cyrus**: "*Yeah! Just like- Damn!*"
21. ↑ **Image**:

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