Fallout 3: Canterbury Commons: The superhuman gambit - walkthrough, side quests Fallout 3 Guide

Last update: 02 November 2022

Canterbury Commons: The superhuman gambit

Received from: Uncle Roe [Canterburry Commons]

Solution: During your first stay in Canterburry Commons you will witness fights taking place between AntAgonizer and The Mechanist. Wait for them to be over and locate Uncle Roe. Talk to Ernest and you'll be presented with an opportunity to help out Canterburry Commons citizens in ending this dispute. Your first assignment will be to find out where does the "superheroes" live. Obviously you can use my guide to locate their lairs quickly, but if you prefer everything done by the book find Derek Pacion and ask him about the AntAgonizer and The Mechanist (screen). You can also spend some time talking to other Canterburry Commons citizens, including Joe Porter. Furthermore, a lot of information about these characters (including their true identities) is stored in the main building of Hubris Comics. Going back to Derek, you will find out that the AntAgonizer has her lair to the north of Canterburry Commons. As for The Mechanist, he can be found on top of a nearby hill.

AntAgonizer:

There are many different ways to end this quest, but let's divide possible endings depending on the superhero you want to deal with in the first place. The entrance to AntAgonizer's lair is clearly visible on your personal map, however I wouldn't recommend choosing it, because you would have to fight your way through a large number of ants. There are also a lot of traps leading to her lair. Instead focus on finding an alternative entrance. Look at my screen and after getting there be on a look out for a sewer grate. Use a bobby pin to open it. Either way you must get to AntAgonizer's lair. Find her sitting on her throne and approach her to initiate a conversation.

Obviously you can kill the AntAgonizer which seems to be the best solution if you're playing as a bad character and plan on lowering your karma. Killing her would be easy, because her armor can't sustain a lot of damage. After the fight you would have to leave the lair via tunnels or the sewer grate. If you decide to kill her you can go back to Uncle Roe once she's dead to confirm your victory. A more interesting solution is to convince her to organize an attack on The Mechanist. In this case you would have to travel to the Robot Repair Center and assist her ants in dealing with The Mechanist. The most interesting way to solve this problem is to convince her that she made a mistake and that she still has a second chance (screen). It's not easy to persuade her. You can rely on very high speech skill or you can use Lady killer perk. Alternatively you can call out to her by her real name, but you must know her identity from Joe Porter of from Hubris Comics.

The Mechanist:

As for The Mechanist, it gets more complicated here. You can find this superhero inside the Robot Repair Center which is located on top of a large hill near Canterburry Commons. Use the main entrance to get to the center. There are two ways for you to reach Mechanist's lair. The easier way to get to his forge is to use a nearby elevator (screen). Sadly, if you didn't spend A LOT of points into your lockpicking skill you won't be allowed to pick the lock. The second route will require you to travel through the entire factory and this means you'll have to deal with a lot of machines. Watch out for security bots, because they're using powerful weapons to hunt you down. You'll also have to eliminate several defense turrets. I would recommend using pulse grenades and a rocket launcher to deal with the robots. You could try running, but it's very risky, especially if you take the wrong turn and end up being surrounded by hostile robots.

You can also make your life a little easier by finding two security terminals. Hack into the system to disable the turrets and you won't have to worry about those anymore. Eventually you'll have get to the upper balconies. Check the office area and collect valuable equipment. You must find a door leading to Mechanist's forge. Once you've arrived at the forge, turn left and approach a small coffee machine (screen). Press the action key and you'll notice that one of the walls has started moving. Wait for a passageway to reveal itself and go talk to The Mechanist.

The situation here is going to be very similar to the AntAgonizer. You can kill The Mechanist, however it's not going to be easy, because his armor is a little stronger. Furthermore, you can convince him to organize an attack on the AntAgonizer. Thankfully you wouldn't have to travel to her lair, because she would appear inside the facility after you've left the forge. The best solution is to convince him that his actions threaten safety of Canterburry Commons (screen).

Additional info / endings:

Depending on the outcome of your actions you may acquire AntAgonizer's costume, AntAgonizer's helmet, Mechanist's costume and Mechanist's helmet. Both armors are kind of weak, but you should take special attention in the helmets, because they provide good protection. You can also receive special rewards from the superheroes for killing a competitor. Don't forget to go back to Uncle Roe for your reward. You'll receive the exact amount of bottle caps he promised, but you'll also receive a bonus if you didn't kill any of the superheroes.