Welcome back, infiltrators. If you thought Metal Gear Solid V was all about crouching behind walls and sniping enemies from the shadows, think again. Dante’s breakdown of combat tricks, mechanics, hidden NPC secrets, and long-term stat systems unveils the layered brilliance of this game. From stunning guards with decoys to keeping Quiet by your side forever, this guide covers it all — and then some.

Combat Control Mastery: Stun, Disarm, Confuse Let’s start with the essentials. You don’t need chokeholds to extract intel. Wake a sleeping enemy with a kick (press R2), then strike once and immediately hold L2 to enter a weapon-stealing interrogation stance. From here, you can extract info or take their weapon without dragging them into a full grapple.

Want to disorient enemies creatively? Toss an empty magazine directly at their face — it’ll trigger a brief stun if timed right. Out of ammo or magazines? Use your decoy device — it can knock out unaware enemies like a cartoonish inflatable ambush. Even Supply Drops have tactical potential: aim one directly at a stationary sniper or enemy and… goodnight, Josh.

Surviving Close Quarters with Style Stun grenades too risky? Toss one, then hide under your cardboard box to reduce its effect radius. A clever (and hilarious) tactic for those sticky indoor situations. For rapid weapon swaps, press Triangleto instantly toggle between your primary and secondary gear — especially useful if you’re running a tranquilizer and want to switch quickly in a pinch.

Box Tactics Evolved The cardboard box is far more than a meme. Customize it with posters found across the open world. Slap a soldier’s image on it — enemies might salute and move on. Want to disarm someone? Use a “pretty lady” poster. Enemies will drop their weapons and approach wide-eyed. From there, the choice is yours: takedown, interrogate, or just vanish. You can even dive while boxed (sprint + Triangle) to reposition fast without detection, or press Triangle while crouching to leap out and flank your prey.

Fast Travel via Delivery Points Find delivery points across towns marked by posted notes. Collect these to activate the fast travel system. Enter your box, stand still, and hold X to initiate a rapid trip to another unlocked delivery location. You can even use this across Mother Base, where all points are open by default.

Quiet: How to Recruit, Use, and Keep Her Forever After Mission 10, you’ll encounter Quiet in Mission 11, Cloaked in Silence. Do not kill her. Stun her and complete the mission. After Mission 14, visit her at the medical platform via Side Op 111. From then on, she’s your body. But here’s the catch: once her bond level hits 100% and you reach Mission 45, she’ll leave permanently, locking you out of her storyline.

To prevent this: equip the Butterfly Emblem (acquired after three missions where Quiet kills more enemies than you). Add it to your front emblem, and her bond caps below 100%, meaning she stays by your side forever. Trade-off? You’ll miss her final story mission. Solution? Watch it later online, or accept the narrative consequence.

To command Quiet effectively, go to your iDroid > Missions > Buddy Support > Quiet Scout. This allows you to assign her to key locations, cover flanks, or assist in silent takedowns.

No Traces Bonus: The Ultimate Stealth Test Want max mission rewards? The No Traces bonus is brutal: no alerts, no kills, no reflex, no CQC, no vehicle damage, no Buddy aggression, no supply drops. The only valid move: raise your gun to hold up guards and pray they lie down. Even tools like the cardboard box can only be used once per mission — no hopping in and out. If you manage it, the payoff is significant.

Secret Cassette Effects: Music as a Weapon Certain cassettes do more than vibe — they affect gameplay. The “Afghan Lullaby,” for instance, can put enemies to sleep. Equip it, set it on loop, turn up your external speakers, and walk into a camp. When timed right, enemies will pass out around you. Once used, the cassette leaves your inventory, but you can reacquire it from its original location.

The Hidden Perks of Taking a Shower At Mother Base or in fresh water, taking a shower boosts your:

• Reflex time (+0.5 sec first day, decreasing daily)
• Fulton success rate (+5% on day one)
• Max HP (+10% initial boost)

These effects last five in-game days, gradually wearing off. It’s not just cosmetic — clean soldiers fight better.

Adaptive Difficulty: How the Game Reacts to You MGS5 doesn’t have difficulty modes. It learns. On the right side of the map screen, six icons track your behavior:

1. Balloon – Use Fultons too much? Enemies start shooting them down.
2. Helmet – Too many headshots? Expect enemies to wear helmets.
3. Camera – Staying undetected? They’ll deploy mines, cameras, and traps.
4. Gun – Going loud? Enemies bring heavier weapons and shields.
5. Moon – Night raids? Prepare for flashlights and night vision.
6. Sniper – Love your long-range shots? They’ll respond with better snipers.

This dynamic AI escalation gives the game its legs — you must constantly adapt your tactics.

To reset enemy escalation:

• Turn on the Chicken Hat in Game Settings, then load into a mission. Once you’re in, quit or finish. The system resets.
• Alternatively, use Combat Deployment missions to sabotage enemy resources (e.g., reduce helmets, weapons, flashlights).

Demon Status: The Dark Side of Big Boss Perform too many violent or immoral acts — mass killings, developing nukes — and your horn visibly grows. Reach Demon Rank 4 and Big Boss is permanently covered in blood, with no way to wash clean. While mostly visual, it’s a chilling representation of your descent. Want to reverse it? Rescue prisoners, complete story missions with low violence, and stay clean.

Base Management: Morale, Fights & Skills Morale directly impacts your soldiers’ performance. Low morale leads to desertion. Boost it by walking around Mother Base, completing hero actions, or assigning medals to soldiers. Higher morale improves their ranks — a D in R&D could become a B over time.

Beware of Troublemakers. If two are placed in the same unit, they can cause fights and reduce productivity. Some claim pairing two of the same type neutralizes this — others just dismiss them from the base. Your call, Boss.

---

Final Word: Beneath the Surface Lies Power Dante’s extensive guide exposes how MGS5 isn’t just about stealth — it’s about understanding systems. From AI adaptation to emotional bonds, the game weaves mechanics into narrative and back again. By mastering these subtle systems, you don’t just survive. You dominate.

Big Boss isn’t built in a day. But with these insights, your legend just got a lot more dangerous.