Screenshot via Haemimont Games

Jagged Alliance 3 – Should You Spare or Kill Bastien?

To kill, or not to kill?

Allysen Pierce

Published: Jul 25, 2023 08:25 pm

Jagged Alliance 3 is a tactical role-playing game that immerses players in a dynamic and challenging world of warfare and strategic decision-making. This game is filled to the brim with compelling narratives, fast-paced combat, and richly portrayed characters, like Bastien. Bastien is one of the many somewhat disposable characters in Jagged Alliance 3, and like with many of the other NPCs in this game, players are given the choice to either kill him or spare him.

Should You Spare or Kill Bastien in Jagged Alliance 3?

Believe it or not, choosing to spare or kill Bastien can easily affect the rest of your playthrough in Jagged Alliance 3. Bastien is a relatively prominent antagonist in Jagged Alliance 3, and he plays a pivotal role in the game’s narrative. Players can have up to two encounters with him, and during their initial confrontation, they are presented with this series of choices:

Sweet Talk
Don’t Kill Him
Kill Him

Some options will obviously only be available for those who have high enough stats, but each option has the potential to result in an entirely different outcome for not only Bastien, but also for the rest of your playthrough. Here are the immediate outcomes for each of these options:

Sweet Talk – Bastien will stand down and give the player 3 diamonds.
- This option is only available to those who have a high enough wisdom stat.
Don’t Kill Him – Bastien lives on and players are able to meet with him again at H3.
Kill Him – Bastien dies and the fort’s defense decreases, in addition to the player receiving 10 Loyalty points with Ernie and 150 XP.

If players choose to “Sweet Talk” Bastien, he will stand down and reward them with 3 whole diamonds for sparing his life. However, they’ll need to have a high wisdom stat for this option to even be available.

If players choose the “Don’t Kill Him” option and spare him, Bastien will remain alive and well (obviously). The player will then be able to meet up with him again at H3, where they’ll have the golden opportunity to learn more about The Legion from him.

If players choose violence and decide to pick the “Kill Him” option, then they will murder Bastien on the spot, immediately gaining 150 XP and 10 additional Loyalty points for Ernie. Obviously, Bastien will not be waiting for players at H3 with information if this option is chosen, and they will not be able to recruit Pierre later on.

House in Jagged Alliance 3 — Image via Haemimont Games

Whether you choose to spare Bastien or kill him the second you meet him is honestly up to you, but most players would agree that it’s generally best to let Bastien remain alive, at least on the first encounter.

Killing him upon your second encounter in H3 won’t have nearly as many negative consequences, so go nuts if that’s your thing. However, if you do decide to spare him once again during the second encounter, then he will eventually start smuggling goods for you, so it’s really just all up to your personal priorities and how much you can’t stand the guy.

Deciding whether or not to spare Bastien in Jagged Alliance 3 is a tough choice for many players. If you find yourself getting caught up on moral dilemmas like these often in this game, then you should definitely check out Gamer Journalist’s list of Jagged Alliance 3 guides.

Gamer Journalist has all of the guides you could ever possibly need for this game, such as “How to Get Gunpowder and More Ammo in Jagged Alliance 3” and “How to Recruit Smiley in Jagged Alliance 3“. If you ever happen to find yourself stuck, just check Gamer Journalist’s massive reservoir of guides for this game for the answer!