Commandos (developed by the Spanish company Pyro Studios and published by Eidos Interactive) is undoubtedly one of the best stealth-oriented, real-time tactics game series ever created. Apart from its historic World War Two setting, engaging game mechanics and clever map design, it features very interesting playable characters - with unique sets of skills and memorable catchphrases. From the ever-reliable Green Beret to the enigmatic Spy, there have been nine commandos in the series. Although all the characters are well-loved, Commandos fans definitely have their favorites. By ranking this list and hitting submit, let us know who your favorites are. Comment and share this list with other fans of this legendary game!
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Sir Francis T. Woolridge (born 21 March, 1909 in Sheffield, England), a.k.a the Sniper or Duke is a descendant from a noble family. In 1936, he won a gold medal in shooting in the Berlin Olympics. In 1937 he enlisted in the army and between 1937 and 1939, he was stationed in India, where he was recognised as an outstanding marksman. In 1940 he joined the Commandos. He was awarded a military medal when he killed the Commandant of the German garrison in Narvik with a single shot from a distance of more than a mile. He is considered one of the best snipers in the world. His prefered weapon is the Springfield rifle . The Sniper is very calm and calculated behind the scope but also unfriendly with his companions. The Sniper has a limited amount of ammunition per level and so he will very rarely waste a bullet. His missions usually involve quietly clearing the path of enemy combatants for his colleagues from a distance. He will then stand behind debris or other objects which provide him safety while he provides cover for the Commandos. He can also climb poles and position himself to snipe at the enemy. The Sniper is the team's medic if the Driver is not available.
Jack O'Hara (born 10 October, 1909 in Dublin, Ireland), also known as the Butcher, Tiny, or the Green Beret (or Jerry McHale in Commandos 2: Men of Courage) is a former heavyweight boxer of Irish origins and Army boxing champion from 1934 to 1937. He was sentenced in 1938 by a military court to 14 years of forced labor after hitting an officer. His sentence was however suspended when he joined the Commandos . He was promoted to sergeant after the raid on the island of Vaagsö . After having been hit by a bullet in the arm and cut off from his unit without ammunition, he penetrated a bunker and killed 16 German soldiers before returning to Allied lines. An extremely violent and aggressive character, his military career has been marred by serious discipline problems throughout. A hard bone to gnaw for his superior officers... and a real nightmare for enemy combatants. His strong leadership and determination have allowed him to become the Commandos leader. The Green Beret is the biggest member of the group and his tremendous strength allows him to fight, knock out and tie enemies very quickly. He is able to knock down virtually every door, jump from incredible heights, climb poles and swing along wires. In terrains such as sand or snow, the Green Beret can camouflage himself, using a small shovel, making him invisible to the enemy. He is also the second fastest member of the Commandos and his amazing stamina allows him to withstand flesh wounds and gunshots that would kill any other member of the group. His preferred weapons are the combat knife, his bare hands, and any enemy weapon picked up, with either choice the Green Beret is a an effective killing machine. The Green Beret is also equipped with a radio device called a decoy. He can place it near the enemy and can remotely activate the device causing brief distraction and temporarily interrupting guard positions and patrol routes. This can be used to set a trap for enemy soldiers allowing the Green Beret to quickly dispatch any threats.
James Blackwood (born 3 August, 1911 in Melbourne, Australia), better known as Fins, the Marine, or the Diver, is an Oxford alumnus and Naval Engineer. He was a member of the University rowing team that won the world famous regatta between Oxford and Cambridge for three consecutive years. He is a fantastic swimmer and was the first person to swim across the English Channel on a bet. In 1935 he enlisted in the Navy and was promoted to Captain in 1936 but later demoted to Sergeant two years later due to an 'incident' during a stopover in Hawaii. Further problems made the General Staff give him the option of being expelled from the Navy or entering the Commando Corps as an ordinary soldier, the latter of which he did. Blackwood previously had problems with alcohol which are apparently under control. He continues to love gambling. His skills as a sailor make him invaluable in any mission that involves naval operations. The Marine is a specialist trained for aquatic and amphibious assault based missions. With his harpoon gun and his diving equipment he is able to spend hours underwater without worrying about oxygen supply or about danger he may encounter at sea. He also carries a zodiak (inflatable boat) to row across waters, transporting his comrades in a mission. On land he has complete mastery of throwing knives and carries a grappling hook which he is able to use to climb buildings, walls and trees. When he collects a couple more knives, his lethality and efficiency increases dramatically.
Rene Duchamp (born 20 November, 1911 in Lyon, France ), also known as the Spy or Spooky joined the French Secret Service in 1934 and between 1935 and 1938 was the Chief of Security at the French Embassy in Berlin. After the German invasion in 1940 he joined the Resistance. Soon after he was contacted by the Commando corps about becoming a part time member. Since then he has collaborated frequently with them in special operations, participating in numerous sabotages and responsible for the destruction of at least three trains, fourteen tanks and over fifty land vehicles. His information about the German troops is essential for the British Secret Service. Rene has amiable character and is great at making conversation. He harbours a feeling of absolute hatred towards the Nazis. The skills he learned while he was in the Secret Service have made him expert in communications and techniques of infiltration and sabotage and has a natural instinct for imitation which probrably earned him his other nickname "Spooky". Beside speaking French he can speak English, German, Russian, and Italian fluently. Being fluent in five languages allows him to infiltrate enemy lines wearing a stolen enemy uniform and divert or give deceptive orders to enemy soldiers. His attack involves silent and cautious movement and he attempts to use minimum force if possible. He has the ability to wear an enemy uniform for an infinite amount of time, or until a soldier of a high ranking sees through his guise. His preferred weapon is a syringe loaded with a lethal poison which eliminates his enemies in complete silence. He can lift bodies and hide them to avoid raising the alarm. The Spy is the team's medic when neither the Driver nor the Sniper are deployed on the mission.
Samuel Brooklyn (born 4 April, 1910 in Brooklyn, USA), better known as Tread or the Driver is an ex-con, who was convicted of grand theft, burglary, and other such felonies in 1937. Before his prison sentence he managed to escape to England with a new identity. He became known as Sid Perkins. As soon as U.S. Agents pursued Perkins, he immediately enlisted in the British Army. Two years later he collaborated with the Foreign Office in testing vehicles and arms stolen from the enemy. Impressed by his knowledge and skills, Sid enlisted in the Commandos in 1941. In one of his early missions he destroyed eight German fighter planeswith a jeep's machine gun and, after running out of ammo, he destroyed four more by crashing his jeep into them. Amazingly he suffered only minor burns during this action. Sid tends to be a very distrustful character. Though he does not have a good relationship with his fellow Commandos, his wide range of knowledge and ability to drive and repair all sorts of land vehicles proves him to be a worthy member of the Commandos team. The Driver's main purpose on each mission is to drive various vehicles during the level. He becomes most useful when a mission involves an escape truck for all the Commandos once the mission is complete. During the mission, he is useful in operating German positions such as artillery and mounted machine guns. He is also equipped with an M3 "Grease Gun"submachine gun which fires a three round burst into any enemy. However, it has a magazine of twenty rounds which limits the amount of times it can be used. The Driver is also the primary medic of the team. In Commandos 2, the Driver can throw various gas grenades and molotov cocktails. With the help of the Sapper, he can also set booby traps that can trigger an explosion.
Thomas Hancock (born 14 January, 1911 in Liverpool, England), also known as Inferno or the Sapper started working as a fire-fighter in the Fire Department in his hometown of Liverpool in 1933. In 1934 he joined the high-risk Explosives Department. In 1939 he enlisted in the army and the following year he volunteered for the Commandos. During the assault on St. Nazaire, he was responsible for the explosions that caused a great number of casualties in the German garrison and which rendered the installations useless to the Third Reich . He was captured during this operation and after 4 escape attempts in two months, he managed to escape his captors and return to England. The Sapper has outstanding valour and daring in combat to the point of recklessness. He has a working knowledge and combat experience with various types of explosives. His special skill is the creation of explosives using almost any kind of material he has at hand. The Sapper is probably the most light-hearted of all the Commandos and enjoys a good night out at the pub. An expert in calculating, placing and developing explosives such as time bombs and remote bombs, he is the Commando responsible for demolition. The materials he carries in his backpack are delicate and heavy, forcing him to move slowly. He can operate other weapons such as bazookas, flamethrowers, and and the mine detector also. He can detect and deactivate mines and collect them for later use. He can prepare minefields in areas where enemy foot soldiers and/or vehicles will pass, causing maximum damage and destruction.
Paul Toledo (born March 1, 1916 in Paris, France), known better as the Thief or Lupin is a recent addition to the Commandos. Growing up in an orphanage in the suburbs of Paris, he ran away at the age of 10 and fell into the hands of a young pick-pocket gang. Two years later in 1928 he was arrested and put in a remand home. As he got older, he chose a career in crime as an expert thief. In 1940 he stole Rene Duchamp's suitcase, thinking he was a German officer. He was surprised when he found important documents inside the suitcase and decided to put them in the hands of the French resistance . After that incident he was recommended by Duchamp to the Commandos and has been of great help ever since. Being the smallest and fastest of all of the Commandos, Lupin is quiet, soft spoken, and reserved. He has mastered several forms of martial arts helpful in disabling much bigger men quickly. His small stature is more than compensated by his agility to access small areas, break into houses, climb poles, swing on wires, climb walls, hide, pick locks and a host of other Ninja-like" talents. He can also open safes with his tools. Paul does not appear in Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines. In Commandos 3, the Thief is given the ability to silently kill enemies using a garrote.
Natasha Nikochevski, originally known as Natasha Van De Zand, nicknamed Lips is a Dutch contact, who first appears in Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty. Natasha's primary ability is distraction, which she does with a combination of her natural charm, sexy clothes and lipstick. She can effectively handle a Sniper Rifle and can walk around freely, although she will be attacked if spotted by a commander. This character is not widely used in the game all though her abilities can be very effective sometimes like the spy.
Whiskey, a bull terrier, was found with a wounded ally in The Night of the Wolves in Commandos 2: Men of Courage. The commandos decided to take care of him after his owner died. Whiskey is ideal for transferring items between commandos, because he can move quickly and enemy soldiers won't attack him. A high-pitched whistle is used to call Whiskey. Whiskey has been trained to run up to soldiers and bark loudly, which distracts them for a small amount of time. The Sapper benefits greatly from Whiskey's ability to sniff out mines quickly. Whiskey can run around at a fast pace or be carried by the commandos. However, he cannot stray far from the commando who is nearest to him at the time. He can be called from a very far distance by the whistle, unless there are ladders or doors in the way.
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