Gabriel T. Rorke: The brainwashed Federation commando who has made it his sole mission to systematically eliminate all members of his former unit: the Ghosts!
General Shepherd: The duplicitous leader of Task Force 141 who built up a mercenary army loyal only to him while manipulating the US military to further his own goals!
Gabriel T. Rorke[]
| “ | Liberty must be restored. I am Gabriel Rorke, and I am here to show you the true meaning of justice.
— Gabriel Rorke
|
” |
Gabriel T. Rorke was once a member of the elite team of special forces known as the Ghosts. During a mission to assassinate Venezuelan general Diego Almagro, the leader of the Federation of the Americas (known simply as the Federation), Rorke fought through the bursting of a dam that subsequently flooded the city. Rorke's team killed Almagro on board his helicopter, but the vehicle crashed. Elias Walker, one of Rorke's team mates, was forced to drop him in order to save the rest of the men on the helicopter. Rorke was captured by the Federation, tortured, and brainwashed. Rorke embarks on a campaign to terminate each of his former teammates one by one, picking them off while the United States fights a bitter war with the Federation. Rorke exacts revenge by killing Elias and later capturing Elias' son, Logan, and torturing and brainwashing him in an effort to turn Logan against the Ghosts.
Weapons[]
Lynx:
The Lynx is a bullpup, semi-automatic sniper rifle that is deadly from the knee-up through center-mass. Federation snipers use this rifle against the Ghosts as they battle in Las Vegas.
- 5-round detachable box magazine
- Semi-automatic
- Long range, large caliber (exact figures unknown because it's not a real weapon and Call of Duty doesn't specify range or round figures)
AK-12:
The AK-12, based on the AK-47, is the primary weapon used by the Federation.
- 30-round detachable magazine
- 689 rounds/minute
- Probably uses 5.45x39mm round (based on real AK-12)
- Probably has 600 m effective range
Bizon:
The Bizon is the primary submachine gun used by the Federation.
- 36-round helical magazine
- 937 rounds/minute
- Probably uses 9x19mm Parabellum round (based on real Bizon SMG)
- Probably has 200 m effective range
M9A1:
The M9A1 is a semi-automatic pistol used by many different factions (including the Federation) in-game.
- Semi-automatic
- 12-round magazine
- Probably uses 9x19mm Parabellum round (based on real Beretta M9)
- Probably has 50 m effective range
General Shepherd[]
| “ | Five years ago, I lost 30,000 men in the blink of an eye, and the world just fuckin' watched. Tomorrow there will be no shortage of volunteers, no shortage of patriots.
— General Shepherd
|
” |
General Shepherd was commander of the US armed forces during the Second Russian Civil War (the events of Call of Duty 4). After Vladimir Makarov detonated a nuclear bomb and the majority of the American forces were killed, Shepherd grew resentful and bitter. He established the special forces team Task Force 141 in an effort to re-establish his reputation as a military commander. He also sent Private Joseph Allen undercover with Makarov to perpetrate a massacre at Zakhaev International Airport in Russia. Allen is killed and his body discovered, which provokes the Russians into invading the United States. Shepherd gains access to nearly unlimited resources in the defense of the nation, and is launched to fame as a war hero. In an effort to cover up his political scheming (as the war was part of his plan to re-establish his prestige), he starts a manhunt for Makarov and gains access to his location. He betrays Task Force 141, killing several of its members, but this backfires when "Soap" MacTavish and John Price hunt him down and defeat his PMC forces before killing him.
Weapons[]
WA2000:
The WA2000 is a bullpup, semi-automatic sniper rifle that is used by Shadow Company snipers against Task Force 141.
- 10-round detachable box magazine
- Semi-automatic
- Probably uses 7.62x51mm NATO round (based on real WA2000)
- Probably has 700 m effective range
ACR:
The Remington ACR is an assault rifle used by most of the "special forces" teams in Modern Warfare 2.
- 30-round detachable magazine
- 789 rounds/minute
- Probably uses 5.56x45mm NATO round (based on real ACR)
- Probably has 500 m effective range
UMP .45:
The UMP .45 is commonly used by Shadow Company soldiers.
- 32-round box magazine
- 759 rounds/minute
- Probably uses .45 ACP round (based on real H&K UMP)
- Probably has 65 m effective range
USP .45:
The USP .45 is a semi-automatic pistol used by many different factions (including Shadow Company) in-game.
- Semi-automatic
- 12-round magazine
- Probably uses .45 ACP round (based on real H&K USP)
- Probably has 50 m effective range
X-Factors[]
Advantage: General Shepherd
Rorke's Federation soldiers are decently trained, but they're standard infantry troops. General Shepherd's Shadow Company is a highly-trained PMC force that is highly organized and loyal to Shepherd. Shepherd bought his troops, so he can afford to make sure they're better trained than his opponents.
Advantage: Tie
Any marginal advantage either side would have here would pretty much be marginal. Rorke himself was a Ghost, but his troops also conducted large-scale operations against the United States and the Ghosts themselves. Shepherd, meanwhile, conducted both invasions and defensive operations against the OpFor in the Middle East and Russians attacking the US, respectively. The Shadow Company also hunted down Task Force 141 and fought with Vladimir Makarov's Russian forces, so they have that going for them.
Advantage: Gabriel Rorke
Rorke is significantly younger than Shepherd, better trained as an individual, and much more motivated. That being said, Shepherd is still quite physically capable, even holding his own against grizzled veteran John Price in a fist fight.
Advantage: Gabriel Rorke
Rorke is brainwashed and his troops are probably not too far behind him ideologically. Rorke is dedicated to destroying the Ghosts, while his men are committed in their war against the United States. Shepherd's mercenaries are highly loyal to him, but they're ultimately hired guns, which lowers their ranking here.Battle[]
Rorke: 
Shepherd: 
The late-afternoon sun shone down orange, casting long shadows as the four Federation soldiers advanced through the war-torn streets. Gabriel Rorke stood behind them, his eyes scanning the horizon broken by the uneven silhouettes of buildings.
Up in the windowsill of one of these buildings sat a Shadow Company sniper. He identified the targets approaching down in the streets. Picking up his radio, he reported to General Shepherd, who was occupying a building a few doors down. "Gold Eagle, I have visual confirmation on five bogeys. I've got a clear line of sight. Requesting permission to engage." Shepherd's voice crackled back, icy in its determination. "Permission granted. Gold Eagle out."
There was the supersonic crack of a bullet as the round tore through the upper torso of one of the Federation soldiers, who spun on the spot, showering his squadmates with blood. Rorke reacted almost immediately, diving behind a dumpster for visual cover. The Federation soldiers were a bit slower, but ducked behind low brick walls and tried to press themselves low to the ground.
"Did anybody get a visual on the sniper?" Rorke shouted. Nobody had. Shepherd's sniper sat calmly, watching as shadows danced frantically, protruding out into the alley from behind their cover. He lowered the crosshairs of his scope down and, taking wind resistance and bullet drop into account, put a second round into the brick wall. It went tumbling straight into the wall and burst out into the back of one of the Federation troops huddled against it. The rest of them were showered with flying debris. They were too panicked to move, though. In frustration, Rorke motioned to his soldiers, but they were beyond control. After a few seconds, though, they regained a semblance of composure. The Shadow Company sniper held his fire, waiting for another opportunity.
Scanning his surroundings, Rorke noticed a door that led into the building he was pinned against. It had no handle, since it was merely an emergency exit door, but he crouch-walked over and waited. There was a third shot and the sniper claimed another victim. It was hard to locate the source because the sniper was using a silencer, so only the bullet's crack could really be heard. Looking back, he motioned forcefully for his last soldier to hold his position. He didn't want the sniper tracking them into a new position.
Climbing the stairs up to the second story of an office building, Rorke was grateful to find drawn blinds on the tinted windows. He could see out, but nobody could see in. He had binoculars, but no sniper rifle. He scanned the horizon and peered briefly into the windows of various buildings. He systematically checked each row of windows before moving down a level and making another quick visual pass.
The Shadow Company sniper reached down to his radio and buzzed in to Shepherd. "Gold Eagle, I have two confirmed KIAs and another one suspected. I can't tell if there are any more out there." Shepherd's reply was prompt and to the point: "Gold Eagle copies all, I'm sending the squad out now to check the bodies. Cover them while they're out there."
The other three Shadow Company soldiers darted out from Shepherd's headquarters and out into the city streets. They caught Rorke's attention and he watched as they approached the alley where his men were pinned down. He still couldn't locate the sniper, but he was betting that the marksman would be preoccupied with covering his squadmates. Making his way down the office hallway, he emerged out on a fire escape and hopped down to the ground below. Ducking behind a row of parked cars, he crawled over to the street from where the Shadow Company troops had emerged. Unholstering his .44 Magnum revolver, he silently slid into the lobby through a broken window.
General Shepherd stood in a side room, looking at his laptop as he stood over a table. There was the slight tinkle of glass out in the lobby. Shepherd's eyes narrowed as he peered out, catching the tail end of a shadow disappearing as it vanished deeper into the building. He switched his radio to silent, drew his revolver, and cautiously walked out into the lobby.
The Shadow Company soldiers, meanwhile, stacked up on either side of the alley. One pulled the pin on a flash grenade and lobbed it. There was a startled cry from the trapped Federation soldier before it detonated, blinding and stunning him. The point man of the squad darted in while the other two swept either side of the alley. Quickly realizing this man was the only hostile left, the point man lowered his rifle and finished off the Federation soldier with three precise shots. The point man started to search the bodies while his other two squadmates took up position on either end of the alley, keeping watch in case other bogeys were nearby.
Rorke climbed up the stairs and emerged out in another hallway. This building was a hotel. Most of the doors were open, though, or at least not closed all the way, and all it took for Rorke to check each room was a gentle tap to push the door open. Four doors down, he found what he was looking for. The Shadow Company sniper was still aiming down the scope as he watched his squadmates in the alley. As Rorke crept up behind him, the sniper reached down for his radio. "Gold Eagle, four confirmed—" He was cut off as Rorke started to strangle him in rage, grunting as he forcefully tried to crush the man's neck in his grasp. The sniper's legs kicked frantically, his hands reaching up to helplessly slide against Rorke's grip.
"You son of a bitch," came a quiet voice behind Rorke. General Shepherd placed his revolver against the back of Rorke's head and fired, splattering the wall with brains and blood. The sniper fell back against the wall, gasping and massaging his neck. "Gold... Eagle... four confirmed kills," he managed.
"Five," came the general's concise response. "Come down with me for now."
The two men returned to the general's war room on the first floor. Shepherd switched back on his radio. "This is Gold Eagle. I want two full detachments sent up to my position. We've had a small unit encounter and I want to make sure there aren't more bogeys in the area."
Expert's Opinion[]
Rorke may have been physically stronger, but Shepherd was by far the superior warrior. His advantages in training, combat experience, military strategy, and the superior quality of his troops were all more than enough to lead him to victory over his impulsive and aggressive foe.