Here is my comprehensive guide to earning all Iron Horse Commendations for The Division 2. There are a total of 11 commendations tied to this raid.
If you prefer a video format, you’ll find a full video below, along with additional focused videos throughout the guide.
Iron Horse Commendations – Boss Completion
Four commendations are awarded for defeating each boss in the Iron Horse Raid. You will automatically earn these upon completing the raid for the first time on normal difficulty (Discovery Mode won’t count).
Gatekeeper Award
Defeat Lieutenant Gray in Operation Iron Horse.
Baptism of fire Award
Defeat Captain Fieser in Operation Iron Horse.
Under Pressure Award
Defeat Major Williams in Operation Iron Horse.
Terminus Award
Defeat Colonel Morozova in Operation Iron Horse.
Iron Horse Commendations – Boss Specific
Each boss in the Iron Horse Raid has a unique commendation that requires completing an additional challenge to earn it. These commendations can only be earned on Normal difficulty and are not available in Discovery mode.
Nutcracker Merit
Defeat Lieutenant Gray after he has gained a full Ironclad bar at least once during the encounter.
This commendation has been bugged for years. Originally, the process seemed simple: just let Gray fill his bonus armor bar before defeating him, which is what the description suggests. The “Ironclad bar” refers to his bonus armor. This stopped working.
However, there’s now a workaround, and it’s unclear whether this is what was originally intended, which means it may no longer be bugged, though the wording is misleading.
To unlock the Nutcracker Merit, you need to let Gray fill his bonus armor bar, as well as fill the armor bars on all three of his shielded guards.
If any of the guards are red bar enemies, you need to kill them, as they cannot gain bonus armor. The guards must be purple bar or elite enemies.
Once Gray and all three guards have full bonus armor, Gray will destroy the shields of his guards with an EMP stomp. You can force him to perform this stomp by getting close to him.
Only after he destroys his guards’ shields should you kill the guards and then Gray. If done correctly, you’ll earn the Nutcracker Merit commendation.
During this process, all players should manage ad control while the bonus armor bars charge, as it will take some time.
Hot Foot Merit
Defeat Captain Fieser while all molds in the central forge are full of molten iron.
Just like the commendation for Gray, there is a bug associated with this one. However, this is purely a visual glitch and does not affect the actual mechanics.
How to Earn the Hot Foot Merit
This commendation doesn’t change your strategy much; you just need to slow down the encounter.
- As you progress through the codes and fill up the crucible, molten lava will gradually fill the molds in the forge.
- The molds fill in stages, corresponding to the junction box progress:
- Bottom Left – Fills after the first junction box (Crucible 0%)
- Bottom Right – Fills after the second junction box (Crucible 25%)
- Top Right – Fills after the third junction box (Crucible 50%)
- Top Left – Fills after the fourth junction box (Crucible 75%)
For the commendation to register, all four corners must be filled before moving on to 100% Crucible completion.
The Visual Bug & How to Work Around It
- Issue: In most cases (90% of the time), the molten iron does not render visually in the forge, making it impossible to confirm if a mold is full.
- Solution:
- The healer in the control room should watch the forge to check for the molds filling up.
- However, due to the visual bug, a better indicator is to watch the lava pipes at each corner.
- Once a mold is fully filled, the corresponding pipe will catch fire.
Execution Strategy
- After activating the first junction box, wait until the bottom-left pipe ignites before moving on to the next code.
- Repeat this process for all four corners, ensuring each pipe ignites before progressing.
- Once all four molds are filled, proceed with the encounter as normal and defeat Fieser.
- If done correctly, the Hot Foot Merit will be awarded to all eligible players.
By slowing down and using the fire on the pipes as an indicator, you can ensure that everyone who needs the commendation receives it!
Hex Machina Merit
Destroy Major Williams’ Mounted Guns before fixing all steam pipes, then defeat him.
This is an easy commendation to earn, and it doesn’t alter the strategy. The only adjustment needed is in the alphabet pressure phase when Williams is on his third mounted gun.
Typically, you would finish the pressures first before forcing Williams off his third gun. However, to earn this commendation, you need to take Williams off his third gun before completing the alphabet pressures.
Simply call out when the final letter nut needs adjusting, but hold off on making the adjustment until Williams leaves his third mounted gun. Once you defeat the boss, the commendation will be awarded.
Note: You must complete the encounter for the commendation to count—if you fail, you’ll need to try again.
Unfriendly Fire Merit
Eliminate a Heavy Immobilizer with the autocannon.
This doesn’t significantly change the way you approach the encounter, but it can be frustrating to pull off.
How to Earn the Commendation:
- Start the Encounter
- Once you open the shutter, head into the area with your team.
- Kill all the ads except for the Chunga—this is the target for the autocannon.
- Prepare the Chunga for the Kill
- The autocannon will begin alarming and swiping while it fires.
- As a team, lower the Chunga’s health but avoid destroying its backpack—breaking it will cause the Chunga to take cover, making the process much harder.
- Instead, focus on breaking its chest armor and getting its health as low as possible.
- Position the Chunga
- Kite the Chunga around the autocannon, ensuring it is in the line of fire when the cannon activates.
- You can use foam, decoys, or other crowd-control abilities, but avoid using anything that deals damage—the final blow must come from the autocannon itself.
Once the autocannon successfully eliminates the Chunga, the “Unfriendly Fire Merit” commendation will be unlocked!
Everything Else
Flawless Distinction
Complete Operation Iron Horse without any Agent being killed.
My complete Strategy Guide for the Iron Horse Raid will help you and your team get familiar with the encounter. With practice, you’ll be able to complete Iron Horse smoothly without anyone being killed.
This means your entire team needs to stay flawless, though it’s okay if agents go down to their knees. The distinction is only lost if an agent is fully knocked unconscious. With some practice you’ll be able to achieve a flawless run each time. Just keep in mind that the Discovery version of the raid doesn’t count toward this achievement.
Agent on Duty Distinction
Complete all Operation Iron Horse commendations.
The Agent on Duty commendation is unlocked by earning all of the other 10 commendations. Once you’ve completed all of them, you’ll unlock this eleventh and final commendation for the Iron Horse raid.
Gourmand Merit
Find and destroy all 45 Gingerbread Men during a single run through Operation Iron Horse.
Find and shoot 45 Gingerbread Men hidden throughout the Iron Horse raid. This must be done in a single raid run—missing even one means starting over in a new attempt. This can be done on any version of the raid!
Gingerbread Man 1/45
You can find the first Gingerbread Man at the very beginning of the raid. After opening the shutters, go up the stairs on the left, but don’t exit through the window. Instead, turn around and look for it at the end of the walkway.
Gingerbread Man 2/45
In the Railyard area leading up to the first boss, you’ll come across three Gingerbread Men. Clear the area first, then you can shoot them either before or after the boss fight.
As you enter the area, look to the left for a red carriage—one of the three Gingerbread Men is inside.
Gingerbread Man 3/45
Opposite the red carriage, you’ll find a warehouse on the right side of the area. Inside, climb the ladder to reach the upper platform. From there, look across to the opposite side of the warehouse to spot a well-hidden Gingerbread Man.
Gingerbread Man 4/45
The final Gingerbread Man in this area is inside a blue cage. The best way to spot it is from the bridge that spans the area near the first boss’s spawn point. From the right side of the bridge, look down to find it hiding below.
Gingerbread Man 5/45
After defeating the first boss, you’ll find the next set of Gingerbread Men. There are 13 to discover on the path to the next boss area.
The first one is right after you pass the train that was blocking your path. As you enter the building, look down on the floor to the right of the train tracks.
Gingerbread Man 6/45
The next Gingerbread Man is in the same area, across from the blue container that holds your first raid key. Climb into the crucible where the first backpack trophy is located, then turn around to spot it.
Gingerbread Man 7/45
As you continue through the door and past the generator used for the first raid key, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man on the floor to the left, near the spot where you throw grenades to open the blue container.
Gingerbread Man 8/45
After the last Gingerbread Man, open the door to proceed. Before entering the next section, look up—it’s hidden in the ceiling piping.
Gingerbread Man 9/45
In the next section, you’ll need to complete mechanics to close three furnace doors before moving forward. There are two Gingerbread Men in this area.
The first one is perched on the edge of a pipe above, looking down at you.
Gingerbread Man 10/45
At the end of this area, before opening the door to proceed, you’ll find the second Gingerbread Man across from the exit, hidden beneath some pipes.
Gingerbread Man 11/45
Move through the door from the previous area, and before stepping outside, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man hidden behind a Fire Extinguisher sign.
Gingerbread Man 12/45
Once you’re outside, there are three Gingerbread Men to find. The first one is hanging on the hook of the crane.
Gingerbread Man 13/45
On the other side of the gate at the far end of the area, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man sitting in the seat of a forklift truck.
Gingerbread Man 14/45
Beneath the stairs near the exit of the area, you’ll find another Gingerbread Man sitting on some boxes.
Gingerbread Man 15/45
As you head back inside, you’ll find this Gingerbread Man directly in front of you on the counter.
Gingerbread Man 16/45
As you make your way to the next boss encounter area, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man on the floor, tucked among some cardboard boxes.
Gingerbread Man 17/45
Right before the next boss encounter area, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man inside a locker.
Gingerbread Man 18/45
As you enter the area for the second boss fight, you can collect three Gingerbread Men before the encounter begins, and one more afterward.
From the entrance, head right to find a small room on the C side with a microwave on the counter. You’ll find a Gingerbread Man next to it.
Gingerbread Man 19/45
Exit the room and go up the stairs just outside. At the top, turn around to spot a Gingerbread Man peeking out from a crate on the shelving.
Gingerbread Man 20/45
For the next Gingerbread Man, go into the upstairs control room. You’ll find it between the glass and the central console.
Gingerbread Man 21/45
After completing the second boss encounter, head to the forge room to find the final Gingerbread Man in this area.
At the back of the room, past the destroyed gun, you’ll spot it on the right side near some hot nuts.
Gingerbread Man 22/45
There are 13 more Gingerbread Men to collect on the way to the third boss area.
Right after exiting the second boss area through the double doors, you’ll find one on the floor beneath some pillows.
Gingerbread Man 23/45
As you continue forward from the previous one, take a left instead of a right to find this Gingerbread Man hidden under a mattress.
Gingerbread Man 24/45
Before collecting the next two Gingerbread Men, you’ll complete the mechanic for Raid Key 2 and obtain another backpack trophy.
On the left side of this area, look into the water to spot one inside a drain.
Gingerbread Man 25/45
Directly across from the previous Gingerbread Man on the left side, you’ll find the next one resting on a bed near where you obtain the backpack trophy.
Gingerbread Man 26/45
Next up is Sniper Alley, where you’ll find three more Gingerbread Men to shoot. It’s best to complete Sniper Alley first before going after them.
The first one is located near where you drop into the area. After moving forward a bit, turn around to spot it behind a target sign.
Gingerbread Man 27/45
From the previous Gingerbread Man, look up to spot another one hiding inside an air vent.
Gingerbread Man 28/45
The final Gingerbread Man in this area is located by climbing up to where the snipers spawned. It will be lying on the floor among some trash.
Whether or not you can access this area depends on how you complete Sniper Alley. If the shutters are closed, you won’t be able to reach it, but a well-placed concussion grenade on the left side of the shutter edge will hit the Gingerbread Man and destroy it.
Have someone track the commendation so it shows on screen how many you’ve collected. They can confirm if the grenade worked before you move on.
Gingerbread Man 29/45
As you exit Sniper Alley and just before heading back outside, you’ll find this Gingerbread Man on a shelf next to a restock box.
Gingerbread Man 30/45
When you head outside to the next area, look up and to the right of the generator where you need to place the key for your third raid key. You’ll spot a Gingerbread Man sitting in one of the windows.
Gingerbread Man 31/45
Another Gingerbread Man can be found in the center of this outdoor area, inside a yellow pipe.
Gingerbread Man 32/45
After collecting your third raid key, you’ll head through a door and back inside. As soon as you enter, you’ll find two Gingerbread Men. The first one is sitting on a table.
Gingerbread Man 33/45
The next one is just above the previous one, tucked in the ceiling beams.
Gingerbread Man 34/45
Before entering the area for the third boss encounter, you’ll find one more Gingerbread Man in a caged area, sitting on a valve. This is across from the window where a small scene with Morozova takes place.
Gingerbread Man 35/45
There are four Gingerbread Men in the area for the third boss encounter. It’s best to collect them all before the encounter begins, as waiting may result in one being destroyed by the environment, and it sometimes won’t count.
As soon as you enter the area, hug the left side and look back at the entrance to find a Gingerbread Man on the floor.
Gingerbread Man 36/45
From the last Gingerbread Man, look up to spot a bridge. You’ll see another one looking down at you.
Gingerbread Man 37/45
Move onto the central platform and across from the yellow door on the outside. You’ll find a Gingerbread Man on a table there.
Gingerbread Man 38/45
Jump down from the platform, and to the right of the yellow door, you’ll find the final Gingerbread Man of the area. It’s located in a lava trench on the ground.
Gingerbread Man 39/45
After the third boss area, you’ll exit through a door. As soon as you do, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man on a table in the left corner.
This Gingerbread Man won’t appear 90% of the time during the raid due to a visual glitch, but it’s still there. Simply throw a couple of concussion grenades on the table to ensure you get it.
You can also track the commendation to see how many you’ve collected on screen, confirming it’s been done as you grenade it.
Gingerbread Man 40/45
Move forward from the last Gingerbread Man and look down at the floor as you continue. You’ll find the next one stuck in the metal flooring.
Gingerbread Man 41/45
Once you reach the shutter and before opening it to go outside, you’ll find this Gingerbread Man tucked behind a pipe on the left side of the room with the shutter.
Gingerbread Man 42/45
You’ll need to complete a sequence to stop the train before facing the final boss encounter. Once the train is stopped, head back outside to where you came from and go downstairs.
The Gingerbread Man can be found across from where the 4th raid key is, on the floor.
Gingerbread Man 43/45
In the room where you pulled the lever to stop the train, you’ll find a Gingerbread Man on a desk to the right of the lever.
Gingerbread Man 44/45
Before the final boss area, you’ll open a large shutter door to enter a warehouse. As you enter, simply look down to the right to find a Gingerbread Man on a table shelf.
Gingerbread Man 45/45
The final Gingerbread Man of the raid is located above the shutter door you open to enter the final boss area. He will be looking down at you from an upper walkway.
That wraps up my guide for earning all commendations in the Iron Horse Raid on The Division 2. If you need help with raids or want to join my team in supporting the community, be sure to join my Discord Server!
