Light My Pyre

Light My Pyre is a main story mission in GTA Vice City Stories, given by Lance Vance.

It's the 57° VCS mission in chronological order, and it becomes available after completing In the Air Tonight.

Tragedy happens in Victor Vance's life after his girlfriend, Louise, is kidnapped by Armando Mendez.

Light My Pyre: Mission Objectives

• Follow Lance and destroy the attacking cars before he is killed.
• Lance is under attack. Protect him!
• Enter Mendez's mansion.
• Kill Armando Mendez.

GTA VCS: "Light My Pyre" Walkthrough

Before Taking the Mission

To be so bold as to say that this is one of the hardest missions in the game would be a fair assessment. You can save yourself a lot of trouble, time, and energy by completing some side content before setting foot in the mission marker. Though a huge time sink, the mission will be a breeze compared to going in unprepared. Consider completing the following side missions: 

• Air Rescue- 50% health boost upon completing level 15
• Vigilante- 50% armor boost upon completing level 15
• Firefighter- Completing level 15 makes you fireproof
• Control all 30 empire sites- This grants you bulletproof vehicles outside of each business

Click our Vehicle Missions guide if you need any assistance with completing these side missions!

Hitting up the local gun shop will serve you well! You can expect a lot of gunfire and countless enemies wielding powerful weapons, so making the trek to the North Point Mall will prove to be to your benefit! If you want the best chances of success on your first attempt, the following are the best bang for your buck: 

• Armor
• Minigun 
• Machine gun ammo
• Full health

The Minigun will set you back $12,000 alone, but it will serve you well during your showdown with Armando Mendez. Once you have all of these items, head to Lance's place and walk into the marker to start the mission. 

Follow and Protect Lance

Upon entering the mission marker outside of Lance's place, Vic learns that Armando Mendez has captured Louise. She is being held captive at the Mendez mansion on Prawn Island in an attempt to chase the Vance brothers out of Vice City. After a little convincing, Lance agrees to accompany the player on a rescue mission, setting the stage for the final act of the game.  

After getting word that Louise has been captured, Vic drags Lance along to settle things between them and the Mendez brothers. Upon exiting the condo, a couple of henchmen show up in an attempt to chase the Vance brothers out of town. They send a message by shooting a rocket launcher at Lance's place and blowing up his car. He'll choose to take his bike and tear off towards Prawn Island in a blind rage, leaving you behind. 

When you finally gain control, Lance's health meter will appear on screen, giving you just a couple of moments to grab some wheels and give chase. The health meter is very unforgiving, as he will almost instantly come under fire from more henchmen. A mission-specific PCJ 600 spawns nearby. You can either take the bike or find something else. 

TIP: Taking the bike gives you the advantage of shooting forward but leaves you vulnerable to gunfire. You will also be faced with the task of swerving in and out of oncoming traffic. An alternative way of transport is to obtain a bulletproof vehicle and park it outside before taking the mission. You'll be less susceptible to the incoming bullets, but you will struggle to keep up with Lance, as you will undoubtedly collide with other cars on the road. Take note that you also have a higher risk of shooting Lance due to poor vision and less accurate aim!

Enter the Mendez Mansion

The game will fade into a cutscene once Lance safely makes it to Prawn Island. He'll confront Armando Mendez and will give chase, leaving you to find your own way inside the mansion. 

Henchmen surround the mansion, armed with powerful assault rifles. You'll need to make your way to a door at the side of the mansion. How you go about it is completely up to you. 

TIP: Going in with a vehicle that isn't bulletproof will result in instant failure. After a few hits, the car will start on fire and will almost always explode, either killing you in the process or depleting your health by a healthy margin. It's recommended to obtain a bulletproof vehicle for this part of the mission. 

If you go in on foot, be sure to have full health and armor! Gunfire will be coming in at all angles, and you'll have to dispatch a slew of enemies in a short time to stay alive. There is a health pickup near the road, and armor can be purchased from the Downtown Ammu Nation if needed. 

The most effective way to reach the destination marker is by driving through the heavily guarded barricade and onto the Mendez property. Drive around the left side of the building at a moderate speed. Slowing down for anything will give the surrounding goons a fighting chance to pull you from the car, which will likely result in a 'mission failed' screen. Plow through anyone in your way and drive around the mansion until you reach the door on the other side. Getting out of the vehicle to step into the green arrow will leave you vulnerable to the armed guards, so be sure to park as close to the building as possible. Hop out and sprint into the marker. 

Final Showdown

Varying factors determine the difficulty of the final section of this mission. Going in without completing any of the aforementioned side content will make this final section next to impossible. 

Armando will show up wielding a flamethrower, one of the most powerful weapons in the game. After a brief altercation, you'll need to take him down to complete the mission. As soon as you begin your assault, he will call for his guards. You will have to avoid the flames that come at you and deal with his henchmen at the same time. 

Running to the other side of the room will give you a brief moment to escape the flames, take down the guards that spawn, and simultaneously attack Armando. You'll need to be quick! Armando will give chase and make another attempt at bringing you down with the flamethrower! 

NOTE: Completing the firefighter side quest will make you fireproof. Doing so will help immensely, as you won't take any fire damage. You'll only have his armed guards to deal with. 

TIP: You can avoid all of the hassle by adding Minigun ammo to your arsenal. This weapon will bring Mendez down in just seconds, ending things before they get out of hand. 

After Mendez is taken care of, a grim cinematic will play, bringing a tragic end to the mission and one of the game's final chapters. This completes the mission, and you'll spawn outside of the Mendez mansion, earning an extra $2,500. You'll get a message from Diaz when the dust settles. Though Diego Mendez was nowhere to be found, he knows a way to smoke him out.

Light My Pyre: Mission Info

Light My Pyre: Video Walkthrough