Dec 04, 10:00 am
I had a great time beating all the Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops missions on Veteran difficulty. It wasn’t without it’s frustrations, cuss words and mini meltdowns but in the end, it was all worth it. I always learn a lot about myself when faced with a challenge like this. I highly recommend giving these missions a go. I thought I would share with you some of my strategies and the helpful things I discovered along the way. This strategy guide is written for co-op play. Most of these Spec Ops can be completed in solo play, but why would you want to do that? When you can play with a friend and have so much more fun.
General Tips for Veteran Survival
☑ It will be helpful if at least one of you plays at a veteran level.
☑ This is the only time you will ever hear me utter the words “I would recommend split screen”. It was extremely helpful on some of the more difficult missions. Being able to see my partners screen gave me a whole other vantage point and perspective.
☑ Diversify your weapons, both of you don’t need to carry the same weapons. Each of you should pick the right weapons for your particular role.
☑ Trigger and Retreat: Run out to trigger the next wave of enemies and retreat, sprinting back to the location where you are going to make your stand. (whoever is the “trigger” man keep in mind you run faster with your pistol out or with a smaller lighter weapon)
☑ When reviving a downed partner have them crawl to cover or a safe place for you to revive them. Take advantage of the time, clear the area of any impending threats before you revive.
☑ Communicate! Cover each other’s backs.
☑ Take Cover to reload or if you are hurt, take a moment to recover. Play smart.
☑ Have fun and don’t give up. If I can do it you can too.
How to unlock Spec Ops
By accomplishing Spec Ops missions players receive stars. You get one star for completing a mission on regular difficulty, two stars on hardened difficulty, and three stars for completing a mission on veteran. These stars unlock more Special Ops missions.
☑ Alpha missions: unlocked at start
☑ Bravo missions: 4 stars to unlock
☑ Charlie missions: 8 stars to unlock
☑ Delta missions: 20 stars to unlock
☑ Echo missions: 40 stars to unlock
* note that if you are playing with someone and they have not unlocked the group of Spec Ops missions you are playing in they will not get awarded any stars for completing the mission. You are only awarded stars if you have unlocked that level of missions.
1) The Pitt ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Target Practice
Objective: Clear all of the enemy targets as fast as possible. Shooting civilians will prevent you from getting 3 stars.
P1 / P2 Weapon Choice: pistols (USP .45, M9)
Decide ahead of time who is going to shoot which targets. Keep moving forward while you shoot. Use one bullet for each target or better yet some targets line up and you can get two for one.
2) Sniper Fi ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Wave Defense
Objective: Use sniper rifles, claymores and Predator Drones to hold off waves of enemies.
P1 Weapons: Sniper (Barrett .50cal), Claymores
P2 Weapons: Predator Drone, M240 Heartbeat
P1 set claymores at the top of both roof access points. P2 go prone and just call in Predator Drones – prioritize incoming vehicles. While you wait for your drone to come online kill anything close by. P1 just worry about sniping the stragglers and resetting triggered claymores.
3) O Cristo Redentor ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Elimination
Objective: Hunt down and eliminate the Favela gang. Minimize civilian casualties.
P1 / P2 Weapons: TAR-21 Holographic / Claymores
There are Claymores on the oil drums at your spawn point. Stick together. Take your time; a lot of the guys will come to you. Watch out for dogs, and flanking enemies.
4) Evasion ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Stealth
Objective: Use silenced sniper rifles and cunning to slip past the enemy patrols.
P1 / P2 Weapons: default weapon (M14 EBR Scoped Silenced)
Hug the right edge of the map, crouching in bushes, going prone when in plain sight. Let the first group of guys with a dog pass. Staying to the right, take out targets by two’s. When eliminating targets you should both fire at the same time to avoid detection. Stick together and take your time.
5) Suspension ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Assault
Objective: Push through the invading forces on the bridge to reach the extraction point.
P1 Weapons: ACR Grenadier ACOG Sight, M14 EBR Scoped
P2 Weapons: same as above but later equip RPG
P1 covers the left and P2 covers the right. Take cover behind cement barricades or already exploded cars. At first picking off targets from a distance then switch to your noob tube and take handfuls out with exploding cars. Take out all the advancing enemies and only push forward when it’s clear. Trigger the next on slot and retreat; hold your ground until all targets are eliminated. After the bridge is damaged and you advance to the second part P1 cover P2 as they take out the helicopter with an RPG. Then repeat the process of taking out any advancing targets and push forward to the extraction site.
1) Overwatch ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Timed Escort
Objective: Rain death from above using an AC-130 gunship to protect your partner on the ground.
P1 Weapons: in an AC-130
P2 Weapons: default
It helps if the strongest player is on the ground. But it also helps if the player in the AC-130 has taken a turn on the ground as to know what they are shooting at. P2 needs to point out the helicopters that come in to drop off troops using your laser sight. You can down them with the AC-130 but they are hard to see. P2 only advance when the coast is clear. Hold up under the bridge and then move to the barn, when it’s clear run to the field, go prone and crawl along the bushes on the right. When crossing the field don’t shoot at any oncoming enemies let the AC-130 take care of them as those guys have magic bullets and can kill you even if you are prone and hidden. Enemies hiding inside the houses are immune to the AC-I30 unless they are in a window or doorway. After you cross the field use your flash bangs to clear the house. After that, P1 clear the way for P2 to run for the extraction point taking out the remaining guys in your way.
2) Body Count ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Elimination
Objective: Rack up a large enough body count. Quick kills earn larger bonuses.
P1 / P2 Weapons: player’s choice (I like the M14 EBR Thermal for my primary and I swap my pistol out for AK-47 Grenadier). It is good if one of you carries a long range weapon like the Intervention.
We posted up in the back corner by the hostess stand of Nates Bar and Grill. P1 covers the left and front of the restaurant and P2 (in crouch or prone – as to not get shot by P1 standing over you) covers the right side. Stay close to your partner as to revive each other quickly when down. Take your time, as most enemies will come to you. Retreat back into the corner to reload or heal.
3) Bomb Squad ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Timed Assault
Objective: Race through the Favela marketplace defusing the explosives before its too late.
P1 / P2 Weapons: player’s choice (to the left of your spawn, on the oil drums, are a few weapons to choose from – I like the P90 Red Dot Sight for my primary or the AA-12 Shotgun w/ Heartbeat Sensor)
Split up. P1 goes right, and P2 goes left. When you split up there is very little room for error but when successful it’s the fastest way to get through the level. Come together to defuse the last explosive. The far right corner of the map has the best vantage point to clear the area and cover the person going into defuse.
4) Race ✩ ✩ ✩
Classifications: Driving
Objective: Speed your snowmobile down the mountain, dodging trees, rocks and thousand foot drops
You don’t need to shoot anything, just drive and don’t hit anything. Good luck.
5) Big Brother ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Timed Escort
Objective: Explosive ammunition, Vulcan Minigun, Blackhawk Helicopter. Clear the way.
P1 Weapons: in the Blackhawk helicopter
P2 Weapons: default
P1 in the Blackhawk, clear the neighborhood of all enemies. (The strongest player should be in the air.) P2 run across the street and take cover behind the green trailer. P2 watch out for exploding cars. Only move to the following locations when the area is clear. Note each position triggers a new wave of enemies.
Run to the left corner of the green house, hold position.
Run across the street into the purple house garage.
Move to the front door of yellow house to your left, hold your position and kill the guys rushing you.
Move into the garage of the yellow house.
Move next door to the front porch of the brick house.
Trigger and Retreat - Jump down into the next yard, to trigger the next wave and then retreat, run back up and back onto the brick porch and go prone.
The Blackhawk leaves P2 and takes and holds a position over the gas station. P2 when you leave the porch there should be a few guys left to kill, take them out and move toward the diner. There will be 1 or 2 guys in the alley behind the diner so be cautious. Get into the diner and take cover.
P1 eliminate the two cargo vehicles and anything that moves. Concentrate on taking out as many guys on the roof of Nates Bar and Grill as you can. They will be hiding in the green smoke. When it is clear, P1 run out of the diner and to your far left taking cover behind cars and bushes. Go to the far back of the restaurant and up the ladder to the roof. Take cover as there may still be enemies up there. Get to the green smoke and hold position until the Blackhawk comes to pick you up.
1) Hidden ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Stealth
Objective: Evade enemy patrols and Ghillie Snipers near Chernobyl.
P1 / P2 Weapons: sniper (Intervention Silenced), C4, Claymores, I switched out my secondary pistol for Striker Silenced.
Again take enemies out in pairs with synchronized shots. There are a few ghillie snipers in the field (5, I think). They have magic bullets and an uncanny knowledge of where you are at all times. One of you act as a decoy while the other player kills them as they give up their position each time they fire their weapon. Watch out for the sniper in the church tower. This level is pretty straight forward just kill everyone.
2) Breach & Clear ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Timed Assault
Objective: Smash through enemy defenses in the Gulag and escape.
P1 / P2 Weapons: M4A1 Grenadier w/ Red Dot Sight, AA-12 Shotgun
Ranged weapon and Noob Tube come in handy.
The timer doesn’t start until you breach the wall so you have time to choose your weapons. Once you breach you have 3 min to get to the other side of the room and jump down into the hole. After your breach split up, stay in the back, each player going to one side of the room. Cover the opposite sides upper level and your side of the rooms lower level. When the first wave is complete advance to the front of the room to trigger the next wave. You can hold those corners again covering the opposite side of the room’s upper and lower levels. By being on opposite sides of the room when the riot shield guys come they will focus on one of you allowing the other player to shoot their exposed side. Remember to use your flash bangs. This level is really fun.
If you are going for the IW best time, 17 seconds. Set it to regular, employ a few flash bangs and just run thru it. Easier said then done but apparently it’s do-able. Good luck.
3) Time Trial ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Timed Driving
Objective: Launch your snowmobile across the chasm before time runs out. Hit the flag gates to get extra time.
You start with 15 seconds to complete the same course as before. Every time you or your partner go thru the flags it add time. So make sure you guys split up the map and go thru different sets of flags to add the maximum amount of time. One of you should haul ass and the other should lag behind a bit going through the missed flags.
4) Homeland Security ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Wave Defense
Objective: Turrets, Thermal sights, Rocket launchers and Claymores. Defend yourself from five difficult waves of attackers.
P1 / P2 Weapons: player’s choice
Put a Turret out front of the gas station and then head into the diner. Save your other turret (inside the diner) for the third wave and then put it right outside the diner’s front door. Make your stand in the diner, Claymore your entrances, doors and windows. For helicopters and tanks use the AT-4 and the RPG’s in the diner.
5) Snatch & Grab ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Assault
Objective: Battle Shadow Company and Juggernauts in the airplane graveyard. Grab the Intel and escape to the extraction point.
P1 Weapons: Intervention, SCAR-H Thermal Sight
P2 Weapons: Intervention, M4A1 Grenadier w/ Red Dot Sight
It is imperative that you both keep your Interventions, as this is the best weapon to take down Juggernauts. One of you should carry a weapon with a thermal sight so you can scan the area for targets before advancing. Sometimes a Juggernaut spawns right off the bat. Practice taking him down with your sniper rifles, it takes 4 or 5 shots. You will later have more to take down so conserve your sniper ammo.
Split up and each player take a different side of the map work your way along each edge of the map to clear the airplane graveyard. Take your time and do not advance too quickly because guys will spawn behind you. Before you go for the Intel make sure every enemy has been eliminated.
Enter the fuselage wreckage that is open to the new part of the map. Hold your position there. Do not jump down. Snipe the guys on the far ridge and clear the valley of any enemies. You will hear an ominous tone as the Juggernaut spawns. He will most likely come from behind you fairly quickly. P1 take cover behind the seats to the left and P2 go prone in the isle. Alternate your shots so you are not reloading at the same time.
After he’s down P2 jump down and trigger the next wave of guys. Either hop back up to your fuselage position or both players go to the far right fuselage wreckage and hold your position.
I’ve had two Juggernauts spawn on me here at the same time – one from the opposite ridge and one from behind, coming from the airplane graveyard. After these Juggernauts are dead run along the far right of the map up the hill. Be cautious, as guys will spawn to your left as you pass the crate at the top of the hill. Take them out and run for the extraction point.
1) Wardriving ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Assault & Defend
Objective: Laze targets for the Stryker armored vehicle. Battle in the ‘burbs house to house, room to room.
Here is a video detailing a much easier way to run this op then the way I did it. I recommend doing the houses in a reverse order because the Stryker (Honey Badger) retreats back to the bridge once the laptops are all downloaded. Only one person needs to designate the Stryker but you both should pick up and place claymores.
2) Wreckage ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Vehicle Killspree
Objective: Use C4, grenade launchers, RPGs, sentry guns, semtex and more to destroy every vehicle on the bridge.
P1 / P2 Weapons: players choice
This is a fun one and fairly easy. Set up the Turrets to cover you while to work on destroying all the vehicles on the bridge even the ones behind your spawn. Bring any surviving turrets with you after you clear the first area. P1 take down the helicopter while P2 covers you and continues to noob tubes cars.
3) Acceptable Losses ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Stealth
Objective: Sabotage the remote airbase with your silenced weapons and heartbeat sensor.
P1 Weapons: AA-12 Shotgun heartbeat & Silenced, MP5K Silenced Red Dot
P2 Weapons: AA-12 Shotgun heartbeat & Silenced, M14 EBR Scoped Silenced
Stick together. Take your time and if your going to shoot the enemies take them out in pairs. P2 should hang back to cover P1 while they arm the bombs. Come out of the spawn and head off to the right, crouch along the snow bank along your left. P2 hang back while P1 crawls out to the Mig-29 to plant the first bomb. P1 make your way over to the Mi-24 Hind Chopper and plant your next explosive. When crossing the road be careful not to get run over by the truck that drives by. The game gives you auditable clues as to when it’s going to drive by. Regroup with P2 and together make your way over to your last target. Take out the two guys patrolling around your waypoint. P1 get into position to kill the guard sitting inside the building P2 go around the building to the left. On the other side there is a doorway you can see your sabotage point and the guy standing next to it smoking. Take out your two guys at the same time. P2 move in and set the C4 on your final mark then make your way to the exit. Keep an eye on your heartbeat sensor, take out anyone in your way, once its clear sprint to the finish.
4) Terminal ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Assault
Objective: Pummel your way through enemy riot shield ambushes.
P1 / P2 Weapons: players choice, but just make sure P2 has a gun with a noob tube.
This is a trigger and retreat level. Trigger the wave of enemies and retreat to your spawn. They will all come to you and your spawn point is the best place to make your stand. The first wave comes from your immediate right. To trigger the second wave, P1 only needs to walk out into the terminal just far enough to have the elevator drop. Run back and pick them off as they move down the escalators. The third wave requires you to come up to the second floor and just past the elevators before the next wave will spawn. Throw a flash bang and sprint back to your spawn. The fourth wave requires you to go a little further back into the terminal. Have P2 cover you from the escalators with a noob tube to slow them down, as you sprint back to your spawn. After all the waves have been eliminated make your way to the exit. If the guys with riot shields can make it to your spawn, one of you can crouch in the front left corner to knife or shoot them as they come through the doorway.
5) Estate Takedown ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Elimination
Objective: Eliminate Ghillie Snipers, Elite Mercenaries and Juggernauts guarding the estate.
P1 / P2 Weapons: players choice but keep the Barrett .50cal you start with for Juggernauts, at least one or both of you should trade out your secondary for a WA2000 Thermal Sight or F2000 Thermal Sight. There is a weapons room on the basement level of the estate house. Use your Claymores.
There are a number of Juggernauts that spawn on this level. They mostly spawn in the house, at the front door in the entryway. Listen for the ominous tone that rings out when a Juggernaut spawns and retreat to the boathouse. This will give you a greater amount of distance between you and the rushing Juggernaut. Remember to alternate your shots when shooting at a Juggernaut so you both are not reloading at the same time. Stick together on this one. You can take out a lot of guys from the boathouse and surrounding area. We put claymores at 5 different points, and we would replace them after they triggered. Claymore the left and right corner of the back of the house. The doorway in the “Laundry Room”, in the stairwell and along the path leading to the boat-house to slow down the Juggernauts. Remember if the claymores are not concealed or well placed the A.i. will just shoots them. Be careful when you clear the house, Juggernauts randomly spawn and the house does not provide very good cover. I got shot thru wall a lot by outside snipers. So clear it and retreat to the back yard or the boat-house.
1) Wet Work ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Assault
Objective: Breach and clear two deadly rooms full of enemies and hostages to capture the oil rig.
P1 / P2 Weapons: players choice but as soon as you find thermal weapons pick them up!
Once you go up your first set of stairs and trigger the guys repelling and the helicopter we retreated down to the ammo room where the RPG and the AT4 are located and waited for the chopper to come to us. Once it is down go upstairs and take out the remaining guys.
Before you go to the upper level (where you need your weapon with a thermal scope) we would set up claymores all over the ground and the stairs. We would go to the upper level and trigger an attack. Then sprint back downstairs and into the room with the chain link fence. We would hide in the back corner and most of the guys would come to us.
We had the most trouble with the last breach. We never did figure out why we were unsuccessful all those times it just said mission failed in a very non descript way. But we eventually got through that final breach and completed the mission.
2) High Explosive ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Elimination
Objective: Kill all ten Juggernauts using only explosives and a knife. You’d be insane to even try this.
P1 /P2 Weapons: knife and pistol forget about all the other crap. This level is ridiculous that calls for ridiculous measures.
The best way to do this is by exploiting the map and the A.i. Here are two different methods.
The person knifing the Juggernauts needs to be mindful of their lunges and not moving too far from their spot at any given time. The person healing needs to be completely hidden and only heal their downed teammate when he or she can no longer attack.
Here is another way to exploit the A.i. and the map. It’s a little trickier as you need to refill your ammo but this way can be done solo.
3) Armor Piercing ✩ ✩ ✩
Classification: Elimination
Objective: Kill all fifteen Juggernauts on the oil rig. This probably isn’t even possible.
P1 Weapons: Barrett .50cal, thumper
P2 Weapons: Intervention Thermal Sight, thumper
Like previous levels the Juggernauts spawn with an ominous tone. On this level after the first three or so are down they start spawning two or three at a time. Equip your weapons and go up the stairs until you meet your first Juggernaut probably standing and waiting for you on the first level of the oil rig. Post up in the far right corner of the room with all the steam and cover the stairs leading down to you from the first level of the Oil Rig. Wait there for the first attack. After he’s down move up and out onto the Oil Rig go past the first hostage room to the main stairs. To the right is a little room with weapons and an ammo crate. At the bottom of these stairs is where you’ll make your stand. Sniping Juggernauts at they come down these stairs. Using the top of the stairs as a bottleneck. P1 take cover on the left just behind the big cable wench. P2 plant a claymore at the top, mid way and at the bottom of the stairs just incase. P2 you will need to replace triggered claymores when you can and take cover with P1 or at another vantage point. They should all come to you, trying to file down the stairs.
