.--. .-. .-. .--. .---. .-. : .--' : : : : : .-' : . : .' `. : : .--. : : : : .--. : `; : :: :.-..-.`. .'.-..-. : :__ ' .; ; : :_ : :_ ' .; :: : : :; :: :; : : : : :; : `.__.'`.__,_;`.__;`.__; `.__.':_; :___.'`.__.' :_; `._. ; .-. : `._.' __ __ _ __ __ __ | \/ | | | \ \ / / / _| | \ / | ___ __| | ___ _ __ _ __ \ \ /\ / /_ _ _ __| |_ __ _ _ __ ___ | |\/| |/ _ \ / _` |/ _ \ '__| '_ \ \ \/ \/ / _` | '__| _/ _` | '__/ _ \ | | | | (_) | (_| | __/ | | | | | \ /\ / (_| | | | || (_| | | | __/ |_| |_|\___/ \__,_|\___|_| |_| |_| \/ \/ \__,_|_| |_| \__,_|_| \___| ________ \_____ \ / ____/ / \ \_______ \ \/ *----------------------------------------------------------------------------* Search and Destroy FAQ By: TripleJump Created: December 18th, 2009 Last Updated: January 17th, 2010 Copyright (c) 2009-2010 TripleJump Contact: triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com Version: 1.1 *----------------------------------------------------------------------------* PLEASE NOTE: This guide does not cover the Hardcore Search and Destroy mode, only the regular mode. This is because the playstyle and perk choices of Hardcore are quite different and I don't have as much experience with it. ============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS ============================================================================== 1] - Introduction...................................................... [1000] 2] - Version History................................................... [2000] 3] - Basics............................................................ [3000] 3.1] Search and Destroy......................................... [3100] 3.2] Speech, Sight and Sound.................................... [3200] 3.3] Stealth.................................................... [3300] 3.4] Rushing, Camping and You................................... [3400] 3.5] Offense.................................................... [3500] 3.6] Defense.................................................... [3600] 4] - Classes .......................................................... [4000] 4.1] Class Making............................................... [4100] 4.2] Equipment & Special Grenades............................... [4200] 4.3] Perks...................................................... [4300] 4.4] Kill Streaks............................................... [4400] 5] - Maps.............................................................. [5000] 5.1] Afghan..................................................... [5010] 5.2] Derail..................................................... [5020] 5.3] Estate..................................................... [5030] 5.4] Favela..................................................... [5040] 5.5] Highrise................................................... [5050] 5.6] Invasion................................................... [5060] 5.7] Karachi.................................................... [5070] 5.8] Quarry..................................................... [5080] 5.9] Rundown.................................................... [5090] 5.10] Scrapyard................................................. [5100] 5.11] Skidrow................................................... [5200] 5.12] Sub Base.................................................. [5300] 5.13] Terminal.................................................. [5400] 5.14] Underpass................................................. [5500] 5.15] Wasteland................................................. [5600] 6] - Frequently Asked Questions........................................ [6000] 7] - Credits........................................................... [7000] ============================================================================== INTRODUCTION [1000] ============================================================================== Welcome to what probably will be my final FAQ for the site GameFAQs.com. I have not written anything for the site in a couple years and have found myself simply not having any time or motivation to write more guides (save for this one). But enough of that, I had been playing a lot of Call of Duty 4 Search & Destroy when Modern Warfare 2 came out. I initially didn't like the changed Search mode (ie. huge maps, heartbeat sensors) as I felt it ruined the mode but I began to grow on it the more I played it. This guide is meant to help you improve at Search and Destroy. Keep in mind that I am no pro, just a gamer who has gathered a lot of knowledge of the Search and Destroy mode and wants to share it on to others so they may also enjoy playing Search and Destroy, as I personally believe it is the single best mode that Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 have to offer. Now, I highly recommend you begin this guide by reading the "Basics" section even if you have played Search and Destroy many times before. My hope is that it changes your outlook on how you should play and what you should do. You may even pick up a thing or two you may not have known before. Now, without further ado, please enjoy my guide for Search and Destroy. ============================================================================== VERSION HISTORY [2000] ============================================================================== Date: January 17th, 2010 Notes: Added a few details on sound sent in by readers, as well as corrected a link in the credits. "Cod.wikia.com" not "codwiki.org"... doh. Date: December 21st, 2009 - Version 1.0 Notes: Guide is finished in less than a week. Uploading it today. ============================================================================== BASICS [3000] ============================================================================== Even if you have played Search and Destroy many times before, I still highly recommend that you read through this section first. It contains a valuable section of information that will teach you some more technical aspects of the game and more about making decisions for the team instead of for yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SEARCH AND DESTROY [3100] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I suppose the best way to begin this guide is to do a little summary of what Search and Destroy is so we are all on the same page as to what it is. Search and Destroy is one of the more popular modes of Call of Duty games. It is identical to the game Counter Strike and requires the most individual prowess combined with close team co-ordination than any other mode in Modern Warfare 2. It forces you to out-think and become tactically superior to the enemies you face in order to win. Here are the rules of Search and Destroy: - Two teams (Offense, Defense) - Offense has one bomb that they must carry to one of two sites ('A' and 'B') and plant it to destroy a target. Only one person may carry the bomb, if he or she is killed, the bomb sits on the ground (visible to both teams) until another player on offense picks it up. Offense may also win by eliminating the other team. (Note: when I say "visible" to both teams I mean that the defense can see the bomb by looking at it while it is on the ground, it will not be marked with a yellow marker for the defense. Thank you to Glenn Archie for prompting me to clear this up.) - Defense must prevent the enemy from planting the bomb by killing the other team. If the bomb is planted, they are given 45 seconds to defuse the bomb. If the defense eliminates the attacking team but the bomb is still planted, the offense can still win if the bomb explodes. If the bomb explodes, it can kill the planter or any defenders nearby. - Each player has one life per round, if they die there is no respawning. They then go to a specator mode where they watch their teammates who are still alive, but they may not communicate with them. - Each round has 2 minutes and 30 seconds. If both teams have at least one person alive at the end of that time and the bomb is not planted, the defense wins by default. - It is best out of 6 matchs (first to four wins). After three games, the teams switch roles from offense to defense. If there is a tie (3-3) then it goes into overtime, the team with the most kills plays offense. - It takes five seconds to plant/defuse the bomb. The game/bomb timer does not stop in this time. That about sums up the rules to Search and Destroy. You can probably see from those rules why I said it requires close teamwork and all that jazz. This sub- section is just meant as a small overview to the game and the next few will get into far more detail. Before ending this one, however, I will make a point list to show you how much experience you will get for each action. - 500 XP for a kill. - 200 XP for an assist. - 1000 XP for planting/defusing the bomb. - 1000 XP for a headshot kill. Because of these huge numbers, as well as large match bonuses and bonuses for things such as "Longshot" or "Buzzkill", it is easy to see why a lot of people play this mode- you will level up quickly. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPEECH, SIGHT AND SOUND [3200] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section will go over the three most useful tools you have available to you for Search and Destroy: Speech, Sight and Sound. ---------- | Speech | ---------- Speech, or in other words, a headset is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. Being able to talk to your teammates is essential if you wish to co-ordinate your efforts and effectively defend or plant the bomb. It is quite inexpensive as well, it will cost you maybe at most $30 to buy a cheap Bluetooth headset from an electronics dealer, and is well worth the price. Especially if you are playing with friends. Using a headset will get you and your teammates more kills as well as more wins. You will be able to say "There's a guy in the bunker up ahead, right side" and your team will know exactly where the enemy is instead of having your teammate run in to the bunker blindly and get killed because you could not have warned them. Also, you can tell your teammate if he should defend a certain area or come with you to plant in a specific spot. Because of how useful this is, it is important you keep the chat lines free of useless talk and white noise, not only so you can hear someone talking about the game but also for another reason (which I will get into in "Sound"). Try to avoid talking about things unrelated to the game until you are dead or in the lobby, it just distracts you and your friend from the game. Another reason is that a stranger who doesn't want to hear you talk about how you are taking Little Susie to the dance may mute you simply so he doesn't have to hear it, and you lose the ability to talk to them. --------- | SIGHT | --------- Sight is probably the most important skill to have in Search and Destroy. The problem with it is that I can't describe how to see players in the game. You have to learn it on your own with experience. Being able to see a tiny flash of white on your screen could be the difference between a win and a loss. I recommend playing modes where you see a lot of players (such as Domination or Team Deathmatch) to get used to finding players with your eyes, because it means a lot. The only other real piece of advice I can give you in this area is to TURN YOUR SENSITIVITY UP. Playing on the default sensitivity makes you turn really slow. Turning it up will allow you to look down side streets and all around you in less time and give you a superior awareness as to what is going on around you. It is also useful in situations where you need to turn around quickly because an enemy is shooting at you. --------- | SOUND | --------- I will not lie to you, sound is by far the most useful skill that few use properly. The most useful thing you can do for yourself that will instantly improve your game is to go out and buy a pair of big headphones (I mean the ones that make you look like Princess Leia). They don't even have to be the godly Turtle Beach headphones or even surround sound (which can run you over several hundred dollars but will help immensely). Personally, I use the cheap 20 dollar headphones from "The Source" and they still help. The difference between surround sound and regular is that the difference between telling the direction that sounds coming from is much easier to see in surround sound, but regular headphones work as well, they just take some getting used to. I cannot tell you how many times my life was saved because of the headphones. Before playing with headphones, all I could really hear through the speakers of my TV was the gunshots, music and random things soldiers yell. After using my headphones, it introduced me to a complete new style of play. Now, I can hear subtle noises I couldn't really hear before. Footsteps of enemies are far more audible, and you can hear when an enemy does a whole plethora of actions that gives away his or her position. For example, I'm walking through an archway and I hear the noise of someone walking on wood. I know instantly that there must be someone above me and a quick check of the mini-map reveals that it is not a teammate. This is the reason why it is important for you to not make stupid noise with the headsets. Often times I hear someone blast music while they are playing. DO NOT ever do this, it just hurts yourself, and any team mates who have not muted you. Trying to be as quiet as possible in game will increase the chance that you hear an enemy. Here are some ideas of things to do: - Use Ninja Pro, it will silence your footsteps meaning that you won't make noise. However, on maps like Derail you can still slightly hear it. - If you don't have Ninja Pro or don't want to use it, crouch when you walk. It will make you just as silent as it would if you used Ninja Pro. The main downside obviously being that you can't run. This is also helpful to your teammates who are trying to listen in as you hear their footsteps too. - Use SitRep Pro, it makes your footsteps and your teammates footsteps silent to yourself, while making the enemy footsteps four times louder and easier to detect. It does NOT make your footsteps undetectable to enemies, they can still hear you, but it means your footsteps won't interfere with your listening. There are also a number of actions that enemies can perform that give away their position. I'm not saying you can't pick up on these without headphones, only that they will greatly assist you. Here is a list of things that you should listen for: - Running/Walking, you can hear the footsteps. It will sound different depending on if they are walking on wood, sand, pavement, grass or snow. - Falling from a height. Even if they have Commando Pro, they still make a loud CRUNCH! and you know they are on the ground. - Planting a Claymore, you will hear the "shick" of the Claymore being put down and know that you need to be on your guard. - Switching guns, it makes a small metallic sound that both you and your opponents can hear. - Picking up ammo from a dead body, you will hear a small sound like it is reloaded. - Using a Knife or Riot Shield, it will make the sound of you doing it. - Throwing a Throwing Knife, you are VERY noisy when doing this. - Throwing a grenade, you can hear the click of the pin being pulled out. - Glass breaking, this is an obvious one that you will likely pick up even without a headphones. - Shooting, again, nothing headphones will really help with. - THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE RIGHT HERE: You can hear them if they start to defuse the bomb. You can hear the suitcase being opened. HOWEVER, you cannot hear them PLANT the bomb. Thank you to Matt, As you can see here, this is VERY helpful to your game. Being able to know when an enemy is approaching you is extremely useful and all of those actions will warn you of dangers and give you advanced knowledge of what to do. MOST IMPORTANTLY you can defend bombsites without even looking at the bomb. You can hide in a nearby building or behind something and just listen for the defuse sound to know when to get out and attack them. There is one piece of sound advice I feel I should share: at the one minute warning, you will hear a voice say "Time's almost up" or something to that effect. Music is then played. This effectively covers up all small noises you could be making and is a time you should probably move in, depending on your role. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ STEALTH [3300] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After the above paragraph of how simple things like sound can give you away, it makes sense that you should have a section on stealth and how to counter giving away your position. A lot of this is probably pretty obvious, and it really is. The big problem I find most people have is that they are too lazy to follow through with it and they get caught with their pants down often. ----------- | KILLING | ----------- The number one thing that will give you away is killing an enemy, which is somewhat ironic considering that is one of your goals, to eliminate all the opposing members of the team. However, the fact remains that in order to kill an opponent most of the time you have to be in close proximity to them. There are exceptions, such as sniping and claymore kills but the majority of the time you have to shoot them medium to close range or knife them. This presents a bit of a problem as the enemy sees a skull show up on their screen and in the exact spot you killed them. Unless you got a headshot, they also know the exact weapon you used to kill them with and they can make an educated guess as to where you are. This leaves us with a lot of decisions to make. For example, if you are using an unsilenced weapon, do you shoot them and give away your spot from a distance or knife them and show the exact spot where you are standing? I recommend the following: - At the beginning of the round, do whatever feels right. There are only a few routes to take and lots of enemies so they will be expecting you to come a certain way anyway. Try to get a kill or two and back off so you can be stealthy after that. - If using an unsilenced weapon, avoid shooting unless absolutely necessary. If possible, knife your enemy and run away. NEVER stick around after someone is killed nearby. - If using a silenced weapon, shoot away. Others watching the minimap won't know where you are. Knife only if absolutely necessary. It might be good to hang around and it might not be, because often times enemies flock to where a teammate died because they want a kill. Its your call. - If sniping silenced, do whatever you want. It really doesn't matter, but beware because you may not kill the enemy. - If sniping unsilenced, take your shot and if you kill them, move to a new spot because they will want you. Note that in Search, silenced weapons are ALMOST ALWAYS better to use than an unsuppressed weapon, save for Sniper Rifles and side arms. --------- | PERKS | --------- Your Perks are important to use to stay hidden. A wrong selection could be the difference between life and death. The obvious choices are Ninja and Cold Blooded, because you are hidden from any air support, UAV, Heartbeat Sensor, Thermal Scope and headphone wielding nerd that is out to get you. However, it doesn't always bode best to use these perks. I recommend devoting one of your classes to pure stealth and switching to it at the start of the round if an enemy calls in a UAV or something else. Ninja is usually used universally but Cold Blooded shouldn't be used in place of something more useful if the enemy has nothing it can defend you against. Another perk people often use is Scrambler. I disagree with using this perk because contrary to its purpose it often gives you away. Many times I have killed enemies who try to sneak up to me with Scrambler on. It makes the UAV slowly fade away and you can clearly tell that someone is nearby when you otherwise wouldn't have. The only time I recommend using it is if the enemy has a UAV anyway, as they know where you are either way. In big team matches I realize it is helpful as you can cloak the location of many teammates but in Search it will bite you in the butt many times. ------------------------- | Dealing with Claymores| ------------------------- Claymores are unique in Search and Destroy because once planted, they will stay there until detonation or a new round begins. This means it is possible for a dead person to get a kill (besides bomb explosions of course). Because of this, it is always a risk to purposely trip a claymore to remove it. You don't know if you are tipping off an enemy that you are approaching their position or if you are are removing a hazard of someone dead. Either way, only get rid of claymores if there are teammates alive because they could trip them without knowing. NEVER destroy an enemy Claymore as last man because you can avoid it much easier and it won't tell the enemy where you are with a loud BANG. If you must take one out, knife it from behind, shoot it through the wall (easy with sitrep) or slowly stick yourself in the doorway, then back out when you hear the click. Its even possible to turn the corner and sprint right past a poorly placed claymore. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CAMPING, RUSHING AND YOU [3400] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ There are three main styles of playing Search and Destroy, they are: Rushing, Camping and a hybrid of both. Basically, you can't use any single one of them and expect to win. You have to change often between each type in order to succeed. It depends on your side (Offense/Defense), what your enemy has been doing and what your current situation is (last man, many teammates, hunting down one guy, etc.). Basically, they beat each other in a sort of triangle: - Camping beats Rushing - Rushing beats Hybrid - Hybrid beats Camping Sort of a rock paper scissors idea. This is why it is important for you to play a few careful rounds first and decide what style will work best. Below will be a description of the styles, but first, a special public service announcement about camping. ****************************************************************************** TO THOSE WHO BELIEVE CAMPING IS "CHEAP": ****************************************************************************** Many people often complain about how camping is "Cheap" and takes "No Skill". Just ignore them. They're all hypocrites. It is impossible to play Modern Warfare 2 on any mode without camping at one point. I've seen entire games where you get into the lobby and both teams just start complaining that the other one was camping. Everyone does it, and in Search and Destroy it is simply part of the game. If someone complains to you, just mute them. They're just really bad at the game. ---------- | HYBRID | ---------- This is your default style, if you don't know what to do, you should be doing this. Basically, the idea is towards the enemy, but stop before going too far and hide behind something. The reason for this is that you want to get close to the enemy (but not too close) and take out other people. Most of the time you will get other people doing the same thing, but also a lot of campers because you are taking your time and being careful that you don't get killed. However, I find people who rush often take people with this style out because they get to the spot where the other people stop before they do. On average, this style gets you a number of kills and a few deaths (for example, 4 kills and 3 deaths). The important situations you want to use it in go something like this: - You are the last man alive on offense. You need to reduce the numbers of enemies you have to deal with in order to plant the bomb, but are on a time limit so you can't wait too long, but you don't want to risk dieing and a loss. - The enemy has a UAV. You should take it slow and try and wait for it to expire, but also attempt to get SOME kills so the enemy doesn't keep getting more and more kills. - You just started the game and are unsure of what the enemy will do. It allows you to sit back and take recon of what everyone is doing to help you in future rounds. - You have multiple teammates left and only one enemy, and you want to take him out without letting him get you. ----------- | RUSHING | ----------- Rushing is a very aggressive style that should only be used on offense. It is where you pick a light gun (SMG, etc) and perks such as Marathon/Lightweight and sprint right down to the enemies in hopes that you catch them off guard. It is best used on offense because you can get the enemies before defenses are in place and hopefully plant the bomb so fast that the enemy can't react in time. You should never rush on defense because it leaves holes behind you and you are took likely to get killed. Rushing on average will leave you with a lot of kills, a lot of deaths and sometimes a lot of wins. Chances are you won't get any huge killstreaks. Here are some situations you should use it in: - The start of a round and you need to take out a specific player who is dominating your team. - You need a win and you want to speed plant. - You have multiple teammates left and are on defense, and you need to take out ONE enemy. This is the ONLY time you should rush on defense. - When you have a UAV, go out there and actually use it! You may notice how few situations there are, this is because Rushing is very risky and should only be used if you are sure it will help your team. ----------- | Camping | ----------- Probably the most controversial style, camping involves sitting around one area (be it a high traffic area or a bomb site) and waiting for enemies to come. Generally the player will hide behind something and sit there. It is very effective at defending positions and therefore should be used mainly on defense. I will say there is one scenario when it might be okay to camp on offense but most of the time you shouldn't. Camping gives you few kills but very few deaths (ie 2-0, 3-0). There are a few situations you should use it in if you want to be successful: - You are the last man standing on defense. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS camp if you are the last man standing on defense. Your goal is to protect the bomb, so find a spot between the two sites and wait for something to happen. - You see friendlies in front of you die and you know someone is coming. - You know someone is likely to rush a certain way and you want to pick them off. - The one time on offense to use it is when your teammates have rushed and gotten most of them killed. I say this because the other team often has an excess of men needed to guard a base and will come looking for you. Then you can camp for a bit, but STOP the minute it tells you that time is coming up because your best bet is always to plant the bomb. - You have a killstreak you want to preserve to get something better. But remember, the team always comes before your needs so in the end take one for the team if you must. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ OFFENSE [3500] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On average, I say that I'd find offense tougher to play than defense. It all depends on the map, but most of the time it is slated towards the defense. The offense team doesn't have a lot of places to go (plant in one of two) and even if they do plant they have to defend for a whopping 45 seconds. This section is devoted to making that time easier for you. ---------------- | Bomb Carrier | ---------------- If you want to carry the bomb, the first thing you need to know is that you better not be rushing. If you get into the enemy territory and you die and they see the bomb sitting there, the game is over because all they have to do is babysit the bomb until your teammates are forced to come get it and die. Try to follow behind someone and let them clear the way out for you. When moving in to plant, try to confuse the enemy as to the way you are going. For example, throw a fake smoke at the other bombsite and then run to the smokeless one to plant. OR, throw a smoke in one path leading to the bombsite and go to the same one from another direction. Remember your top priority is the team. ------------------ | Speed Planting | ------------------ Instead of waiting around at the start it is often better just to get a Marathon and Lightweight class and just bullrush right into a bombsite and plant. The benefits of this is that the enemy generally won't expect it and won't be defending at the time, and you are likely to have many players left on your team. This deters the enemy from wanting to defuse if there are a lot of your troops left. The downside is that often you are killed and often your teammates aren't close by to respond immediately, resulting in a quick defuse after you plant. Don't do this every round, maybe once a game to change things up. ------------------------------- | Last Man Standing - Offense | ------------------------------- If you find yourself hearing "You're the last one! Complete the mission!" then you are probably in a bit of a pickle. The first thing I advise you to do is quickly run to a safe spot and hide. We do this not so we can camp, but so we can compose ourselves and prepare. First, press the Select button or whatever button is mapped to bringing up the score. Look at the list of names still remaining on the other team and count the number of names WITHOUT dog tags next to them. This is the number of enemies still alive. Hopefully it won't be more than one or two, though at times I have personally been up against a full team (and won still, but don't ask about that, it was far too epic for words to describe). Now, take inventory. Do you have Claymores? The Bomb? Smoke Grenades? This is the time to get crafty. Take a few deep breaths and stay calm, if you lose your cool here then you are screwed. If you don't have the bomb, you have to go over to where it is (marked on the map and your screen) and pick it up. Always run slowly enough to watch for enemies but fast enough that you don't stay in one place for long periods of time. Now, when you approach a bombsite, throw a smoke grenade far away from the site. If you don't have one, skip that step. The reason for this is that enemies may run towards the smoke thinking you are using it for cover there. If time is low, don't do that. When entering the site, look around fast and make sure nobody is waiting for you, then put a claymore down somewhere that either covers the bomb, or watching the main entrance you think the enemy will come in. Now plant, if you hear someone approaching, STOP PLANTING IMMEDIATELY. You will be an easy target for the enemy AND they get a defuse. You are better off to just fight them for the kill. If you do manage to plant, run away from the bomb but no more than 2 seconds after you finish planting, look back at the bomb and make sure it isn't being Ninja Defused (I will go into more depth in the Defense section). Now find a spot to hide, but make sure it looks over either the bombsite or the side NOT protected by the claymore. If you don't have a claymore, make sure you are safe from being snuck up on but can see the bombsite. A building that overlooks the site is a safe bet as you can see them approach. If you can hear the bombsite well then it doesn't have to overlook it as long as you can run in when you hear the defusing sounds. Now, wait. If an enemy gets close to the bombsite, kill them. However, if they shoot at you and back away, DO NOT PURSUE! I REPEAT: DO NOT PURSUE! The point is that you defend the bombsite, if you sprint after them and get killed and then they can run in and get an easy defuse. The point is to delay them long enough that even if they do kill you, they won't have the time to defuse. You MUST play for the team here and not yourself. If you kill them, congrats, you probably won. If you die, then hopefully you had a claymore protecting that could take them out when they pick up the bomb. If not, it may be a photo finish whether or not they can defuse in time. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DEFENSE [3600] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The most important advice I will ever be able to tell a defending team is to not get greedy. If you want to win games, you have to be very patient and wait. Too many times have I seen teams lose games because the defenders want kills instead of going for the win. If you play it safe and let them come to you, then you have to get kills eventually. Besides, you only have one place to look but they have a hundred potential places you could be in. Just find a nice cozy spot to watch either a bombsite or an entrance to an entire area and wait, checking your back occassionally. It wears the enemy down, starts mind games with them and always keeps them guessing. It is for this reason that it is generally easier to win on defense. ---------------- | Ninja Defuse | ---------------- Sometimes if the odds are stacked against you (ie. 5 on 2 or worse) it might be time to try a Ninja Defuse to try and squeeze a win out of a round that is doomed anyway. To do this, get a class with Cold Blooded and Ninja and hide near the bombsite of choice. When the enemy enters to plant, get up and sneak over to him, proning right behind him. Chances are that he won't look down and see you there after planting, and the sound of the announcer saying "THE BOMB HAS BEEN PLANTED!" and the sound effects will drown out the sound of you defusing. Hold down reload and wait until he finishes, then you will defuse. If you are seen, too bad, you will die. It's a risky move but sometimes the only option. If you succeed, it will be really epic and your team will likely hail you as a hero. ------------------------------- | Last Man Standing - Defense | ------------------------------- Being the last man standing on Defense is slightly easier than being the last man on offense, but the point is that you don't want to be Last Man Standing at all! Either way, find yourself somewhere safe for a moment to compose yourself. Again, check to see how many enemies remain alive. Chances are it won't be too many. Again though, take inventory of your things. You probably already have a Claymore down somewhere to try and trip a defender up so likely you have special grenades and a gun to use, which is more than enough. Find a place to camp that is about halfway between each bombsite, this ensures you can react quickly to a planting of the bomb. If you see an enemy, make sure nobody is around and take them out. You don't want to get spotted, but at the same time reducing the number of enemies will increase the odds of success for yourself. NEVER pursue an enemy, even if he is the last one. The point isn't to kill him, its to prevent him from planting. If they do plant, you want to enter the bombsite by the longest entrance possible with the time limit. This means you will get in at a time where the enemy will really be stressing as you haven't shown up immediately and it will be most unexpected. If no enemies are nearby but some are alive, DO NOT DEFUSE unless you have no choice (5 seconds left). If you take out all the enemies and you are unsure if you can defuse, go over to the bomb and try. If by the time the bar appears the clock has less than 5 seconds, then leave it. It's better to be safe than sorry. Of course, if defusing it prevents the enemies from getting their fourth win then by all means attempt it. But it is better for you to not die and lose your killstreak, even if your priority is the team. If you approach a bombsite and the last enemy is planting, by all means, let him finish, then kill him. It gives you the kill AND an extra 1000 points for a defuse. They are completely vulnerable for a few seconds after planting. But do NOT mess up or you will have a very unhappy team. Only try to ninja defuse in this situation if there are multiple enemies. There's no point other than trying to humiliate the other player to ninja if there is only one enemy left. ============================================================================== CLASSES [4000] ============================================================================== Originally, this section was going to have data on every weapon and give them ratings for Search and Destroy. However, I realized that wouldn't really be all too helpful. Each weapon works differently depending on the skill of the one using it and its up to you to experiment with different kinds to find what suits you best. I am, however, going to do a number of things with this section. I will give a rundown on the special equipment you could use (not guns) as well as perks and killstreaks so you can make choices. I am not covering weapons for the above reason and I won't be covering Death Streaks because the nature of Search and Destroy generally makes it highly unlikely you would ever die enough times in a row to get a death streak, and if you do then you probably won't have many more rounds to go. But first, I am giving you some sample classes you can make to make sure you are prepared for everything. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CLASS MAKING [4100] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Perhaps the most important part of Search and Destroy is making good classes. If you don't have the right class available at the right time for the right situation, you will definitely suffer in game. This section will give you some types of classes I have found useful before that will probably aid you greatly if you are new, or even experienced. First of all, if you play mainly Search I highly recommend keeping the class slots Search-ready. If not, be sure to change your classes out before beginning. Feel free to alter any of these suggestions as you need to. A few things to keep in mind while making classes are to always think stealth. It is almost always better to go Silenced (except for Sniper Rifles). Unless you have a special use for a class, put Ninja and Stopping Power on so you can't be seen by enemies. Personally, I don't like using Riot Shields or Light Machine Guns in Search and Destroy, however if you want to, feel free. ----------------------------- | Class #1: Generic Assault | ----------------------------- The first class slot I use is a Generic Assault class. The main purpose for this class is to do everything. No matter what situation you are in, it will rarely fail you. It is great for both Camping, and Rushing and combines range with firepower. Use it at the start of the game and if you do well with it, leave it on. Primary Weapon: Assault Rifle (Silenced is preferable). Secondary Weapon: Any pistol or Machine Pistol (it switches faster that way). Equipment: Frag/Semtex (Offensive) OR Claymore (Defensive) Special Grenade: Stun/Flash Perk 1: Sleight of Hand OR Bling (if you want an extra attachment) Perk 2: Stopping Power Perk 3: Ninja -------------------- | Class #2: Sniper | -------------------- This class is for those long range levels, or if you just want to change it up for a round to try and get better. Either way, it's always handy to have a long range class available if you need it. Primary Weapon: Sniper Rifle (Unsilenced is fine) Secondary Weapon: Preferably a Shotgun or Machine Pistol Equipment: Claymore Special Grenades: Smoke Perk 1: Sleight of Hand Perk 2: Stopping Power Perk 3: Ninja OR Steady Aim OR Commando (Commando gives you a close range edge) --------------------------- | Class #3: Planting Team | --------------------------- This class is a solid choice to use if your team is planting. It gives you long range to attack a bomb site and close range to protect it. It also comes with a Claymore and a Smoke Grenade to help you defend the bomb site. As well, it uses SitRep to detect possible obstructions or any C-4 planted on the bombsite. Primary Weapon: Assault Rifle Secondary Weapon: Shotgun Equipment: Claymore Special Grenade: Smoke Perk 1: Any Perk 2: Stopping Power Perk 3: SitRep ----------------------------- | Class #4: Defending Team | ----------------------------- The main purpose of this class is to give you medium range weapons and lots of tools to defend yourself while still leaving you mobile enough to move from place to place when you need to. The Special Grenade choice is up to you as you can flashbang them to kill or use a smoke grenade to distract. Primary Weapon: Submachine Gun or Assault Rifle Secondary Weapon: Pistol Equipment: Claymore Special Grenade: Flash OR Smoke Perk 1: Marathon Perk 2: Stopping Power Perk 3: Ninja --------------------- | Class #5: Rushing | --------------------- The entire point of this class is to bullrush your way into the enemies in hopes of catching them off guard. OR even better, to run in and get a quick plant of the bomb in hopes of a fast victory. It has stun grenades to stun the enemies that are likely ahead and possibly a throwing knife as it is VERY fast to throw out. Also, use a Claymore if you'd like because you can rush to a spot, plant it, and the enemy won't expect there to be one so close to them at the start. Primary Weapon: Submachine Gun Secondary Weapon: Shotgun Equipment: Frag OR Throwing Knife OR Claymore Special Grenade: Stun Perk 1: Marathon Perk 2: Lightweight (OR sometimes even Cold Blooded, if the enemy has a UAV) Perk 3: Ninja OR Commando --------------------- | Class #6: Stealth | --------------------- The final classtype I use is a Stealth Class. This one is used for the sole purpose of you being able to quick switch to it when a UAV goes up. It can even be used in other situations if you deem it necessary simply so you can avoid being detected. Primary Weapon: Assault Rifle OR SMG (Silenced) Secondary Weapon: Any (Silenced) Equipment: Claymore Special Grenade: Smoke Perk 1: Sleight of Hand OR Bling Perk 2: Cold-Blooded Perk 3: Ninja ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ EQUIPMENT & SPECIAL GRENADES [4200] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section is devoted to showing the usefulness of each possible special grenade and equipment you can select. ---------------- | Frag Grenade | ---------------- You can't go wrong with a Frag. It is very useful for both an offensive and defensive class. The ability to toss an explosive and have it land long distance is useful. Use it if you wish, however my personal preference goes to the Semtex for it's shorter fuse, sticking ability and overall better feeling throw physics. ---------- | Semtex | ---------- A sticky grenade that is on a timer, if thrown on an enemy it stays there and they are dead. Easy as that. I prefer it because often times frags can take a funny bounce and roll away from the enemy, but a semtex stays right next to them. But again, this is up for personal preference which you should use. Use with either an offensive or defensive class. ------------------ | Throwing Knife | ------------------ Throwing knives are one hit kill weapons (unless painkiller is on) that you can throw pretty much as far as it goes. Personally, I don't find it extremely useful but in close quarters it can be deadly and it is good for a rushing class or if you run out of ammo because it can be thrown very quickly and is faster than switching to a sidearm or aiming down the sights of an SMG. You really need to practice with it though to see what works for you before using it because it does take some getting used to. ---------------------- | Tactical Insertion | ---------------------- Useless. Very useless. Well, I shouldn't say that. In Search and Destroy, you will not respawn at the point a Tactical Insertion is placed in. The main function of this item is gone. However, if you are playing against supreme idiots you can get some use out of it. If defending bombsites, try placing one at A and go to B (or vice versa). If your opponent is stupid, they will destroy it and thereby alert you to where they are. You could also put it nearby yourself if you are camping and if it is destroyed you know someone is closeby and probably sneaking up on you. However, this isn't recommended as most players aren't dumb enough to take the bait. If you ever see an enemy insertion on the ground, do yourself a favor and ignore it. ---------------- | Blast Shield | ---------------- I would not recommend using this perk. Essentially all that it does is protect you from explosives and it is probably better if you just take it slow and make sure you don't run into Claymores or C4 because there are better uses for the equipment and it is not likely you will get killed by a grenade or semtex if you are any good. The one time I would recommend it is if you use a Riot Shield because Riot Shields are grenade magnets. ------------ | Claymore | ------------ Probably the best choice for equipment you could make. It is an explosive that you put down that explodes if an enemy walks in front of it. Very useful for both offense and defense as you can eliminate a certain area from places you need to look out for. It is also useful as an early warning sign because you can put it near a camp spot and if it goes off, you instantly know where an enemy is. The last reason this is your best choice is because even if you are killed, your claymore remains and can still get you a kill. However, it isn't perfect. It still can be disabled briefly by a stun grenade and if a player is good they will avoid it like the plague. ------ | C4 | ------ Personally I prefer the Claymore to this but it is still just as useful. A player can throw it in between the gap between the green boxes at the bombsite and hide at the other one, then when you hear "the bomb has been planted" at the other one you blow the C4 and the planter is dead. I've also seen people use it offensively. They throw it into rooms with enemies and detonate it, killing many. Another good use for it is to knife a window out on a car and throw it inside, then wait for an enemy to walk by. Detonate it and the car blows up as well, doubling firepower. Try it if you are feeling bold. ----------------- | Flash Grenade | ----------------- Flash Grenades are pretty even to Stun Grenades in my opinion. What they do is blind the opponent- meaning they can't see, but they can still move about freely. It can be a risk to deploy against an enemy because I find often times they will spray their gun randomly as soon as they are flashed in hopes of taking you down, and often to my amazement they succeed. The other problem I have is that if you throw it at an enemy before shooting, and they still manage to scurry away from you. If you like them, use them. ----------------- | Stun Grenades | ----------------- Stun Grenades are again, even with Flash Grenades. They will immobilize the enemy, they can still move but they can only do so very slowly. It shakes the screen slightly making it harder to aim, but they can still see and often times pull off crazy shots. The biggest selling point of them is that the enemy has problems turning quickly, meaning you can get behind them easily. The main problem I find is that if an enemy gets hit by one from a distance, you still get a hit marker and believe that the enemy is stunned. So you approach, only to find out the effect was extremely short and get killed. Use it if you want. ------------------ | Smoke Grenades | ------------------ Smoke Grenades are the most useful, yet useless of the three special grenades. On one hand, in special circumstances they are great for providing cover from enemies (particularily Snipers) and they are great for confusing your enemies by throwing them where you DON'T want to go. On the other hand, a lot of the time I find myself not using them because the situation doesn't call for them. Also, using them to help you plant can sometimes be a dead giveaway as to where and when you are doing it. Really it all depends on your class and the situation you are in, but you can't go wrong with it. Try to have at least one or two classes with one on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PERKS [4300] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This section is all about the Perks and how useful they are in a match of Search and Destroy. ------------ | Marathon | ------------ A very useful perk to choose. It makes you have unlimited sprint, meaning you can run forever and not stop. Great for rushing classes and I highly recommend it for someone using an SMG, as you get a better effect than with any other type of gun. The pro version of this perk allows you to climb over obstacles and things that are in your way much faster than normal. This is universally useful and a good choice if you want it. ------------------- | Sleight of Hand | ------------------- Sleight of Hand is probably my favorite first slot perk, and for good reason. It allows you to reload at double speed than normal. It is essential for the Sniper and Machine Gun classes, and works great on any other one as well. The pro version allows you to aim down your sights faster, essential for Sniping and gives you a big advantage over anyone not using it. ------------- | Scavenger | ------------- Scavenger allows you to pick up ammo from dead soldiers. While it's not really necessary for your gun, its very helpful for things like getting more C4, more grenades, throwing knives and that sort of thing. The pro version is the equivalent of Call of Duty 4's Bandolier, and you start with more ammo than you normally would. While there's nothing really wrong with it, it just isn't always a useful choice because chances are you won't even use all your ammo. The biggest use I've seen for it is grenade launcher classes, as you can keep picking up more. --------- | Bling | --------- Bling is probably the second most useful perk behind Sleight of Hand, you can both have a silencer AND a type of sight or extra weapon attachment. I like to combine a Silencer with a Holographic sight but thats just me. The Pro version allows you to use two secondary weapon attachments, which can be useful if you want it to be. ---------------- | One Man Army | ---------------- One Man Army isn't really the best choice. It allows you to swap out to new classes at any time at the cost of no secondary weapon, meaning you really have to have an Assault Rifle or SMG because Snipers won't have any close range. The Pro Version is the same thing but it just takes less time. I've only found it useful if you want to have a Grenade Launcher class, as you can keep switching to get more. ------------------ | Stopping Power | ------------------ Stopping Power is without a doubt the best perk for the second slot. It gives you a big boost to the damage done by your bullets, meaning that it will take fewer shots to kill enemies. It is an absolute MUST for Sniper Rifles in order to kill quickly. The Pro version isn't entirely helpful- it does more damage to enemy killstreaks (UAV, Chopper, AC130, etc) in the air. --------------- | Lightweight | --------------- Lightweight is great for rushing classes. Essentially what it does is make you move faster, meaning that combined with marathon you can get to spots faster than anyone else and rush you faster. Lightweight Pro allows you to aim very quickly after sprinting, allowing you to fire as soon as you see the enemy. As said before, great for rushing but otherwise pretty useless. ------------ | Hardline | ------------ Hardline is a good perk, but it is a tough choice to make. While it allows you to get earlier killstreaks, it also takes away from your ability to get kills as you are visible to UAV and don't do as much damage that you would as with Stopping Power. Hardline Pro allows you to get earlier deathstreaks, which is not very good seeing as it doesn't help you while alive. However, it can also be very useful as you can get lots of UAVs and small killstreaks quickly, giving your team a HUGE Advantage. ---------------- | Cold-Blooded | ---------------- Probably the second most important perk in the second slot. It will conceal you from UAVs, Air Support and even Sentry Guns. Very useful to put on when an enemy calls something in as you won't be given away. Cold-Blooded Pro makes it so when an enemy targets you, the name doesn't show up. This can often give you away if an enemy targets a tiny piece of your body and is unsure if you are an enemy or just nothing. ---------------- | Danger Close | ---------------- Danger Close is on the whole not very useful. It increases the damage of all your explosives, meaning if you are using a Grenade Launcher/Grenades/Claymore it can be useful to have. It is also good against Riot Shielders as it cancels out Blast Shield. The Pro Version increase damage from the airborne explosive killstreaks (Predator, Airstrike, etc.) which is useful but useless at the same time as it isn't likely you will be getting huge killstreaks beyond the two mentioned above. Use at your own risk. ------------ | Commando | ------------ The Commando Perk can bail you out in times of need. It increases your Knifing Range, which can be extremely helpful and is actually good with Marathon, Lightweight and this as your mobility and range is deadly. The best part of Commando has to be the Pro version though, it negates all falling damage. A lot of times you will be fighting someone, drop off a building to escape and take some damage from then, only to be quickly finished with a shot or two. It does increase mobility a lot because you don't have to hide to regain health. It is probably one of the better perks of the third slot, but not even close to being best. -------------- | Steady Aim | -------------- Another solid choice, it increases your hipfire accuracy which will save your butt in a jam because you won't need to take the time to aim down your sights. If you play a camp-style sniper this is also for you as you can hold your breath for a long time with the pro version. It ties Commando but still is beaten by Ninja. ------------- | Scrambler | ------------- This is a tough one to choose. Personally, I am 120% against using this perk in Search and Destroy. Especially if you are camping. Basically, it jams the radar of anyone nearby. However, it only affects it a little bit if they are far away and a lot if they are close, which essentially gives them a radar to your position. I would only EVER recommend it if the enemy already has a UAV as they will know where you are anyway. I suppose one could also argue that it is good for defending a planted bomb, as long as you have many teammates nearby as it is cloaking THEIR positions instead of yours. The Pro version will delay the explosion of Claymores. Meaning you can run into one, hear the click, but still keep going because it takes longer for it to blow. It's helpful I suppose but you are always better off just being careful and making sure you don't get killed. The less you have to rely on perks, the better. --------- | Ninja | --------- Easily the best third perk and best overall perk to use in Search and Destroy. It will hide your position from Heartbeat Sensors, which is extremely valuable because a lot of players don't just use them, they RELY on them. Too many times I have been spectating and see a player die because they spend too much time looking at their sensor than the actual game. It will conceal your position and get you a lot of kills. Even better, the Pro version makes your footsteps SILENT. Which will really save your butt in a lot of situations without you even knowing it. ---------- | SitRep | ---------- SitRep is a VERY useful perk in Search and Destroy, it reveals the position of ALL enemy explosives. I don't just mean Claymores, I mean C4, Grenades, Semtex, ANYTHING that blows up will get marked on your map while it is active. It will tell you where to go, how to blow things up and ways to avoid them. It also shows Tactical Insertions, which is largely useless because cancelling them will just give away your position. SitRep pro is perhaps even more useful (although very hard to get). What it does is make your teammates footsteps silent to you and enemy footsteps even louder (four times). However, it doesn't let you hear them if they use Ninja Pro and enemies can still hear you. -------------- | Last Stand | -------------- Last Stand is a perk I am not partial to. In Search, it isn't very useful at all unless it is one on one because you'll just end up dieing anyway. One doesn't even have to finish you, just shoot you and leave and wait for you to expire. Another thing about it is that it doesn't help you during your life, only in death. It is far better in modes that AREN'T Search, but you're better off just using Ninja or something else anyway. Last Stand Pro allows you to use equipment such as grenades and throwing knives in last stand with you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KILLSTREAK REWARDS [4200] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I will be writing some notes about the Killstreak Rewards here, nothing will be written about the streaks bigger than anything above 6 kills. This is because chances are you won't get anything over that many kills in a row before biting the dust. Therefore, use the high ones if you think you can pull it off, but remember its always better to use the smaller ones because it will help your team a lot more, and the chances are better. ------- | UAV | ------- Probably the most useful killstreak you can pick in a match of Search of Destroy. This is due to the fact that it takes very little kills to get it and the next round you use it the other team will be completely revealed, allowing your team a huge edge over the other team. Always wait at least 10 seconds before calling it in so the enemy cannot switch to a Cold-Blooded class. ---------------- | Care Package | ---------------- There are two perks you can use at four kills, Care Package and Counter-UAV. Personally, I prefer the Care Package. Basically, you get a random killstreak reward from an ammo resupply (useless) to an EMP. I prefer this to a Counter UAV because almost anything is more useful. I'd prefer getting a UAV to a Counter-UAV any day and if you get a resupply you can simply wait by your package for an enemy to run in and try to steal it, as they don't know what it is. Another thing to do is let a teammate steal it because you get points for it. It's just overall better to take your chances, you might get an AC-130 or a Chopper Gunner which is basically an instant round win. A tip for calling in Care Packages- ONLY do it at the start of a round. Otherwise you could give away your position or worse- the other team could be eliminated and you won't even get to pick it up. --------------- | Counter-UAV | --------------- Counter-UAVs in my opinion aren't that great in Search. The only time they are truly useful is if the enemy already has a UAV as it will cancel theirs. If you get one, by all means call it in though. It can be devastating to an enemy team if you have one or two guys getting UAVs and another one or two guys calling in Counter UAVs, as you have eyes and they don't. I suppose if you also use unsilenced weapons it would help conceal your position. It also forces the enemy to use a missile launcher if they are to shoot it down, taking away a whole secondary weapon that could be a shotgun or machine pistol. -------------- | Sentry Gun | -------------- There are two 5-kill streaks you can go for, a Sentry Gun or a Predator. Since you can only have one, go for the Predator. Personally, I dislike the sentry gun since you must call it in like a care package and you can only use it in one round and may not even get kills with it. Sure- it's great if you are the last man and can put it up around you while planting a bomb to protect yourself but if it gets destroyed you are screwed. -------------------- | Predator Missile | -------------------- I prefer the Predator to the Sentry, if you call it in as soon as you can (10 second delay on all air killstreaks) then you have a good chance of taking out one or more enemies. Once, I kiled five people with one Predator at the start of the round, this leaves it as 6-1 and DRASTICALLY increases our odds of success. Not only that, but calling it in allows you to see anyone without Cold Blooded. It is especially useful if the bomb is planted by the enemy, as you can call in the Predator and then know exactly where the enemies are waiting for you as you approach to kill them. ----------------------- | Precision Airstrike | ----------------------- The Precision Airstrike is only really good in large open maps. I prefer using UAV-Care Package-Predator myself as that combination will get you more kills than waiting for an airstrike. The Airstrike is lethal to open areas but if you miss then you just wasted an entire perk. Only use it if you are experienced with it. ============================================================================== MAPS [5000] ============================================================================== This section gives a very brief rundown on each map and my thoughts on them. Generally they will say whether you should speed rush, wait long, etc. and which side it is generally better to be on. A little side note: Rust is not included in here because you can't play regular Search and Destroy on it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ AFGHAN [5010] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This large, wide open map (save for the cave) is a Sniper Paradise, but also has a lot of random boxes and planes lying around to give you good cover. It is one of the few maps I actually find it easier to plant on than defend. The bombsite in the plane is great for a Marathon + Lightweight Speed Plant and very easy to defend, while B is good for a sneaky plant because most of the action occurs around A and its not likely people will be back there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ DERAIL [5020] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Derail is a very large, open map again. LOTS of Snipers will be here as well as people camping in buildings. I prefer to Defend on this map as the bomb sites are a LONG way away from the offense and there are just better positions to hide in for the defenders. I also find that a Marathon + Lightweight class is great for defenders- take an SMG and run up the left side from the start, then cut into the middle behind the train and you are sure to catch several enemies off guard. On offense it is pretty even as to which bombsite to plant at. 'A' is generally safer if there are many enemies but B offers more safety for you if you choose there. The problem with B is that lots of enemies like to hide around there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ESTATE [5030] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This map is a prime example of why defending is often better. The defenders start off with the high ground and closer to the bombsites. The bombsite NOT in the house is clearly the easier one to plant in simply because there are only a couple avenues to defend, but it is generally swarming with defenders (mainly me, hiding the grass waiting to kill you). Lots of room to snipe here, and a place where I find a lot of people use Thermal, so Cold-Blooded may be a good idea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ FAVELA [5040] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This might be one of the few maps that I'd call appropriate for a defense team to rush. The long street on the left side (from a defenders perspective, the one with the cars) is often deserted and I find I can get up to the spawn of the enemy very quickly going that way. Likewise, on offense it is easy to go that way and speed plant. However, this is one of the maps where it is very even to both sides as to which side is better. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HIGHRISE [5050] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Highrise is another VERY even map. On either side, be careful of running out the glass windows because lots of people snipe from one spawn to another so you could get killed off the bat. The underground is generally safer to take out but be careful- that applies to both sides and you will probably see enemies in their side doing the same thing. Although it is an even map, it is probably easier for the defenders simply because the map is small enough that one can go back and forth between the two bombsites very quickly, making it harder to plant. The one by the defenders spawn is safer to plant at but harder to defend and the one by the underground areas is harder to plant at but easier to defend. It might just be better to kill all the enemies because of how hard it is to plant in this level. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INVASION [5060] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Invasion is probably the second most even map behind Favela. There are two bombsites, one in a grassy area and one in a side alley. The alley one is pretty hard to plant in because of the proximity to a lot of hiding spots for enemies. The one by the grass is easier to plant at and there are only two places to watch for enemies. However, be careful because there are almost no good spots to hide in that enemies won't usually look for. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ KARACHI [5070] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I absolutely despise this map on any other mode, however I LOVE it on Search. There are multiple levels of height (ground, upstairs, roof) for you to cover teammates and defend bombsites. The two bombsites are even as to which one is better to plant at. The one on the left side by the tall roof is easier to defend but the enemy spawns closer to it, and the other one is harder to defend because view of it is blocked from the buildings, making it hard to pick off enemies before going in for a defuse. Great map, and keep on your toes because the enemy can speed plant at either bomb. It might even be BETTER for the offensive team. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUARRY [5080] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Quarry is another even map, but I'd say the tie goes to the defenders. The two bombsites are relatively close together and have lots of different height levels to defend it from. DON'T rush as a defending team, I see people do this a lot and why they do it is beyond me. If you keep a tight watch on both of the sites they can't do anything. The one in the building involves a lot of close quarters fighting while the one in the large hangar allows you to step back and listen for the defusing sounds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ RUNDOWN [5090] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rundown is ridiculously easy to defend on. Hands down the defenders win almost every time. As an attacker, you HAVE to use Marathon and Lightweight to get anywhere. The main problem? The river, there are only three bridges across and two of them will get you killed every time and the third one you need to RUSH across (bridge closest to B) and run behind the building to survive. As a defender, you also need to rush it to stop them from crossing. There are plenty of places to stop enemies from getting anywhere by A, but B is the big one. If you manage to make it through as an attacker, kill anyone by B then run and plant at A because most of the time it is planted at B and its much harder to keep safe there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SCRAPYARD [5100] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Scrapyard is probably one of my least favorite maps. It is far too cramped and half the time you get killed from behind because it is too easy to run in somewhere and hide. There are two bombsites- the one by the burning gas tank and the one in the building on the other side. The building one is better to go to UNLESS it is a 1v1, then go to the burning one. Be sure to get LARGE numbers of your teammates into the building if you are going to plant there because there are about four or five ways they can get in to kill you from there. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SKIDROW [5200] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This level is the prime example of using the Hybrid style on Defense, you have to run to a certain point, and then stop to defend. There are two bombsites, one in the upstairs building and one in the ground on the defending sides base. The ground level one is hard to get to but much safer to plant at while the upstairs one is easier to plant at but very hard to defend. Try not to rush up the right side if you can avoid it as a defender because a small crack in a wall upstairs gives a sniper a perfect view of that hallway. Instead, if you go to the right, rush into the small window of the house facing the hallway and kill people from there, then go up the stairs to the upstairs site. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SUB BASE [5300] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ This map is pretty much slated in the hands of the defenders if you ask me. It is extremely difficult to plant the bomb at either site as there are about ten ways an enemy could kill you at any time. It's probably easier to kill every person on this map. If you are forced to plant, get the one by the spawn of the defenders. This is not a very good rushing map despite looking like one. Keep an eye out on the roofs, for some reason everyone I see loves to go up there, and they have plenty of things to hide behind up there that could hurt you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ TERMINAL [5400] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I'm not a huge fan of this one but I don't hate it either. It's often easier on offense simply because they already start with high ground and the defense is funneled into coming to them. The two bombsites, one on the left side and one in the plane aren't very preferable but I find it is always better to plant on the plane with a few teammates as there are only three ways to get on. A trick is to go behind the seat by the bombsite and you can plant BEHIND the seat, potentially stopping enemies from seeing you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UNDERPASS [5500] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ugh, I absolutely can not STAND this map. I don't even have any strategies except that if you have an assault rifle, go camp on the right side on defense and if you have a Sniper Rifle camp on the left side. It really is one of those maps where you have to let the offense make the first move and don't run out in the open because you will get killed. Also- on offense, don't call a care package in at the start because it will get stuck on the overpass above. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WASTELAND [5600] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ While I HATE this map on most other modes, on Search it isn't as bad. Cold Blooded is almost a MUST because pretty much everyone is a Thermal Sniper. You can either rush into the middle area and get a quick kill, or stay back and hide. Camping is key as it is very difficult to plant with a lot of people left, so try to reduce numbers before even attempting it. Watch out for claymores by corners as well and stay low in the grass to avoid getting hit by snipers. ============================================================================== FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS [6000] ============================================================================== If you have a legitimate question not covered by this guide, feel free to contact me at triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com. Q. YOU SUCK YOU ARE A NOOB I HATE YOU I COULD KICK YOUR ASS AT SEARCH!1!1 A. I really don't care. Get a life. Q. You think camping is a good strategy? You're ****in stupid it takes no skill and is cheap! A. Call it whatever you want but the fact is that camping is effective and not against the rules, and EVERYONE does it. No matter how many times you whine and complain about it, it doesn't change the fact that the camping player is outsmarting you and outplaying you. Q. I have a strategy, can I send it in? A. Sure! If it's any good or not already covered, I'll add it to the guide, send it to "triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com. Q. Can I play with you? What's your Gamertag/PSN Account? A. Unfortunately, you may not. For one, I don't own an Xbox 360 and second of all while I do have the game on the PS3 I have a personal policy of NOT adding people I don't know on the internet. I only play with friends I know and their friends. Q. Can I host this guide on my site? A. Send me an email at triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com and we'll see. I want to see the type of site you are and make sure you aren't making money or anything of that sort off of it. Also- I don't let Wiki's or forums host my work because of how easy it is to alter it. ============================================================================== CREDITS [7000] ============================================================================== I would like to give thanks to the following people/sites: - Cod.wikia.com, check them out, they have a LOT of data on Call of Duty. - CJayC and SBAllen, for running such a fantastic site. Also for the copyright notice at the end of this guide. - DomZ Ninja, for inspiring the design here. - Glenn Archie for helping me clear up a point. - Matt and manman2003 for pointing out to me that you can't hear the bomb being planted. Matt additionally pointed out to me that you make a sound while switching guns and corrected my mistake that enemies can't hear you reload. - Infinity Ward, for developing great games like Call of Duty. - YOU, for reading this. Your name could be in here, if you have any strategies or corrections to submit send them to me at triplejumpfaqs[at]gmail[dot]com. This Document is Copyright © 2009-2010 TripleJump. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. Sites that have my permission to use the FAQ are GameFAQs, Neoseeker, Super Cheats, GamerHelp and any other sites must ask me to use it. If you see it on another site, please contact me. It may also be hosted on affiliates of CNet. To see all of my written works, please visit my contributor profile. You can see it at http://www.gamefaqs.com/features/recognition/38449.html. Don't complain about it. I know some of my files lack completetion, but that's my problem. Not yours. Okay? Good. This is also my last FAQ I ever intend to write. Thank you GameFAQs for the time I spent on you doing these things, they really do help you improve your writing skills. I hope the guides continue to help you. And while I won't be writing any more feel free to continue sending emails to me about them- I will occasionally check them. Goodbye!