Wasteland



Wasteland is a large-sized map in Modern Warfare 2 set in wilderness somewhere near the Chernobyl Nuclear plant. It contains some elements from the Call of Duty 4 level "All Ghillied Up," and features radioactive zones around the perimeter. A large, multi-entrance bunker sits in the middle, and once a team is settled in, it is tricky to root them out. A large hedge sprawls over the center of the map. Many trenches criss-cross the map, complete with heavy-duty manual sentry guns. A few buildings, low walls and a helipad are scattered around the edges but seldom see combat.

Tactics
Despite being a perfect sniping map, many people also like to camp in the bunker. Anything that makes players stealthier is ideal such as going prone or using a silenced weapon. Thermal scopes and Cold-Blooded are both essential for rooting out snipers although it can be hard to find those that are prone, due to the undulating nature of the map. A sniper wearing a ghillie suit is practically invisible if they are prone. Smoke grenades will have some benefit when crossing open ground, except most snipers on this map prefer to use thermal sights to spot enemy ghillie snipers. This makes Cold Blooded very effective; because of the grey-tone nature of the map, the player is practically invisible even when sprinting in the open if someone is using a Thermal scope, and especially while running through smoke.

The bunker can be quite troublesome to control as there are many entrances. Grenade launchers work wonders in this area as well as Semtex and Claymores. Also RPGs are useful for clearing bunkers when used with Scavenger and Danger Close. Placing a Sentry Gun at the back of a wall can assume control of multiple of entrances. One technique is to let the other team take control of the cave, and then firing an RPG-7 or AT4 into the cave. This is advisable with danger close and scavenger. This is an easy way to get multi kills. The houses and bushes offer perfect hiding spots to control Predator Missiles and AC-130s. It is advisable to not cross open ground without moving slowly or hugging the hedgeline, as snipers tend to aim for easy targets instead of those partially concealed. Air support works a charm also expecially AC-130s so it is advised to take them out fast.

There is also a stand-alone heavy turret in this level near the broken cars on a jersey barrier. While the turret itself is helpful, the surrounding cars and rusting metal provides great cover for snipers, and the cracks between the metal and cars can be used to take out enemies if they are within view. It has a view of the chopper and the fence area near it and can be used with great ease. There is also another turret by the broken church; however, it is open to half the map and invites sniper fire. There are also two turrets in the middle of the map when playing Domination at point Bravo. They are very useful while playing Domination, but players can be easily spotted by snipers.

Tips & Tricks

 * The helicopter in the corner of the map is a good spot to snipe from. If the player jumps on the front nose, then jumps left on to the exhaust, then jumps onto the cockpit, the player can then get on top of the rotor blades or to the top of the tail.
 * The bushes that divide the map into its three sections can be used to throw Semtex and Frag Grenades over, which can easily surprise enemies camping around the tunnel entrances and corners.
 * When sniping, like on parts of Estate, it is better using a Thermal Scope than a standard scope due to the common long-range engagements - Ghillie suits are able to blend well with not just the grass, but items of cover and particularly window frames.
 * Surprisingly, the mounted minigun is very effective particularly the one to the left of the Spetsnaz spawn, the player can easily eliminate anyone going around the brush, any careless player can be easily mowed down, even snipers can have a hard time eliminating a well fortified gunner.
 * Almost every killstreak is effective here, and this is also one of the best maps to call in Emergency Airdrops, Sentry Guns and Care Packages.
 * Due to the fact that most of the fighting is in the middle of the map, moving to the edges of the map and calling in the killstreaks named above will prove quite effective.
 * With proper coordination and skill, players with air support kill streaks can encourage the enemy to herd into the bunker, allowing teammates to get multikills with grenade launcher, RPGs, Thumpers or AT4s.
 * The Stealth Bomber can devastate an enormous portion of the map, try setting the direction length-wise through the map.
 * If an enemy gets a Chopper Gunner or AC-130, try to take it out or get inside. These killstreaks are extremely deadly here since there is virtually no cover from above except for the bunker.
 * Bling Pro can be very useful on this map combined with Cold-Blooded Pro and Ninja, giving the player the ability to use a silenced sniper rifle with thermal scope and a good silenced sidearm, like the PP2000 or the G18, with one other attachment like red-dot sight or Akimbo. With Ghillie Suit, Cold Blooded Pro, Ninja and the silencers equipped, make the player very difficult to detect while the thermal scope will give away enemy snipers' positions.
 * In the bunker, the player can use the grenade launcher or AT4 to get a couple kills. Also when in the bunker, there is a small crack that gives a view from the other side, it is big enough to just squeeze a grenade, but small enough to keep the player safe from most fire.
 * When sniping, stay on the outskirts of the map and slowly move counter-clockwise while stopping to snag a kill every once in awhile.
 * Also, on the outskirts, it has been known to place a Tactical Insertion halfway or more, into the Radioactive area. Once the player dies, he/she will re-spawn and continue from there, past the radioactive area, to a safe area to snipe from.
 * Inside the bunker, there is a table which to climb onto that has a net above the wall with Orange containers that can be shot off. However, the player can throw grenades and C4 through the netting, which should be impossible because the box of oranges is sitting on it.
 * Any shotgun is great for quick firepower when sneaking around the giant hedge separating the map in domination around C.
 * Sniper rifles, particularly the Barrett .50 Cal and the Walther WA2000, can be used very successfully inside the bunker. By going prone inside, the player can easily pick off numerous enemies as they enter the bunker from the east. Or go prone outside the tunnels on the banks next to the trenches to the north and south of the bunker, and pick off enemies approaching from the far side.
 * There is a small opening in the wall that one can view when going to the bunker. It is fairly wide and bullets can go through. You can even launch a grenade through the opening to enemies advancing on the other side.
 * While using the mounted miniguns the player can aim at the corners of the giant hedge and wait for the cursor icon to go red and start firing.
 * This map is a good place to complete the "Survivalist" (5 continuous minutes alive) and "Flawless" (a whole match without dying) challenges. There is an area behind the helicopter with tall grass where the player can lie down and not be seen. Make sure to use Cold-blooded Pro and Ninja, the chances of survival are good. Be sure to bring an automatic weapon just in case.
 * Another useful sniping tactic is to slowly circle the outside edge of the map (as noted above) with a Ghille Suit, any sniper rifle + Thermal Scope with Cold Blooded as the player will be invisible until firing but still have one-shot kills. This is effective since using a suppressor without using stopping power will mean the player needs to hit twice to kill. Keep moving slowly around the outside of the map, it will be difficult for enemies to locate the player. Camping in one location too long (more than 2-3 kills) without a suppressor is not advised.
 * The bushes scattered throughout the open area of the map provide excellent cover for snipers.
 * If the player's team currently has an airborne killstreak, staying in the tunnels with a powerful weapon can leave the opposing team helpless.
 * Using the mini gun by the helicopter, facing the house everybody loves to snipe in. The player can spit out many rounds into the window or door. The player can also use one at the beginning and strafe the horizon to get First Blood.
 * One building is missing its roof, but the rafters are still there. One can climb on top of this building by jumping on the broken wall behind it and then jumping onto the lower roof. The player has a good view but is relatively easy to spot as well.
 * The "Sniper house" on the Spetsnaz spawn can be jumped on and the roof can be climbed. This can minimize your exposure to enemies as well as a view of two of the four bunker entrances. Watch for counter sniper fire and runners who will often use Marathon, Cold Blooded and Ninja to avoid notice.
 * The tarp that covers the B flag in Domination will protect the player from Predators if stood under
 * A wise, yet cheap, tactic is to spawn with a class having a silenced long range assault rifle like the ACR or M4 and a semtex. When spawned, player should throw the semtex at their feet and drop their gun. Then switch to a sniping class with Scavenger & Cold Blooded, pick up the silenced assault rifle. It is very easy to walk around the edge of the map unseen and get a huge kill streak, if player is spotted and has Cold Blooded Pro, the player can easily drop to the ground and lose them.
 * If you know the entrances well, you can pop in flash grenades and stun the enemy while teammates from other sides can neutralize them.
 * A cheap way to get kills on the Spetsnaz side on Domination is to get on the minigun, and open fire at C. However, some clever snipers will eventually crawl under the line of fire, and pick off the player from the cars. It is not advisable to do that in this map, unless it is in the first few seconds in the game, where you know where the enemies are.
 * In a Team Deathmatch most of the fight will happen in the center of the map where the bunkers are meaning an RPG or AT-4 will clear most of the bunker, especially with Danger Close perk equipped.

Trivia

 * This map is a remake of the Call of Duty multiplayer map: Brecourt, similar to how Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's Chinatown was a remake of Call of Duty ' s Carentan multiplayer map.
 * This map contains the church seen in the mission: All Ghillied Up(although it is inaccessible), the statues holding the PPSh-41, and other similar buildings. Even the things inside these buildings are still the same(chairs, tables, posters etc.).
 * Chernobyl nuclear reactor number 4(the reactor which caused the disaster), can be seen in the distance.
 * Apartments can be seen in the distance when using a thermal scope.
 * This map is open with very little cover making it a Sniper's heaven and a CQB nightmare. Although there are ways around this using stealth-type classes.
 * This map features such little cover from overhead that air support becomes very valuable in getting kills, and creates a good chance of getting the nuke.
 * This map is not recommended for small groups of players such as split-screen because the player has to walk all the way around the long hedgerow to get one kill.
 * It is likely that "Wasteland" is right outside of Pripyat as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant can be seen close by and several Bloc style apartment buildings can be seen in the distance.
 * A teddy bear is in the tunnel with the RPGs and a laptop.
 * What were land mines preventing curious players from leaving the battlefield in the Call of Duty version are now radioactive zones.
 * There are several mounted miniguns on this level, although they are lightly used since they offer little cover from the many snipers, and seeing people in this tall grass and semi-hilly terrain is difficult.
 * There are several dead cows located all over the map, because of the lack of visible wounds they were most likely killed by radiation from Chernobyl.
 * Inside one of the buildings are some Soviet propaganda posters.
 * There is a glitch where the player can get out of the map but it is very difficult to do. The player must use the Painkiller deathstreak and Lightweight. If sprinting directly through the radiation patch and getting to the edge of the map, the player will be able to get out of the radiation section, and will also be able to run through the radiation on the border of the map without getting hurt. But reentering the map will result in damage from the radiation again if player wishes to go to the edge again.
 * It is best to go around the side of the map where the broken tanks are this way both spawns are visible and is very good for capture the flag and headquarters but the player must keep on going around each side to get the best out of it
 * When achieving the Tactical Nuke, look towards the nuclear reactor designated "4". It will explode there. A possible joke from Infinity Ward.
 * The church in the map is orthodox which is a common religion in eastern Europe, this is possible because of the Cross shape, and the dome on top.
 * If there is an enemy predator missle in Multiplayer, try going under the helicopter's missiles on the wing where the C flag spawn is. The screen might say that your prone is blocked. This means the player is most likely safe. Being under the missiles of the wing on the heli will most likely save the player even if it hits the wing or the ground.
 * If glitching out of the map, there is virtually no cover or grass, so it would be unwise to snipe from there. But if the player goes out of bounds on the side of the small scrapyard, there is a small bush on the right that can be used to conceal oneself, although it possesses a very small field of view.
 * One tactic that works well is to have a class with Marathon and/or Lightweight during objective matches. Running along the perimeter road leads to most good vantage sniping points. This not only takes a lot of snipers by surprise but also makes the player a target. A disregard for most players (both essential for objective matches).
 * English words and phrases can be seen on the helicopter at C flag spawn. This is unusual as it is a Russian helicopter. It reads, "AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR, DEPT. OF FLORIDA, DEPT. OF MARYLAND, DEPT. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE."
 * It is unknown how and why there is a destroyed American Humvee next to the helicopter, this could possibly be where the minigun mounted on the nearby wall came from.
 * Recently, it has been said, there is another glitch involving 'climbing trees'. There are 3 trees on the board where the player performs a series of jumps and maneuvers to climb a tree. Although a few headshots might be able to be pulled off while camping, it won't be long before the players position has been compromised.
 * With a total of 5, Wasteland has more mounted guns than any other map.
 * Inside the bunker area, if the player shoots the cardboard boxes the contents will fly out; this includes bananas, oranges and packs of gum and candy.
 * There is a tail of a Hind Helicopter in the Tank Graveyard; there is also a rotor.
 * In the school building on the southwest side of the map there is a poster of a man who looks similar to Malcom X hanging from the ceiling.

Gallery