The Gulag

"The Gulag" is the tenth mission of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The player takes the role of Gary "Roach" Sanderson as he and the rest of Task Force 141 storm the gulag, an old Russian prison. This mission is phase two of "The Only Easy Day... Was Yesterday".

Characters

 * Gary "Roach" Sanderson (playable)
 * John "Soap" Mactavish
 * Simon "Ghost" Riley
 * Worm
 * John Price (Prisoner 627)

Walkthrough
The player starts the mission on a fast attack helicopter, as three Little Birds converge on a Russian while F-15s destroy a SAM (surface-to-air missile) site on a nearby ridge. As the players Little Bird flies over the gulag, snipe the soldiers on the towers. Do not waste ammo attempting to take out enemies on the turrets while the helicopter is moving, but rather wait until the helicopter enters a hover. The player's main concerns are the enemies armed with RPGs, but they should be easy to take out.

Once the towers are taken care of and the helicopters land, immediately seek cover. There are several enemies on the higher floors, but a Little Bird will help clear them out. Immediately adjacent to the landing area is a small courtyard, which is filled with enemies upon your arrival. Again, don't linger, as the enemies will often attempt to single the player out. After the courtyard has been cleared, go across to the entrance. It is a good idea to replace the M14 EBR with something else since everything beyond this point is almost exclusively close-quarters combat.

Eventually the player will come across a control room where Ghost will take control. Head through the door to the right (the only door available) and fight your way through the corridors. Again, don't get stupid and try anything heroic. Take cover behind the low walls, as there are often several enemies to a corridor. Proceed down the corridor, clearing out any and all enemies that you encounter, until you come across a broken staircase. Jump down onto the walkway below. This will lead you to the armory.

Once inside the armory, Captain MacTavish will sarcastically ask if there's a weapon you like. Of course, you have the choice. Enemies will encircle the armory, so stay crouched to avoid as much gunfire as possible until Ghost unlocks the door ahead. But don't get comfy; more enemies will be along before the door opens. Grab one of the several riot shields lying around the armory and sit tight. When the door finally opens, you will be taking fire from all sides, so move quickly. Your riot shield will protect you, but don't get cocky. Stay crouched to cover your whole front and let the other do the rest; only bash enemies you can get close to. When you clear the cell block, rapel down to the lowest floor and head toward the door in the far wall. It will be dark, so activate your NVGs (night vision goggles). Up ahead will be another cell block, the solitary confinement area, where at least two dozen enemies will be waiting. Don't go out with guns blazing, as they will quickly cut you down. Instead, wait for the others and take out the enemies that are visible, then move town the hallway. But be careful, as some enemies were smart enough to take cover in the cells. Clear them out and move on. A shell will strike the castle, momentarily dazing the whole group. Shepherd will report that the Navy has run out of patience and started the bombardment, then tell you that he's convinced them to stop firing for the moment. Continue down the corridor until you come across a hallway laced with pipes.

On the other side of those pipes, there is a hallway with three enemies. Here, you can either wait for MacTavish to toss a flashbang, or act quickly and takes the enemies by surprise. Once you clear them out, continue on but be careful. The instand you see the far end, you will see two enemies jump over the railing. If you act quickly enough, you can take them out and save yourself a lot of trouble. At the other end of the corridor, a third enemy will be waiting for you. Take him out and then plant the breaching charge on the wall.

Once the wall is breached and your squad storms the shower room, immediately take out the enemies closest to you and take cover. There will be several enemies on the ground floor and several more on the upper walkway. Act quickly and take them out one at a time. Don't waste ammo by trying to shoot them through the walls; wait until they peek over and shoot them then. Once the first section is cleared and you move on to the next section, at least a dozen heavy assault troops will appear. Don't bother trying to shoot them; their shields make that a waste of time and ammo. Instead, use either frag grenades or use the M203 on your M4A1 assault rifle (if you still have it) and clear them out several at a time. Only if they disperse should you attempt to get close to them. If they get close to you, use your knife. This will knock them off balance for a few seconds and give you a chance to kill them. At distance, if you try to shoot them, aim for their hand. This will also knock them off balance and give you an advantage.

After you clear the shower room, advance to the far end and jump through the hole in the floor. This will lead you down to the sewer system below the castle. Follow the ducts to where Ghost says to breach the wall. After you breach the wall and enter the room beyond, the game will go into slow-motion for a bit. You will see a surprised Russian interrogator turn to you just before Prisoner 627 throws his cuff chain around his neck, then move toward you and punch you in the face. A few seconds later, you will see the delivering end of an AK-47 in your face, and Prisoner 627 is revealed to be Captain Price, captured during the events of Operation Kingfish. MacTavish orders him to drop the weapon, and old friends are reunited.

It is now that the Navy begins to bombard the castle, and your last chance to escape. One of your squadmates will pull you up and then charge down the hallway. Follow them through the halls until you see a Little Bird helicopter hovering at the far end. Before you reach it, the bombardment will collapse the hallway, and you will have to find an alternate route of escape. Continue to follow your squadmates. There will be one enemy soldier at the far end of the hallway. You can take him out if you wish, but it will most likely result in your death. Follow the others to a cafeteria, where you will see a delayed detonation bomb beneath a hole in the ceiling. Another cave-in will bury you, and Captain Price will dig you out. At this point, MacTavish will fire a flare through the hole, and a waiting helicopter will drop a SPIE rig and pull you out just before the bomb explodes and the level ends.

Starting weaponry
In this level, the player starts with a M14 EBR and an M4A1 Carbine with a Red Dot Sight and M203 Grenade Launcher.

Achievements/Trophies
Soap on a Rope (15 / Bronze Trophy ) - Obtained by completing "The Gulag" on any difficulty.

Prisoner 627 (25 / Silver Trophy ) - Complete "The Only Easy Day... Was Yesterday" and "The Gulag" on Veteran.

Intel Items

 * Intel No. 25: (1/4 Intel) Before entering the arch gate with 2 red lights. Head up some stairs in front of the building and the intel is at the end of the room.


 * Intel No. 26: (2/4 Intel) Inside "Control Room", where Ghost is using the laptop.


 * Intel No. 27: (3/4 Intel) On 2nd sub-level, North-East, in cell "327".


 * Intel No. 28: (4/4 Intel) After finding prisoner 627, turn left, on top of a desk.