The Pit

The Pit is a Special Ops level in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. The objective is to clear all enemy targets, while avoiding all civilians, and get to the end while being timed.

The Infinity Ward best time for this level is 22.6 seconds.

It is based on the course featured in the first mission of the campaign, S.S.D.D.

Overview
The level takes place in a training area with both stationary and moving enemy and civilian targets popping up. The player begins the level with an M4A1 Carbine and a USP .45 (but can change weapons on the table at the beginning of the mission), and is tasked with charging through the level as fast as possible. There are 24 enemy targets to take out and 5 civilian targets to avoid. Simply hitting all enemy targets and getting to the end of the level will award the player with one star, regardless of how long it took them. Completing these objectives in 45 seconds and 35 seconds will reward the player with two stars and three stars respectively. If a civilian is hit, it will be impossible to obtain three stars.

Tips

 * Switch out M4A1 Carbines for the MP5K Holographic respectively as it has a faster moving while aimed down.
 * Using two pistols, for example the USP .45 and the M9, is quicker than using rifles. If used correctly, the whole level can be done with only a single magazine of each gun. In addition, USP .45 has the tactical knife, which will be helpful in the building and at the end. Pistols are quicker to reload to switch and to run with. They also use one round at a time; accuracy helps greatly when cutting the time down. The two pistols are an easier way to earn the Pit Boss achievment.
 * Communicate with teammates. Tell them which targets each player is taking out, to avoid both shooting the same target. Work out a strategy: for example, one player could take the right side as the other takes the left.
 * When almost out of ammo, switch to the secondary weapon if needed; it's faster than reloading.
 * Go for collateral kills: using one bullet to down two targets by lining them up, one behind the other.
 * Beware of unintended collateral kills, as they can hit a civilian. By playing a few rounds, the player will be able to know which angles are to be avoided. Also, at the beginning it is important to take very weak weapons for the reason that if you take a Desert Eagle or a M4A1, collateral kills become very likely.
 * Using a Tactical Knife is faster than using an ordinary knife. It is 50% faster.

thumb|right|300px|An example of a method used to obtain 3 stars. Other Spec Op mission guides can be viewed at this channel.

Trivia

 * Infinity Ward previously mentioned that one star would be awarded for completing a Spec Ops mission on Regular, two stars for completing it on Hardened, and three stars for completing it on Veteran; however, this is untrue for this level, as there are no difficulty options available for it. Instead, the player's speed is the primary factor for the number of stars the player earns, with the 3-star award requiring no civilian hits.
 * The level is virtually identical to the obstacle course in S.S.D.D.
 * Besides the Special Op called Race, this is the only Op where a player cannot decide what difficulty to choose because it is determined after the player finishes the level.
 * The player will not receive the Pit Boss achievement/trophy if he complete this Op in under 30 seconds, it must be done in the campaign.
 * It is possible to get out of the map in this mission. The buildings in the background are modeled after the ones in the campaign level Cliffhanger, so there are icicles on the roof.
 * The Gadget Show, a British TV show, recreated this level in real life. The replica course was run by an actual SAS member, while the presenter of the show played the level on a console.
 * It appears that the player is controlling Allen, during the course of this mission because in the event that the player kills four civilians, Dunn will yell, "You killed another civi Allen," however this also could just be due to the reused audio file.