Vorkuta (level)

"He and us are not so different... We are all soldiers, without an army. Betrayed. Forgotten. Abandoned. In Vorkuta we are ALL brothers!"

- Reznov

"Vorkuta" is the second campaign level in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Taking place on October 6th, 1963, the player controls Alex Mason as he attempts to escape the Russian labour camp, Vorkuta with Viktor Reznov and many other Russian prisoners.

Walkthrough
Mason starts off in a fight with Viktor Reznov to draw out a guard. This is a cutscene, so the player does not need to do anything here. They succeed in doing so, and a guard armed with a baton comes up to the two. After Reznov calls him svoloch (bastard), the guard starts to beat him with the baton. Mason gets up, picks up a rock and knocks the guard out with a single blow from the rock. He then helps Reznov up, and Reznov takes keys off the guard also taking a knife, completing Step One of their escape - "Secure the keys".

The band of prisoners proceed down a mine tunnel, and Mason is now armed with a unique prison knife. Reznov encourages the band of prisoners by asking what the steps to their escape are. The steps are:


 * 1) Secure the keys. (Obtain the keys from the guard)
 * 2) Ascend from darkness. (Take the elevator to get to the surface).
 * 3) Rain fire. (Use the slingshot to destroy the guard towers).
 * 4) Unleash the horde. (Rally the prisoners with the broadcast system in Vorkuta).
 * 5) Skewer the winged beast. (Shoot down the helicopter).
 * 6) Wield a fist of iron. (Acquire the Death Machine).
 * 7) Raise Hell. (Storm the prison guards).
 * 8) Freedom. (Escape the prison).

Mason fights his way down the tunnel where he encounters a brute named Sergei. Fortunately, Sergei is on their side, which Mason comments "Glad you're a friend, Sergei." At the end of the tunnel there is a lift which takes the band of prisoners out of the mine. In the lift, a prisoner questions whether Mason, an American, can be trusted or not. Reznov sticks up for him, stating he could trust him with his life.

Outside the lift, there are some unarmed prisoners surrounding a prison guard armed with a Makarov (with his back to the lift), who is shooting them as they try to take him down. Sergei exits the lift armed with an pick axe, and brutally kills the guard. The player can now pick up a Makarov to help him fight off any resistance. The prisoners then push open a large metal door which opens up into a coal truck yard, to complete step two of the escape, which has a guard tower with a machine gun turret overlooking it. This prompts Reznov, Mason and Sergei to run behind a coal truck and use it as moving cover as they push it along the track towards the tower. Mason must cover Reznov and Sergei as they push the cart by killing any resistance coming in on their sides.

The tower is then destroyed by an improvised incendiary device (possibly an ignited chunk of coal) launched from a slingshot, which is Step 3 of the escape. The band of soldiers can now enter the military compound of the gulag. Mason goes to the top of the building they enter and uses a giant Slingshot to destroy three targets. The slingshot works similarly to a grenade launcher and has the same aiming reticule. After destroying the three targets, Mason goes down and can now arm himself with a KS-23, and plenty of ammunition from an arms room which Sergei opened.

The prisoners exit the building and Mason shoots the lock to the gate. The prisoners go through this gate and engage the prison guards. The prison guards are armed with AK-47s. After proceeding to the objective, Mason picks up a harpoon-firing KS-23, and fires the harpoon at the Mi-8 Hip Helicopter which had been keeping them pinned down with door machine gun, As the end of the rope was tied to a pipe, the helicopter cannot move and spins into some tanks and is destroyed. This completes step five of the escape, Skewer the winged beast.

The prisoners now enter a large building full of guards. The player can pick up an AK-47 with Grenade Launcher to take out soldiers who are using moving cover. Once the prisoners reach a closing door, Sergei rushes in to hold the door up. However, he is shot from a floor above and killed, letting the door close, but not before Mason slides under the door and to the other side. Mason then opens the door, and the prisoners need to fight their way to a garage, where Reznov finds a blowtorch which he will use to open the armory door. Mason then needs to cover Reznov as he does this. An easy solution for this is to pick off all standard guards, then crouch in cover with the GP25 grenade launcher equipped. As the brutes rush out from their new door, the player can easily pick them off, destroying them in one hit. Once the door is open, Mason picks up a Death Machine, which is Step 6, Wield a fist of iron.

The prisoners now must fight their way to a warehouse where they can make their escape. Using the Death Machine, Mason can easily destroy incoming trucks of soldiers (Step 7, Raise Hell) Once near the warehouse, the guards will use tear gas on the band of prisoners, knocking out Mason who is dragged to safety by Reznov. Mason wakes up in the warehouse, where he and Reznov take some motorbikes in an attempt to accomplish step eight, Freedom. They then smash through a window, make a break for a train, while under fire from enemy soldiers. Mason has an auto-aiming, unlimited ammo Model 1887 which he can use to protect himself during the escape. Reznov and Mason then jump to a truck with a DShK machine gun on it, and Mason uses the machine gun to eliminate as many enemies as he can. They then come alongside the train, and Mason jumps for a ladder on the side of it. He exclaims to Reznov to jump, but Reznov replies that only freedom for Mason was intended, driving the truck away to distract the pursuing soldiers.

Tips

 * If player does not pick up a Makarov, an extra one by the coal cart which can also be used for more ammo.
 * Don't get far ahead of the coal cart as the turret will kill the player.
 * If player misses the harpoon shot, one won't be able to return inside and will be instantly killed.
 * KS-23 is best for eliminating Juggernauts as only one shot in head or a close range shot, with correct aiming can kill them. This can be helpful on Veteran.
 * When using the Death Machine, make sure no enemy is left behind as he can kill player when he least expects it.

Reznov's Speech
When Mason must take out the towers with the slingshot (or flaming crossbow in Wii), Reznov makes a speech to all of Vorkuta. As long as the player doesn't destroy all three, this entire speech can be heard:

"Brave comrades of Vorkuta, the time has come to rise against our oppressors! Today, we show them the hearts of true Russians! We have all given our blood for the Motherland. We have answered her calls without question. We gave our youth, our hearts, our very souls for her protection... As brothers, we fought side by side against the German fascists. We crawled through dirt and blood and sand to achieve our glorious victory...Not for medals, or glory... but for what was right. We fought for revenge... When Berlin fell, how did our leaders repay us? We returned not to the rapturous welcome... but to suspicion and persecution. In the eyes of our leaders we were already tainted by the capitalist West. Torn from the arms of our loved ones, we found ourselves here... this place... this, this terrible place. Here we have languished, with no hope for release... No hope for justice. We have toiled in Dragovich's mines until the flesh peeled from our bones... We have watched our comrades succumb to sickness and disease... We have been starved. We have been beaten. But we will not be broken! Today, we will send a message to our corrupt and arrogant leaders. Today, my comrades... Vorkuta - BURNS!!!"

Transcript
See Vorkuta/Transcript

Weaponry
The player uses only a rock and a knife to begin; more weapons can be picked up later.

Intel Items

 * Intel No.4: (1/3)This intel is located on the second floor of the building in which you use the slingshot to destroy the towers.


 * Intel No.5: (2/3) This intel is located in the armory right after Sergei dies while holding up the door.


 * Intel No.6: (3/3) This intel is located on the bottom of the shelf in the back of the building right before you start the motorcycle chase scene.

Trivia
See Vorkuta/Trivia

Walkthrough Video
Video:"Vorkuta" - Mission Start|Start of "Vorkuta" Video:Walkthrough: Vorkuta 1/2 Video:Walkthrough: Vorkuta 2/2