Get Ready to Jump

Published September 25, 2007

Medal of Honor Airborne™ from EA shakes up the World War 2 genre it helped create with astonishing airborne drops into hostile territory. This thrilling change of pace, along with a few other tweaks to the series' revered gameplay, alters your basic strategy and offers countless tactical options. We've braved the open-ended battlefields to bring you the following tips and get you started on the path to success.

That steeple would make a fine sniper's nest.

Seize the Green
Each mission begins high above the field of battle as you drop in from above. You have options, but it's suicide to drop near any of the "red" zones, well away from your allies and into the thick of the enemy. Instead, focus on the safe, "green" zones. Once safe, you can marshal your wits and your friendly soldiers, then move forward and advance tactically on the enemy.

Respawn Tactics
Sure, it's preferable to drop into the safe zones in the beginning of a level, but all bets are off when it comes time to respawn. Unlike most games, which force you to respawn either at random or at the nearest checkpoint, Medal of Honor Airborne will often let you parachute back into battle after dying.

Your first priority when entering the field
of battle should be to scan for snipers.

Dropping down into a level you've already started brings to light several tactical possibilities. You could, for instance:

• Flank 'em: If, say, you died in the midst of intense battle with plenty of Allied troops involved, it's a safe bet the firefight is still going strong. If so, try landing behind the enemy troops to trap them between opposing lines of fire.
• Drop right on target: If you've already thinned out the vast majority of enemy troops surrounding an objective, don't mess about with conservative play and allow the enemy to regroup. Instead, drop right onto your desired target.
• Control the rooftops: It's always a plus to seize the high ground in battle. If the enemy forces are too dense to flank them, drop on the Allied side of the battle, but high above on a series of rooftops. It's a great deal easier to snipe enemies from on high, chimneys and other things will serve as cover, and grenade tosses are more accurate when thrown from high to low.

Cook It
You may be flirting with danger when you cook (holding it after activating it) a grenade, but my oh my, can it be effective. There's almost no reason to toss any frag right after pulling the pin. This is particularly true when flushing out enemies in hallways or small rooms. Hold on until the last possible moment and they won't have a spare second to dive out of the way.

Told ya.

'Nade Alert
Speaking of grenades, keep a sharp eye out for the white/red grenade icon popping up on your HUD. It's easy to miss the notification in the heat of battle, so make sure you shift your eyes from the target every now and then.

If the icon is white, you know that a live grenade is close, and if it's red, you know it's too close. If it's right on top of you, you can kick it away at the touch of a button, but unless the option is there, run away.

Take Careful Aim
Run and gun is engrained in the first person shooter mindset, but doing so in MoH Airborne will only waste ammunition and get you killed. Unless you're spraying fire to distract your enemies, always, always use the left trigger to aim down the gun's sights.

The left trigger is your only answer for precision fire, but using the left trigger also allows you to lean left or right from behind cover. Use this ability often to snap back behind cover at a moment's notice.

Snipers First
Your first priority when entering the field of battle should be to scan for snipers. Equip the weapon with the longest range—your own sniper rifle if you have one—and check rooftops, windows, towers, and any other conspicuous locations.

Remember your melee training? Use it!

Look First, Fire Second
The aggressive, strategic A.I. at work in the game can make a mighty mess of things if you shoot inaccurately or in a panic. If you spot an enemy who's unaware of your presence, don't shoot until you're absolutely sure you'll hit your target. This is particularly useful inside buildings, where you can often sneak up on not just one enemy, but entire groups.

Upgrade Logic
MoH Airborne provides an upgrade system for your weaponry. The more kills you notch with a particular weapon such as a rifle, pistol or machinegun, the faster you'll earn valuable upgrades like better sights, and a better grip.

Take this into consideration when choosing which weapon to fire. For example, if you prefer to lay back and pick off enemies from a distance, give your single-shot rifle heavy use in the early going to earn upgrades in a hurry. Play to your strengths by upgrading your weapons accordingly.

These general tips should help you in the field, soldier. Pack your chute and get ready to jump!

Article by Ryan Treit