Prebrief

When contact was lost with BCT One, the Rangers initiated a daring search and rescue in “Team Player,” the second mission in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 (2009).

Deploy to the site of the battle in Invasion, a medium-sized Multiplayer map featuring tightknit buildings, close street fighting, and long-distance vantage points. In this urban layout, Operators must act fast and smart, turning the map’s risks into advantages.

Intel Card — Invasion

Tactical Overview

In team-based game modes, teams will either spawn at the Convoy (northwest) or the Parking Lot (south).

Between the two starting spawns lies a desert city occupied by tanks and littered with the evidence of battle. Danger lurks in the streets and surrounding buildings, with elevated positions all around.

We’ve divided Invasion into seven sections based on key areas around the map: 

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Convoy (+ Checkpoint)

-       MAIN SPAWN POINT: Parking Lot (+ Gas Station, Shops, West Street)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Embassy (+ Embassy Courtyard, Embassy Fountain, East Street)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Park

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: South Street (+ Offices, Construction, Destroyed Apartments)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: Center Street (+ Courtyard, Electronic Shop, Hookah Lounge, Rug Shop, Hotel Lobby)

-       ADDITIONAL AREA: North Street (+ Bus Station, Hostel)

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Convoy (NORTHWEST)

Jutting west over the dried-up river, the Convoy consists of a line of military vehicles facing the battered city. Climb into the back of any of them for a greater view of the surrounding area, crouching down for partial cover when engaging enemy Operators.

A portion of North Street along the river is visible through the chain link fence, including the Bus Station windows overlooking the riverbed. To the east, a road stretches out between the Embassy and Park, and through the nearby Checkpoint a ladder gives access to the upper level of the Embassy.

MAIN SPAWN POINT: Parking Lot (SOUTH)

Like the Convoy spawn, the Parking Lot is a fairly small location, though it’s a strong starting point into the rest of the map. Head through the nearby Gas Station for quick access to the North Street riverside, using the destroyed tank for cover as you check for movement down the lane.

When you need to defend the Parking Lot, climb the ladder by the 4x4 or mantle onto the dumpster to reach the Shops’ rooftop, which provides views of all three lanes leading into the area. Move into the Shops below for a less commanding though more concealed view. When engaging enemies coming from the east, stand by one of the concrete barricades for cover.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Embassy

The Embassy looms over the north end of the map. This two-story structure is surrounded by sturdy walls, making it a powerful defensive position. The arched windows throughout provide multiple vantage points over East Street and beyond, making it easy to back off and reposition when taking fire.

Inside the Embassy, the lower floor consists of tightknit rooms where close-quarters combat reigns, so be ready to engage the moment an enemy appears. There are plenty of CQB opportunities upstairs as well, though the longer hallways there extend battles into the midrange.

The outer balcony may be the strongest power position in the area, providing sandbags for cover with a full view of the Park and partial views of the adjacent lanes. A skilled sharpshooter can inflict a lot of damage from up there.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Park

The Park takes up the north central portion of the map, and most of the skirmishes within its bounds become close-quarters fights. Its low walls, however, open sightlines in a nearly 360-degree view around the location. Use the section of high wall and the side of the building to protect your back when covering the area.

Whether defending or just passing through, the Park’s location between North Street to the west and South Street to the east makes it a crucial passage. Going up against the northern Embassy is a risky maneuver — just look at all those vantage points peering down into the Park — but with a decent Optic and fast aim, an assault on the fortification is possible.

ADDITIONAL AREA: South Street

Having taken the brunt of the battle, the South Street section lies in rubble. This is one of the most dangerous areas on the map, with several buildings offering access to their upper level, including the Destroyed Apartments and the upper floor of the Hookah Lounge on the other side of the street.

It's not just the vantage points you need to look out for. The alleyways between the buildings can hide enemy movement until they’re right on top of you, in addition to offering a valuable means of escape. If you need some breathing room, move up to Construction north of the area, where sightlines open up and the adjacent Offices provide views to the north and south.

ADDITIONAL AREA: Center Street

Except for the Hookah Lounge near the Destroyed Apartments, there’s no upper-level access to the Center Street buildings. This lets Operators focus on what’s in front — and behind, and to the sides — of them, at least keeping things on an even level.

The challenge here lies in the number of traversable interior spaces, providing plenty of ambush points against players moving in the area. Close-quarters Loadouts excel inside the buildings where spacing is tight, while midranged fights break out across the long lanes running between them. A sniper might even set up on either end of this road to eliminate enemies as they pass through the marketplace.

If you’re not sure where the enemy is located, take a moment to scan the area, waiting for them to make the first move. Once they reveal their position, you’ll have the initiative.

ADDITIONAL AREA: North Street

North Street runs down the map’s left flank, and its open road caters to long-distance brawls. As opposed to the rest of the map, there aren’t many traversable buildings along this line. The power positions available include the Hostel patio, the Bus Station, and the bridge for its view over the area. The Bus Station’s rear windows provide a great counter against enemies at the Convoy.

Watch your sides when engaging opponents down North Street; you don’t want to stand wide open at a crossroad if you can help it. Instead, keep close to the building’s walls as you search for an opening into the fight.

Objective Overview

Overall Tactics

Invasion is a classic urban environment where battles break out over the streets and from building to building, their close proximity a sign that danger can emerge at any moment.

Communication and intel gathering is key to your success to minimize surprises. Move carefully through the map and mark dangers as they appear.

Team up with squadmates to improve your odds when skirmishes break out. An extra Operator on your side makes all the difference in determining the outcome of crucial fights.

Sticking with a teammate doesn’t necessarily mean moving side by side, either. When approaching objectives, fan out and move to the same target from different angles to divide the enemy’s attention, whether that’s engaging in a pincer movement around a location or sending one Operator to an upper vantage point while the other moves on the ground.

Domination

The Domination flags run down the center path of the map, from the Embassy through the Park and Center Street and down to the Parking Lot.

The B flag is visible from both A and C, so a sharpshooter can protect their home base flag while also eliminating enemies on B, making an early middle map capture of vital importance.

Therefore, when capturing B, watch for incoming fire from the enemy flag. If an opposing sniper has it locked down, bring your own rifle to countersnipe or move up and flank their position so your teammates can cap the objective while you’ve got them occupied.

Don’t neglect to use the side routes, either. While it’s tempting to rush straight down the middle for the shortest path possible, a flank route through the riverside or South Street can throw off your opponents’ balance. Because capturing B is of such paramount importance on this map, anything you can do to disorient the enemy will work in your favor.

Hardpoint

The Invasion Hardpoints test every playstyle, often challenging players with mid- to long-ranged battles on the way to the objective while close-quarters attacks determine the outcome of the point itself.

Success relies on anticipating the changing sightlines as you approach each Hardpoint as well as picking the best route there to compliment your playstyle and Loadout.

You have options on the point as well. In the initial Hotel Lobby Hardpoint, midranged weapons perform best near the windows, eliminating enemies on approach. Close-quarters weapons perform best by the desk, away from the windows and focused on the two entryways there.

Construction caters more to mid- and long-ranged combat, so CQB players may want to switch up their Loadout to better compete in the flat, open area. This is a great Hardpoint to drop an aerial attack over due to the lack of nearby cover unless enemies abandon the objective for the nearby Offices.

In the final Embassy Hardpoint, try mantling up the white sedan, over the wall, and into the second-level window leading right to the point, thus skipping the need to battle through the ground floor first. Stay on the lookout for opportunities across all five Hardpoints and the victory will be yours.

Cutthroat

A balance of positioning and speed is necessary for winning rounds of Cutthroat. Do you rush straight for the central Courtyard looking to engage right away, or seek one of the map’s many vantage points in hopes of setting up the perfect angle? Or maybe set up in the lower level of a building ready to race after passing enemies?

The position of the overtime flag will largely determine your general area of combat, as you don’t want to get pulled too far off course. Hunting down the last remnants of a squad on the other side won’t matter if an enemy on the third team nabs the flag and wins the round. Thus, your strategy should take into account the environment around the overtime flag as well as the abilities of the other two squads.

If they’re running in gung-ho for the eliminations, let them duke it out while your squad fires from well-defended positions. If they’re taking it slow, equip some Smoke Grenades and cut off their sightlines while you approach from an unexpected angle. The more you can throw the enemy off balance, the better.

Be willing to change up your Loadout each round as well. Fights on the riverside are a whole different game than battles in Center Street, and the same goes for the Embassy. Use the first round to get a feel for your opponents so you can pick the best tools for the job.

Search & Destroy

Invasion’s urban layout adds a lot of risk in Search & Destroy, whether going for the A bomb site between the Park and North Street or the B bomb site in Construction.

Either path presents plenty of danger for both teams, each alleyway and building en route a potential hot spot of activity. Keep your eyes sharp, communicate intel, and move with intent.

Invasion’s density works to the attacking team’s favor, as there are many opportunities to change tactics on the fly. Try a full squad rush to B, or fan out and distract the enemy while sneaking in an A plant. Generally, close-quarters Loadouts perform better at A while longer ranged Loadouts excel at pushing toward B.

Starting by the Embassy, the defending team has the advantage of proximity to the bomb sites. Sharpshooters can really shine here, moving out to the sides of the map to utilize the long sightlines down North and South Streets. Pair them with midranged Operators moving through the Park for strong map coverage.

Top 10 Tips

1. Defy expectations. While there are sections of Invasion where certain Loadouts perform better than others, it’s possible for every playstyle to succeed across the map. Defy expectations by moving in areas less suited to your weapon, improving your ability to fight on less favored ground.

2. Their move. While it’s good to keep the enemy on their back foot by making the first move, it can also pay to wait before you strike. If you’re having trouble pinpointing your target, take a defensive posture and wait for them to make the first move.

3. Embassy of riches. The team who occupies the Embassy gains a huge advantage over the northern map, gaining access to a variety of commanding vantage points with a protective wall to slow down enemies.

4. Bonfire on the bridge. Enemy on the bridge at Convoy? Target the engine of a vehicle near their position. There’s a line of them to choose from, and there’s a good chance your foe will get caught in the blast. You might try planting a C4 on one beforehand.

5. Hug the wall. When moving alongside buildings, hug your shoulder to the wall for better concealment and faster access to cover and escape routes. Strafe around corners, ready to fight.

6. Use your whole Loadout. While your Primary Weapon might perform great on the streets, it’s best to use close-quarters tactics when moving through the map’s interior spaces. Whether that’s swapping to your Sidearm, leading with grenades, or being prepared for a Melee fight, consider your whole Loadout as you move through the map.

7. Tank cover. The tanks scattered throughout Invasion offer excellent cover when scanning the area for enemy Operators. Their large frame provides room for positioning, and they won’t explode under fire.

8. From across. While the action often moves in a north-south orientation here, it pays to use the map’s horizontal sightlines, too. Long-ranged Operators can excel here as well as they can on the sides of the map.

9. Bunch up. While fanning out over the map has its advantages, a full squad rush does, too. Used at the right time, you can break through to an objective, stall an attack, and then spread out again once the main task is done.

10. Like water. The best Operators move seamlessly through the map, analyzing every street and structure for the most advantageous route ahead. Keep up the fight, use every section of the environment, and flow through the map like water seeking its natural course.

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