(Written by: Travis Zimpfer)
Hi, guys! I’m going to teach you how to deal with Wasteland on Standard Team Deathmatch, arguably one of the most widely hated maps in the game. Here are some strategies which will help you rule it. (Note: I encourage people to play the game in their own ways, but here are three main strategies that I find useful.)
• Knifing class
• First and foremost a proper knifing class includes the Marathon (pro) perk and a pistol with a Tactical Knife attachment (I prefer the USP .45, but I know a lot of people who use the Desert Eagle or the Magnum for it). The other two perks are a little bit less defined. Either you can go with a stealthy knifing combo (Cold-Blooded and Ninja) or a highly offensive form (Lightweight and Commando) or a combination of the two. I prefer the latter because I really appreciate the speed Lightweight gives.
• If you decide to knife on Wasteland, stay on the outside of the map. And I mean the outside. Unless you’re by a part of the map that has a fence or a building, you should constantly be close to the radiation warning signs. Staying on the outside won’t give you a whole lot of kills, but you should also prevent yourself from dying too. Plus, you should be able to pick off the people who are also on the outside of the map. Use as much cover as possible and constantly scan for targets to flank. Your speed or stealth should allow you to do this without too much difficulty. If you get picked off by a sniper go the other way to get behind him. Rarely, go towards the cave.
• Sniping
• Sniping classes are varied so I won’t go into them specifically, but I like to use the Barrett .50 cal with FMJ (maybe a Thermal Scope) along with Steady Aim Pro and Stopping Power Pro.
• Camping should be discouraged. It doesn’t make you a better player in the slightest, so, don’t stick in one spot otherwise you can and probably will get flanked by opposition. It’s cool to see an enemy, and take cover behind something while you take him out, but it’s a smart idea to displace and relocate immediately afterwards.
• Again stay towards the outside, but it’s safer to move towards the middle here. If you want to pick off guys inside the cave, go for it, but don’t camp again, because eventually the opposition will get wise to your act and, again, flank your ass into the ground.
• If you’ve got a ghilly suit on, use it to your advantage. Unllike HALO, MW2 makes hiding enemies very hard to see and cover behind plants and bushes can be very effective.
• Demolition class
• Ok, this class maybe looked down upon by some, but I really think that this is one level where “noob-tubing” should be used to teach people that trying to hold the cave is a bad idea. Use any assault rifle with a grenade launcher; the Thumper or RPG as your secondary and Danger Close as your 2nd perk. C4, Frags or Semtexs are also welcome. Scavenger should be used too so you can pick up extra grenades.
• Only, and I emphasize only, use this class if the other team thinks they can win the game by holding the cave. These people are obviously not schooled, so give them an education. Start to blind fire into the cave if you know they have a presence there. It will be hard not to hit someone. I’d recommend UAV as a killstreak too, so you can blindfire more effectively, namely at the direction of the red dots on the minimap.
• Other tips
• Don’t be afraid to change classes. If you’re deterring spelunkers and they suddenly stop going into the cave, start sniping or knifing. If you’re not seeing many people on the outside of the map, “noob tube.”
• Use killstreaks wisely. I’d strongly suggest UAV on this map, because it gives you an exact location due to a lack of verticality (real word according to Spell-check) on the map. For that reason, I’d also suggest Counter-UAV for when the enemy uses a UAV. Any of the other offensive killstreaks work too (If you’re noob tubing though, don’t be afraid to put on Pavelow or another, higher kill count killstreak).
• Don’t be afraid to mix things up. A FAMAS, FAL or M16A4 with an ACOG can be almost as good as a sniper rifle, and usually much more versatile. Run with one too for lower speed, but greater ability to look towards the middle of the map and take out enemies from a distance.
• First and foremost a proper knifing class includes the Marathon (pro) perk and a pistol with a Tactical Knife attachment (I prefer the USP .45, but I know a lot of people who use the Desert Eagle or the Magnum for it). The other two perks are a little bit less defined. Either you can go with a stealthy knifing combo (Cold-Blooded and Ninja) or a highly offensive form (Lightweight and Commando) or a combination of the two. I prefer the latter because I really appreciate the speed Lightweight gives.
• If you decide to knife on Wasteland, stay on the outside of the map. And I mean the outside. Unless you’re by a part of the map that has a fence or a building, you should constantly be close to the radiation warning signs. Staying on the outside won’t give you a whole lot of kills, but you should also prevent yourself from dying too. Plus, you should be able to pick off the people who are also on the outside of the map. Use as much cover as possible and constantly scan for targets to flank. Your speed or stealth should allow you to do this without too much difficulty. If you get picked off by a sniper go the other way to get behind him. Rarely, go towards the cave.
• Sniping
• Sniping classes are varied so I won’t go into them specifically, but I like to use the Barrett .50 cal with FMJ (maybe a Thermal Scope) along with Steady Aim Pro and Stopping Power Pro.
• Camping should be discouraged. It doesn’t make you a better player in the slightest, so, don’t stick in one spot otherwise you can and probably will get flanked by opposition. It’s cool to see an enemy, and take cover behind something while you take him out, but it’s a smart idea to displace and relocate immediately afterwards.
• Again stay towards the outside, but it’s safer to move towards the middle here. If you want to pick off guys inside the cave, go for it, but don’t camp again, because eventually the opposition will get wise to your act and, again, flank your ass into the ground.
• If you’ve got a ghilly suit on, use it to your advantage. Unllike HALO, MW2 makes hiding enemies very hard to see and cover behind plants and bushes can be very effective.
• Demolition class
• Ok, this class maybe looked down upon by some, but I really think that this is one level where “noob-tubing” should be used to teach people that trying to hold the cave is a bad idea. Use any assault rifle with a grenade launcher; the Thumper or RPG as your secondary and Danger Close as your 2nd perk. C4, Frags or Semtexs are also welcome. Scavenger should be used too so you can pick up extra grenades.
• Only, and I emphasize only, use this class if the other team thinks they can win the game by holding the cave. These people are obviously not schooled, so give them an education. Start to blind fire into the cave if you know they have a presence there. It will be hard not to hit someone. I’d recommend UAV as a killstreak too, so you can blindfire more effectively, namely at the direction of the red dots on the minimap.
• Other tips
• Don’t be afraid to change classes. If you’re deterring spelunkers and they suddenly stop going into the cave, start sniping or knifing. If you’re not seeing many people on the outside of the map, “noob tube.”
• Use killstreaks wisely. I’d strongly suggest UAV on this map, because it gives you an exact location due to a lack of verticality (real word according to Spell-check) on the map. For that reason, I’d also suggest Counter-UAV for when the enemy uses a UAV. Any of the other offensive killstreaks work too (If you’re noob tubing though, don’t be afraid to put on Pavelow or another, higher kill count killstreak).
• Don’t be afraid to mix things up. A FAMAS, FAL or M16A4 with an ACOG can be almost as good as a sniper rifle, and usually much more versatile. Run with one too for lower speed, but greater ability to look towards the middle of the map and take out enemies from a distance.
