We used satellite images to model Dai Chopan and the general look of the Zabul province in the southern mountains of Afghanistan. Our map has a valley that cuts through high rocky terrain. The ruins of a town are situated on top of the hills that border the main road cutting through the valley. We added a stream area to complete the feel of the region.

The enemy is particularly aggressive in this mission. The Taliban fighters are programmed to seek out the player. This is slightly different from most past missions where your troops are usually on the offensive pressing the attack. You’re going to have to take cover behind large rocks and ruined buildings in order to survive.

We added mounted TOWs because they are fairly common in terms of the heaviest armaments troops could take on long journeys into the mountains. They are common in Iraq as well. Once you take control of the TOW, though, expect even more resistance from the enemy.

We put a HMMWV at the start of the mission because this is a long one. The vehicle will be good to help you move more quickly, but because there are a lot of enemies with RPGs, it most likely won’t survive the entire ambush. When you get to the hot spots, you’ll probably want to abandon the HMMWV and go the rest of the way on foot.

There were more than 100 Taliban fighters descending on the Marines in this particular assault, so the mission will have that same feel. You will have snipers in the mountains and experience plenty of incoming RPG fire, but one of the greatest challenges is going to be the waves of enemies approaching all at the same time. It’ll feel like they’re coming from everywhere. We’ve given you some NPC (non-player character) Marines to give you the feel of an even bigger battle and to help you fight the enemy. Good Luck!