Sea Knight is down doesn't have quite the same ring to it as Black Hawk down. But that's the story behind, perhaps, Call of Duty 4's best-loved map, C...
Sea Knight is down doesn't have quite the same ring to it as Black Hawk down. But that's the story behind, perhaps, Call of Duty 4's best-loved map, Crash. The map revolves around a Sea Knight cargo chopper that's cracked open like a monkey nut. Marines and the Opposing Force scramble around the wreckage in any of CoD's six gametypes, sniping from rooftops, chucking grenades and ducking into doorways for cover.
It's a tight, brutal, frantic avenue abattoir, and the main challenge is just staying alive long enough to put out some lead. The map's dotted with blind corners, paper-thin walls, claustrophobic tenements and time bomb automobiles making most of Crash a deathtrap. So we're going to be looking at the few spots that are, if not safe, then at least temporarily non-fatal.
Crash is so popular that Infinity Ward decided to redecorate it last Christmas, hanging fairy lights from the blasted buildings and sprouting a Christmas tree from the chopper's blown-open midsection. Winter Crash is hilarious and really rather pretty, so it still gets a lot of play today - and as much as the vanilla version of the map. And luckily for us, it's tactically identical; apart from the odd candycane or snowman blocking your shots.
Marines start the match at the east end of Crash, while OpFor spawn on higher ground to the west. Here's where to go from there.
The High Ground
Marines: hit the roof
The crash site itself is a tactical nightmare to navigate and control. Trying to capture and hold the remains of the cargo chopper is a bad idea as bullets punch right through the whirlybird's walls, so hiding within just makes you a can of meat on the battlefield.
But a lot of the action still revolves around this area. A patient trooper will note that there's a constant traffic of mostly harried soldiers desperately scampering past it to get to safety. So the three-storey building to the north of it, next to the tail-end, is a prime spot.
The first floor has a great angle on the crash site and even some of the OpFor spawn area. It also has plenty of darkness and cover to cower in when the heat gets too much. Better still, locking down this floor secures the rooftop for any snipers on your team, so they can concentrate on doing a Private Jackson: reciting passages of scripture in southern accents, while headshotting the OpFors.
The rooftop is the highest point on the map (discounting awkward trick-jumps), and has huge views of two high-traffic kill-zones. Lay claymores on the ramp and keep an ear out for enemy helicopter fire.
Back alley dealings
OpFor: they don't like it up'em
Sticking to street level is usually a mistake, and you do want the high ground the Marines are going for. But their spawn point is closer to it, so rushing it from the word go means they're already set up to mow you down.
You've got to be a little more sneaky, and play to your advantages. If the Marines have gone for the north building in force, the back alley from your starting point to theirs will be mostly clear. Belt down it, picking off any shooters in the tall grass at the end, and you can circle all the way round to that same building from the opposite angle they're expecting.
One or two guys cover, the rest of you charge. Watch for red lasers on the ground - good Snipers will have claymores around.
Be psychic
Everyone: look up, and now to the left: smile.
Being a close-quarters battle environment, you're going to spend a lot of time on Crash with smoke, dust, shrapnel, blood and fire blocking your vision. This isn't downtime, nor are you helpless. Every time you don't have 20/20 vision, hit the deck and check your mini-map. Your radar knows where most of the enemy teams are.
The safest hiding spots have a clear line of fire to heavily populated parts of the map. You can't see them, but your radar pinpoints enemy positions so accurately that you can easily kill people straight through a solid wall. Take the Deep Impact and Stopping Power perks to up your blind-firing powers.
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