One of these doesn’t look like the other, and that’s mainly due to one being familiar. Strike is coming in from Call of Duty 4, similar to Showdown, and Punta Mar is the first “new” map we’ve seen in a hot minute, although the Las Almas location might point to it’s eventual conclusion in the rumored big Warzone map coming later this year. There’s a lot you have to prep for when a new map comes out, but the awesome people over at the Call of Duty Blog have dropped their tips and tricks on how to approach both. Check those out below, and keep you eyes peeled for our Season 5 impressions in the coming weeks.
Strike
In this sprawling urban center, there’s danger at every corner and enough traversable buildings to make you check both high and low when approaching the next objective.
The map’s larger size provides ample opportunity to get into position before the fight begins. Will you move up in haste to bring the battle to the enemy right away, or melt into one of many power positions, waiting for the enemy to come stumbling into your line of sight?
In this iconic 6v6 Core Multiplayer map – first released in the original Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare® and re-released in Modern Warfare 2 (2009) – launching with Season 05 in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II, the possibilities are endless.
Spawn Point: KorTac
KorTac Spawn Zone (Northeast) — Junkyard
Starting from the Junkyard, KorTac forces have several options at the start of the match, with each path catering somewhat to a certain type of Loadout.
Midranged Loadouts perform well through the southern Market route; prepare to engage at the dividing wall. Those with closer-ranged Loadouts may prefer to book it toward the western Clock Tower, using its pedestal and the surrounding buildings to cut sightlines short.
For snipers, the real prize is found along the central Main Street, a long route with little visual obstruction down the length of it. A two-story building is essentially the “hero” of the map for these sharpshooters, as it will become a power position and focal point for combat early and often during a match.
Spawn Point: SpecGru
SpecGru Spawn Zone (South) — Hill
From the southern Hill location, fast SpecGru Operators can get the advantage over the Clock Tower by rushing north to the second story of the Main Store. From here, you’ll have a powerful vantage point over the eastern half of the tower.
You might also head east and up the Flower Shop stairs for a vantage point over enemies coming through the Market. For snipers and other long-ranged Loadouts, consider booking it to the west end of Main Street, where you’re likely to encounter enemy snipers on the other side, so be ready to engage.
Map Maneuvers: Route Planning
For the purposes of this guide, we’re dividing Strike into seven main sections:
– Junkyard and Market
– Apartment
– Clock Tower
– Shops
– Main Street
– Hill
– Flower Shop
Junkyard and Market
Starting in the northeast and running south through the Market, this section offers a great means of moving up and down the map without being exposed to the central Main Street. Its narrow layout and plentiful cover pieces allow close- and midranged Loadouts to shine in a map where long distances are the mainstay.
There’s also easy access to the Apartment and Electronics Store for making a push west, both offering valuable cover when combat gets heated.
Apartment
Easy to spot by the big “Laundry” sign hanging out front, the Apartment marks a critical point in the northeast section of the map, standing guard over the Junkyard, Market, Crashed Car, and the roads leading toward the Clock Tower and Main Street. Its two levels offer multiple points from which to launch an attack, so an active player can attack on all sides.
Clock Tower
Surrounded by high walls, the Clock Tower and Culture Center behind it mark another point where shorter-ranged Loadouts can perform well. The entry points from the Café to the west, Main Street to the south, and Apartment to the east present some risk when holding these positions, but the area’s central location gives Operators a chance to cut off a major thoroughfare through the map. Lock down this spot and enemies will be forced into crossing Main Street.
Shops
The Shops form a key area around the western section of Main Street, providing access to several interior spaces. The Café and Main Store are great starting points for an attack toward the Clock Tower, with the upper Main Store additionally looking deep into Hill. The Restaurant on the area’s southern border offers a large ground-floor interior; hop onto the walls surrounding its outdoor seating for a raised view over the Shops.
Main Street
A sniper’s paradise, Main Street stretches nearly all the way across the map. Located in the center, it’s also a major crossing point. If you need to get through, take a moment to read the area and then race across using Tactical Sprint.
Expect Operators to occupy the buildings on its perimeter, namely the Main Store on its west end, the Electronics Store on its east end, and the Hotel along the bottom. Expect fighting from building to building, with Operators in the street getting caught in the middle. Sandbags, barricades, and other obstacles offer some cover in the street, but you’ll still be highly exposed from multiple angles.
Hill
While not quite as concealed as the Junkyard main spawn, the Hill sits relatively apart from the rest of the map, at least when pulling back behind Thorley’s Supermarket. Note that, for this version of Strike, a new hallway was added for better combat flow, ensuring that an Operator that holes up in the Supermarket can still be smoked out through this hallway.
When looking north, long-ranged Loadouts can get some shots on enemies in the Main Store and even out to the Shops.
Note the balcony of the orange building here — this provides a good vantage point against enemies moving between Hill and the Flower Shop just east. And watch for Shotguns when traversing the tight staircase connecting Hill and Restaurant.
Flower Shop
The Flower Shop provides a strong power position over activity in the southeast, with its upper level offering views toward Hill, over the Market, and a small section of the eastern Main Street. From the ground floor, its single front entrance provides a more concealed view against enemies coming in from the north. The gas station just east is also worth mentioning; while you can’t get inside of it, the low stone wall and barricade offer solid protection when skirmishing in the area.
Objective Routes and Rotations
Mode Intel: Domination
Main Street heats up even more in Domination, with all three flags positioned just out of sight of the main drag. In the west, the A flag sits within the Restaurant’s outdoor seating area, surrounded by high walls. It’s a short trek from here to the B flag at the base of the Clock Tower, but the deadly Main Street separates the two.
Positioned in the eastern Market, the C flag presents a longer travel time to B, but it’s possible to move between the two flags without crossing Main Street. The team that can hold down the Clock Tower is in the best position to win, even if that means swapping between A and C as your second flag; because the area is relatively protected, it’s not as difficult a task as capturing B in other maps.
Mode Intel: Search & Destroy
It’s a long route to the bomb sites on this large map, with the attacking team starting in the southern Hill, the A site positioned by the Cultural Center behind the Clock Tower, and the B site in the eastern Market just behind the Apartment. The defending team therefore has ample time to get into position, so take it slow and communicate. Thankfully, because both sites are north of Main Street, attackers can avoid the danger there by quickly crossing over at the start of the match. Moving east from Shops is also a solid strategy, as well as booking it to the Flower Shop and then working your way up to the B site.
On defense, the Apartment offers an obvious power position over B, so it may be wise to send the bulk of your forces to the A site until you have a better idea of where the attackers are heading. And don’t hesitate to fan out, as this provides the team a greater overall field of view.
Mode Intel: Hardpoint
There are six total Hardpoints on Strike, making this a great mode for learning all the ins and outs of the map. Teams will first rush to the center with the initial Hardpoint appearing inside the Hotel before moving just west outside the Restaurant; bulk up your forces between these two areas to increase your chances of getting the most points out of both objectives.
From the Restaurant, the objective moves to the Electronics Store on the other side of Main Street, then south to the Flower Shop. As with the first two Hardpoints, sending the bulk of your forces between the third and fourth objectives can help you form an early lead in the match. From the Flower Shop, teams will need to cross the map for the fifth Hardpoint by the Cultural Center; get some Operators there early since it’s a long trip. The final Hardpoint appears in the primary room of the upstairs Apartment. On a larger map like this, early rotations are crucial, so play aggressively.
Top Tips
1. Learn the layout. With large buildings around every corner, you might at first feel like you can’t move a step without being spotted from some balcony. That’s not the case, however, as many of the buildings are closed off or only accessible on the ground floor. Take your time learning where the real threats are so you can ignore the rest.
2. Know your power positions. Once you’ve identified the traversable buildings, it’s time to lock in on the major power positions so that you know where to look when passing through. Get to know the Flower Shop, Apartment, and Main Store, and don’t neglect power positions located on the ground floor in places like the Hotel and Electronics Store.
3. Up in smoke. Enemy snipers clogging up Main Street? Equip a Smoke Grenade so you can obstruct their view when you need to pass. Pair it with the Drill Charge to blast enemies inside buildings and behind the walls by the Clock Tower and Restaurant.
4. Found you. On larger maps like Strike, it can be more difficult to pinpoint the enemy’s location. Use the Spotter Bonus Perk to check for fortified positions around the map, particularly within and around the main traversable buildings.
5. Special delivery. Can’t seem to dislodge the enemy Operator holed up in the Apartment or get close to that deadly sniper on Main Street? Use the Bomb Drone Killstreak to send them an explosive gift. It’s cheap and it gets the job done.
6. Pick up weapons. On bigger maps, there’s often a greater chance of running through your ammo reserves. Expand your supply by picking up weapons on the ground as you move through the map.
7. Easy Care Packages. Fall back to the Junkyard or Hill for an easy Care Package deployment. While the enemy is fighting for control over Main Street, you’ll be safely acquiring your next streak.
8. Birdseye. Use the Birdseye Ultimate Perk for a better view of the minimap, making it more difficult for enemies to catch you unaware on a flank. Pair it with the UAV and/or Portable Radar Field Upgrade to reveal the enemy’s direction on each ping.
9. Tactical Insertion. Take control of your next spawn by placing a Tactical Insertion, an especially useful item when you need to hold down a specific area of the map.
10. Buddy system. Traverse the map with a friend to better your odds against enemy encounters. The loser of each skirmish has quite a trek back to their position.
Punta Mar
A seaside tourist destination becomes the latest battleground for KorTac and SpecGru forces as Operators descend into Punta Mar ready to skirmish.
In this small 6v6 Core Multiplayer map launching with Season 05 for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® II, teams will fight across the streets and over the rooftops of a tight arena with little time between engagements. Watch the shop windows for enemy Operators, use the side streets and alleyways to your advantage, and keep pressing for the win.
Spawn Point: KorTac
KorTac Spawn Zone (East) — Backlot
It won’t take long for the fighting to begin on this small map, but KorTac forces still have a few options in the match’s opening seconds, namely whether they opt for sticking to ground level or climbing to the Rooftops.
On the ground, take the middle path to get right into the thick of the battle on the main road, or head through the northern alley or southern Underpass for tighter, closer-quarters combat. There are several easily accessible ladders leading to the Rooftops of the nearby buildings for those looking to get above the action.
Spawn Point: SpecGru
SpecGru Spawn Zone (West) – Construction
While the SpecGru starting spawn lacks the verticality available to KorTac, the Construction area is also closer to the main road compared to the Backlot. Head north to access the top of the road, with an even better view obtainable by climbing to the Shootout balcony via the dumpster on the building’s south side.
Take the southern path toward the Intersection to avoid the main road, instead focusing on short- to midranged battles; watch for enemies firing from the second floor of Stores or rushing in from the Underpass.
Map Maneuvers: Route Planning
For the purposes of this guide, we’re breaking up Punta Mar into five main sections:
- Construction
- Center
- Intersection
- Rooftops
- Shrine
Construction
The open Construction area features stacked supplies and large vehicles for cover when passing through. Of particular interest are the stacked paving stones; hop onto the barrel beside them for a fortified view of all three entry points. Prepare to encounter enemies doing the same when breaching the area. A sticky grenade thrown just behind their position should convince them to move.
Note the southern path leading in and out of Construction; the garage here makes for the perfect ambush point against passing enemies. Use it to cut down traffic in the area and look out for opponents inside when moving through.
Center
Including the tourist information center and the buildings around it, Center marks a natural hotbed of activity between the two major spawn points. Climb onto the tourist building for a commanding view over the main road, or fight for a spot on the upper levels of Stores, Shootout, and Hotel.
On the ground, watch for enemies coming from the Underpass or firing from Groceries. With many available points of contact surrounding it, Center is likely to be in the thick of battle for much of the match.
Intersection
At the southern point of the map, Intersection finds Operators battling across storefronts. With Intersection being located about equidistant from the two main spawn points, there will be a lot of clashes here. Fights are bound to break out between Groceries and Stores, and anyone moving through the Intersection additionally becomes exposed to the Center. Move quickly and be ready to engage; in a pinch, the blue truck offers solid cover against attacks from the north.
Rooftops
Punta Mar features several ladders and other means of accessing the Rooftops of the eastern buildings, providing Operators with the ability to get high above the competition. From here, players can easily get a full view of the main road, though watch your six as enemies around the Backlot and Shrine can land shots from behind. Also be prepared to fight off intruders joining you here, so swap to your Handgun if your Primary Weapon struggles in close quarters.
Shrine
The Shrine and the Backlot behind it sit in a fairly open area, so be mindful when moving around here. The nearby Green Building and Fire both face the Shrine, with the upper level of Fire providing another access point to the Rooftops. When capturing objectives in this area, move into one of these two buildings afterward to defend the point; otherwise you’re a sitting duck to anyone on the Rooftops or coming through the narrow passage.
Objective Routes and Rotations
Mode Intel: Domination
Flags can change hands fast on a small map like this, so stay focused on the objective and strive to lock down two flags and hold them. The A and C flags are both near the starting spawns, though these points may change throughout the match if the enemy team’s spawn flag is captured.
The Intersection gains extra prominence here as the location for the B flag, so expect heavy bouts of fighting coming from all sides. Try holding down Groceries and Stores to either side of it to cut down on the incoming crossfire. When attacking the C flag in Construction, head in through Shootout to cut off overhead cover for the defenders and let them have it with an air-to-ground streak.
On A, use the Shrine for cover against the Rooftops, then set up in Fire or the Green Building to defend it. You’ve likely picked up on a theme here: Grab the flag, then fan out to cover positions around it so you’re not an easy target sitting out in the open.
Mode Intel: Search & Destroy
While Search & Destroy tends to slow things down, you can still expect a lot of fast-paced rounds here as teams go for the elimination win. With the defenders starting in the Backlot, the attacking team should be ready for Operators to appear on the Rooftops, hoping to use their height advantage to get early eliminations. Consider hoofing it through the Hotel to meet them there or taking the south path toward the B bomb site behind the blue truck in Intersection.
With the A bomb site located on the second floor of Fire, it’s a good bet that the attackers will often favor the B site, which isn’t as deep in the enemy starting spawn. The defending team may therefore want to push toward B for a strong early defense. Even if the attackers expect it, it can’t hurt to send your best sharpshooter(s) to the Rooftops, so long as they can fend off early counterattacks.
Mode Intel: Hardpoint
Prepare to explore every corner of the map with a total of eight Hardpoints, starting in the Center and then moving north to the Green Building in the Backlot. From there, head south to the first floor of Shootout, then northeast to the bottom of Stores, and then back west to the Hotel lobby. Return to the Intersection for the sixth Hardpoint in Groceries; then fight for control of both starting spawns, beginning with Construction and ending on the first floor of Fire.
That’s a lot of Hardpoints to get through, but the map’s small size makes travel fast. With the ability to see large sections of the map at a time via the Rooftops, it’s possible to shut down enemies en route before they even get to the objective, so long as you can defend your position.
Top Tips
1. Stay on the move. The danger of the main road combined with the proliferation of traversable buildings may encourage you to find an interior you like and stick to it, but you’ll be more successful if you move aggressively and keep to the front lines of the fight.
2. Battle for the Rooftops. The Rooftops over the eastern buildings are a highlight of the map. There’s sure to be many skirmishes for control over the sights they provide. Learn all the routes leading up here so you can get there fast and know where to look for incoming attacks.
3. Keep your feet on the ground. Even if you are the ruler of the Rooftops, there’s a time and place for everything. If your team needs you elsewhere, get down and fight on the ground.
4. Overclock your Field Upgrade. Field Upgrades like the Trophy System and Portable Radar are invaluable on a small map like Punta Mar, upping your defense against the constant stream of incoming enemies. Consider the Overclock Ultimate Perk to earn them even faster in addition to storing an extra use for times of great need.
5. Double the fun. With traversable buildings lining the main road, you’ll often move from exterior midrange engagements to interior close-quarters fighting. Consider equipping the Overkill Base Perk so you can switch to the best weapon possible in both scenarios.
6. Flash the Garage. When heading to or from Construction along the south path, don’t hesitate to throw a grenade — Flashbang, Stun, or any kind — into the Garage on your way. It’s better to throw it and discover nobody’s there than attempt to defend yourself when it’s too late.
7. Trap the narrow passage. The narrow passage leading to the main road from Shrine is the perfect spot to lay down a Proximity Mine or Claymore. There’s little room to move, so an inattentive Operator will surely cross its path.
8. Van to vet. On the main road and you need to get up to the Rooftops fast? Climb onto the van in front of the veterinary clinic and hop onto the building’s roof to get up high in a jiff.
9. Sights up. A little preparation can go a long way. Raise those sights when turning a corner toward the main road or toward any major new location. On a map this small, there’s a good chance there’ll be an enemy on the other side.
10. No easy retreat. As idyllic as the surroundings may appear, Operators aren’t here to relax. This is an intense, close-range map with little downtime between engagements. That’s not to say you won’t have fun; in fact, it’s a never-ending blast. Head in ready for the fight.
Stay frosty.
Stay tuned to Gaming Trend for more Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II news and info!
David Burdette is a gamer/writer/content creator from TN and Lead Editor for Gaming Trend. He loves Playstation, Star Wars, Marvel, and many other fandoms. He also plays way too much Call Of Duty. You can chat with him on Twitter @SplitEnd89.
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