Two big PC-centric games release this week — Hard Reset may be an old-school shoot-’em-up (Check out our Hard Reset walkthrough!) but Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad is just the opposite. Realism is the draw for this team-based online squad shooter, but this game isn’t just for multiplayer. A singleplayer campaign rounds out the features for this intense World War 2 game, set in the burnt wreckage and killing fields of Stalingrad during the heated war in Russia. Play as the Soviet Union or the Third Reich online or offline, and get a feeling for the down and dirty nature of combat.
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad’s single-player campaign is actually just multi-player in disguise. There are bots on each of the opposing sides. Eventually you can control your entire squad to add some tactical thought into the battles. Overall however, the single-player campaign is practice for when you’re ready to hop online and face off against real people.
German Campaign
Allies Campaign
German Campaign
Chapter 1: Breaching the Defenses
Basic Training
After the introduction to the German campaign, you’re thrust into the boots of a German soldier as he goes through basic training.
You’re tasked to go through an obstacle course. Use W,A,S, and D to move through course’s sandbags. Once you’ve taught those sandbags a lesson, jump over the upcoming trenches with “space”. Afterwards, jump over some logs with “space” as well. You’ll then come across a log you’ll need to balance yourself on. Jump on it and try not to fall.
The course will lead you right where you’ll climb up a ladder, then down the other side. Once you’re down, there’s a trench to the right with barbed wire blocking your way. Sprint using “shift” then dive using “left alt”. There will be a break in the middle. You can run here then sprint and dive under the next set of barbed wire. Then, crouch under a pair of logs using “C” to duck and run through to the weapons course.
Once you’re out of the winding trench, approach the sandbags and move to the left most station. You’ll learn how to use the Mauser pistol. Press “R” to reload. You can also hold “R” to check your ammo. Three targets will appear. Shoot them, then head to the adjacent station to your right.
The next station is the SMG station. Here you can take cover using “left ctrl”. You’ll then duck behind the sandbags. Once you’re ducked, you can blindfire from cover. Give it a try. There will then be targets to shoot so take them out.
Exit out of cover then shoot the rest of the targets that appear. Next, you’ll learn that controlled breathing makes your gun more accurate. Do this on the targets, by looking down the ironsights using “RMB” then holding “left shift”. The camera should zoom slightly giving you a better shot. Move on to the next station.
The next station is the rifle station which lets you use the KAR98. This is a bit different as you’ll need to actually measure your distance to the target. Once you’re looking down the sights using “RMB”, you can change your distance by using the “mouse wheel” up and down. The German officer that’s barking orders at you will suggest using 300m at first. Take out each target, by measuring how far they are, and pulling the trigger.
Your officer will then mention weapons ballistics saying that there will be bullet drop that accompanies farther targets. Take this into account as you hit the next target. Once you’re done, move to the next station.
This station lets you utilize the MG34 LMG. You can’t look down the ironsights unless you having something to mount it on. Mount it on the sandbags by pressing “RMB”. To change barrels press “6″, then shoot the targets.
The LMG also has a single shot mode. When the targets are up, shoot them in single shot mode with the “middle mouse button”. Continuously press the “MMB” to fire a shot. Once you’re done move to the sniper station.
When you enter the station, you’ll be given a KAR98 with a scope attached to it. You’ll shoot the gun versus static targets using different stances. The first is standing up, then crouched, then prone. Shoot all the targets in each stance. Notice the increased accuracy with each subsequent stance.
You’ll then have to shoot one target, while adjusting your sights with the “mouse wheel” like it was done with on the rifle range using the same rifle without the scope. Or as the officer suggests, you can also aim high to account for the bullet drop.
If you are holding a sniper rifle with someone close by, you can switch to using the ironsights instead of the scope by pressing “6″. You’ll need to be looking down the scope to do this however.
When you’re finished, move to the grenade pit where the sandbags are flashing yellow. Take cover by pressing “left ctrl” and roll the grenade into the pit in front of you by pressing the “middle MB”. Once you see the debris fly, use the “LMB” to throw into the highlighted house of sandbags, which are farther away.
You’ll then learn to cook the grenade. Just hold “LMB” to cook it, then release the button into the middle of the enclosed sandbags. When you’re finished, move to the fixed machine gun station by turning around, and heading left where the sandbags are flashing yellow.
When you’re there, press “left crtl” to use it. You can also use the ironsights with “RMB”. Fire at the trucks in the distance. Blow up one truck and move on to learn how to use a melee attack, which is activated by using the “middle MB”. Use it on the barrel. You’ve just completed basic training.
Secure the Village of Spartanovka
You have four objectives in this mission. The first is to Take the Church, second is to Clear Housing Block 1, third is to Clear Housing Block 2, and finally capture the Town Hall. I’d like to note that after a certain amount of time, your troops that surround you will die, but don’t fret, you’ll get reinforcements after a certain amount of time as well. If you die however, you’ll automatically take over a person in your squad.
When you begin, you’ll see the church in front of you. Move with your troops towards the objective. You can press “T”, which targets your current objective, so you can keep an eye on where you’re going. Also helpful, is the map screen which can be accessed by pressing “M”. It’s a huge map, so approach the objectives as you see fit, using cover and methodically taking out opponents.
When enough men have shredded the opposition inside the church, a star icon will fill up. Once it’s filled, you will have secured the church. Once that’s finished, move on to the next objective, which is to Clear Housing Block 1.
Move up to the next objective and use cover whenever possible or you could die in just one shot. Take your time and try to weed out any opposing forces that are lingering. Eventually, your squad will move up along with you to capture the point. When that’s finished, focus on the next objective, to Clear Housing Block 2.
Move in and take cover from behind the fences and approach when it’s safe. Watch out for the machine gun fire coming from the Town Hall and the air strikes from up above. Kill any enemies along the way while you head for the objective. Remember you can press “T” to target your objective. When enough enemies have been killed, your squad mates will eventually rush to the target objective. Try to join them to capture the point. Once Housing Block 2 is secure it’s time to capture the Town Hall.
Move to some cover behind a fence or a house that can provide a good view of the Town Hall. Peek when you can and fire at any enemies that pop out from the windows.
When the enemies have been thinned out, approach the Town Hall and take cover from behind any entrances like windows and doors. Take out anyone you see inside. You squad should support you. Once you get enough men to the Town Hall, you’ll eventually capture it. It’s time for the next mission.
Red Barracks
There are four objectives here as well. The first is to secure the Warehouse, second Clear the Political School, third is to capture the Infirmary and last, to take the Administration Hall.
You start off inside a warehouse with your troops at hand facing the warehouse that you need to secure. Use cover using the boxes to slowly approach the building. Watch out for enemies up in the windows and others that will try to flank you. When you feel that the threat has been thinned out, head toward the building, enter it, and take out any remaining opposition. Your reinforcements should back you up and help you take the Warehouse.
After capturing, exit the warehouse and head toward your next objective, to Clear the Political School. Take cover around the walls surrounding the school and approach the building when you get the chance. Sneak around the windows and take out anyone in the rooms. When the coast is clear enter the building and capture the point.
The next objective is right next to you in the form of the Infirmary. You should be able to head straight for the building as most of the enemies are inside. Watch out for bombings that can deplete your bar. You’ll need to enter the building to take the enemies out. Once they are taken care of, head to the next objective, to take the Administration Hall.
When you approach the Admin Hall, watch out for snipers on the balcony. Take them out or try to avoid them by using the adjacent buildings for cover as you march yourself to the hall. Take out any enemies that are lingering outside, then head inside with your troops following you. Eventually, you’ll see the star meter fill up as you take out any one inside. Once it’s full, the mission will complete.
Chapter 2: The Heart of the City
Training Mission 2: Squad Leader
This is where it gets interesting. You can now control your squad with some simple button presses. To cycle through your squad press “X”. Select the rifle squad by pressing “X”, then the LMG team using the same button and finally choose the entire squad.
When the entire squad is chosen, press “B” to open the command wheel and on the bottom right of the wheel select, “Follow Me”. The squad will then move behind you. When this action is done, move yourself to the cart that is flashing yellow up ahead. Your squad will follow you.
When you arrive you can move your squads individually by using a cursor that’s planted on the ground. To do this, select the rifle team, hold “F”, then move the cursor next to the yellow fence and press “LMB”. Do the same thing with the LMG team, but on the right side of fence, where it will also be flashing yellow. Now, move up with the rest of the team following you, to where you placed both teams by the fence.
Now it’s time to tell the rifle team to attack objectives. The tank will be flashing yellow. Select the rifle team, then hold “B” to open the wheel, then hover over “Attack”, then select the objective. Do the same thing for the next objective, which also happens to be a tank.
When the rifle squad is set up, select your entire squad by pressing “X” until it’s selected, then tell them to defend the second objective. Hold “B”, then hover over “Defend” then choose the second objective. The rest of your squad will move up. Move up with them.
As you run forward, head straight to the sandbags and you should see a house in the distance. Press “5″ to use your binoculars on the house. Click “RMB” to zoom in, then click “LMB” to call an artillery strike on the house. What the house get torn to splinters. You’ve just completed Squad Leader Training.
Mission 3: Station One
You start off at the rail yard with a multitude of trains littering the tracks. They make for good cover because you’ll be needing it. Up ahead is a long, narrow bridge where the enemy forces will hold the line. They have the advantage of being on higher ground. Use your new squad skills to meander your way through the train cars as you try and whittle them away. These guys can get tough at that position, so dig in and try to take them out from a distance as well. As they thin out, keep moving ahead and you should be able to take the North Railyard.
To capture the North Hall, you’ll have to go inside the building and weed out the forces. Use lots of cover in this situation as they can shoot you from above or at times, sneak up on you. Once you’ve gained a foothold, the star should start filling up and you’re on your way to capturing the North Hall.
The next objective, Central Hall, is adjacent to the North Hall so it’s only a few steps away, but the fighting is fierce. Take lots of cover here as the bullets will be flying. If you can, try to flank the enemy position since they’re all so bunched up inside the building. There are some good spots to flank that will take you underground and have you appear right on their lines. When you have the advantage and have taken over Central Hall, it’s time to capture South Hall.
The enemies will be in full force here, but stay in cover and pop out when the time is right and you should start whittling them away one by one. With enough of them down for the count, you should have enough men to take over this objective.
Mission 4: Grain Elevator
For your first objective you’ll need to secure the Weigh Station Gate House. On your way, head inside the building straight ahead for cover as you approach the Weigh Station Gate House. There will be some enemies peeking out of the windows so either take them out or head toward the building when they aren’t firing and remove them from existence when they’re nearby. When you think the firing has stopped enter the building and it should be easy pickings.
Now head to the Conveyor Tower. You will be passing an open area so watch out for hidden machine gunners and snipers in the area. Take your time to move across the field as you make your way to the tower. As you make your way to toward the building, there will be artillery pounding the building so time your moves before you decide to capture the point. When you get close enough to get inside, take out the forces occupying it. Also, if you decide to head toward the left side of the building, watch out for more snipers in the window. When the tower is captured, it’s time to take the fight indoors.
There’s lot of cover here as you try and maneuver your way to capture the Elevator Foothold. As you move your way forward, it’s nice to have some machine gunners pouring bullets down the hallway for some covering fire. It should also peel away some of the enemies. When they’re mostly dead, tell your squad to move forward and the Elevator Foothold should be yours.
It’s time to take the second floor. There are some stairs near where you entered the building. Keep heading up and use “T” to highlight the objective if you lose it on your way up. Enemies will be swarming this room, so find a nice place to take cover and show them who’s boss of this room. When more soldiers on your side are standing, you’ll start capturing the point
Now to capture the 4th floor. There should be some stairs leading up to the 4th floor from the 2nd. Take them up and get ready for another firefight. Shoot down the hall to take care of any enemies and once they’ve started dying out, get your troops to capture the point. Use your machine gunners to lay down a base of fire if you want to get tactical and they should be able to mow down any opponents down the hall. When there aren’t enough them, yet more of you, that star should be filling up green and you’ll eventually capture this final point.
Chapter 3: Counterattack
Mission 5: Defending Spartanovka
Just like the mission states, it’s a defend objective. You’ll need to hold out inside the church you so fondly remember. It’s the first objective you took, back in your very first outing. You’ll need to repel the forces trying to get inside the church to capture it’s point, for a total of 4 minutes. It’s best if you can spawn a sniper to get those pesky enemies from far away before they even reach the church.
If they get in close, dig in and wait for them to come in as they hop through a window, since they’ll be defenseless during that animation.
When the time is up, that means you have successfully defended Spartanovka.
Chapter 4: Approaching the Factories
Mission 6: Russian Apartments
It’s time to take out the Apartment Block where the Russians are housed. They are dug in well, so you’ll need to be careful during your approach. On your way toward the building, you can cross the small foggy ditch or use one of the bridges that leads to the apartment complex, depending on which side you chose, left or right.
There will be machine gunners and rifle soldiers in the windows high up on the highest story of the building so make your way slowly as you enter the building, or you can try to take them out from a distance. Once the troops inside have been taken out, move in with your troops to capture the Apartment Block. Once it’s been taken, move on to the Propaganda House.
The Propaganda House is a two story building and there will most likely be enemies on the second floor. Find an adjacent building that gives you access to the second floor for a more tactical advantage and a better view of the Prop House. Take out any one that’s in your line of sight then slowly move in watching out for the air strikes. When the Prop House has been taken, move on to Potapova Park.
As you make your way, a ton of machine gunners and riflemen will be waiting for you as they take cover behind a long brick wall. Try to flank to give them a nasty surprise, head inside some buildings to methodically get closer, or you can try to take them out from afar. It’s up to you. When it’s been taken over, head to the General Store, which is a stone’s throw away from the park, so once the opposition has been taken out, run into the store and capturing it should be quick and painless.
Mission 7: Russian Apartments 2
It’s time to play as the defensive team in this round. You’ll need to defend each of the first 3 locations you took over in the previous mission. It will start you off with defending the Apartment Block. I moved my troops in front of the two bridges so the Russians that tried to sneak through were minimal and I took out the ones that tried to enter the building. You have 3:30 minutes to defend this area before moving on the Propaganda House.
When you get to the Propaganda House, tell your troops to defend the objective. Select all your troops by cycling with “X”, then hold “B” to open up the command wheel, hover over to “Defend” and select the current objective. The Prop House should be easier to defend as it overlooks a courtyard so take advantage of the second floor balcony when you get there. Also, watch out for enemy flanking maneuvers if you don’t see any troops coming in from the balcony side. You’ll also get 3:30 minutes to defend here. When the 3:30 minutes are up, you’ll start at the park.
At the park, it’s easier to see the enemies arrive since you have a fairly clear view of the field. Remember where the Russians were when you attacked the park? Station your troops there and build of wall of gunfire. When you’ve taken down their troops they’ll most likely try to flank. Watch out for these tactics by looking at the second story windows where you lined up your troops. They will most likely head there to get a better position on you. The building is adorned with red paned windows, so keep a look out. That’s where they’ll dig. It’s another 3:30 minutes for you to defend.
After you’ve repelled the troops by defending the park, it’s on to the next training mission focusing on support.
Chapter 5: Pavlov’s House
Training Mission 3: Support
When you begin this training mission, you’ll need to blow open a door with a satchel charge. Do this by pressing “4”, then pressing “LMB” to throw the charge at the door. Once the charge has been placed, stand behind the glowing yellow sandbags and press “LMB” again to detonate. The door should blow open and it’s time to head for the tank straight ahead.
To blow it up, you’ll need an anti-tank grenade. Select it by pressing “4”. You’ll need to get closer than you may think. Throw the grenade by pressing “LMB” and once the tank has gone kaput, head into the green building ahead of you, entering the flashing yellow entrance.
It’s time to use an anti-tank gun, so move to the flashing yellow sandbags. You’ll need to mount the gun on the sandbags using “RMB”, then fire off some rounds at the tank in the distance. You’ll need to figure out the distance of the target, so select 300m, which worked for me, using the mouse wheel. Reload when necessary until the tank explodes. It takes a bunch of shots for it to do so.
Mission 8: Pavlov’s House
The first objective is to capture the Voyentorg Corner Ruins, which is the blue 4-story house on the corner. Use “T” to find your bearings and head there. There will be a lot of fire coming from the building as you run across the road along with some deployed smoke. The best way to do this is to flank from either side and avoid the road altogether because it’s a death trap.
Use the buildings for cover as you make your way closer to the blue building. Try to take out any troops on the ground and anyone you see in the building to help your troops capture the point. When you enter the building, head to the second floor and watch out for any troops in the floors above that come down. Once they’ve been taken out, the building should be yours.
Next up is the Zab’s House Ruins, which is a far run from the current building you’re occupying. To head there, you have to exit the building and use as much cover as you can to get to Zab’s. There’s a lot of open space, so move carefully toward Zab’s. The trains on the railroad tracks are good options. When you think you’re clear, run for the Zab building.
Enemies will be occupying the second floor and they’re dug in pretty well, so dig in yourself and take good shots to whittle them away. It’s going to be a tough fight since they’re hidden well inside the building’s ruins, but take your time and try to get into a good position to take them out. If you’re running thin, and inside the building, wait for the reinforcements to arrive and try to make a clean sweep when they do. Just keep digging in and the building should be yours.
It’s now time to take out the West Block of Pavlov’s House. It’s a huge gray building with lots of windows so be careful of snipers. Approach slowly and wait for reinforcements if you need it because it’s going to be a hard fight. Use the wall ahead of you for protection. It might be stalemate for a little while. If your troops have been shredded, wait for them to support you and try to get closer to the building. Your best best is to run toward the right into the building avoiding gunfire, enter the basement area, and come up from the bottom.
Find some stairs up and make your way toward the objective and remove any opposing forces. When they’re gone capture the West End. The East End is on the same floor, so head toward there when you’re finished capturing.
Close quarters gets tough because the enemy AI loves to melee you when they get the chance. So always watch your back and try to find a good place to hide if your reinforcements have been killed.
When you have enough reinforcements, head to the East End perimeter and start capturing the point. When the star is filled up, it’s on to the next part of this campaign.
Chapter 6: Assaulting the Barrikady
Training Mission 4: Tank
It’s time to learn how to use a tank. When you start, you’re riding in one of these bad boys as a driver. Look around to get a feel for the inside of the tank.
Move the mouse wheel up to open the hatch above and look outside. Move the mouse wheel down to use the scope and get a first person view of the tank. Use this view to start moving the tank with the W,A,S, and D keys.
Move forward and destroy the cart up ahead, then follow the path that leads to the left.
Now press 2 to enter the commander’s chair, then scroll the mouse wheel up to look out of the hatch. From here you can press “X” and select “My Tank”. Now, hold “F” and command the driver to move to a spot that you indicate. Press the “LMB” to go there. You can also press W,A,S, and D to move as well.
When you reach the flashing yellow sandbags, move to the hull gunner position by pressing “4”. You’ll now be presented with a scoped view. Use the machine gun to take out the targets. Use the top of the triangle to aim your shots. You can also do single shots, by continuously pressing the “middle MB”.
Now it’s time to move to the gunner seat. Press “3” to change seats. Use the “middle MB” to shoot down the targets, then head to the commander’s position by pressing “2”. Tell your driver to move to the crest up the hill to the gunnery range. It should be to your left. Exit the hatch if you need a better view. As you move up, hook a right and plant a marker where the fence is flashing yellow.
When you get there, press “3” to head back into the gunner seat, where you’ll get a nice scoped view. Press “6” to change ammo types and use “Q” and “E” to adjust your sights. Now aim for the tank and adjust accordingly.
Now hold “B”, then tell the tank to “Hold Fire”. Switch to the commander’s seat again by pressing “2” and tell the rest of your troops to move up, cycling through with “X” and selecting all fire teams.
Now head back to the gunner seat by pressing “3” and switch to HE (High Explosive) rounds and take out each house that you see in the distance. Obliterate them until they their roofs are gone. Then head to the square arch when you’re done. It’s time to head back into the campaign.
Mission 9: Commissar’s House
You start off riding a tank, so what you learned from the tank training you’ll need to utilize here. You’re the tank commander. Move the tank up to the first capture point and take out the 3 tanks that lie ahead. When they’re nothing but a pile of metal and smoke, enter the vicinity of the first objective.
There shouldn’t be too much resistance, so capture Building 81 with your troops.
Head to the Commissar’s House North when you’re done with 81. Get inside the perimeter of the capture point and wait until the star fills up. Take out any enemies you see.
When the north side is taken, move to House South. Take out the tank reinforcements. As a side note, you can still move on if both of the tanks on your side have been demolished. You’ll just need to be careful with the enemy tanks. Now head to the Pharmacy and attack it. Use cover as you head there. Run inside when it’s safe and take out the remaining enemies inside. Wait for reinforcements if you need to, then capture the point when there are more of you.
The Pharmacy should now be yours.
Mission 10: Commissar’s House 2
It’s time again to defend another area that you just took over. You’ll get 3 minutes and 30 seconds to hold off the counter attack.
You’ll be defending the Projection House that includes a second floor, so position your snipers on top. If you happen to fall on this objective, you’ll be transported to Building 81 where you’ll need to defend that position as your last stand.
At the Projection House, the snipers are key to holding back the troops. You’ll start off as one, so you can pick them off one by one when they get too close and dig in by the trenches.
If you fail and head to Building 81, you’ll need to defend all the entrances as the enemies can swarm at you fast. Just take lots of cover and try to take them out from a distance since they usually spawn in the same place.
By either defending Building 81 or the Projection House, you’ll then be transported to the next mission.
Chapter 7: Holding Back the Tide
Mission 11: Gumrack
You start off in the tank and have to defend the airfield. It’s an all out tank battle, but the best way to do this is to take cover behind the hangers and take your shots when the tanks are far away. Camp behind a structure, make yourself the gunner, and shoot the enemy tanks. The best spot to hit them is when they’re turned on their side, right underneath the turret. It’s pretty much a one hit kill if you hit them there.
You have approximately 5 minutes to defend this area so taking out the tanks in one hit will give you some slack, as there will be a horde of tanks that will swarm the area.
Chapter 8: Final Push
Training Mission 5: Commander
You’re in commander training now as you start off inside a bunker. Head over to the radio on the right when you’re given control of your character. Press “left ctrl” to activate it and select “Aerial Recon” on the battlefield map. You’ll then see a plane gather intelligence on the ground forces.
Now close the map using “M”, and head outside with your binoculars. Use “RMB” to zoom in on the village and then click “LMB” to call an artillery strike. Head back inside to activate the radio, then when the battlefield map appears, select the artillery strike icon. Run back outside and see the fireworks. After, select all your troops to get them ready, then tell them to attack the village by holding “B”, then “Attack”, then select the village objective.
When your troops get close enough, the mission will end. It’s now time for the final German Campaign mission.
Mission 12: Red October Factory
It’s a night time mission in the cold snow. If you notice by pressing “T”, you can now see where the radios are that you learned to use during commander training.
Head toward the Sheet Finishing Hall and take out anyone you see that’s out in the open. When it’s clear head inside and capture the point. There shouldn’t be much opposition here.
After it’s captured, head to the Forging Area. If you want, you can call a mortar strike at the Forging Area. Just use your binoculars with “5”, press “RMB” to zoom in and “LMB” to target a location. Afterward, just go back to a radio and select the mortar strike icon.
Run to the Forging Area where there should be little resistance. Capture it, and move on to the Calibration Workshop. It’s a big warehouse with lots of hiding places, but weed out the enemies and call your troops over to capture this area quickly. When that’s done, head for the Products Warehouse.
Use cover as you get closer to the building and enter it if you’re not being fired upon. Call your reinforcements over and kill any troops that reside in the area. Once you’ve captured this point, congratulations, you’ve just finished the German Campaign. Now on to the Allied Campaign.
Allies Campaign
Chapter 1: The First Line of Defense
Mission 1: Spartanovka
Your first mission as the Russians is to defend the church of Spartanovka. Take cover behind the windows and door frames to try and take out the German resistance. Watch the doors as well for any flanking maneuvers.
If you lose the church, you’ll be sent back to Apartment Block 1, where houses and picket fences will turn into your cover. Look for the Germans down the road and take them out from afar. If they flank where the houses are located, move some troops over there and help them if you can.
If you lose Apartment Block 1, then Apartment Block 2 will be your new place to defend. Apartment Block 1 is exactly the same as AB2. Use the houses and fence for cover.
Lose this and you’ll need to defend the last line, which ends up being the Town Hall. It’s heavily fortified. Use the second story windows for a height advantage to get a clear view of the area in front of you.
Successfully defending one area, leads you to the next mission. If you lose all the areas, you’ll need to start over. So if you want to repel the German forces as quickly as possible, repel them at the church and cover any entrances, the opposing force might go through. But as long as you completely defend the area for the given amount of time, you can continue
Mission 2: Red Barracks
We’re back to the Red Barracks, but this time we’re capturing the buildings in the reverse order starting with the Administration Building.
Head inside the Admin Building and immediately you should be met with gunfire. Watch out for any Germans on the balcony before you enter. When you do finally enter, there will be two doorways that lead into a room with a statue inside. There will be some enemies firing down the hallway, but most of the Germans will be in the statue room. Make your way in by cutting a swath through them. Once they’re down and out, you should start capturing the point. When the star is filled, head to the Infirmary.
The Infirmary is across the way. Enter the building and flush out any Germans that are occupying it. Take cover in all the rubble and wait for any Germans that decide to take some shots at you. Once they’re all gone, capture the building and move on to the Political School.
When you get near the School, check out the windows first to see if there are any Germans hiding in the classrooms. If there are, take them out and head inside. The center of the building will see the most activity, so dig in and wait for the Germans to get into your sights and fire the trigger. Eventually the Germans will thin out allowing you to capture the building. Once that’s done, head to the Warehouse.
The Warehouse comes with two floors, but there are little rooms where Germans could be hiding. Walk slowly in here and be methodical when it comes to checking out the rooms. If you hear gunfire, be cautious and see if you can get some shots at any Germans from the second floor. Once they’ve been disposed of, capture the Warehouse and it’s time for the next mission.
Mission 3: Station One
It’s time for the Russians to defend another map. This time it’s the train station. Remember when you were the Germans and you had to take out the Russians on top of the metal bridge looking over the train tracks? Well now you’ll be in this advantageous position. You’ll need to hold out for approximately 3 minutes.
The perimeter of the area is bigger than most, so you’ll need to be vigilant and take out the Germans so there won’t be enough people to take over this point. If it happens however, you’ll have to defend the next area, the North Hall, then the Central Hall, and finally the South Hall.
In either case if you hold your position on either of the objective points, you’ll move onto the next mission.
In all the halls there’s an ample amount of cover to use to take out the Germans. Remember to watch out for flanking tactics and know which openings they’ll be using to enter the vicinity. Once you know where they’re coming from at all times, it should be a cinch to take them out.
Chapter 2: Not One Step Back
Mission 4: Grain Elevator
When the mission starts, the point the Germans need to take is immediately in front of you in the form of the Weigh Station. Enter the building and use the windows to shoot any enemies coming your way.
Alternatively when you head toward the building, there’s a wall on the left, where you can climb a box, then climb the fence. From here you can try to be sneaky, plus you’ll have a good view, albeit, not much cover.
If any Germans enter the building, they will usually bunch up, where the metal gates are located. Most of them should be in your line of sight, so take them out promptly.
If you fail to defend this area, you’ll be moved to the Conveyor Tower. Use this new area to overlook a courtyard by using the windows on the upper floor of the building. Keep an eye out on the capture meter. If enemies are invading the building, head down and take them out to ease up the stress.
If the Conveyor Tower is taken, you’ll then be transported to the Elevator Foothold. You’ll be inside, so there will be lots of cover, but at the same time, it might be a bit hard to see the enemy. Move slowly and dig in. Again, if the meter starts to gain in the German’s favor, move up with your team and try to take out the opposing force.
This mission has a lot of places to defend if you happen to get defeated in previous areas, so if the Elevator Foothold gets taken, it’s time to defend the Second Floor of the same building.
The Second Floor is pretty much like the Elevator Foothold. You’ll see conveyor belts, pillars, pipes, boxes and the like to take cover. Hunt down your enemies if you’re losing the meter war.
Lastly, if the Second Floor is taken, your last stand will be the Fourth Floor. Take your knowledge of the fight from the Second Floor and use it to your advantage. If you can, tell your squadmates to move to certain positions to best nail the enemy as they enter.
Once you have successfully defended one of these areas, the next mission will become available.
Chapter 3: Take the Fight to the Enemy
Mission 5: Spartanovka
It’s back to Spartanovka as you wrestle it away from the Germans. You’ll start off trying to take over the Town Hall. The perimeter of the capture zone is fairly big, so you can stay on the outside if you wish.
The Germans will usually head to the center with the small tunnel that’s defended by sandbags. If you can, after you take out any Germans in the distance, close in and take out the remaining forces. When you have over-taken the Town Hall, head toward and clear Housing Block 2.
Stay down when you’re hiding behind the white fences and take cover when you approach the houses. Enter the capture zone and wait for any Germans to appear. Systematically take them out as they approach and gain the man power advantage. The meter should be moving up in your favor in no time. After Housing Block 2 has been taken, keep moving up and capture Housing Block 1.
Keep using the houses and fences for cover as you move up. You should be able to see the church from here as well as any troops that are taking shots at you from the church windows. Move up to the burned out buildings and kill anyone that threatens to take the position. Once you’ve thinned out the enemy, watch that star fill up and it’s time to take over that church.
Run up to the wall that surrounds the church so you can immediately see the meter. Move up slowly and wait for reinforcements if you need to. I like to take the entrance to the church on the right hand side, so as I move in I’ll be looking down across the building giving me a nice view just in case anyone runs past my sights.
It should be all over as your troops come in to reinforce you or if the Germans can’t gain a foothold with your accurate shots. The church is now yours!
Mission 6: Russian Apartments
You’ve done this mission before as the Germans. When you begin, run either left or right, it will lead to the same place. Take cover as you move along past the bridge, since there will be enemies in the windows above. If you can, bypass the gunfire by going through the basement and moving your way up, or hopping through the window to the inside. Follow the hallways and see if you can’t take out some Germans along the way to whittle them away. Once your troops have captured this Apartment Block, it’s time to take the Propaganda House.
After exiting the Apartment Block, press “T” to navigate your way to the Prop House. When you approach, you’ll notice a courtyard that leads into the Prop House. If you have a rifle, there’s a building across the Prop House in which you can take the second floor and even the odds. When it’s safe, enter the Prop House to clear it and capture it. Remember, you can shoot through walls to kill enemies. When the Prop House is taken, head to the Park.
Take out the enemies from a distance and move up toward the park by entering the buildings on your approach. The best thing to do here is to enter the building to the left of the Park since it’s also the General Store.
Open fire on the troops from the second story. When the Park is captured, you’ll already be in the General Store, so defend it against the Germans. In no time you’ll be able to suppress the German forces.
Chapter 4: Stand at Dom Pavlova
Mission 7: Pavlov’s House
This building you have to defend is a fortress. Lucky you. The bombed out walls of the long building create a somewhat narrow space for enemies to enter if they decide to head toward the broken wall, where the main entrance is. Since it’s mufti-tiered as well, you not only have the first floor to fire from, you also have the second floor and adjacent rooms creating a deadly gauntlet.
The best thing to do is keep them at a distance and tell your troops to watch the doors because there are a lot of openings inside the building despite it’s gauntlet-like nature.
If you happen to lose defense of the area, you’ll be transported to Pavlov’s house, where it’s actually one of the hardest places to mount a strike, in single-player anyway. As the Russians, take the high ground first by taking the second floor. Once you look out the window you should see a road and a building not too far away where the Germans spawn and start their attack.
As long as you stay here and take out the forces as they move out from the house, it will pretty much be an iron curtain of bullet fire. When you have successfully defended one of the two areas, the Russian campaign continues.
Chapter 5: Retaking the Commissar’s House
Mission 8: Commissar’s House
Winter has fallen upon the battlefield, but the war still rages on. As the Russians, the battle continues with the objective to take Building 81.
When you spawn, run toward the mentioned Building 81 with your squad-mates. I always take out the enemies on the perimeter of the building, then enter it, and take out their depleted numbers. Also, don’t stay out too long because there are German tanks ready to take you out.
Once Building 81 has been taken, it’s on to the Commissar’s House North, which you should be able to see from Building 81. If you want, you can head to the top floor of B. 81 and take out as many Germans as you can that are occupying the Commissar’s house from a distance.
When you decide to run for the house, don’t stand out too long in the open or the tanks will obliterate you. If you’re having trouble with the tanks and enemies occupying the house, I’d suggest going around on the right side away from any potential deaths.
When you get there, you should see a statue. From there enter any openings and infiltrate the building. When your reinforcements join you, they should be able to take out any remaining forces quickly. Now it’s on to the South side of the Commissar’s House.
You don’t need to leave the building to get to the south side, so quickly head to the perimeter of the capture zone to get ahead of the Germans. Make use of the narrow hallways and ample cover to thin out the herd. When the south side is captured, it’s time to take out the final objective, the Pharmacy.
There’s going to be some open space as you move to the Pharmacy, but luckily, there’s cover to use. Watch out for machine gunners in the windows on your approach.
When you head inside, try to be sneaky to avoid gunfire and take out anyone that threatens you. When the Germans are thinned out, your reinforcements will bat clean up, ready for the next mission.
Chapter 6: Closing the Ring – Operation Uran
Mission 9: Gumrak
It’s all out tank warfare. As you approach with the tank to take over the airfield, enemy tanks will soon come into your vision. Take them out from a distance and when those tanks have turned into huge scraps of metal, move in with your convoy to secure the perimeter.
The best place to hit the tanks, from what I’ve observed is to hit them on the side, right under their rotating turret. It’s usually a one hit kill when this happens and by doing this, you can overwhelm the other team as they regroup. While it doesn’t always result in a one hit kill, it’s worth it to at least take a chance.
Once the airfield has been secured it’s time hit the Administration Ruins. It’s a long drive to the ruins, but approach the ruins just like the airfield. Take your time, use cover from buildings and take out the tanks from a distance. If you’re fired upon, move away and regroup yourself. When it’s taken, it’s time for the Dispersal Field.
It can be a long fight since it’s tank versus tank. Watch out for any enemy tanks that are hidden around the hills. Make sure you get them one at a time because two tanks pummeling you will result in heavy damage and a high chance of instant death. Just take your time, and before you know it, you’ll be capturing the point for the last objective, Gumrak Station.
Like the other areas, take out the tanks at a distance and use the cover provided for you. Sometimes the enemy fire is really accurate so if you die, remember, you’ll be re-spawned as another tank to finish the job.
Once you take over Gumrak Station, it’s on to the Red October Factory.
Chapter 7: Crushing the Cauldron
Mission 10: Red October Factory
You start off in the Sheet Hall. Everything around you is in rubble, but there are nice places to take cover. The enemy will be moving all around you, so even if you take out a nice chunk of them, guard the other other entrances because they’ll be swarming in there. Use the pillars for cover and have your teams guard the doors.
If you fail to defend this area, you’ll be pulled back to the Forging Area, Calibration Factory, and eventually the Warehouse. The tiniest area to defend is the Forging Area because there’s no roof and the entrances are many, as you defend an area with bombed out walls. There will be a lot of open area in your surroundings as well.
If you’re taken back to he Calibration Factory, you have a roof over your head again and it functions the same as the Sheet Hall. Use the pillars, pipes and walls for cover and if you fall here, the Warehouse will be next.
The Warehouse is easier to defend even though there are still a lot of entrances, but those entrances are narrower. In any case, dig in, move around to help your squad if they’re taking fire, and you’ll eventually have to re-take Red October Factory after defending it in the next mission.
Mission 11: Red October Factory 2
Welcome back to the Red October Factory. In this mission, you’ll be in the same area as the last mission except you’ll be taking over points in reverse. You actually did the same thing as the Germans in the previous campaign, except there are tanks and air-strikes that will try to take you out.
In any case, you’ll start off at the Warehouse, then the Calibration Factory, then the Forging Area and finally the Sheet Hall. After playing through this particular map a total of three times now, both defending and attacking, it should be fairly familiar.
Just remember that there’s a lot of space running toward each area. Three out of the four objectives are inside buildings, so infiltrate if you can and let the reinforcements arrive as you whittle away the opposing forces. In no time, you should be able to re-capture the entire area as we head toward the final mission.
Chapter 8: The Square of the Fallen
Mission 12: Fallen Fighters
It’s a new map and it’s a pretty big one at that. As you begin, you’ll need to take over the Technical School. There’s a big open area that surrounds the school, especially the front. There’s cover in the form of shallow walls, so your best bet to avoid the gunfire coming from the windows, is run toward the side of the building and enter any windows you see from there.
Upon entering the building, take out any Germans coming your way, then tell your troops to attack the building if you have enough reinforcements. They’ll weed out the enemy troops that linger and you’ll have the Technical School all to yourself. It’s time to head to Park Center.
Park Center is a wide open area and German snipers will be in the vicinity as well as machine gunners. There’s not much cover, but you can use the mounds on the ground to escape the gunfire as you go prone, but it’s best to go around and get closer to the building. There are also tunnels you can use that lead underground for a brief respite from the gunfire. Try to take out any enemies from a distance that are easy to get, and close in as they whittle away, but watch out for the tank that’s defending the area.
If the enemy fire is too much, try a flanking maneuver on the left side to sneak up on the enemy forces and take out the enemies in the building that are firing on the park from the second floor. Also look for any radios from which you can call an airstrike and take out the opposing tank with an artillery strike. When you’re done taking Park Center, it’s time to take Park West.
Park West is an extension of Park Center. It will be where the flag is located. If you took out the Germans on the second floor of the building you entered if you flanked, the troops guarding the West side shouldn’t be too hard. Once they’re taken care of, it’s time for the final objective, taking over the Univermag.
The Univermag is actually the building that you entered if you flanked. When you enter with your troops, remove any Germans from the first floor, then head to the second where they will be occupying the windows. Take them all out, you’re almost done. When you finally see that star fill up, congratulations, you have just finished the Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad single-player campaign.
It should have been good practice for when or if you decide to enter the online arena. Have fun and good luck the rest of the way!
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