Medal of Honor: Frontline - A Needle in the Haystack

1. Rough Landing, A Needle in the Haystack

Initial Equipment

• Colt .45
• Springfield ' 03
• Thompson Gun
• Mark II Fragmentation Grenade

Acquired Equipment

• Kerosene

Safeguard Corporal Barnes - plus - Destroy six tanks - plus - Find some kerosene

This objective is in effect throughout the entire mission until Barnes leaves you just prior to you entering the city of Kleveburg. If he dies, you restart. This is one of the few stages where you can intentionally fail an objective, simply by having soldiers shoot Barnes to death (it takes a long time with bullets, but Barnes will die instantly if he is caught in a grenade explosion). Find kerosene along the way to destroy the five tanks, but your job is to basically draw enemy fire, tank fire, and kill the infantry while Barnes sneaks up to the tank and blasts the clanker with shaped plastique.

The briefing states you have Barnes and a Private Timothy Conners for this mission, but as you get clear of your chute and talk to Barnes, Conners' number is up as the goons open fire with automatics; he is the soldier hanging on the windmill and you cannot do much for him except give him a military burial. Do something more useful instead and return fire on the soldiers coming up the road from the direction where the truck is, and do not forget to look inside the house where Patterson started. An S.S. officer is interrogating a Dutch citizen inside. You cannot enter the house, but your bullets can.

Tank #1

Use your Springfield and snipe at enemies. Switch to the Tommy Gun (and as a last resort, the Colt) to clean up the jerks who make it past the five rounds, or get too close. do not save your Springfield ammunition. The first tank is just past the first small revetment you see (a revetment is along the lines of a low stone wall). You can rush the infantry with a Tommy Gun or stay behind the revetment and toss grenades over the wall. do not worry about the grenades, you find more. If Barnes gets killed, you know you have to do better and draw the tank's gun away (it always aims for you once the it sees you). Run up close to the tank so the tank gun cannot fire, but stay away from the forward machine guns. Barnes heads for the tank once he gets a whiff of it, and he gets killed fast if you do not use the "buddy system." Investigate the two livestock hutches (the small hut like structures) for ammo and health after tank blasting.

Tank #2

You enlist the aid of Private First Class Jerry Langteau, 82nd Airborne past the first bridge. This should make up for Conners getting killed, but Langteau's aim with his Thompson is worse than yours. Rely on your Springfield more than your Thompson unless you are charging the enemy with your buddies. Just past the area where you find Langteau, is a farm overrun by soldiers. The right house has tank number two right behind it, so try to stay away from it until you secure the area from the bridge that leads to the farm. Once the infantry are dead, come around either side of the tank structure and be ready to scram if you hear the boom. Head straight up to the tank and stay there. The tank tracks you while Barnes blows it with his plastique. Valve's Half-Life never lets you do this.

Tank #3

The next tank is on a bridge past yet another farm. But Barnes tells you it is suicide for him to plant a charge while the tank is sitting on the bridgehead. You have to go around the back, to the other covered bridge, and blast the tank from the back. Clear the farm of goons and approach the covered bridge, but do not get near it. Use your Springfield to clear soldiers around the campfire before you head across the covered bridge. Langteau and Barnes do not move unless you head to the bridge; they can kill any soldiers that try to rush Patterson while you pick them off one head shot at a time across the river. Once the area is secured, head across the bridge and clean up the livestock hutch. Find some kerosene by the bonfire.

You now need to rush the third tank and kill off the infantry. The tank's machine guns are facing the bridge, and the tank is too dumb to move anything except the gun turret. Blow the tank and head for the next farm.

Tank #4

When you come to the next farm, the small hill shields some enemies from your fire, but they attempt to fire on you. The barn to Patterson's left holds the tank. Use the Springfield to ignite the red jerrycans by the tank to clear it of infantry, then remain at the spot where you enter the farm (crouch) and take out the infantry that rush your position. Barnes and Langteau occasionally fire back, but do not rely on them. Once the are is relatively quiet, sweep up with the Tommy Gun, but know that once you enter the farm, Barnes heads for the tank.

Tank #5

The fifth tank is one you have to destroy, Patterson. The next farm is along side a calm stream with a tank on the other side of the bank. Barnes cannot reach it, so you have to improvise. On the bank the farm is on, you have to clear the area of infantry to fire the Nebelwurfer, a battery of rockets to destroy the tank. Stay clear of the tank until you get rid of the goons on foot. Use some explosive ordnance on the barrels by the Nebelwurfer to clear the area of soft targets. Once you do that, the tank is toast. The next tank is not as easy.

Tank #6

The mortar field is covered by two mortar teams, one on each side of the field. The tank is sitting right in the center. You can snipe and kill the mortar soldier on Patterson's right and hop the low revetment to make good time to the second mortar team. Do not stay in the center of the field. Linger on the sides (preferably the one where you nailed the first mortar team) and race up the field, up to the tank and kill the last mortar team with sniper fire. Once you are done with this, Barnes and Langteau need to rejoin their respective units and leave.

Create a distraction and open the gates

Barnes and Langteau become inactive — what ever happens around them, they do not react. Try to stay away from them when you head over to the haystack outside the city gates and light the fire. Four goons come out and you can drill them with sniper fire, or rush them with the Tommy Gun. If you are aiming for gold, revisit the early parts of the stage to restock your health before heading into Kleveburg.

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2. The Golden Lion, A Needle in the Haystack

Initial Equipment

• Webley Silenced Pistol
• Springfield ' 03
• Thompson Gun
• Mark II Fragmentation Grenade

Acquired Equipment

• Mechanics' tools
• Enemy uniform

Find mechanics' tools - plus - Sabotage motor pool

Your Colt is mysteriously replaced by a silenced Webley, but the rest of your arsenal is still intact. Use the silenced pistol on the two lounging soldiers around the corner to Patterson's left. Man the machine gun and butcher the S.S. squad that comes down from the right side of the street, then cut down the left squad. Try to fire the machine gun in bursts to minimize throwing off your aim. Once the area is secure, head down the street and clean up. The gate has some health goodies for you to take. Down the street take out the lone soldier past the stone archway to the right of the street before you focus on eliminating the snipers and squad on the left side near the brdige that crosses the canal. Take it easy with the Springfield — you can always fall back on the Thompson and wait for soldiers to round the corner. Cross the bridge and head left — disable the motor pool before you head down the street to a small alley that leads to the next section.

The HQ clue, "The mechanics' tools are behind the painted double doors," do no justice to what you are looking for. Look for the Fuhrer Wagon sign that points the way to the motor pool. Once you find the mass of parked cars inside, kill the soldiers and look for a green set of double doors that you can open. The mechanics' tools are inside the room you go into with the green double doors. If you are especially observant you see a Dutch female operative looking over the motor pool yard. Sabotage all the cars and she lights the signal to the first agent you need to meet. Once you have torn up the cars, head back out to the bridge and down the street.

Meet first agent in garage - plus - Get enemy uniform

At the end of the street, head into the small alley and past the small white door to the garage. The man you meet is driving a civvie truck; he needs you to fork up the cars in the yard. You can do so and ignore the soldiers on patrol. There are multiple snipers on the street and an alarm at each checkpoint.. Use the Springfield and inch out, taking as much time as you need to clear the area. Be sure to destroy the alarm or more soldiers pour in.. Once all the cars are sabotaged, head back to the agent's truck and press action to board it. Get used to the rail shooter segment.

When the truck stops, take care of the next set of guards and cars. Destroy the alarm and repeat what you did at the first checkpoint. Pay attention to the upper stories of some structures. They have snipers inside the houses (like the S.S. jerk you could shoot, but not melee at the beginning of Rough Landing) so you should try and find them with your sniper scope.

At the third checkpoint, the Dutch guy who does not do anything points out a laundry truck you need to find an enemy uniform from the German deuce-and-a-half. You also need to disable the truck and the other vehicles to prevent pursuit. it is the motto of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, "Aid the friend, deny the enemy." Once you have secured a uniform and killed all the vehicles, head back to the Dutch guy and head for checkpoint four.

At checkpoint four, you can partially head back to the previous spot during the ride and pick up what those enemies dropped. Remove the bar from the door and get rid of all the enemies. Remember you can use the wall that hides the truck to shield you from sniper fire. When you are done with that side of the wall, head back to the truck and prepare for the final ride.

Meet second agent at the Golden Lion

The truck ride ends when a soldier gets smart and uses a Panzershrek to kill the driver and your ride. When you hop off, blast the soldier with the heavy ordnance or you are killed with the next round. Ignore the Maschine pistol wielding soldiers and kill the rocket shooter first. Prioritise and settle the hash before you move onto the next area. If you want a gold rating, or at least a lot of health for the next stage, refill on health by going back as far as possible and heal your wounds quick. Once you open the door, there is no going back. All your weapons are disabled, but they come back for the next stage.

The second agent is in the rear area of the pub, but two Gestapo are barring the way. Stick around with the uniform long enough and they may get suspicious. Instead, tip the piano player. Once the music starts playing, you have distracted the two goons by the stairs enough so you can move upstairs past the brothel and down into the back. You cannot start talking to the agent without arousing suspicion with the other four soldiers on the patio, so make like an agitator and start a fight by spilling all three mugs of beer on the lower two officers. Once the fight starts, you can talk to the agent without much trouble. Head outside and board the truck to leave for Dorne Manour.

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3. Operation Rapunzel, A Needle in the Haystack

Initial Equipment

• I.D. papers
• Enemy uniform
• Webley Silenced Pistol

Acquired Equipment

• Remington Shotgun
• STG-44
• Mark II Fragmentation Grenade

Find kitchen keys

You have ditched everything except the Webley pistol (the silenced pistol) and your fake papers. Live with the loss and head to the right side of the yard. If you are aiming to get a gold rating, you need to blow your cover sooner than later and kill all seven guards now patrolling the front courtyard of the manour. Staying in this alley allows you to kill at least one guard silently (headshot only) and allows you to kill the rest of the guards in pairs and singles as you see fit.

If you do not want the gold rating and simply want to finish the stage, then head to Patterson's left and head inside the side door to the manour. Be very careful here. Move slowly to make the door outer close (if you left anybody alive, this minimizes your chances of being shot). Just around the corner, the sentry realizes that your uniform is fake and disables your cover. You lose your I.D. papers and are stuck with nothing but the Webley. Some sources state you can bypass the guard if you shoot him while he is leaning back in his chair to take a drag from his cigarette, while others surmise you can crouch to avoid him. For the record, even if you manage to maintain your cover for this guard, the moment another enemy in the manour sees you, the cover is blown, so you might as well go ahead and kill the nosy sentry.

You are at a disadvantage at first since the shotgun is merely a high powered version of your handgun. Use corners and cover decisively to maintain your edge. Until you reach the second floor of the manour, you can only rely on the shotgun, pistol, and the occasional hand grenade to fend off hordes of angry soldiers. The first job is to find the kitchen keys to the first floor. The stairs at the end of the first hallway leads up to the butlers' room. The keys are hanging on a wood peg around the corner of the room. Get the keys and head back down the door at the base of the stairs.

Find map in paintings

Past the locked door at the base of the stairs is a cellar leading to the manour's kitchen. Take some care when you go around the cellar. There are a lot of enemies and there are also a lot of health items. You can come all the way back down to this area even if you have made it to the last section of the stage, so if you need health to earn the gold rating, you can come back here to restore health. The kitchen is staffed with well armed goons. Be sure to kill the chef first since his knives do more damage than bullets. The kitchen also has several loaves of bread that act as medicinal canteens.

do not bother with searching each painting for the map. Make it to the second floor without incurring too much damage. Kill the soldiers in the dining hall and take opportunity to do some decent strafe-fire; there is a lot of room to manuever once you get out of the kitchen. Find grenades during your exploration of the first floor. Either they are in the dining room or the music room, but get your hands on some just prior to your leaving the first floor and heading into the first floor garden. You should hear plenty of footsteps, and if you turn around and look up, you should see soldiers bunching up on the balcony above your head. Toss a grenade up and over the balcony (be sure not to angle all the way up, or the grenade goes straight up and straight down). You can eliminate almost all your opposition before you even head upstairs.

Head upstairs and into the auditorium. There is a soldier using a Panzershrek situated at the lectern at the end of the auditorium. If he blows the crossover, you need to make a quick detour down stairs then up again to reach the other side. If you think you can pull it off, you can actually use the Webley and make an attempt at a headshot from the upper entrance to the auditorium to get rid of the nuisance before he fires. The STG-44 is placed right by the lectern. you have been collecting ammo for it up till now, but not a lot of cartridges for the weapon until you meet up with the contact from the Dutch Resistance.

What ever way you reach the second floor exit of the auditorium, you should inspect the painting of the sailing ship as you leave the place. The map was placed behind the painting by the exit to the auditorium.

Find documents in clock by the nekkid chick

The next few areas are typical manour rooms: drawing rooms, smoking parlours, and libraries. The drawing rooms have a massive number of clocks for you to inspect. do not waste ammo, waste enemies. Sweep the place clean, and notice that you can fire on enemies in the distance with the Webley without raising immediate alarm. Try to do so and follow up your surprise attack by drilling the survivors with STG rounds.

Past the drawing rooms is the library, then the smoking parlour and sauna. Proceed through each set of rooms carefully and do not lose your cool about corner retreats and ambushes. When you encounter the sauna, step back out into the hallway for a minute and head into the smoking parlour at the end of the hall. Look for the cuckoo clock. Blast that clock for the documents.

Head back to the sauna room. Pour red hot faxing lead down the armored soldiers in the steam room and rotate the very small valve in the corner of the steam room to open the secret tunnel to meet the Dutch chick informer babe from the Dutch Resistance. Take the ammo in the room first.

Find keys to Gerritt's cell - plus - Find and safeguard Gerrit to safety

Head upstairs and move the bookcase aside. The key is with an S.S. officer in another room, but you can get rid of the three soldiers in the hallway outside the room first. The next room has a medicinal canteen, but it is the last room you need to worry about. There is a whole squad alerted to the gunfire already and they open fire on you as soon as you move the bookcase. You need to have the STG readied with full ammo and charge the room, dealing with the soldiers one by one. Grenades can work too, but keep in mind that you cannot hold a grenade to be thrown and open a door or bookcase — you need to open the door or bookcase first, then prime and toss the grenade. If you take a lot of hits, do not worry; head back down to the basement and fetch the health.

The keys to the cell is in that indoor room with the great goon ambush. Hold on opening any doors for now and just go through already opened doors first. If you open a door and see a man sitting down with his head between his hands, that is Gerritt. Do not approach Gerritt or he gets up and proceeds to a pre-determined spot past the roof garden ambush and most likely get killed before he gets there.

there is another, larger ambush on the manour's roof garden. Use the STG judiciously and pick off anyone stupid enough to poke their head out. Burst fire the STG on the three snipers on the roof of the manour: two on the lower roof, and one in the higher tower. The rest of the soldiers is on the ground. Empty eight to ten rounds into each soldier to make sure they stay down and when all is quiet, you can hed back to the room where you found the cell keys and try every closed door to find Gerritt. Approach him to start him on his slow walk to the edge of the second story balcony. Push action to shove him off. Drop down after him. Approach the Kubelwagon to make good your escape.

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