Operation Ghost Train

[Expendable Grunt]

This is my first in a (hopeful) series of tips and tricks I've picked up from maps. It's info you can use as members of the forum to dupe those who don't read the forums (or at least, don't read this section.) This guide is the prototype, and I hope to see it evolve.

Right onto work.


OPERATION GHOST TRAIN, AAS.

Forces: PLA vs GB

Spawning Locations:
GB starts this off with Farm, and a spot in the woods you can spawn on. The also own Tunnel but you cannot spawn there.
PLA starts with Recon Post, as well as a spawn point near the boat. Trenches are also held but cannot be spawned on. There is an ammo dump there, as well as 3 inoperative artillery pieces.

GB Ground Vehicles:
1 Warrior IFV
2 Land Rovers
1 Saxon
1 AA Chain-Gun (name?)

GB Air Vehicles:
1 Merlin Helicopter

PLA Ground Vehicles:
2 Paratrooper FAV
1 Nanjing
1 AA Emplacement
1 WZ551 APC

PLA Air Vehicles:
1 Z-8 Helicopter

Note on Forces:
A quick scan of the list makes it appear to be an even fight, except for a deeper look shows a slight PLA advantage on this map. This advantage is from having an armed transport chopper, and more importantly, an amphibious APC. More on this later.

Map and Points of interest:




A) Main Bridge -- this area sees some of the hottest dashing and fighting on the whole map. In my experience a vast majority of the action happens between these two points throughout the early and mid game.

B) Foot Bridge -- often overlooked, it provides a passage for infantry. Vehicles cannot cross here.

C) Land Bridge -- This is a mostly submerged bit of land that infantry can cross with ease. Vehicles do cross as well, though it slows them down greatly. If you look closely near the downed fighter, you will see a bit of an easter egg -- a frog jumps off into the water with a splash.

D) Port -- There is a boat here. PLA can spawn here and a smart squad can use this to get down river and still have weapons to defend themselves with.

E) Waterfall -- There is a cave behind the waterfall -- it's pretty large too. Set a rally here to give you access to that region of the map. (Useful as PLA taking Farm/Tunnel)

F) Lonely Hill -- Has a filed of fire over the rail road tracks and the bunker. Deploy snipers and heavy AT here. You can blow up the radio tower, which makes dropping troops via chopper somewhat easier.

G) Tunnel -- An impressive static. It has a room you must get into to capture the flag. The door opens via the use key.

AAS order: (* means a point the force began the game with)
GB: Farm* >> Tunnel* >> Temple >> North Bridge AND South Bridge (Simultaneous Opportunity) >> Trenches >> Train >> Recon Post
PLA: Recon Post* >> Trenches* >> Train >> North Bridge AND South Bridge (Simultaneous Opportunity) >> Temple >> Tunnel >> Farm

Tips:
PLA: Start the game aggressive. Get a fast jeep down to the bridge and blow it. Also get yourself a squad to watch the land bridge. It only takes one squad to secure train, so one should already be at south bridge when it falls to your forces. When South Bridge is captured, hold that position and defend it. Get your commander to put up a bunker. Prevent the bridge from getting repaired. If you've got Heavy AT watching the land bridge, and maybe someone on the rope bridge, you should be FREE of any GB armour threats. Use your amphibious APC to get across the river and make sure GB's got issues with it. Use it either as an assault gun to clear areas, or more intelligently, keep it hidden in the woods as a spawn point/kit point, preferably back away from the flags. Make sure some AA weapons are up at south bridge to prevent enemy crossing via Merlin. Run troops across the two remaining bridges but keep a look out for enemy swimmers.

GB: You're at the disadvantage. Your armour cannot swim, and the land bridge can be easily turned into a death trap. To prevent PLA forces from cutting off the rail bridge and stranding your APC's, take an early game squad via Merlin to the south bridge with heavy AT and engineers. Mine the approach for vehicles (the rail way), and use the HAT to destroy their APC. Once Temple falls, you can capture south bridge and get the commander to set up a better bunker (the one already there points the wrong way for the GB defence) and set up AA weapons. Take advantage of the Lonely Hill. If the enemy isn't watching the rope bridge, a squad could easily slip through and go to trenches. Once there, blow the arty. This does nothing, though if you rig it with C4 (use the ammo dump there) and move away before blowing it, it can get the attention of a few people (maybe even a squad or two) and make them head away from the fight, making them look for you and your rally point.

Misc Tips:
The choppers on this map are MUCH harder to use than most other maps. This map is 90% forest, making landing spots scarce. Remember that if you hover low enough a squad can jump into the water without taking impact damage.

The Warrior IFV cannot swim. It can take nuclear fallout but water is just too much.

Remember that dense trees make wonderful death traps for vehicles.

The Saxon has smoke. Find a use for it. It also cannot 360 swivel it's gun -- 90deg seems to be the limit, give a bit.


End Guide


Alright so let me know what you think of this (basic) draft, and I'll see what I can do to improve future ones!

[[R-DEV]Rhino]

nice guide, most people think the map is pretty balanced but infact china do have the upper hand as you have pointed out in lots of ways, but in other ways the brits do too
Its a mix between symmetrical and asymmetrical

one point I think you missed on your post thou was one of the big tatics I always use that always gets the enemy wondering where you are coming from. At the start of the game, either as PLA on GB but it works better for GB, get your squad and load them up into 2 light jeeps (ie the landys or the paratroopers) and race down to the ford where you can cross the river (glad you spotted the jumping frogs, theres more than one around the map and if you listen to the ambient sound you can hear them too when you are close to them ). when you get to the other side of the river, there is a small ramp going up the side on both sides where you can get your vehicles up. If you are the brit team when going over the ford, you may want your gunner to check down the river for a enemy RIB as that tends to swim up the same time as you get there. then once behind enemy lines, set up a rally point and do some real damage attacking them from the rear. you can attack from behind of both the bridge heads and even if you drive up in your jeeps, only urtill you start shooting at them cos you are coming from your lines you will most of the time get them thinking that its a frindly jeep coming up. Do this fast enouth (which is easily possible) and you can acturly catch there vehicles going down the road and have a AT guy hop and and shoot them

[Outlawz]

Was playing this map with fuzzhead, above explains, why he made a sabotage squad
Didnt know about the river ford, when fuzz drove the Landy there, I thought he went crazy and he's gonna drown us
Only part of the map, I have yet to see is the waterfall area, though
Not much smart PLA squads tbh...

[Expendable Grunt]

Another easter egg is on the door in tunnel; it's got one of those cartoon-thingies you see in the heart gifs.

EDIT: One of these guys

[Waaah_Wah]

It's so fun to put all your 8 mines on that bridge or inside the tunnel C4 ambushing works like a charm too

[Leo]

You forgot the Cave behind Recon.

A nice place to keep the SL (kinda cheap) and you might be able to place a rally point there.

Also a nice private place for Rhino and his, err, visitors of the male nature.

[Expendable Grunt]

AH yeah forgot about that place -- meant to investigate it too.

[[R-CON]nedlands1]

I believe there is a PKM and M95 pickup kit or two on this map but I can't find it even when looking in what seems the right place. Anyone found it? Are there any conditions which need to be met before it spawns?

[Expendable Grunt]

Nah haven't looked for it; unless it's an insurgent / militia map I'm not revealing any "secret" pick-up kits.