Denied Area is the second spec ops mission in Modern Warfare 2, and there is a subjective comparison here between this mission and Low Profile in terms of difficulty – to me this mission is harder and will be your only hurdle to the platinum. However, the name of the game here is the same as the last mission, you have to be fast and furious.
Denied Area 3 Star In Spec Ops
To get Denied Area 3 Star in Spec Ops, you just need to complete the mission in less than 16 minutes.
Stuff to know before you start the mission:
- You must destroy 4 SAM sites by going up to the launcher and triggering an interaction with the SAM.
- You need to do a lot of driving, especially with a truck.
- There will be a LOT of helicopters, armored trucks, and even an unavoidable Juggernaut.
- You shouldn’t spend more than 2 minutes at maximum on each SAM Site.
- The extraction is much easier than Low Profile. You just have to drive into the ramp
- One person must memorize the route and be the driver, with the other having sharp aim.
- Even if you die and there are dog tags in your place, you can still be fully revived by your teammate.
- SAM Site A is a freebie. You have to drive and fight your way to B, C, and D.
The Loadout
Just like Low Profile, your role here is completely subjective, but once again, my friend and I went with both of us being Assault and switching out throwing armor plates at each other, but we also had fun with being Assault and Medic.
If you do go Assault/Medic, make sure the Assault player is the one going to the SAM Sites and arming them.
The Strategy
There is a lot more strategy here than there was with Low Profile. Unlike the previous mission, both players play an essential role in the success of the mission.
One player will be the one who has to run, plant the bomb on the SAM launcher, shoot as many soldiers as they can on the ground AND locate the truck.
The other player will provide covering fire, ride the back of the truck, and while being chased by armored vehicles and the helicopter, will use the PILA in the back of the truck to take down helicopters.
At each of the SAM Sites, there will be soldiers with RPG’s and grenade launchers. You and your partner can take your time to taking out as many as you can together, but at one point you WILL have to make a dash for the SAM site.
You have to go up to the SAM and trigger an animation to arm it.
After getting rid of SAM Site A, you will have to commandeer a truck shown below for all other sites.
Armored Cars and Helicopters
The driver of the truck must avoid trip mines similar to the ones in the campaign that can severely damage the vehicle, and the player at the back must pick up the PILA at the back of it and use it to destroy a helicopter.
You will always use 2 rockets to destroy the helicopter, 1 for triggering its flares and the other to destroy it. That will leave you with 1 rocket to use on the armored cars that approach you.
When it comes to armored cars, the player on the back of the truck must prioritize shooting the passengers at the back of the armored vehicle, and then the driver. Otherwise, avoiding armored cars is an easy affair if the driver has enough practice.
After you take care of the immediate wave of helicopters and the 2 armored vehicles, you will get B, C, and D shown up on your map.
From there, you are advised to go alphabetically and repeat what you did for SAM Site A.
Once you complete SAM Site D, take any vehicle you want or can, and just make a dash for the extraction point. Unlike Low Profile, the exit vehicle will be waiting for you to just get into and all you have to do is drive into the ramp of it. You can also run into the ramp of it.
On your way to the exfil, you will have one last wave of helicopter and armored vehicles chasing you, but at this point, if you are a good enough driver you can avoid all of them.
Death is your friend
Similar to Low Profile dying here resets you back to the last SAM Site you destroyed. It will also show you your time. If you are under 10 minutes by the time your only objective is to exfiltrate or extract, there is more than enough time for you to reach the exit with no worry.
Ideally, you can even take as long as you 3-4 minutes per SAM Site, but that means you have to be driving like you’re auditioning for the next Fast and the Furious movie.
Conclusion
This is the only mission where you will have to live, die, and repeat. It took my friend and me 2 attempts at getting the 3 stars, but once we understood how the map works, it became a cinch.
We hope this guide was helpful and that were you able to get Denied Area 3 Star In Spec Ops. Share your thoughts and results in the comments below.
