CoD MW3: How to Beat Deep Cover

Stealth missions are becoming a staple in AAA games, and this year’s Call of Duty is no exception. Here’s how to beat the Deep Cover mission in Modern Warfare 3, which asks you to do as little fighting as possible, and there’s even an achievement for completing its main portion in 90 seconds or less.

MW3: Deep Cover Mission Guide

To beat the Deep Cover mission in MW3, three things need to happen.

1. You get a keycard from the base’s commander.
2. You get into the base and get the information from the asset.
3. You escape the bombing.

The first part is the hardest because all you have is a suppressed pistol and your wits. Getting too close to any enemy will make them suspicious, and staying too close will make them hostile, likely failing the mission then and there. Keep at least six to eight feet between yourself and all the enemies, and you should be fine.

Get the Keycard in Deep Cover

My best path to the keycard goes like this:

• From the starting location, keep to the left side of the barriers once you’re down the hill. Doing so allows the truck to pass while you stay in motion.
• Get around the barriers and follow the truck, sticking to the middle right side of the road. Avoid the two patrols that appear.
• After the truck turns right, take the opening into the garage across the street. Exit the garage and keep following the truck. It will stop shortly after you leave the garage.

• Stick to the left side of the road, allowing the soldier who starts his patrol to pass you. You can keep moving the entire time, provided you give the patrolling soldier his space.
• If you want to play the timing safe, turn right toward the admin building, then duck into the orange-lit garage behind the checkpoint. Go to the opening at its back and wait for the major to walk out.

• Once the major begins walking up the steps, calmly follow him at a distance. When he fully rounds the corner, use one throwing knife to take down both him and the female guard.

• Grab the keycard from the major and keep your distance from other soldiers as you make your way to the admin building. The door where you meet the asset is at the end of the lobby.

Escape the Building

After the unskippable cutscene between Laswell and Yuri, it’s time to escape the building as it’s being bombed. The path to the roof is as follows:

• The orange-lit hallway to the left of the front desk.
• The stairs to the left at the end of the orange-lit hallway.
• Turn left at the top of the stairs and climb up the ladder in the orange-lit elevator shaft.
• Turn right out of the elevator shaft, then left at the end of the hallway.
• Bash open the door at the top of the stairs and jump on Nikolai’s helicopter.

Succeed at all of that, and you’ll have completed the Deep Cover mission in MW3. Here’s my strategy for getting the Back in the Field Achievement.

How to Get the Back in the Field Achievement in MW3

Back in the Field asks you to get the major’s keycard in 90 seconds or less without being detected. It’s actually not all that difficult. The main challenge is getting to the major with enough time left so that he can slowly walk up the stairs. My strategy goes like this:

• Follow the steps outlined above for completing the mission normally until you reach the admin building itself.
• Rather than waiting in the nearby garage for the major to walk up the stairs, go up before him and take out the female guard when she’s in the middle of the room.
• Wait for the major to walk in and round the corner, then throw the second knife at him and immediately grab the keycard.

If you were fast enough, you’ll receive the Back in the Field achievement immediately after picking up the keycard. You don’t need to finish the mission. You can finish it, of course, or you can exit and play any of the other missions. Or just, you know, not play the MW3 campaign, which I think is the best alternative.

For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, check out our review of the campaign, our guide on how good a PC you need to play, and more in our MW3 guides hub.