Medal of Honor – Airborne

Medal of Honor - Airborne

Weapon and Enemy Guide

Document Started: November 29, 2007
Last Update: January 10, 2008

by Alan Chan (joylock @ hotmail.com)


The Usual:

This document is mine. Please don't rip it off or take credit for it. If you
use any of the information provided in this guide in your own FAQ,
walkthrough, or guide, you must acknowledge that you obtained the information
from me, and give me proper credit.

That being said, feel free to post it on any site you want, provided you a) 
don't make any changes to it, and b) don't charge money for it. You 
don't even have to get my permission to post it (as long as it remains
unaltered), but it would be nice if you emailed me and let me know 
(joylock @ hotmail.com).


A Brief Word:

I noticed that, despite being a relatively big-name title,
Medal of Honor: Airborne has absolutely no FAQs written for it. So, I
decided to write this quick Weapon/Enemy Guide for the game.


Version History:

*******************************************************************************
*                                                                             *
*1.0: Initial Release                                                         *
*                                                                             *
*1.1: Minor updates                                                           *
*                                                                             *
*1.2: Moderate reformat for easier reading                                    *
*                                                                             *
*******************************************************************************

The latest version of this FAQ can be found at www.gamefaqs.com.



CONTRIBUTOR EMAILS:

beverlyholzkill wrote:

-  Hi, I found a little error in your guide: It's K98k Karabiner Kurz
   (without the t). My name on Gamefaqs is beverlyholzkill.

Indeed, the real-life name of the rifle is K98k Karabiner Kurz, and not
K98 Karabiner Kurtz like the game developers have spelt it.


Kuen-Whee Oh wrote:

-  Hi.
   I'm writing this mail to notice one thing about the M18 Recoilless Rifle.
   You said that it can be found in only one mission(Neptune, right?), but I
   thought that I found it in the final mission(err, I don't remember that
   name).
   As I remember, you should land on the only landable house outside the tower,
   and you can find one.

As it turns out, if you land at the green drop-zone in the house at the base of
the Flak Tower (instead of on top of the Flak Tower itself), there's an M18
recoilless rifle on the house's top floor.



TABLE OF CONTENTS:

- GAME MECHANICS
- COMBAT TIPS
- WEAPONS
- ENEMIES



*****************
*Game Mechanics:*
*******************************************************************************


-  Medal of Honor: Airborne features 3 difficulty levels: Casual, Normal, 
   and Expert. Difficulty affects a number of factors; largely the amount 
   of health your character has, and how long you have to hide after being 
   injured before your health begins to regenerate. On the Casual and 
   Normal difficulties, there is also a split-second delay after you're 
   shot before you can be hurt again.

   On Casual difficulty: 
     Your character has 600 points of health. [150 health per health bar].  
     It takes a shorter amount of time before your health starts to 
     regenerate (after 1.5 seconds).
     After each bullet hit, there is a 0.25 second delay before you can be 
     hurt again.

   On Normal difficulty:
     Your character has 500 points of health. [125 health per health bar].
     Your health regenerates normally (after 3.0 seconds).
     After each bullet hit, there is a 0.15 second delay before you can be 
     hurt again. 

   On Expert difficulty:
     Your character has 400 points of health. [100 health per health bar].
     It takes a longer amount of time before your health starts to 
     regenerate (after 4.0 seconds).
     There is no delay between hits, allowing you to be harmed by 
     consecutive bullets in a stream of automatic fire.


 
-  Taking cover in Medal of Honor: Airborne not only reduces your chances 
   of being shot, but you also take less damage from enemy attacks while 
   firing or hiding from behind cover.
   Your character takes 75% damage if hit while taking cover.
   Your character takes 25% damage if hit while parachuting.



-  The amount of damage a bullet hit does varies based on where it strikes 
   the body. Shots to the limbs generally do reduced damage, while 
   headshots are usually instantly lethal.

   For Players, damage to body parts corresponds as follows:

     Feet = 50%
     Legs = 70%
     Arms = 100%
     Torso = 100%
     Head = 600%

   For Single-Player enemies, damage to body parts corresponds as follows:

     Feet = 50%
     Limbs = 75%
     Groin = 125%
     Torso = 100%
     Head = 400%



**************
*Combat Tips:*
*******************************************************************************


-  The use of aim mode to aim using a weapon's iron sights is central to 
   Medal of Honor: Airborne's gameplay. Unlike other first person 
   shooters, you can't just fire from the hip and expect to hit anything 
   past about 20 feet or so. You NEED to use aim mode to score hits on 
   medium-to-long range targets. With that said, firing from the hip does 
   work somewhat in close quarters, such as during indoors fighting while 
   clearing a corridor or building. Within 20 feet or so, you can fire 
   from the hip and mow down foes, as long as you use rapid-fire bursts 
   from a submachine gun or semi-automatic rifle.

   The game will display a brief red cross over an enemy to indicate that
   you've hit them with a bullet. This helpfully tells you whether you're
   hitting them or not with your weapon.



-  Other than the highly advertised parachute drop, the other major 
   gameplay mechanic in Medal of Honor: Airborne is the cover system. You 
   need to take cover to survive, both to avoid enemy fire, and to take 
   reduced damage from enemy bullets if you do get shot. To take cover, 
   duck behind a piece of cover such as a low wall. To peek and fire, go 
   into aim mode and either press up to peek over cover and shoot, or 
   press left or right to peek around cover and shoot.

   If you duck behind a piece of partial cover, and find that your head
   is still exposed to enemy fire, you can press aim + down to go prone,
   ducking down even further. This allows you to effectively uses pieces
   of cover that would normally be too low to protect you.

   Cover is especially important on Expert difficulty, since if you're
   standing in the open enemy attacks can knock off an entire lifebar
   in just 1 or 2 hits, preventing you from regenerating your health.



-  If you're caught in the open and start taking enemy fire, you can use 
   sprint to run for cover at high speed. You can't fire your weapon while 
   sprinting, but you travel much faster than you normally do.



-  Just like in real life, your breathing affects your ability to aim
   down a scope at long range. When aiming down a scope using a sniper
   rifle such as the Springfield or G43, your view will slowly drift
   up and down with your breathing. This can interfere with your ability
   to keep the crosshair over a target at long range.

   To deal with this issue, you can hold your breath for several seconds
   by holding down the "JUMP" button while aiming down a scope. This will
   cause the two half-circles on the left side of the screen to squeeze
   together, briefly steadying your brief and keeping the crosshair
   stationary for a few seconds.



-  The game allows you to carry 2 primary weapons, as well as a sidearm. 
   For primary weapons, it's best to carry a submachine gun for close to 
   medium range combat, and a rifle for long range combat. I recommend the 
   MP40 submachine gun, for its low recoil and versatile upgrades, and the 
   Springfield sniper rifle, for its variable scope and extremely long 
   range. You can replace the submachine gun with an automatic rifle later 
   in the game.
 


-  Automatic weapons such as submachine guns or automatic rifles have
   significant recoil, which causes your aim to drift upward with each
   shot. Recoil is manageable when firing from the hip, but is much more
   noticeable when firing from aimed mode. To counter the effects of 
   recoil, try firing in short bursts of only a couple bullets. Since
   most enemies in the game go down after only a few bullet hits each,
   full automatic fire really isn't necessary, except perhaps for
   close-quarters room-clearing, which should mostly be done firing
   "from the hip" anyway.



-  When you kill enemies with a weapon, you gradually gain experience
   points with that weapon, which will eventually earn you weapon upgrades
   that improve the capabilities of each gun. You earn a Marksman upgrade
   after gaining 25 experience points. You earn a Sharpshooter upgrade after
   gaining an additional 50 experience points. Finally, you earn an Expert
   upgrade after gaining a final 100 experience points. Whenever you earn
   a weapon upgrade, you'll go into a temporary "bullet time" mode in
   which time slows down around you, and your gun has temporary infinite
   ammo. Use this opportunity to kill multiple enemies in the few seconds
   in which it lasts.

   Extra experience is earned for scoring headshots, melee kills, or killing
   3 or 5 enemies in a row. Also, destroying an enemy vehicle earns you
   significantly more experience than killing an enemy soldier does.



-  Enemies will frequently toss grenades at you to either flush you out of
   cover or kill you. Watch for the on-screen grenade indicator to tell
   you that a grenade has landed nearby. The color of the indicator shows
   how close the grenade is to you. A white indicator shows that the
   grenade is too far away to harm you, while a deep red indicator means
   the grenade is right under you and will seriously injure or kill you
   when it explodes. Grenades can be avoided either by running outside
   their blast radius, or putting a piece of cover (such as a wall) between
   you and the grenade before it explodes.

   If you're standing on top of an enemy grenade, you can kick it away
   from you. You can even kick grenades back at the enemy, and will earn
   experience points if it explodes and kills some of them.

   

-  For the PC version of Medal of Honor: Airborne, there's a bug in the 
   game that prevents you from zooming if you assign the zoom commands to 
   the mouse wheel, since the mouse wheel is automatically mapped to 
   switching weapons. So, don't assign the zoom commands to the mouse 
   wheel, assign them to other keys.



**********
*Weapons:* 
*******************************************************************************


-  Medal of Honor: Airborne features an assortment of World War II Allied 
   and Axis weaponry. At the start of each mission, you are given the 
   opportunity to select 2 primary weapons and a sidearm for you to take 
   into the mission. You can also switch guns during a mission by picking 
   them up from ammo drops or fallen soldiers (although, unlike most FPS 
   games, not every soldier who dies will drop their firearm). Initially, 
   only a few firearms are available to you, but more and more are 
   unlocked as you proceed through the game. Generally, you can select a 
   weapon on the weapon selection screen in the level immedietely after 
   the first level you find that weapon on the battlefield. When you 
   replay completed missions, you can bring in any weapon that you've 
   already unlocked.



-  Note that rocket launchers and grenades cannot be selected on the 
   weapon selection screen. Rocket launchers can only be used by obtaining 
   them inside a given level. You start out each level with a pre-defined 
   number of grenades, and can only obtain more by collecting them inside 
   the level. Also, the C96 Mauser Pistol can only be selected in the 
   game's final mission, Der Flakturm. You cannot select it for any of the 
   game's other missions, even if you replay them after beating the game.



-  NOTE: The weapon stats given here are for the single-player campaign.
   The stats for weapons in multi-player are slightly tweaked from these
   for game balance reasons.



-  My personal weapon recommendations are as follows;

   On Level 1, start with the MP40 submachine gun and the M1 Garand. The
   MP40 has much less recoil than the Tommy gun, making it easier to control
   in long bursts. Trade the M1 Garand for the Springfield sniper rifle
   as soon as you find it. The Springfield's scope allows you to snipe
   enemies from the relative safety of longer range.

   On Level 2, trade the Springfield sniper for a G43 Gewehr as soon as
   you can pick one up from a fallen enemy soldier. At first, the G43
   isn't as powerful as the Springfield due to the lack of a scope, but
   it quickly acquires a scope after a couple upgrades, and the G43's
   semi-automatic rate of fire makes it easier to use than the Springfield's
   much slower bolt-action fire.

   The MP40 SMG and G43 rifle combo should work well for much of the game.
   The MP40 works well for close-quarters room-sweeping and medium-range
   firefights, while the G43 is great for picking off enemies at long range.
   
   Trade the MP40 for the much more powerful StG.44 assault rifle once you
   get it in the game's later levels. It serves a similar function as the
   MP40, but has higher stopping power and greater accuracy, allowing for
   tighter bullet clustering at close range, and better accuracy at long
   range.
 


========== 
=PISTOLS:= 
==========


M1911 Colt .45
Damage: 50 
Accuracy: 35 
Rate of Fire: 20 (240 rpm)
Recoil: 30
Ammo Capacity: 7
Reload Speed: 70
Player Speed: 100
Maximum Ammo: Infinite
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Leather Holster [+ Fast Draw] (pistol can be drawn 
                                                 faster) 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Match Grade Trigger [+ Rate of Fire] (ROF 
                                                            increased to
                                                            1000 rpm) 
Expert Upgrade: Magnum Rounds [+ Increased Damage] (damage increased to 
                                                    100)

BRIEF BLURB:

The classic Colt .45 semi-automatic pistol. Has decent stopping power,
but low accuracy and magazine size. Main use is as a backup weapon for
close-range combat if you run low on ammo.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The standard Allied sidearm. The game allows you to carry 2 primary 
weapons and a sidearm, and for most of the game the Colt .45 is the 
only sidearm available to you. As a result, you'll be carrying a Colt 
.45 for most of the game. Although not as effective as a primary 
weapon, the Colt .45 has the advantage of having infinite ammo, so it's 
a good fallback weapon if you're running low on ammo for your primary 
weapons.

A semi-automatic handgun, you need to click the fire button for each 
individual shot. The Colt has a decent rate of fire and good stopping 
power (most enemies go down in 2 to 3 shots). Unfortunately, the weapon 
lacks accuracy, especially at long range, although it is still decent 
for close-quarters room-clearing, or sniping at medium range using aim 
mode. The biggest drawback to the Colt is that its low magazine capacity 
means you'll need to reload frequently during a firefight, so you'd 
better have some place to take cover during each reload.

If you run out of bullets for your main weapon and are still fighting
an enemy, it's quicker to whip out your pistol than to reload.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the Colt allows you to draw it quicker when you 
switch to it from another weapon. The next upgrade increases the Colt's 
maximum rate of fire to a blazing 1000 rpm (although, since it's a 
semi-automatic gun, you'll probably never reach that speed). As a 
result, the only limit on the Colt's rate of fire becomes how rapidly 
you can click the fire button. The final upgrade loads the Colt with 
magnum rounds, doubling its firepower to 100 damage per shot, and making 
the Colt more powerful than most rifles, becoming the most powerful 
bullet weapon in the game next to the Springfield and 98k rifles.



C96 Mauser: 
Damage: 30 
Accuracy: 40 
Rate of Fire: 35 (1000 rpm)
Recoil: 25
Ammo Capacity: 10
Reload Speed: 50
Player Speed: 100
Maximum Ammo: Infinite
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: Shoulder Stock [+ Reduced Recoil] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: 20 Round Magazine [+ Ammo Capacity] 
Expert Upgrade: 712 Conversion Kit [+ Fully Automatic]

BRIEF BLURB:

The Axis sidearm; significantly weaker than the Colt .45, but has
a faster rate of fire, a larger magazine size, and can be upgraded
into a full-auto machine pistol.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The standard Axis sidearm. Like the Colt .45, the C96 Mauser is a semi-
automatic pistol than you carry as a backup weapon. You carry an 
infinite supply of ammo for the Mauser, so you'll never run out of 
bullets for it. Actually, the C96 Mauser is unavailable to you for most 
of the game. You can only select it on the weapon loadout screen of the 
game's very last mission, Der Flakturm. There's also a C96 Mauser 
hidden in an office safe in the game's fifth mission, Operation 
Varsity, in the control room of the warehouse where you destroy the
railgun.

The C96 Mauser is actually the weakest firearm in the game. It takes 5 
shots from the Mauser to kill a Fallschirmjager Commander, the most 
common enemy soldier you face in the levels in which the Mauser is 
available. Even a headshot from the Mauser usually isn't lethal. On the 
plus side, the Mauser has slightly better accuracy and less recoil than 
the Colt .45. Additionally, the Mauser's maximum rate of fire is 1000 
rpm, and thus the weapon's speed is only limited by how fast you can 
click the fire button.

UPGRADES:

The upgrades to the Mauser do increase its usefulness somewhat. The 
first upgrade attaches a shoulder stock that reduces the weapon's 
recoil even further. The second upgrade increases the weapon's capacity 
to a relatively high magazine size of 20 bullets. The final upgrade 
converts the Mauser to a fully automatic weapon, allowing you to spray 
bullets with rapid fire by holding down the fire button. The upgrades to 
the Mauser essentially convert it into a light automatic carbine with 
infinite ammo, and while it is still inferior to most of your primary 
weapons, it can be useful as a backup firearm.



==================
=SUBMACHINE GUNS:= 
==================


M1928 Thompson:
Damage: 45 
Accuracy: 40 
Rate of Fire: 85 (~800 rpm)
Recoil: 65
Ammo Capacity: 30
Reload Speed: 50
Player Speed: 90
Maximum Ammo: 390
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Front Pistol Grip [+ Improved Accuracy] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Cutts Compensator [+ Reduced Recoil] 
Expert Upgrade: 50 Round Drum Mag [+ Ammo Capacity]

BRIEF BLURB:

A "Tommy Gun" full-auto submachine gun; does good damage and
has a high rate of fire, and can be used at both close and long
range, but high recoil requires it to be used in short bursts.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The Thompson "Tommy Gun" submachine gun is the standard Allied 
automatic weapon, and one of four starting weapons you can begin the 
game with (the others being the MP40 submachine gun, the M1 Garand 
rifle, and the 98k rifle). A fully automatic SMG with a very high rate 
of fire, the Thompson is excellent for close-quarters room-clearing, as 
well as for medium-to-long range combat when using aim mode. 

The Thompson is slightly more powerful than the MP40, the game's other 
submachine gun, as well as having a much higher rate of fire, but it 
also is slightly less accurate and has significantly more recoil. 
Overall, I'd say the slight increase in firepower isn't worth the extra 
recoil when compared to the MP40, but recoil isn't too much of an issue 
if you fire in short bursts instead of on full-auto, which is what you 
should be doing since most enemies go down after only 3-4 bullets each. 
Additionally, the upgrades to the Thompson do go quite a long way 
towards correcting the recoil issue.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the Thompson improves its accuracy, while the 
second upgrade reduces its recoil. The final Thompson upgrade allows 
you to use the infamous "Chicago Typewriter"-style drum magazine, for a 
large magazine size of 50 bullets.



Maschinenpistole 40:
Damage: 40 
Accuracy: 55 
Rate of Fire: 55 (492 rpm)
Recoil: 45
Ammo Capacity: 32
Reload Speed: 40
Player Speed: 95
Maximum Ammo: 390
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: Dual Magazines [+ Faster Reload] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: 64 Round Magazine [+ Ammo Capacity] 
Expert Upgrade: Dagger [+ Melee Attack] (150 damage)

BRIEF BLURB:

The Axis submachine gun; has much lower recoil than the Thompson,
which allows for longer, more accurate automatic fire. Slightly
less damaging and with a lower rate of fire than the Thompson, but
overall still a better weapon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The MP40 submachine gun is the standard automatic firearm wielded by 
most of the game's enemy soldiers for the first 3/4ths of the game. Like
the Thompson, the MP40 is best suited for either close-range combat, or 
medium-to-long range combat while firing from cover using aimed mode.

Although slightly weaker and with a slower rate of fire than the 
Thompson, the MP40 has better accuracy and much lower recoil than an 
un-upgraded Thompson. The low recoil is partially due to the weapon's
lower rate of fire, which allows for better stability during automatic
fire. In fact, the MP40 has very little recoil even when firing in
aimed mode, allowing you to sustain automatic fire with it without
losing control of the weapon. 

Also, because your enemies will often drop MP40s, you can collect
extra submachine gun ammo from them if you already have an MP40 equipped
(since picking up a dropped weapon while you're already carrying that
type of weapon gives you extra ammo).

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the MP40 allows you to reload the weapon much 
faster. The second upgrade increases the magazine capacity to an 
extremely high 64 rounds, allowing you to fire for a prolonged amount 
of time before needing to reload. The final upgrade to the MP40 gives 
you a dagger that you can use for your melee attack; this does much 
more damage than the standard rifle-butt melee attack. Overall, you get 
the really good upgrade (increased capacity) much faster than for the 
Thompson, but the third upgrade really isn't that useful at all.



===========
=SHOTGUNS:=
===========


M12 Shotgun:
Damage: 75 (actually 35 damage per pellet) 
Accuracy: 20 
Rate of Fire: 20
Recoil: 90
Ammo Capacity: 8
Reload Speed: 25
Player Speed: 90
Maximum Ammo: 80
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Modified Choke [+ Improved Accuracy] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Buckshot Rounds [+ Increased Damage] (damage 
                                                            increased
                                                            to 50) 
Expert Upgrade: M1 16 Inch Bayonet [+ Melee Attack] (200 damage)

BRIEF BLURB:

A shotgun. For close encounters. Good for running and gunning at
close range, but not really as versatile as a submachine gun. 
Once upgraded, is fun for one-hit knockdowns at close range. I
personally don't recommend it, but your playing style may vary.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

This is your basic first person shooter shotgun. It fires a spread of 
12 pellets, and does high damage up close, but low damage at range due 
to the dispersal of the pellets. You can first pick up the shotgun in 
the game's second mission, Operation Avalanche (there are a few shotgun 
pickups laying in plain sight in several areas of the mission), and you 
can select it on the weapon loadout screen from the third mission 
onwards.

The shotgun packs a powerful punch, and a direct hit at close range
can blow an enemy away. However, if your crosshair is not directly
over the enemy, you will usually just "wing" them, doing modest
damage and requiring 1 or 2 more shots to put them down. Also, at medium
range, it often takes 2 shots or more to kill an enemy. On the plus side,
in close quarters the shotgun can be fired "from the hip" and still hit
enemies fairly reliably without needing to use aim mode. You can also
fire the shotgun from aim mode for a tighter spread that's more likely
to knock down enemies in one hit, or do more damage at medium range.
 
Unfortunately, the shotgun has trouble hitting enemies at long range, 
even if you use aim mode to maximize accuracy. In this regard, the 
shotgun isn't as versatile as a submachine gun, which can be used for 
both close-quarters combat and long range combat. Overall, I found 
submachine guns to be more effective at close range than the slower 
firing shotgun, but your preference may vary.

UPGRADES:

The upgrades to the shotgun do improve its effectiveness somewhat. The 
first upgrade increases the weapon's accuracy, and the second increases 
its damage, making it more likely for a shot from the shotgun to be 
lethal at close range. The final upgrade to the shotgun adds a bayonet 
to the end, increasing the melee damage you do with it.



=========
=RIFLES:= 
=========


M1 Garand:
Damage: 85 
Accuracy: 85 
Rate of Fire: 35 (400 rpm)
Recoil: 50
Ammo Capacity: 8
Reload Speed: 50
Player Speed: 88
Maximum Ammo: 120
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Match Grade Barrel [+ Improved Accuracy] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Lock Bar Adjustable Sights [+ Increased Zoom] 
Expert Upgrade: M7A1 Grenade Launcher [+ Launch Grenades]

BRIEF BLURB:

The default Allied rifle; an accurate, fast-firing semi-automatic
rifle for medium to long range combat. Puts almost all enemies
down in just 2 shots.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The M1 Garand is the Allies' semi-automatic rifle, and one of two rifle 
weapons (along with the Axis' 98k rifle) that are available to you at 
the beginning of the game. Accurate, powerful, and with a reasonably 
fast rate of fire, the Garand is an excellent weapon for long-range 
combat, and is even effective at close range in a pinch. The only 
downside to the Garand is that the low clip size results in a frequent 
need for reloads. Also, although the Garand is powerful, it is not 
instantly lethal, and even the weakest of enemy soldiers requires 2 
shots to bring down.

One long running feature of the Medal of Honor series is that the 
Garand cannot be reloaded while there are still bullets in the current 
clip, due to the "en bloc" clip that only pops out when you've fired 
all the bullets in the rifle. This inability to reload at will can be 
inconvenient, so keep it in mind if you want to use the Garand. On the 
plus side, the en bloc clip allows you to load all the bullets at once, 
instead of having to load them one at a time like with the unupgraded 
Springfield or 98k Karabiner rifles.

The Garand is largely comparable to its Axis counterpart, the G43 
rifle, with its only flaw being the lack of a scope to zoom in on and 
target distant foes. However, the iron sights on the rifle allow for a 
decent zoom, especially with the Sharpshooter upgrade.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the Garand increases the weapon's accuracy even 
more, allowing for pinpoint precision in aim mode and more effective 
target when firing from the hip. The second upgrade increases how far 
you can zoom using the rifle's iron sights, improving your ability to 
spot distant foes. The final upgrade to the rifle allows you to launch 
MkII frag grenades from the barrel of the rifle, allowing you to fire 
grenades much further than you could throw them. Grenades fired in this 
manner also explode much more quickly; either a second after landing, 
or upon impact if they hit an enemy soldier.



M1903 Springfield Sniper:
Damage: 100 (actually 130 damage) 
Accuracy: 100 
Rate of Fire: 15 
Recoil: 65
Ammo Capacity: 5
Reload Speed: 20
Player Speed: 80
Maximum Ammo: 120
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Polished Match Grade Bolt [+ Rate of Fire] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: 5 Round Stripper Clip [+ Faster Reload] 
Expert Upgrade: M1 Grenade Launcher [+ Launch Grenades]

BRIEF BLURB:

The game's first sniper rifle; variable scope allows you to zoom
in on and pick off enemies from the relative safety of long range.
It's also powerful enough to usually kill most enemies in only 1
shot. An excellent weapon hampered only by its very slow rate of fire.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The Springfield rifle is the Allies' bolt-action sniper rifle. It is 
the only rifle in the game that starts out equipped with a scope (the 
G43 rifle and StG.44 assault rifle only acquire scopes after you earn 2 
or 3 weapon upgrades), making it your premiere sniper weapon for the
early levels of the game. (The scope can be zoomed anywhere between 2x 
magnification and 10x magnification). The Springfield also does the 
most damage out of all the game's rifles, usually allowing you to drop 
enemies with only a single shot. 

The variable scope makes the sniper rifle excellent for long-range 
combat, allowing you to accurately target enemies from the relative 
safety of long distance. Unfortunately, the bolt-action nature of the 
rifle means there's a few seconds delay between each shot while you bolt 
a new bullet into the chamber. This makes the Springfield useless for 
close-range combat, so be sure to switch to a submachine gun or pistol 
if you get ambushed at close range by enemies while wielding the 
Springfield. You acquire a Springfield rifle as part of a mission 
objective towards the end of the game's first mission, and it can be 
selected at the weapon loadout screen from the game's second mission 
onward.  

Note that while aiming with the Springfield sniper rifle, your
character's breathing will cause your view to slowly drift up and
down. This can interfere with your ability to keep the crosshair over
an enemy target at long range. To steady your aim, hold down the "JUMP"
button while aiming down the scope. This will steady your breathing,
causing the crosshair to become stable for a few seconds.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the Springfield rifle increases the rate of fire 
by increasing the bolt speed, although there is still a two-second 
delay between shots. The second upgrade increases the reload speed with 
a stripper clip, allowing you to load all 5 bullets at once instead of 
having to load them one at a time. The final upgrade to the Springfield 
allows you to fire MkII frag grenades from the barrel of the rifle, 
which travel further than they would if you had thrown them, and 
detonate on impact with enemies soldiers or a second after landing.



K98k Karabiner Kurtz:
Damage: 100 
Accuracy: 90 
Rate of Fire: 15
Recoil: 70
Ammo Capacity: 5
Reload Speed: 20
Player Speed: 87
Maximum Ammo: 120
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: Polished Match Grade Bolt [+ Rate of Fire] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: 5 Round Stripper Clip [+ Faster Reload] 
Expert Upgrade: Grenade Launcher [+ Launch Grenades]

BRIEF BLURB:

The initial Axis rifle; bolt-action results in a delay of more
than 2 seconds between each shot, and the rifle usually requires
2 shots to kill most enemies. Slower than the Garand or G43,
and lacks the scope of the Springfield or upgraded G43. I
really don't recommend it, unless you want a challenge or are
trying to show off.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The Karabiner 98k rifle is the Axis bolt-action rifle, and one of two 
rifles available to you at the beginning of the game (the other being 
the Allied M1 Garand). Since it's a bolt-action rifle, the 98k is 
considerably less effective than the semi-automatic M1 Garand; the 
Garand can fire several bullets in the space of a couple seconds, while 
the 98k requires a few seconds between each shot to bolt a new bullet 
into the chamber. This makes the 98k ineffective for close-range 
combat, although it does have some usefulness peeking and firing from 
behind cover at long range.

Due to its low rate of fire and relatively high accuracy and stopping 
power, the 98k is comparable to the Springfield sniper rifle. However, 
it has a few drawbacks that make it inferior to the Springfield. The 
biggest drawback is that the 98k rifle lacks a scope, and doesn't get 
one even with weapon upgrades. Additionally, the 98k rifle is weaker 
than the Springfield sniper. While the Springfield can generally bring 
down enemies with a single shot, the 98k requires 2 shots to kill all 
but the very weakest foes. Overall, I find there's not much utility for 
the 98k rifle. For fast-firing, the semi-automatic Garand or G43 Gewehr 
are much better. For sniping, the more powerful, scoped Springfield is 
superior.

Probably the only advantage the 98k Karabiner has over the Springfield
or G43 Gewehr is the fact that there is no scope drift while aiming down
iron sights, so you don't have to worry about your view drifting up
and down while aiming at distant targets.

Because of the way Medal of Honor: Airborne's damage system works,
it IS possible to kill early to mid-game enemies with a single 98k
shot by shooting them in the crotch. If this comes naturally to you,
by all means feel free to try it out. However, since enemies often
take cover behind low walls and other obstacles, they seldom leave
their lower torso exposed for you to shoot.

UPGRADES:

The upgrades to the 98k rifle improve it, but don't really compensate 
for its shortcomings. The first upgrade increases the rate of fire by 
increasing the bolt speed, but it still takes about 2 seconds to bolt a 
new bullet into the chamber after each shot. The second upgrade allows 
for faster reloading by using a stripper clip that allows you to load 
all 5 bullets at once, instead of having to load them one at a time. 
The final upgrade allows you to fire stick grenades from the barrel of 
the rifle, which travel further than they would if you had thrown them, 
and detonate upon impact with enemies or a second after landing.



G43 Gewehr:
Damage: 75 
Accuracy: 85 
Rate of Fire: 30 (353 rpm)
Recoil: 55
Ammo Capacity: 10
Reload Speed: 50
Player Speed: 85
Maximum Ammo: 120
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: 20 Round Magazine [+ Ammo Capacity] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: ZF4 Scope [+ Variable Zoom] 
Expert Upgrade: Grenade Launcher [+ Launch Grenades]

BRIEF BLURB:

The improved Axis rifle; fast semi-automatic rate of fire, accurate,
and powerful enough to drop almost all enemies in 2 shots. Even
acquires an extended magazine and a variable scope after a couple
upgrades. Overall, the best rifle in the game once upgraded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The G43 Gewehr is the semi-automatic rifle of the Axis forces, and the 
Axis counterpart to the Allied M1 Garand. After a couple of upgrades, 
the G43 Gewehr also acquires a variable zoom scope, which makes it a 
viable sniper rifle as well. The G43 Gewehr isn't available to you 
until the second mission, where you can pick one up from a fallen foe 
carrying it. The G43 Gewehr becomes selectable at the weapon selection 
screen from the game's third mission onward.

Like the M1 Garand, the G43 Gewehr is powerful and accurate, with a 
decent semi-automatic rate of fire, making it excellent for long-range 
combat and decent for close-range encounters. The magazine-based reload 
also allows for relatively quick reloading. In several ways, the G43 
Gewehr is superior to the Garand (especially after upgrades are 
applied), and can even be a viable sniping alternative to the 
Springfield sniper rifle. Most advantages of the G43 Gewehr come from 
its very useful upgrades. Additionally, you can acquire extra rifle 
ammo from the G43 rifles dropped by enemy soldiers if you're already 
carrying a G43 rifle yourself. Once you upgrade the G43 with an 
expanded magazine and sniper scope, you might consider using it as your 
default sniping/combat rifle, rather than the M1 Garand or Springfield 
sniper.

Note that while aiming with the scoped G43 Gewehr rifle, your
character's breathing will cause your view to slowly drift up and
down. This can interfere with your ability to keep the crosshair over
an enemy target at long range. To steady your aim, hold down the "JUMP"
button while aiming down the scope. This will steady your breathing,
causing the crosshair to become stable for a few seconds.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the G43 rifle increases the weapon's magazine size to 
a rather high 20 rounds, allowing you to fire off a very large number 
of bullets (for a rifle) before needing to reload. The second upgrade 
attaches a ZF4 variable zoom scope to the rifle, giving the G43 rifle 
the same range and versatility as a Springfield sniper rifle. The G43 
rifle doesn't do as much damage as the Springfield sniper, but its 
rapid semi-automatic rate of fire compensates for this, allowing you to 
fire multiple bullets at distant targets in the space of a couple seconds.
The final upgrade to the G43 rifle allows you to launch stick grenades
from the rifle barrel, which travel further than they would if you had 
thrown them, and detonate on impact with enemies or a second after 
hitting the ground.



=================== 
=AUTOMATIC RIFLES:=
===================


M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle: 
Damage: 85 
Accuracy: 70 
Rate of Fire: 55 (528 rpm)
Recoil: 80
Ammo Capacity: 20
Reload Speed: 40
Player Speed: 85
Maximum Ammo: 390
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Compensator [+ Reduced Recoil] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: A2 Adjustable Sights [+ Increased Zoom] 
Expert Upgrade: Dual Magazines [+ Faster Reload]

BRIEF BLURB:

The BAR rifle has the accuracy and power of a rifle and the fast
automatic fire of a submachine gun; it's essentially a machinegun.
Very powerful, but recoil is off the charts when fired from
aimed mode, and the magazine size is somewhat limited.
I recommend using the StG.44 assault rifle instead.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The Browning Automatic Rifle, popularly known as the BAR, combines the 
power and accuracy of a rifle with the fully automatic rate of fire and 
extended magazine size of a submachine gun. A powerful weapon, the BAR 
won't be available to you until the later levels of the game. You'll 
first see BARs being carried by a few of your Airborne paratrooper 
teammates in Mission 4: Operation Market Garden, and you'll be able to 
choose them on the weapon selection screen in Mission 5: Operation 
Varsity, and Mission 6: Der Flakturm.

The BAR has a high rate of fire, and very high stopping power. 2 shots 
should be sufficient to kill all enemies soldiers, except for Waffen 
Storm Leaders and Nazi Storm Elites. On the downside, the BAR has 
VERY high recoil, making the weapon difficult to control accurately 
during full-automatic fire. In fact, recoil is so high that you can
only fire off 1 or 2 consecutive shots in aimed mode before the BAR's
aim climbs above your target. 

Compared to the game's other automatic rifle, the German StG.44 assault
rifle, the BAR is slightly more powerful and accurate, but has slightly
greater recoil as well. The biggest difference between the BAR and the
StG.44 is that the BAR has a magazine size of only 20 rounds, while the
StG.44 can fire 30 rounds before needing to reload. After upgrades, the
StG.44 also gets a 3x scope, while the BAR remains limited to iron sights
aiming. Overall, I prefer the StG.44 to the BAR due to the higher magazine
size and scope, since the difference in power really isn't that
important (2 shots from both the BAR and the StG.44 will bring down most
foes anyway).

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the BAR reduces the weapon's recoil to a somewhat 
more manageable level, although recoil is still quite high, especially
in aimed mode (it is in fact rather higher than the recoil of an
upgraded submachine gun or even the upgraded StG.44). The second upgrade
increases the distance you can zoom with the weapon's iron sights. The
final upgrade allows dual magazines (two magazines strapped together
with duct tape), speeding up the reload time significantly by allowing
you to reload simply by flipping the taped mags. 



StG.44 SturmGewehr: 
Damage: 65 
Accuracy: 60 
Rate of Fire: 50 (~450 rpm)
Recoil: 75
Ammo Capacity: 30
Reload Speed: 40
Player Speed: 88
Maximum Ammo: 390
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: Muzzle Brake [+ Reduced Recoil] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Dual Magazines [+ Faster Reload] 
Expert Upgrade: ZF Tactical Scope [+ Increased Zoom]

BRIEF BLURB:

An assault rifle. Powerful, accurate, and with a fast rate of fire.
Probably the best weapon in the game. Even gets a scope after upgrades.
Larger magazine size and less recoil than the BAR makes it the preferred
automatic rifle, although firing in short bursts is still required for
accurate hits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The StG.44 SturmGewehr is the German's automatic rifle, and the 
prototype of the modern assault rifle. Like the BAR, it combines the 
power and accuracy of a rifle with the full automatic rate of fire and 
extended magazine size of a submachine gun. It's a powerful weapon, and 
you'll have to play through a few levels before you can acquire one. 
You'll first see StG.44 assault rifles being wielded against you by 
Waffen Officers at the end of Mission 3: Operation Neptune, and you'll 
be able to pick it on the weapon selection screen from Mission 4: 
Operation Market Garden and onwards.

The StG.44 is one of my favorite weapons in the game. It's powerful, 
fast, and accurate, and when fully upgraded even has a 3x scope for 
long range combat. Overall, it's an excellent combination of the strong 
points of rifles and submachine guns. The only real issue with the 
StG.44 is that it has significant recoil, but this can be managed by 
firing in short bursts (it only takes 2 bullets each to kill enemy 
soldiers, after all), and the first upgrade to the weapon also reduces 
recoil to a more manageable level. 

Compared to the Allied BAR, the StG.44 does somewhat less damage
(although this is largely irrelevant since damage is still high enough
to kill most enemies with only 2 shots), but has a higher magazine size
and a 3x scope. Additionally, StG.44 rifles are quite common in the
game's last few levels (most of your enemies will carry one), and you
can get extra ammo from dropped StG.44 rifles if you're already
carrying one in your inventory.

While the StG.44 is good for most long range combat, it isn't as good 
as a sniper rifle (such as the Springfield rifle or G43 rifle) at 
extreme long range. For levels where you anticipate being able to snipe 
enemies across the map, or having to deal with enemy snipers (such as 
Mission 3: Operation Neptune, or Mission 5: Operation Varsity), it's a 
good idea to complement the StG.44 with a sniper rifle to round out 
your weapon inventory.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the StG.44 reduces the recoil to a more manageable 
level. The second upgrade allows dual magazines (two magazines strapped 
together with duct tape), speeding up the reload time significantly by 
allowing you to reload simply by flipping the taped mags. The final 
upgrade attaches a fixed 3x scope to the StG.44, allowing you to zoom 
in on and target more distant foes in aimed mode. If the scope 
interferes with your ability to aim at close range, you can press the 
secondary fire selection button to remove and pocket the scope.



===================
=ROCKET LAUNCHERS:=
===================


M18 Recoilless Rifle:
Damage: 600
Explosive Radius: 1000 
Accuracy: 90 
Rate of Fire: 5
Recoil: 50
Ammo Capacity: 1
Reload Speed: 20
Player Speed: 70
Maximum Ammo: 7
Faction: Allies

Marksman Upgrade: Enhanced Scope [+ Variable Zoom] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Satchel [+ Ammo Capacity] (Increased to 10) 
Expert Upgrade: Musette Bag [+ Ammo Capacity] (Increased to 13)

BRIEF BLURB:

The most powerful gun in the game. Fires massive explosive projectiles
that hit almost instantly. Even has a scope for sniping. 
Almost a N00b Cannon. Unfortunately, has low ammo capacity (only 8 shots)
and is only available in one level.
 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The M18 recoilless rifle is essentially the Allied rocket launcher. It 
fires a very powerful explosive shell, but has a very low rate of fire 
due to the fact it needs to be reloaded after every shot. The recoilless
rifle projectile acts more like a rifle bullet than a rocket, as it
travels extremely quickly and hits its target almost instantly, even
at long range. The recoilless rifle also features a 2x scope that can
be used for precision aiming. The recoilless rifle is the most powerful
firearm in the game, and can kill a large group of enemies in a single
shot. Unfortunately, you can't carry much ammo for it, and additional
rocket ammo is very hard to come by (on the plus side, when you pick up
the recoilless rifle, you are given the maximum amount of ammo you can
carry for it). 

Unfortunately, the recoilless rifle is only available in a single level
in the entire game, in Mission 3: Operation Neptune. Assembling the
recoilless rifle from 4 component briefcases is one of the mission's
objectives, after which you will need to use it to destroy a Tiger
Tank. Afterwards, you can keep the rifle and use it against enemy
soldiers, but the low amount of ammo means you'll run out of shots for
it rather quickly.

UPDATE: Kuen-Whee Oh informs me that there's a recoilless rifle on the
top floor of the house that serves as the green drop-zone at the bottom
of the Flak Tower in the final mission, Der Flakturm. However, landing
at the base of the tower means having to fight your way through several
deadly accurate snipers as well as a few dozen well-dug-in Fallschirmjager
Commanders. Honestly, I'm not sure it's worth the trouble to get it,
but it's there if you're interested.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the recoilless rifle replaces the fixed 2x scope 
with a variable zoom scope that can be zoomed anywhere between 2x and 
10x magnification. Each of the next two upgrades increases the ammo 
capacity of the rifle by 3 rockets each. The fact the rifle can't be 
used very often does hinder your ability to earn upgrades, although 
destroying the Tiger Tank does earn you a large amount of experience 
points, and you can also earn lots of experience by killing several 
enemies with a single shot.

One fun thing about the recoilless rifle is that, during an upgrade
"power up", you can fire a weapon continously without needing to
reload. This allows you to fire off a continous stream of explosive
death from the recoilless rifle during the few seconds the "power up"
phase lasts.



Panzerschreck:
Damage: 450
Explosive Radius: 900 
Accuracy: 90 
Rate of Fire: 10
Recoil: 40
Ammo Capacity: 1
Reload Speed: 25
Player Speed: 75
Maximum Ammo: 7
Faction: Axis

Marksman Upgrade: Improved Sights [+ Increased Zoom] 
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Satchel [+ Ammo Capacity] (Increased to 10) 
Expert Upgrade: Musette Bag [+ Ammo Capacity] (Increased to 13)

BRIEF BLURB:

The Axis Rocket Launcher. Fires rockets. Rockets explode. Not as
powerful as the recoilless rifle, but can still kill a bunch of
enemies with a single hit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The Axis rocket launcher, the Panzerschreck is wielded by enemy 
Panzergrenadiers at the end of Mission 4: Operation Market Garden, and 
throughout Mission 6: Der Flakturm. You can pick one up from them after 
you kill them. Unlike the recoilless rifle, the Panzerschreck has no 
scope and uses an iron sights zoom for precision aiming. The
Panzerschreck has a large metal blast shield in front to protect
the user's face from the rocket's back blast. You aim the Panzerschreck
by peeking through a vertical slit in the shield. The shield blocks
much of your view when you aim with the Panzerschreck, so keep that
in mind when you use the weapon.

Like the recoilless rifle, the Panzerschreck is a rocket launcher that
does large damage, yet has a low ammo capacity as well as a low rate of
fire due to needing to be reloaded after each shot. The Panzerschreck is 
actually somewhat weaker than the recoilless rifle, although it is 
still very powerful and can kill several enemy soldiers with a single 
shot. The rockets fired by the Panzerschreck don't travel as quickly
as the recoilless rifle projectile, but they're still very fast
and almost impossible for a human being to dodge once they're in flight.

You'll probably need to collect a Pazerschreck to destroy the Tiger
Tank at the very end of Mission 4: Operation Market Garden. You can
also grab one in Mission 6: Der Flakturm to use against enemy soldiers,
but you'll run out of ammo rather quickly.

UPGRADES:

The first upgrade to the Panzerschreck increases how far you can zoom 
with the weapon's iron sights. Each of the next two upgrades increases 
the Panzerschreck's ammo capacity by 3 rockets each.



=======================
=MOUNTED MACHINE GUNS:= 
=======================

 
Maschinengewehr 42:
Damage: 50 
Accuracy: X 
Rate of Fire: X
Recoil: X
Ammo Capacity: 100
Reload Speed: X
Maximum Ammo: Infinite
Faction: Axis

BRIEF BLURB:

A powerful mounted machinegun turret. Be careful or you'll be
cut to pieces in a second or two.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

MG42 heavy machinegun turrets are mounted at various fixed points 
throughout each level, usually positioned to provide cover fire on a 
major battlefield or choke-point. Your enemies will often attempt to 
man the MG42 turrets and use them against you. With their high rate of 
fire and damaging shots, active MG42s can be extremely dangerous to 
both you and your allies. When faced with an MG42 being fired by an 
enemy soldier, your best bet is to either attempt to flank the turret 
and shoot the gunner from the side, or duck behind cover, and quickly 
pop up and nail the gunner with a few well-aimed shots while he's
busy shooting at your men. You can also take out enemy gunners with
a well-placed grenade throw. 

You and your allies can commandeer unmanned MG42 turrets and use them 
to your advantage. MG42s have a high magazine capacity of 100 rounds, 
and an unlimited supply of ammo, so you can use them to put out a 
steady stream of fire into an area. The downside of MG42 turrets is 
that you can't duck or take cover while firing one, although the turret 
does provide some small degree of protection while you're behind it, 
since it will block at least some of the bullets your enemies fire at 
you.

Towards the end of the game, you'll face special Nazi Storm Elite 
soldiers capable of carrying and firing an MG42 as a man-portable 
weapon. Their heavy weaponry makes these super-soldiers perhaps the 
most dangerous enemies in the game.



===========
=GRENADES:=
===========


MkII Frag Grenade: 
Damage: 250
Explosive Radius: 650 
Maximum Ammo: 8 
Faction: Allies 

Marksman Upgrade: Satchel [+ Capacity] (increased to 10)
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Bandolier [+ Capacity] (increased to 12)
Expert Upgrade: Musette Bag [+ Capacity] (increased to 14)

BRIEF BLURB:

The Allied frag grenade. Does less damage than the Axis stick
grenade, but has more "bounce" when banked off walls or other
surfaces.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

The classic pineapple-shaped frag grenades carried by Allied forces. 
You'll be able to acquire MkII frag grenade ammo pickups at various 
points throughout each level. Frag grenades are slightly weaker than 
Axis stick grenades, but are still powerful enough to kill almost any 
enemy with a near-direct hit. Frag grenades also have more "bounce" 
than stick grenades, allowing you to bank them further off walls and 
around corners.

Your enemies are fairly adept at running away from grenades, although 
chucking one near their position is a great way to flush them out of 
cover. Grenades are especially useful for taking out enemies firing 
from encased fortifications or MG42 turret positions. You can also
toss multiple grenades to confuse your enemies and limit their ability
to run away.

To increase the chances of killing enemies with grenades, you can "cook"
your grenades by holding down the grenade throw key. This delays throwing
the grenade after you pull the pin, causing it to explode sooner after it
lands. Just be sure not to hold it so long that it explodes in your own
hand.

UPGRADES:

Each grenade upgrade increases the amount of grenades you can carry by 
2.


 
Stick Grenade: 
Damage: 350
Explosive Radius: 750 
Maximum Ammo: 8 
Faction: Axis 

Marksman Upgrade: Satchel [+ Capacity] (increased to 10)
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Bandolier [+ Capacity] (increased to 12)
Expert Upgrade: Musette Bag [+ Capacity] (increased to 14)

BRIEF BLURB:

The Axis high-explosive grenade. Does more damage than the Allied
frag grenade, but has less "bounce" when banked off walls or other
surfaces. Supplies are more common than Allied frag grenades, since
enemies occasionally drop them when killed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

A can-like grenade attached to a long wooden stick for easier throwing, 
these are the standard grenades used by the Axis forces. As a result, 
stick grenade ammo pickups are more common than frag grenade ammo 
pickups, and your enemies will also occasionally drop stick grenade 
ammo as well. Stick grenades do slightly more damage than frag 
grenades, but have somewhat less "bounce", causing them to travel less 
far when banked off walls or around corners.

Your enemies are fairly adept at running away from grenades, although 
chucking one near their position is a great way to flush them out of 
cover. Grenades are especially useful for taking out enemies firing 
from encased fortifications or MG42 turret positions. You can also
toss multiple grenades to confuse your enemies and limit their ability
to run away.

To increase the chances of killing enemies with grenades, you can "cook"
your grenades by holding down the grenade throw key. This delays throwing
the grenade after you pull the pin, causing it to explode sooner after it
lands. Just be sure not to hold it so long that it explodes in your own
hand.

UPGRADES:

Each grenade upgrade increases the amount of grenades you can carry by 
2.


 
Gammon Grenade: 
Damage: 700
Explosive Radius: 800 
Maximum Ammo: 5 
Faction: Allies 

Marksman Upgrade: Satchel [+ Capacity] (increased to 8)
Sharpshooter Upgrade: Bandolier [+ Capacity] (increased to 11)
Expert Upgrade: Musette Bag [+ Capacity] (increased to 14)

BRIEF BLURB:

An incredibly powerful grenade. Creates a massive explosion that
can destroy enemy tanks.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION:

Cloth bags stuffed full of plastic explosives, Gammon grenades are the 
most powerful handheld grenades in the game. They do massive damage 
with a large splash damage radius capable of wiping out several enemies 
at once, and are also capable of damaging enemy tanks. Gammon grenades 
are great for destroying enemy tanks, taking out the heavily armored 
Nazi Storm Elite soldiers, or for simply wiping out all the enemies in 
a fortified space.

Gammon grenades can even be used to destroy objective objects that normally
require explosive charges to take out, such as enemy Anti-Aircraft guns.

NOTE: In Mission 4: Market Garden, the game gives you twice as many Gammon
grenades as you can normally carry. This is to aid you in defeating the
various enemy Tiger Tanks you encounter on the level.

UPGRADES:

Each Gammon grenade upgrade increases the number of Gammon grenades you 
can carry by 3. These upgrades are extremely useful, as initially the 
game limits the maximum number of these powerful grenades that you can 
carry to a rather low 5 grenades.



**********
*Enemies:* 
*******************************************************************************


-  Enemy A.I. in Medal of Honor: Airborne is generally solid. Enemy 
   soldiers make good use of cover, are decent at flanking and manuevering 
   around the battlefield, will respond to and retreat from enemy fire,
   can vault through windows or over low walls, can blindfire to suppress you
   without exposing themselves to danger, and will make good use of grenades
   to flush you out of cover. At point-blank range, enemies can also
   aggressively rush at you and strike you repeatedly with the butt of their
   rifles. In terms of cooperative squad AI, enemies will advance or retreat
   together in a coordinated manner, will spread out to cover a larger area
   with overlapping fields of fire, and more skilled enemies will support
   each other with suppressing fire.

-  The enemy A.I. also has a few underhanded tricks designed to make the 
   game more of a challenge, but which are realistically somewhat unfair. 
   One trick is that enemies get an aim assist that allows them to hit you 
   even when you're outside the effective range of their weapons. For 
   example, if you're up in a high tower and sniping enemies across the 
   map using a Springfield sniper rifle, you'll find that enemies can 
   snipe you back with their MP40 submachine guns. Most of their shots 
   will miss, but they will still be able to hit you with 1 or 2 bullets 
   from a magazine despite being on the other side of the map. Another trick
   is that enemies will magically swing their weapons right at you after 
   you stick your head out of cover for a few seconds, even if they're in 
   the middle of a firefight with Allied troops, and you haven't done 
   anything to attract their attention.



Paratrooper:
Appearance: Soldier wearing tan uniform and tan helmet. 
Primary Weapon: M1928 Thompson
                M1 Garand
                M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle 
Secondary Weapon: MkII Frag Grenade

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The paratroopers are your fellow elite American Airborne special forces 
soldiers, who will fight alongside you throughout the entire game. 
Several squads of Airborne paratroopers will be dropped along with your 
character into each level, and you will usually find several Airborne 
paratroopers battling the enemy forces in each major combat area. 
Almost every shootout in the game will involve at least a few Airborne 
soldiers fighting by your side.

Paratroopers will engage the enemy on their own initiative, and will 
push forward into new territory if you manage to clear the way by 
thinning out or eliminating defending enemies. Depending on how the 
flow of battle progresses, additional paratrooper reinforcements may 
drop in to replace allies killed in combat, although in some 
battlefields it is possible for the enemy to wipe out all your allies, 
leaving you to face the enemy forces alone.

Paratroopers are typically armed with Thompson submachine guns or M1 
Garand rifles, although from Mission 4: Operation Market Garden and 
onwards, a few will carry powerful BAR automatic rifles. Their Allied 
armaments are slightly superior to the typical Axis equipment (MP40s 
and G43 rifles), although they are somewhat outgunned by later enemies 
who carry StG.44 assault rifles and even Panzerschreck rocket launchers 
and MG42 heavy machineguns.

Paratroopers know all the tricks; they fire from cover, switch cover 
positions when need, and occasionally toss frag grenades at enemy 
positions. Initially, the combat effectiveness of your paratrooper allies 
in on par with standard German Heer infantry, although they do
become more skilled in later levels as the game progresses. They'll fight 
effectively, and provide decent supporting fire and combat assistance, 
but don't expect them to win the level without your help (especially 
since the Axis forces tend to outnumber them significantly in both 
numbers and frequency of reinforcements).

HINTS:

Paratroopers serve as decent support, and you can even flank enemies 
and attack them from the side while they're occupied firing at your 
allies. However, don't rely too much on paratroopers to serve as 
distractions or bullet shields, as enemies have a tendency to magically 
swing their weapons right at your head after you pop out of cover for 
more than a few seconds, even if you're sniping from way back in the 
rear. If this happens, just duck back behind cover; after several 
seconds, the enemy will turn back to shooting at your allies, giving 
you a chance to quickly pop up and cap them from the side.

Unfortunately, the Paratrooper AI has a tendency to run in front of 
your line of fire, causing you to inadvertantly score headshots against 
your own men. Fortunately, Medal of Honor: Airborne doesn't feature 
friendly fire; you won't harm your allies when you shoot them, so don't 
worry too much about it.

Sometimes, it can be tough to distinguish between your allies and your
enemies, especially when you're facing enemy soldiers (such as Waffen
Infantry) who are dressed in a similar manner to your own soldiers.
Besides their tan uniforms, your Airborne paratrooper allies can be
identified by the heavy brown backpacks they wear. Since you can't
actually hurt your allies, if in doubt, just shoot first to make
sure.



Italian Blackshirt: 
Appearance: Soldier wearing black uniform and black cap.
Class: Easy Rifleman
Health: 90

Primary Weapon: Karabiner 98k 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Trained 
Combat Effectiveness: 1

Italian Blackshirts are the first and weakest enemy soldiers you'll 
encounter in the game. They're fought exclusively in the Italian 
village that makes up the game's first mission, Operation Husky. They 
have the lowest skill level of enemy soldiers in the game; they tend to 
stay in one place, they seldom switch cover effectively, and it takes 
them a relatively long to take cover when fired upon. Also, even though 
they carry grenades, Blackshirts lack the sense to actually use them, 
limiting their combat repitoire to firearms and melee attacks.

Blackshirts are also equipped with outdated, slow-firing 98k bolt-
action rifles. Their weapons do decent damage, but there's a few 
seconds delay between each shot, making them fairly ineffective against 
faster-firing Allied weapons such as the semi-automatic Garand rifle or 
the automatic Thompson submachine gun. 



Vicecapo Blackshirt:
Appearance: Soldier wearing black uniform and black helmet.
Class: Easy Machinegunner
Health: 90

Primary Weapon: Maschinenpistole 40 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Trained 
Combat Effectiveness: 1

The Vicecapo Blackshirts serve the role of Italian standard infantry in 
the game. They are armed with MP40 submachine guns, giving them a 
decent rate of fire. Like the Italian Blackshirt soldiers, they are the 
least skilled opponents you will be facing, and are found exclusively 
in the game's first mission. They are relatively ineffective at using 
cover, and are unable to actually use the grenades that they carry. 
Still, they have automatic weapons and can pose a decent threat to 
novice players still getting used to Medal of Honor: Airborne's 
gameplay mechanics.



Tropical Heer Infantry:
Appearance: Soldier wearing light green uniform and tan helmet.
Class: Skilled Machinegunner
Health: 110

Primary Weapon: Maschinenpistole 40 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Skilled 
Combat Effectiveness: 2

Tropical Heer Infantry are the first German soldiers you'll encounter 
in the game, and represent the standard soldiers of the German army 
(Heer meaning Army in German). They appear in the second half of the 
game's first mission, and and fought exclusively in that mission. Like 
Vicecapo Blackshirts, Tropical Heer Infantry are equipped with MP40 
submachine guns. However, Heer infantry are somewhat more skilled 
combatants that Blackshirts. They've got better aim and firearm 
control, make better use of cover, are more likely to blindfire from 
cover, and know how to use grenades. Heer Infantry are also slightly 
tougher than Blackshirts, to the degree that it usually take 3 
submachine gun bullets instead of 2 to bring them down.



European Heer Infantry: 
Appearance: Soldier wearing dark grey-green uniform and grey-green 
            helmet.
Class: Skilled Rifleman
Health: 110

Primary Weapon: Gewehr 43 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Skilled 
Combat Effectiveness: 3

European Heer Infantry are encountered in the game's second and third 
missions, Operation Avalanche and Operation Neptune. Like Tropical Heer 
Infantry, these guys represent the standard soldiers of the German 
army. They carry semi-automatic G43 rifles, which do high damage while 
still having a decent rate of fire. Their combat skill is equal to that 
of the earlier Tropical Heer Infantry, and they make decent use of 
cover, have decent aim, and know how to use grenades. On the plus side, 
as riflemen they won't blindfire, since that would be a waste of their 
relatively small ammo magazines.


 
Heer Officer:
Appearance: Officer wearing dark grey uniform and grey cap.
Class: Skilled Machinegunner
Health: 110

Primary Weapon: Maschinenpistole 40 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Proven 
Combat Effectiveness: 3

Heer Officers are the leaders of the standard German Heer Infantry, and 
can be found commanding Heer soldiers in the game's first and second 
missions. While there are only 4 Heer Officers in the game's first 
mission (the assassination of each being a mission objective), they are 
rather common in the game's second mission, with several of them 
fighting in each area. As a result of their large numbers in the second 
mission, Heer Officers actually serve more of an infantry role rather 
than a command role, supporting the European Heer riflemen with MP40 
submachine gun fire. Their overall combat effectiveness is on par with 
that of Tropical Heer Infantry.

NOTE: The only unique enemy in the game is a Heer Officer armed with
a 98k Karabiner sniper variant rifle. You fight him in a brief sniper
vs. sniper duel about 3/4ths of the way through the game's first
mission.



Waffen Infantry:
Appearance: Soldier wearing yellow and green cameo uniform and 
            yellow/green cameo helmet.
Class: Very Skilled Machinegunner
Health: 120

Primary Weapon: Maschinenpistole 40 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Proven 
Combat Effectiveness: 4

Highly trained soldiers of the Nazi Waffen SS begin to appear towards 
the end of the game's second mission, Operation Avalanche, and replace 
the Heer Infantry as your standard infantry opponents for the game's 
third and fourth missions (Operation Neptune and Operation Market 
Garden). 

Although equipped with standard MP40 submachine guns and stick 
grenades, Waffen Infantry soldiers are more skilled than previous 
opponents; they are more adept at seeking cover and moving from cover-
to-cover, they use their firearms more effectively, they are more 
likely to blindfire from cover, and they throw grenades more frequently 
and with better skill. Additionally, unlike Heer Infantry, Waffen 
Infantry will support each other with suppressing fire. Waffen Infantry 
also have slightly more health than Heer Infantry, but they usually die 
after the same amount of bullets (due to the way the weapon damage 
values work out).


 
Waffen Officer:
Appearance: Officer wearing yellow and green cameo uniform and grey 
            cap.
Class: Very Skilled Machinegunner
Health: 130

Primary Weapon: Sturmgewehr 44 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Veteran 
Combat Effectiveness: 5

Highly trained Waffen SS Officers are the first opponents you'll 
encounter who wield the powerful StG.44 assault rifles, making them 
particularly dangerous foes. A few dozen Waffen Officers will be your 
final opponents in the last segment of the third mission, Operation 
Neptune. Waffen Officers also appear frequently in the fourth mission, 
Operation Market Garden, leading groups of Waffen Infantry soldiers
against you. Finally, they appear alongside Fallschirmjager Commanders
as standard infantry units in the game's final mission, Der Flakturm.

Like Waffen Infantry soldiers, Waffen Officers are more skilled
combatants than previous enemy soldiers. Additionally, their StG.44
assault rifles are more powerful and accurate than the MP40 submachine
guns wielded by lower-ranking enemies. On the plus side, after killing
several of them, you can grab a dropped StG.44 assault rifle and use it
against them.



Waffen Senior Trooper: 
Appearance: Officer wearing yellow and green cameo uniform with dark 
            grey hood and cap.
Class: Sniper
Health: 120

Primary Weapon: Gewehr 43 (actually Gewehr 43 sniper) 
Secondary Weapon: None 
Battle Experience: Veteran 
Combat Effectiveness: 6

Waffen Senior Troopers are essentially Waffen SS Officers who serve the 
role of snipers instead of standard infantry. They are equipped with 
the sniper variant of the G43 rifle, and are usually positioned in 
high-up sniping positions where they can fire down upon you as you pass 
their line of sight. They're actually rather rare; I've only actually 
found 2 Waffen Senior Troopers in the entire game; one sniping at you 
from the Church steeple in Mission 4: Operation Market Garden, and one 
sniping at you from one of the pipeline shacks in Mission 5: Operation 
Varsity. (It is possible that one or two of the railyard snipers in 
Operation Varsity are Waffen Senior Troopers instead of Fallschirmjager 
Snipers, although it's hard to tell due to long distance and the speed 
at which they kill you). They essentially share the same behavior and 
characteristics as the more common Fallschirmjager Snipers.



Waffen Storm Leader:
Appearance: Officer wearing black SS uniform and black cap (not a 
            helmet, as depicted in the loading screen photo).
Class: Elite Machinegunner
Health: 200

Primary Weapon: Sturmgewehr 44 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Elite 
Combat Effectiveness: 6

Dressed in infamous black Nazi SS uniforms, Waffen Storm Leaders serve 
the role of high-ranking enemy commanders in the game. Although the 
game only rates them as a 6 out of 10 in terms of combat effectiveness, 
in actuality they're one of the game's highest ranking enemies, second 
only to the powerful Nazi Storm Elites. 

Waffen Storm Leaders are the highest skilled enemy soldiers in the game;
they make excellent use of cover, intelligently manuever from
cover-to-cover, are extremely skilled with their powerful StG.44 assault
rifles, blindfire from cover, suppport their allies with suppressing
fire, and toss grenade after grenade like a chipmunk on crack.
Additionally, they have significantly more health than all other normal
enemy soldiers, although they can still be brought down with a
reasonable amount of lead (4 or 5 shots from most weapons should do the
trick).

Several Waffen Storm Leaders serve as commanders over the other Axis 
forces in Mission 5: Operation Varsity, and a few dozen of them can be 
found defending the inner sanctum of the Flak Tower in the game's final 
mission, Der Flakturm.



Fallschirmjager Infantry:
Appearance: Soldier wearing grey and green cameo uniform with dark 
            green cap (not a helmet, as depicted in the loading screen
            photo).
Class: Very Skilled Rifleman
Health: 130

Primary Weapon: Gewehr 43 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Veteran 
Combat Effectiveness: 7

Fallschirmjager (English: Parachute Ranger) Infantry are the 
paratroopers of the German military, and are the elite special forces 
enemy counterparts to you and your fellow American Airborne soldiers. 
Like Waffen Infantry, Fallschirmjager soldiers are highly trained and 
skilled opponents. Fallschirmjager soldiers are a step up from Waffen 
soldiers in that they have access to better equipment (G43 rifles and 
StG.44 assault rifles instead of MP40 submachine guns, for example). 

The standard Fallschirmjager Infantry soldier is equipped with a Gewehr 
43 rifle, but uses it with more skill than the earlier European Heer 
Infantry riflemen. They are also more skilled in the use of cover and 
grenades, and also provide supporting suppressing fire for their 
allies. Standard Fallschirmjager Infantry units are actually rather 
rare; there are a few of them defending the catwalks around the large 
fuel tanks in Mission 5: Operation Varsity, but otherwise you won't be 
facing them in combat. Overall, most of the Fallschirmjager enemies you 
fight in the game are the assault rifle-wielding Fallschirmjager 
Commanders.



Fallschirmjager Sniper: 
Appearance: Soldier wearing grey and green cameo uniform with dark grey 
            hood and cap.
Class: Sniper
Health: 130

Primary Weapon: Gewehr 43 sniper 
Secondary Weapon: None 
Battle Experience: Elite 
Combat Effectiveness: 8

DESCRIPTION:

Fallschirmjager Snipers are some of the most annoying enemies in the 
game. They are equipped with sniper versions of the G43 rifle, and have 
excellent vision and accuracy. A direct hit from their rifles will 
knock off a full health bar on Normal difficulty, preventing you from 
regenerating health and allowing them to kill you in just 4 shots. On 
the plus side, snipers usually delay a second or so  between each shot. 
They first appear in the game's fifth mission, Operation Varsity, 
mainly guarding the boxcar yard where the 3 Panzer tanks are stored. 
Snipers can also be found on the exterior of the Flak Tower in the 
game's final mission, but you generally won't have to face them unless 
you try to descend the Tower's exterior instead of making your way 
through the interior.

Fortunately, there are two "tells" that will alert you to the position 
of snipers if you pay careful attention. First, their scopes reflect 
sunlight, creating a bright flash that can be spotted from a distance. 
Secondary, each shot of their rifle leaves a smoke contrail in the air 
that gives away the path of the bullet, allowing you to notice their 
shots and trace them back to their source. Snipers are smart and won't 
just stand out in the open for you to shoot them; if they see you 
targeting them, they'll often hide behind cover and wait for you to be 
distracted by something else before they pop out and start shooting you 
again. As a result, you need to either shoot them before they can hide, 
or duck behind cover yourself and wait for them to pop out again.

KILL STRATEGY:

Snipers are typically positioned high up in out-of-the way sniping 
areas such as atop roofs or inside boxcars or sniping huts; it's often 
impossible to reach their position by foot, so the only way to kill 
them is to counter-snipe them with a rifle of your own. Accurate rifles 
equipped with a variable scope, such as the Springfield rifle or 
upgraded G43 rifle, are preferred (snipers can be spotted with the 
scope on the upgraded StG.44 assault rifle, but that weapon isn't quite 
accurate enough to reliably target snipers at long range). Be sure to 
make extensive use of cover, so that you only face one sniper at a 
time, and cannot be seen by the dozen or so other snipers in the area.


 
Fallschirmjager Commander:
Appearance: Officer wearing grey and green cameo uniform with dark 
            green helmet.
Class: Elite Machinegunner
Health: 130
Primary Weapon: Sturmgewehr 44 
Secondary Weapon: Stielhandgranate 
Battle Experience: Veteran 
Combat Effectiveness: 8

The title Fallschirmjager Commander is a bit misleading, because these 
enemies actually serve the role of standard enemy infantry in the 
game's last few levels. They appear in large numbers, and will be the 
main enemy opposition that you'll be facing. Fallschirmjager Commanders 
first appear towards the end of Mission 4: Operation Market Garden, and 
replace the Waffen Infantry soldiers as your standard opponents in 
Mission 5: Operation Varsity, and Mission 6: Der Flakturm. 

Like Waffen Storm Leaders, Fallschirmjager Commanders are elite troopers
and the most skilled enemies you'll be facing, adept in the use of
firearms, cover, blindfire, suppressing fire, and grenades.
Additionally, they are also well equipped, wielding StG.44 assault
rifles. Fallschirmjager Commanders also have slightly more health than
earlier enemy infantry soldiers, although the difference is not too
dramatic. Overall, they are the last and most challenging standard
infantry enemies you'll be facing in the game, as befitting their status
as the elite nemesis counterparts to your own American Airborne
paratroopers.  



Panzergrenadier:
Appearance: Soldier wearing spotty grey and green cameo uniform, dark 
            green helmet, and gas mask.
Class: Anti-tank Soldier
Health: 130

Primary Weapon: Panzerschreck 
Secondary Weapon: None 
Battle Experience: Special 
Combat Effectiveness: 9

DESCRIPTION:

Historical, Panzergrenadiers were German motorized infantry, soldiers 
used to support Panzer tanks. In Medal of Honor: Airborne, the term is 
used to describe special gas mask-wearing soldiers equipped with 
powerful Panzerschreck rocket launchers. Extremely dangerous, 
Panzergrenadiers can kill or critically injure you with a direct hit, 
and the splash damage from a near miss will still knock off about two 
and a half lifebars on Normal difficulty. Fortunately, Panzergrenadiers 
are not equipped with special armor, and go down just as easily as any 
other enemy soldier, with only a couple rifle shots or a few submachine 
gun hits. Panzergrenadiers typically always remain in the same position 
without moving, so once you figure out where they're firing from, it's 
fairly easy to draw a bead on them (although some of the 
Panzergrenadiers on the bridge in Market Garden will take cover behind 
pillars or wrecked cars, so you'll have to wait for them to pop out
before shooting them).

Panzergrenadiers first appear at the very end of the game's fourth 
mission, Operation Market Garden, where several of them are on a bridge 
defending a Tiger tank. You'll also find several Panzergrenadiers in 
the game's last mission, Der Flakturm, generally on the roof of the 
Flak Tower or lurking in the catwalks of the Tower's interior.

KILL STRATEGY:

Because of the extreme danger they present with their powerful weapons, 
Panzergrenadiers are best taken out from long range using a maximum 
zoomed sniper weapon such as the Springfield rifle or a G43 rifle with 
variable scope attachment. It's best to hide behind cover, pop out and 
try to target and shoot them, and duck back behind cover if they launch 
a rocket at you. Just be sure you don't take cover where there's a wall 
directly behind you, or else the rocket may sail past, hit the wall, 
and hurt you with the splash damage.



Nazi Storm Elite:
Appearance: Soldier wearing black SS uniform, black helmet, and gas 
            mask.
Class: Supersoldier, Bane of the Free World
Health: 850

Primary Weapon: Maschinengewehr 42 
Secondary Weapon: None 
Battle Experience: Special 
Combat Effectiveness: 10

DESCRIPTION:

Medal of Honor: Airborne is a action game which is based on European 
history. Being based on history, the stages of the game are also based 
on famous battles which actually took place in 20th century Europe. Now 
here's this Giant Enemy Crab...

The infamous Nazi Storm Elite is a Nazi super-soldier who wears a gas 
mask for no apparent reason other than to look menacing, is strong 
enough to wield an MG42 heavy machinegun as a man-portable weapon, and 
is apparently wearing heavy body armor that allows him to survive more 
than a dozen assault rifle shots to the chest or 3 to 4 headshots from 
a rifle or assault rifle. Fans of historical accuracy are doubtlessly 
up in arms at the Castle Wolfenstein pulp-fantasy nature of such 
enemies. Everyone else finds them annoyingly helluva tough. Two Nazi 
Storm Elites appear as a sort of end boss fight at the end of Mission 
5: Operation Varsity, and there are about 20 of them scattered 
throughout the game's final level, Mission 6: Der Flakturm.

Storm Elites are extremely dangerous... their heavy machineguns have a 
high rate of fire and high stopping power; they can seriously injure 
you on Normal difficulty, and can cut you down in a second on Expert. 
Also, unlike every other enemy in the game, they cannot be brought down 
by a burst or two of gunfire, and can even shrug off a direct hit from 
a rocket launcher or a Gammon grenade. On the plus side, Storm Elites 
are slower than regular enemies; they cannot run, and do not not take 
cover or throw grenades. They simply walk steadily towards you while 
blazing away with their MG42 machine guns.

While unnaturally tough, Storm Elites aren't THAT tough by FPS 
standards. It takes 14 StG.44 assault rifle shots, 12 G43 rifle shots, 
19 Thompson SMG shots, or two hits from a rocket launcher or Gammon 
grenade to bring one down, which is a lot less than the firepower need 
to kill, say, a F.E.A.R. Replica Heavy Armor soldier or a Gears of War 
Locust Horde Boomer.

KILL STRATEGY:

There are multiple tactics you can use against Storm Elites. If you 
have no choice but to fight one face-to-face, aim an assault rifle at 
their chest and blaze away on full-auto. Normally, the multiple bullet 
hits will stagger the Storm Elite and prevent it from firing back at 
you. You should bring it down after half a magazine of fire. On Expert 
difficulty this is more dangerous, since Elites can cut you down in 
literally a second if they manage to fire on you. Try taking cover and 
popping out to shoot at them (a good time to pop out and shoot is 
during the brief period when they're busy reloading their weapon). 
Alternatively, you can also take them down by tossing Gammon grenades 
from behind cover. You can kill Storm Elites with two Gammon grenades, 
or weaken them with a single Gammon grenade, then finish them off with 
a burst of assault rifle fire.



Tiger I Tank: 
Appearance: It's a Tank. Run! 
Health: Treads: 600 
        Turret: 700
        Body: ~1500
Primary Weapon: Main Cannon
Secondary Weapon: Machine Gun Turret

The heavily armored Tiger Tank is the toughest enemy you will face in 
Medal of Honor: Airborne. Tanks are also very dangerous, equipped with 
a powerful main cannon as well as a forward-mounted machine gun turret 
for shooting down enemies at close range. The tank's main cannon fires 
a powerful explosive shell every few seconds; a direct hit can 
critically injure or kill you, and even the splash damage from a near 
miss can still knock off 2 and a half life bars of your health on normal
difficulty. Tanks also have heavy armor that makes them impervious to
small arms fire and even most grenades; the only three weapons in the
game which can harm them are the M18 Recoilless Rifle, the Panzerschreck,
and Gammon grenades. It can take between 3 to 6 rocket or Gammon hits
to destroy a tank, depending on whether you hit their relatively weak
rear or treads, or their heavily armored front or top area. 
 
The heavy armor on tanks causes them to take reduced damage from even 
your most powerful weapons. Hits to the treads do 90% damage. Hits to 
the rear do 75% damage. Hits to the front do 60% damage. Hits to the 
vulnerable underbelly do 150% damage (this can only be accomplished by 
getting the tank to drive over a Gammon grenade so that it detonates 
while underneath the tank).

There are only 4 tank encounters in the entire game; 1 in Mission 3: 
Operation Neptune, and 3 in Mission 4: Operation Market Garden.

TANK ENCOUNTERS:

TANK 1: The first Tiger Tank you face in the game appears in a small 
village area with a few huts. There are 4 recoilless rifle component 
drops in this area; the tank will bust in and start trying to kill you 
once you collect the first drop. You need to collect all 4 drops and 
assemble the recoilless rifle in order to destroy the tank. Use the 
central hut as cover as the tank drives in circles around it, running 
to grab recoilless rifle parts whenever the building is blocking
the tank's line of sight of you. Once the rifle is assembled, blast one
of the tank's treads twice to stop it in its tracks, then a third time
to blow it up completely.

TANK 2: The second Tiger Tank patrols the central area of the game's 
fourth mission, Market Garden. You need to find a stash of Gammon 
grenades in one of the bombed out buildings nearby, then toss the 
grenades at the tank from behind cover to destroy it.

TANK 3: The third Tiger Tank appears in the same area in Market Garden,
towards the end of the level; after you complete all initial mission
objectives, the Tiger will bust through a wall at the end of the street
and start firing at you and your buddies. Unlike the previous 2 tanks,
this one is stationary. The best way to take it out to is stay behind
the piece of cover (a bombed-out car) you start out near after the
cutscene, and throw Gammon grenades over cover at the tank. Because
you'll be attacking the tank's heavy front armor, it will take around
6 Gammon grenades to do the job. If you run out of Gammon grenades,
there's a supply chest with more grenade ammo between the two small
one-story buildings near you. 
 
TANK 4: The final Tiger Tank is also stationary, appearing at the end 
of the occupied bridge in Market Garden. Destroying it is your final 
mission objective of the level. After eliminating the tank's 
Panzergrenadier escort, you need to destroy the tank itself using the 
rocket launchers dropped by the Panzergrenadiers, as well as any Gammon 
grenades you have left. Since the narrow bridge prevents you from 
flanking to the tank's side, you'll have to attack the tank's heavily 
armored front, popping out and shooting it during the delay between its 
shots (let your allies run in front of the tank to provoke it into 
firing). As a result, it will take 6-8 hits to destroy the tank. If you 
need more rocket ammo, be sure to drop your current empty rocket 
launcher before picking up a new one. Grabbing a new rocket launcher 
nets you a full 8 rockets, while picking up a launcher while you're 
already carrying one will only give you 1 rocket.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *