Platoon

Platoon

Walkthrough

1. Baptism of Fire

Our first mission would be a really easy one, a "warm-up" for things to come. 
After Lieutenant Whitemore debriefs your men and leaves, select all your troops 
and take the road into the direction opposite to the one Whitemore took. Always 
wait for your M60 soldier, as he is slower than the others! VCs will ambush you 
from the shrub (3 soldiers) (1) but they will be problem at all to your troops 
- just don't lose anybody! The path suddenly turns, and you have to be extra 
cautious: examine terrain types, gather your men on the one providing maximum 
bonus cover, then crawl (except with your M60). If you place your men in the 
woods (don't leave them on the path!) you can dispatch all 3 enemy squads 
without losing too many men (2). Hiding in the woods also means you're well 
placed to easily take out the third VC squad arriving down the path. The path 
will lead you to village: either have your men crawl into the bushes or hide 
them behind the huts in preparation for the last fight on this mission. Either 
way, you'll come out with barely a scratch from the firefight (3)! To finish 
the mission you have to go near the huts with Sergeant Lionsdale and wait for 
Lieutenant Whitemore's troops to arrive.

2. The VC Lookout

You start your mission in the village liberated on your first encounter. You 
have to find your way through a dense minefield (1). To avoid loosing anyone 
there, have either Sergeant Lionsdale or your sapper advance slowly and 
cautiously. You may also need to turn them in every direction so they discover 
all possible mines. The only unit who can defuse mines is your sapper. To cross 
the cleared path select your riflemen and change their formation to a line, so 
that they follow in each other's footsteps and don't wander onto any mines! On 
the edge of the minefield leave your sapper way back and place your riflemen 
and Sergeant Lionsdale up front : VCs are hiding beneath the trees trying to 
ambush your men. Take them out. (2) Where the path divides in two you'll have 
to face more VCs, use the sapper's grenades for an easy victory. After the 
cutscene you have to choose the path leading towards the spot the camera showed 
you, facing one more Vietcong squad on your way. The mission's final 
confrontation is on the hilltop (3): select all your men and rush up, pause the 
game, select your sapper (if he's still alive!) and throw grenades among the 
enemy. This will give you an easy victory, and after the cutscene you'll need 
to proceed up to your evacuation point, terminating another VC squad on your 
way (4) in order to finish this assignment.

3. Shiny Bayonet

This is your first real mission, and enemy units are in abundance. To tackle 
them you'll have an M72 grenade launcher. This unit alone represents about half 
your troops' firepower but has limited ammunition so don't waste his ammo! (and 
keep him alive!) Sergeant Lionsdale will order not to attack the village from 
the rice paddies, do as he says. Take the path towards the bottom of the map 
then crawl through the woods (1) (don't stay on the dirt road) and take out any 
VCs. You'll soon see sand bags, shoot in that direction with your M72 then rush 
the position and tackle the RPD-gunner staggering to his feet (2). If any other 
VC troops arrive to help him, shoot just one grenade at them and finish them 
off with your riflemen. Take out the second RPD-gunner nest too and proceed 
towards the village: you'll see an old man tied to a bamboo stick - don't even 
think about shooting him down. Be warned: this is a trap (3)! Leave Sergeant 
Lionsdale and your M79 behind; place your riflemen alongside the old man in a 
crawling position. Then advance towards the captive with Sergeant Lionsdale: 
VCs will rush out from the huts trying to kill your men. Shoot them down, one 
by one, then free the old man. After the cutscene you must visit the old temple 
ruins on a mountaintop (4). Once you've entered the ruins, prepare for another 
assault. Use your M72 wisely. Take position on the side of the mountain and 
surprise the Vietcongs going back to the village! Then rush towards the 
clearing where you've seen the enemy truck appearing (5), and shoot the vehicle 
with your M72. If you can't take it out, concentrate your firepower on the 
soldiers and crawling to the evac site.

4. Covering Operation

This is your first complex mission: it will be long and tough, too. Get off the 
road and hide in the woods. First you'll find enemy troops on the right hand 
side of the road, then an RPD-gunner on the left - he'll be quite a challenge! 
Leave your M60 soldier on the ground, take your M16 riflemen and prepare to 
take him out from behind. Use Sergeant Lionsdale as bait: once he sees the RPD 
(1), fire on it with all your units. As you approach the bridge you'll face 
another VC squad patrolling on the road - try to fight them from the jungle 
when they turn their back to your men (2) - and a lone Viet soldier, too. It 
would be a foolish decision to attack the bridge (highlighted on your map) as 
it is protected by two RPD-gunners on the other side of the river, as Sergeant 
Lionsdale will remind you. Turn back, and follow the road to where you 
encountered the RPD-gunner then take the path leading to the bend in the river 
(3). After crossing the river, hide between the palm trees - not on the road! - 
and take the RPD-gunners out one by one (4). Leave the Ak47 enemy squad for 
last. Lieutenant Whitemore will give you new orders and the real fun will 
start. To successfully complete the mission, place lie your M60 in one of the 
bunkers looking on the road, take your M16 rifle squad and put them on the 
bridgehead. Use Sergeant Lionsdale (he'll be fine dealing with the scarce VC 
forces you'll encounter) to look for the mortar, it's on the hilltop (5). Once 
that position is secured, rush with Sergeant Lionsdale towards the other bunker 
near the bridge - from now on you'll also have the mortar at your disposal. VC 
forces will appear (6) trying to take the road to cross the bridge - remember 
to aim with the mortar at about 12-15 meters in front of them because they're 
moving. The Viets will try to rush along the road to the bridge so your men in 
the bunkers and on the bridge will be able to repel them. After that the last 
of them falls a VC mortar will open fire on your men (7): avoid taking fire by 
staying on the move towards the small hilltop where the mortar is located. 
Don't bother killing the Ak47 riflemen, take the mortar out first, and then 
exterminate the remaining VC forces. To complete the mission simply have go 
down to the clearing (8) and take the Huey.

5. Search and Rescue

In this mission you have to save a B52 pilot downed by VCs, and now in hiding 
from them. At the start you only have your commando, Mitchells, to control: 
approach the village (1) avoid the road and the VCs on it. If you encounter 
enemy units, the best solution is to run away. Search for the village chief (a 
man in gray shirt and black shorts) who'll tell you where to find the pilot and 
what the VCs are planning. You need to go to the swamp to find the downed pilot 
(2): go back to your starting point, then turn towards the swamp staying as 
close to the edge of the map as possible. The pilot is wounded and hiding in a 
rotten tree, so Mitchells will need medical assistance. You get new units, 
including a medical officer. Go directly to the swamp (3), you have enough 
firepower to dispatch enemy units - your only real threat is an RPG7-rocket 
launcher! Once you've treated the pilot's wounds he tells you he left something 
important in the plane wreck; your men have to take it back from the VCs. 
Approach the wreck with great caution (4), using Sergeant Lionsdale as scout 
and protecting your medic and the pilot as they're very vulnerable. If the area 
is clear, get near the B52 with the pilot to secure the "documents", but 
prepare for an attack immediately after he climbs out of the plane (5). Use 
your riflemen and LAW-unit to dispatch any VC threat then take the same road 
going through the swamp to the evacuation point (6) to complete this 
assignment. NOTE: If you wander in uncharted territory whilst going back to the 
helicopter, you may encounter RPG7 units and they could easily shoot down the 
pilot you're rescuing! Please also note, that the solution written down in this 
walkthrough and the one depicted differ, both are lead to success!

6. VC Bunkers

This mission might look simple, but it isn't. Be very cautious when wandering 
into the village - even with so many soldiers and Lieutenant Whitemore the 
enemy can easily outnumber you. Try to seek out VC troops one by one, as 
rushing in the village will attract all of them (1) and you'll loose many men. 
Your first objective is to explore the house on the edge of the village (2) 
(the sole hut left intact): this is a trap and O'Brady will end up wounded. 
Heal him, then make your way towards the VC lair on the other side of the map, 
this is where the stolen rice is hidden. Crossing the craters an RPD-gunner and 
several small VC forces will shoot at you. Once your in the burnt down woods an 
enemy squad will strike at your men from the back - be prepared for this 
attack. Then use your medic to heal any seriously wounded soldiers (in 
preparation for the final battle on this map). Once you start to neutralize the 
minefield (3) a large party of VCs will come towards your men - you need to 
prepare for that attack by placing all of your units under good cover lying on 
the ground, then defuse one mine with O'Brady and run back to your troops (you 
might even want to place a claymore on the ground and detonate it when the VCs 
arrive). On the edge of the minefield another similar attack awaits your 
platoon - take them out in the same way. Now, select Lieutenant Whitemore, lie 
on the ground and approach the VC complex: once you see the first bunker, 
request an airstrike on it. Do the same with the second bunker. Then send 
Sergeant Lionsdale out to the barbed wire (4) and run back once the Viets see 
him: wait until they stand still and request another airstrike. You can easily 
dispatch the remainder of their troops and enter behind the barbed wire. 
Surprise, surprise! You'll find no rice at all! Instead, guerillas will appear 
from a hidden underground tunnel shooting down Lieutenant Whitemore. Even if 
you defeat the VCs all odds are against you: your Lieutenant is shot, you 
haven't found the stolen rice and you're stranded for the night in the 
jungle…NOTE: The picture illustrates an alternative solution.

7. Hill 534

This mission continues right after your troops wake up on the next day. You'll 
see a civilian running away from your men (1): if you follow him blindly you'll 
stumble into a minefield and be slaughtered. Defuse the mines carefully and 
prepare for an onslaught. Dispatch the VCs (2), you'll stumble upon the US 
reinforcements (3) and the ARVN troops - both mentioned in this mission's 
briefing. Proceed towards the waypoint marked on your map (4) with extreme 
caution: once you see a bunker icon pause the game, search for the bunker and 
call an airstrike. At the road crossing many VCs will try to take your men out, 
try to defeat them while lying among the trees. You must take out the last two 
bunkers with your men -you've run out of airstrikes -; so concentrate your 
firepower and you'll have fewer casualties. Once all bunkers are destroyed get 
Lionsdale and O'Brady in the middle of the VC encampment and they'll burn down 
the rice containers as you don't have any way to bring them back to the village 
or to the US camp. Meanwhile you get a new message from HQ asking you to meet 
up with the ARVN a second time: as you arrive to the meeting point you'll see 
them being slaughtered by VC guerillas, but you cannot save them. There's no 
need to rush after them as it could be fatal, lie on the ground instead and 
approach the bunker and the killers with utmost care (5) and shoot them down. 
As you've found a map on one of the ARVN-bodies you are now ready to go to the 
LZ (Landing Zone). On your way you come under attack from a motorized VC squad, 
and find a new minefield (6). Find appropriate cover and prepare for this final 
battle, eradicate your enemies (try to take out the truck first) then clear the 
mines and go to the evac zone (8) - a well-placed bunker might cause trouble 
(7), but you can avoid it.

8. Convoy Security

This is your first mission with an M113 APC: this vehicle can transport your 
units and also has strong firepower due to his mounted M60 turret gun. You also 
have a sniper, Pablo, at your disposal. First, it is very important to locate 
and disarm all mines (1), (2) - if you leave any of them on the road, they 
might blow up the convoy you're supposed to protect! Try to shoot the escaping 
VCs before they reach safety in their well-protected encampment. Also try to 
dispatch any VC troops on both sides of the camp (3), but take care not to get 
close to the camp itself yet. Circumvent the camp with Pablo, Lieutenant 
Lionsdale and your LAW-squad. Ask for an airstrike on the bunker and when it 
arrives use Pablo to attack one of the snipers and your rocket launcher to 
attack the other -the airstrike will take out the bunker and any enemy units 
around it. In the meantime you can attack from the front of the camp, too! In 
order not to loose any man use your APC as cover (4) and concentrate your 
firepower on the other sniper. The remaining VC troops can be dispatched with a 
few sniper bullets and some rockets. Proceed towards the bridge. Use your usual 
M16 grunts to take the enemies on the bridge out (5); your LAW-unit and Pablo 
will easily take out the VCs trying to blow the bridge up. If you've run out of 
rockets and sniper bullets, use Lionsdale and the grunts to get rid of the 
saboteurs. Once you secured the bridge, the convoy will start to roll (you have 
taken every mine lying on the road, haven't you?). Get your men in position, as 
new enemies will arrive with trucks (6); blow the vehicles up before they stop. 
To finish the mission, scout along the road to eradicate any threat still 
hiding in the bushes - as the mission is a failure if any of your four US 
trucks is lost. The mission is complete when the last truck leaves the map.

9. Prisoners of War

Patrolling VCs caught some of your compatriots and they're holding them near 
lake Tra-O. You start out with Mitchells, his duty is to infiltrate enemy lines 
and find the prisoners, then report back to the others. At the crossroads take 
the path towards the left (1) and you'll find 3 VCs. Kill them and secure the 
area (2). Your APC can't follow the path your commando is taking, so take the 
dirt road. Advance slowly and take out any opposition. You'll reach another 
branch in the road, leave the APC behind; send out Lieutenant Lionsdale to 
scout…you'll discover a T54 tank (3). Try to remain undetected until Lieutenant 
Willis and his M48s arrive (4) and take the enemy tank out (you need 2 shots to 
blow up a T54). Then send your grunts up front following the dirt road - stay 
deep within the bushes -, followed by the M48s and the APC on the road. You'll 
have to dispatch 3 other T54s: once your riflemen see one of them, open fire 
with both tanks and they're history. You can even send your APC towards the 
prisoners; it won't have any trouble with the VC riflemen. Get the prisoners on 
board (5) and get ALL your units to the mission's starting point…you'd better 
hurry!

10. Armored Assault

The toughest challenge of the game awaits you! You're outnumbered, have very 
little time to complete objectives and sometimes even need to fight on two 
battlefields simultaneously. Success on this one depends on timing and the 
effective use of heavy weaponry. When you're cornered, don't even try to get 
into cover and fight back: RUN AWAY, if you still can! Get all your units going 
and when one of your soldiers suggests turning left, don't listen to him (this 
way you would only find a stranded and downed Haegemonia Human Fighter shipJ), 
turn to the right and get into cover (1). Try to discover the T54 (2) and fire 
rockets on it (you need 3 rockets to eliminate one), and then dispatch the VC 
infantry. Don't worry about the bunkers, they're deserted. Run along the road, 
and then divide your platoon into two groups (3) (if you're on time, the 
passing convoy won't see you). Lieutenant Lionsdale and the demolition expert 
should continue along the road, the others must take the path branching down on 
your right. With this group fight off the VCs attacking you from the woods (4) 
- don't waste any rockets on them - and continue towards the "X" marked on your 
map on the hilltop. You have to get rid of a group of VCs (which is one of the 
objectives) - which isn't not a problem even if you've lost all your riflemen, 
as you won't need them from now on. Now you've cleared an area for your first 
mortar (5). Separate your LAW-squads and turn towards the path from where you 
came from. Meanwhile Lieutenant Lionsdale and the demolition expert must 
continue their progress. Run with your main hero to the hilltop and take out 
any VCs you find (if Lionsdale's low on health you can use the demolition 
expert's grenades). This should clear out the other mortar  (7). Place a 
claymore amidst the two craters on the road (6), and then hide in the woods. 
The first T54 will appear and attack your LAW-squads, and they must destroy it 
before it can fire a shell on them. Take your LAW-squads, rush to the road (if 
you haven't wasted their ammo they still have at least 3) and take position 
20-30 meters behind the claymore. The armored convoy should appear, composed of 
3 tanks and 2 trucks. The first tank should be destroyed with the claymore; the 
two others could be blown away by the mortars (shoot 6-8 meters in front of the 
moving tanks). If any tanks are still move after your mortars ammunition's 
depleted, use your LAW-squads and your demolition expert's grenades to finish 
them off. Then concentrate your firepower on the trucks - they won't shoot 
back, so it's very easy. If all vehicles are destroyed, your mission is a 
success, if any of them gets through the pass you lose.

11. A Religious Task

The next mission is the longest and most complex of the whole game… Divide your 
forces into 3 groups. First, get your medic and your demolition expert in the 
APC and advance them slowly following the road. The two other groups should 
advance on the right and left side of the road, behind the housings and shops. 
On the road leading to the religious center you'll have to deal with 3 large VC 
groups (they'll have an RPG7 rocket launcher, a demolition expert and an 
RPD-gunner - and of course standard VC riflemen) (1). If you advance 
cautiously, you'll see your enemies before they can see you; concentrate your 
firepower on the heavy hitters and shoot them down first. Make sure you kill 
all 3 groups, then advance to the shrine's complex (don't wander off the road 
because of mines). On the other side of the water fall two RPD-gunners are 
watching the road. Get into the palm trees and lie on the ground, using your 
best available weaponry (LAW or your sniper) to eliminate them. You can also 
use your APC as a bulletproof vest (2). You need to handle the arriving VCs and 
exterminate them too - the most dangerous is the RPG7, take him out immediately 
or you'll suffer great casualties. When you're done you can advance but once 
you cross the bridge, new enemies should appear from inside the complex's 
walls, but they won't stand a chance if your units are well placed. Now you are 
ready to enter the complex: do it slowly and try to keep your men in one group. 
You have to shoot down a bunch of VCs (including an RPD-gunner and a hidden 
sniper) (3); you could sacrifice your riflemen and shoot these heavy hitters 
down with Pablo. After the search through of the shrine you receive new orders 
from HQ: the complex is a ticking bomb, you have to blow the whole thing up to 
prevent any further casualties. To get the explosives, gather all your 
remaining troops and go to the waypoint marked on your map - beware of the 
minefield and of VC guerillas (4). Once you take the cargo from the Chinooks 
and blow the shrine, the most difficult part of the scenario starts! Two T54s 
appear and start shooting the Hueys sent to evacuate your platoon. Rush to the 
helicopters, the faster the better! You may even want to sacrifice some slower 
units (but not your heroes!) to slowdown the VCs chasing you (5), but don't 
stop at any costs with your main characters! When your last man climbs aboard 
the Log Birds, they take off (6) and you can watch the most dramatic scene from 
Oliver Stone's Platoon: the death of Sergeant Elias (played by Willem Dafoe in 
the movie).

12. Airborne Assault

Your last mission is not too difficult - compared to the last ones -, you need 
to recapture an LZ taken by the VCs. Mitchells will be your only unit to begin 
with. Don't stick to the road; try to go round the camp and suddenly our 
Irishman comes up with a brilliant idea! Place a claymore on the path of the 
RPG7 units on the rear area of the camp (1): run in, put it down then run back 
and when the squad arrives at the exact position, tap on the detonator. 
Hopefully all of them are dead, now run with Mitchells in the deep woods (2). 
You receive control of other units. Unite your troops at the rear gate and 
start an aligned attack (3): lie your troops on the ground towards the camp 
then select Lieutenant Lionsdale and rush inside (4). When the enemies see him 
and start to chase him, run away. The VCs following him will be easy prey for 
your well-positioned troops. If every VC is dead, Lionsdale will radio back to 
base… VCs will appear from hidden underground holes and shoot him down. Revenge 
him with your troops lead by Mitchells (5) to see the end of the campaign! 
General Tricks and Tips


· Use the Pause feature as often as you wish (just push Spacebar): if you feel 
lost, or anytime the enemy surprises you, just enter in Pause Mode to evaluate 
the new situation and give out new commands to your units to successfully deal 
with it. · It is true that your units benefit from extra cover lying on the 
ground, but note that their perception values decrease and they need more time 
to turn around. On the contrary, they see much further and can hide much 
effectively (they run away) whilst standing, but, of course they are much 
vulnerable to attacks. · Whilst running, your men's perception values decrease 
and they tire out very quickly, therefore you need to rush with them if they 
really need to - they have to get into cover or they simply have limited time 
to get from one place to another on a map. Crawling is also very tiring, but is 
very effective to get near to the enemy without being noticed. · In a firefight, 
always take into account the cover provided by the terrain type: try to avoid 
open areas or roads at all costs! Even if your enemies surprise you, you could 
limit casualties by first taking a good defensive position and then start to 
fight back. · If you outnumber your enemies, there is no need to lie down and 
take a defensive position before starting to fight them. But in the case if you 
and your enemies' strength were equal, you would have the edge over them if you 
lie down (extra cover). · Always concentrate your firepower: the faster you take 
out an enemy unit the less damage they could cause to your platoon. If you 
fight multiple adversaries, always take out the most dangerous of them (T54 
tank, RPG7 rocket launcher, mortar, sniper or RPD-gunner). · Try to surprise 
your adversaries by attacking them in the back or from the sides: you cause 
more damage to enemy units who don't see the attacker and they need time to 
turn around and fire back on your men. · Weapon damage varies in function of the 
distance (this is not true of course for blast weapons, like mortar, grenades, 
tank fire etc.). Get closer to your enemies then you can take them out more 
effectively. · If a soldier starts to shoot on one target, his aim is becoming 
better with each round shot. This is why it is not advised to zap through your 
foes: stick to target until it is down. Tips on using your heroes/units

· Lionsdale / Whitemore: These men are your main heroes in Platoon, equipped 
with M16s. They have the most HPs, and serve excellently as scouts. Bring then 
in to any firefight if they still have enough HP. They are also very useful in 
detecting enemy units (increased detection range) and mines. They are the ones 
who can call in airstrikes - if available. NOTE: an airstrike damages every 
unit, including yours, inside their range.

· Rifleman: Your basic soldier, carrying an M14 or an M16. Their strength lies 
in their number: they can act as bait, divide the VCs firepower and gain you 
time to apply tactics in firefights. They are ideal to use in any circumstance 
as their firepower is strong. When wounded they need to be protected until the 
latter part of each mission, because they still could prove quite useful.

· M60 machine gunner: Slow, but very powerful, he can only shoot if lying on 
the ground. You may have troubles getting used to his drawbacks but in adept 
hands he is very dangerous. He is more effective against groups of enemies than 
against a single VC. Best use: stay at the back, lying down, then shoot on 
anything your hero discovers in the vicinity J.

· M79grenade launcher / Coffey: Slow, but powerful weapon, but has limited 
ammunition. Don't waste his ammo, use it against strong opponents. Use the 
grenade's blast radius - exploit the fact that the blast sends every VC soldier 
on the ground and whilst they get up you could shoot them with your riflemen.

· Engineer / O'Brady: They detect mines, and can also disarm them. In some 
cases, they can also place claymore mines and detonate them from a distance - 
you must take advantage of this destructive power. They also have frag grenades 
on their belts, which are like the grenades of the M79 unit, but less powerful. 
Never let him down in a firefight, his pistol is very weak.

· Mitchells: He combines the strengths of an M16 rifleman and an engineer. He 
can use grenades, disarm mines but is capable of defending himself in a 
firefight. Usually you have to use him alone when he's assigned to you, but he 
is good at protecting himself.

· Medic / Petty: The use of a medic is obvious. Protect him at any costs, as 
his pistol is no good against even the weakest of VCs. Use his serums wisely 
(it is much more efficient to use them on heroes).

· M72-LAW: He is the most powerful of the US grunts, there's no doubt about 
that. Shoot in the thick of the VCs and you'll have a moment of silence. He is 
the best soldier used against a T54 tank. You'd better prepare for the enemy's 
RPG7 rocket launchers…

· Pablo: He is very useful against enemy soldiers (one shot=one VC less), but 
the his weapon takes time to reload. Don't waste his ammo, only shoot on the 
most powerful enemy soldiers! The best tactic to shoot down the VC snipers is 
to rush with all units towards them then concentrate all your firepower on them 
(you'll loose soldiers, but less).

· Mortar: Not only they are extremely powerful, but they can shoot through a 
whole map. The projectile flies on a ballistic trajectory, so can take out VCs 
from behind a hill. You could also shoot with them in uncharted territories (in 
the blackness of Fog of War). The firing itself takes time, meaning that you 
have to shoot in front of moving enemies, in order to hit them. Because of its 
huge range, this weapon is not always on target - you need to consider this 
when firing. They have very limited ammo, so use every shot wisely.

· M113 APC: The Armored Personal Carrier is useful because it can safely 
transport vulnerable units, and it has a mounted M60 turret and a consequent 
firepower. Lightly armed VCs cannot inflict damage on it, you must exploit 
this. If your APC is seriously damaged, unmount any units inside, because if it 
blows up any units inside will also die!

· M48 tank / Willis: You do have tanks in one mission, but their real use is in  
Multiplayer battles. Use against enemy tanks or heavy weapons. If you're 
fighting against a tank, spread out your men so that it can cause fewer 
casualties possible then rush for cover - the tank is the unit with the worst 
field of vision in Platoon.

· Airstrike : Not really a unit, but an instrument of your platoon. Easily the 
most powerful  "weapon", it is also precise, its only drawback is that you have 
to wait for 10 seconds for it to come- therefore use it against static enemy 
installations (bunkers etc.). Use it wisely as it could wipe out your own 
platoon in a blink of an eye.

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