MAP: Afghan

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Afghan is set around an accessible C-130 crash site in the middle of a desert canyon in Afghanistan near Site Hotel Bravo. The East and West areas feature cliffs and bunkers, perfect for snipers. A cave inside the mountain is often filled with intense close range battle, the large entrance to the cave being a great spot for overlooking the plane crash below. Around the other side of the mountain, there is a pathway that leads from the bunker, around the back of the cave to the high-up ledge. This path is great for flanking opponents, alongside the pathway through the bunker and across the fields planted with opium poppies.

Due to its circular walkways and design patterns, every place has two or more flanking routes, making it perfect for Team Deathmatch. However, there is a solution to these flanking routes in one of the most open and undefended places on the map.

Tactics
GameplayAll edges of this rocky, desert wasteland are fairly defendable, but the open and narrow avenues make it easy for even an entire team to become pinned down. Even the very center of the map offers effective multidirectional cover inside the enclosed openings of the C-130 wreckage, but again, advancing between positions of cover or even getting to them after a respawn can be impossible if any of the map's overwatch positions are taken by enemies. The map is therefore structured to reward the player(s) that take patient advantage of the best overwatch positions and wait for their opponent to dart from their cover; however, as all overwatch positions have a number of directions for enemies to come up behind them, it is essential to ensure that teammates are always guarding against this before focusing downrange from one.

Sniping
Afghan is popular among snipers, as it offers many long sightlines, as well as good areas offering large amounts of camouflage. There are several positions which offer a good tactical advantage over enemies; especially in Hardcore HQ, as silenced snipers will guarantee one-hit-kills as well as having a degree of stealth due to the lack of killcam.

A sniper positioned on the rocks at the Pipeline canyon can get a clear view into the cave, which can help in defending objectives, or halting enemies from exiting their spawn. Similarly, a marksman perched on the cliff can take out enemies trying to reach the bunkers. However, due to the length of time Modern Warfare 2 has been played, many sniping positions are routinely checked, and often result in snipers being killed repeatedly by users of automatic rifles.

Thermal Scopes are very useful on the map, as the white contrasts greatly against the desert-colour of the map. However, it is less useful for seeing players at the top of the cliff as the sky appears white as well.

Vantage Points
Afghan features two "secret" vantage points which both look over the C-130 crash site. One is situated below the clifftop, where players must slide slowly off the edge and land amongst shrubs next to a tree. This spot is usually only useful for a few kills until the player is found by enemies.

Another small ledge juts out above the cave mouth. It is accessable by climbing the wing of the downed aircraft, and by jumping from the top edge over to the ledge. This spot is a little less obvious and less revealing. To make the jump, players need 100% mobility, and if not, they will fall to their death unless using Commando Pro.

Another area useful for sniping is the rock near the B objective in S&D/Demolition. It offers views across the rocks to the West Air Defence section. However, it is well known and players sniping there are likely to be killed from behind.

Rushing
The multiple pathways toward all fighting positions make Domination matches particularly hectic, as the offense will often be able to find an unguarded approach.
Rushing is an effective strategy at catching the unprepared, but there will almost always be a sniper waiting to pick off any player.

Camping
The small and completely enclosed interiors of the pillbox bunkers make those inside particularly vulnerable to explosives, particularly rockets from afar.
The propellers on the C-130 make for a good camping spot, especially when attacking the cave. Although these propellers offer little cover.
If the player runs on the C-130 and jumps onto a small box just off of the wing an opened sniping spot is available. From here, the player is invulnerable to virtually anything.
The tall poppy plants in the northeast corner make for superb concealment, even without a Ghillie Suit (which, being set in a desert on this map, doesn't blend much with the lush green plants anyway).
There are a lot of dips and a rock where a prone sniper can be effectively concealed near Demolition Site B. The dips are even large enough to conceal care packages, but it is possible for a package to roll off the edge of the map from here.
An experienced sniper can camp in the small bunker with a claymore and hold off a few enemies before moving.
Claymore Tips
The small doors into the pillbox bunkers are particularly easy to secure with Claymores. However, the bunkers are small enough that an enemy can often shoot anyone inside from just outside the door.
Claymores can easily be mistaken for rocks in this map.
Claymores prove invaluable in several areas of the map, and can be planted between the hydrogen tanks near the high cliff sniping spot, as well as the two choke points leading down from there to the left, through the poppy field.
The small places of vegetation make good places to hide Claymores, such as the poppy field near the bunkers.

Around the rocks near the S&D Attack spawn.
Behind the car, very close to radiation zones, behind the huts.
In the corner of the wooden huts.
By the rocks under the pipeline.
Either on the wooden boardwalks or in the poppies.
The most common spot; on the outside of the map, off the edge near the anti-aircraft cannon.
In the tunnel along the concrete walkway.
Behind the "Sniper's rock".
Opposite the "Sniper's rock".
In or around the area with the long grass/tanks.
OtherThe most obvious sniping positions - the high cliff and the two bunkers - are often camped to such an extent that they are useless, even if their rear approaches are secure. When they aren't being watched by any mobile enemies, they are often simply squaring off against each other as snipers.
There are mattresses below the high cliff that will negate almost all fall damage and can always be jumped down onto safely from the cliff above. To land successfully on them, walk off the cliff rather than jumping from it.
In Headquarters, when the headquarters move to the crop field, a player can go prone and still capture the headquarters and be concealed quite well. Having Cold-Blooded Pro and Ninja Pro makes a player virtually invisible.
Players should not go inside the C-130. There (with UAV) the player can be easily exposed to LMGs and small arms fire.
The entire map is surrounded by deadly falls and radiation; however, they should be far away from any avenues of approach the player may take, with the possible exception of the northwest corner.
The plane's cockpit is an effective, though extremely obvious and open, fighting position.
It is possible to hide under the tail portion of the crashed C-130 and conceal oneself from enemy aircraft.
Chopper Gunner rounds can penetrate the fuselage of the crashed C-130.
Despite the openness of the map, there are several out-of-the-way dead ends with large vehicles as hard cover which are ideal for activating killstreaks from. Three of these positions are in the southeast, the direct south, and the direct west.
Sandstorms periodically flare up and reduce some visibility, even while using thermal scopes. Visibility is perfect in between these storms.
It is possible to jump from the tip of the crashed C-130's upturned wing to the pipes sticking out of the mountain or the small grassy ledge to the right of the pipes. The jump's success is much more likely if running speed is boosted.
When playing Demolition, the attacking team's spawn point is extremely vulnerable.
When playing Demolition, the defense has an observed tendency to focus on point A. Point B can be reliably defended by just one player, however, who is either sitting on top of the rock adjacent to the cave exit (the one in the shadows) or sitting next to the pile of rocks on either side of the concrete catwalk ( line-of-sight to the bomb from this location is blocked, but sometimes LOS on someone interacting with it is possible).
When playing Demolition, the offense is often at such a disadvantage that neither team will successfully bomb both targets, the game will go into overtime, and whoever is lucky enough to defend will have the larger chance of winning. Estate is similar in this regard.
Hiding in between the two stalagmites in the cave and to the back of the eastern bunker make the player very hard to see from outside, especially if wearing a Ghillie suit, which eliminates the slight shine on all players. As stated earlier, this is why thermal scopes are particularly valuable on this map.
There are trucks on this map. It is possible to jump on top of them and crouch in the hole on the roof. Doing this in the Humvee in the southeast is an effective way to defend point A in Domination.
In Domination matches, fighting gets furious around A and B, so be prepared. Some people may camp in the tall grasses behind A, so make sure the area is clear as well as the surrounding bunkers. Also, C is right by one of the most popular sniping spots, so don't try to snipe.
The cave can easily be secured by a team using Claymores. The rear entrance is particularly effective, as setting a claymore near the pipes can cause a much larger explosion, often resulting in a multi kill.
On Domination, it is possible to capture B by crouching or going prone in the poppy fields, allowing a capture without being seen.