Battlefield: Bad Company 2/Arica Harbour

Arica Harbour is a popular multiplayer map involving both infantry and vehicle combat.

Official Description: What was once a large port has now become a lethal killzone. Beware of enemies in the buildings and get ready for fast-paced infantry action. Soon, the once beautiful city of Arica Harbor will turn into a smoking heap of ruins.

Extended Description: Following the results of the armor assault at Atacama, U.S Command insists on a similar action to capture the port of Arica. The assault group will launch a "break through" action directly at the Russian base. If the fight dictates, the Battle Group will cut directly through the town located on the axis of advance. Collateral damage is of no consequence. The Russian base must be destroyed in order to cross the desert and reach the port. Heavy casualties are expected on both sides.

Conquest
Focused solely on infantry combat, the Conquest game mode is popular amongst urban warfare and close combat enthusiasts. Snipers can often be found along the edges of the map, and plenty of cover is available near the points - until it is destroyed, that is.

From north to south:

Rush
The Attackers Deployment starts with a large open area, and a large tank battle. The attackers begin with two M1A2 Abrams, two Humvees, and a Quad Bike. There is very little cover along the highway that leads into the enemy base. The Optics upgrade for tank players and the UAV pilot is effective, as is the armour specialization for all other vehicles.

Border Control
The border control is a large base with two M-COM stations; one inside a large central building and another inside a small barracks. The area can be guarded by a pair of T-90s. The defenders will need to protect the T-90s, as they are the main source of power for the defending side. A UAV strike can cause considerable damage to the enemy tanks.

Point Alpha can be destroyed through Destruction 2.0. Attackers can try to use one of their tanks to land long-range shots on the building using the optics upgrade. The last M-COM can only be destroyed conventionally, but proper positioning with a tank can allow the Americans to destroy the M-COM through tank shells alone.

The defenders should be aware of the tanks, but also be sure to guard the large rocks to the east of the base. These rocks are a favourite sniping spot as well as a flanking area for the attackers.

Town
The Americans lose access to most of their armour, but still have a tank they can use to roll into the village. The village has plenty of cover and hiding spots, however, and so the tank is often best used against the Russians' T-90 as well as a long-range piece.

The rest of the fighting is done through infantry. Note that point Bravo is located inside a garage. The garage doors can easily be destroyed using C4, a 40mm grenade, or any sort of explosive weapon. The garage is a favourite hiding spot, and if the M-COM is armed, chances are high that players will hide behind the crates with close-quarters weapons ready. Using explosives to flush people out is a good idea before moving to arm or disarm this M-COM. There is a second garage at the end of the road that skewers the village that provides infantry with a solid hiding spot.

Bridge
The bridge M-COMs are hidden inside or near wooden boxcars. These boxcars may be destroyed through any explosive weapon. Both sides should be aware of flanking attacks from the M-COM stations, especially near Bravo. In between the two M-COMs is a set of stairs that gives snipers some cover. The attackers can also choose a beachfront assault on Alpha.

Harbour
The Harbour is close to the American spawn in comparison to the previous bases, so defending this area will prove to be challenging. A mix of close quarters and long-range fighting will prove useful here; many players choose to cross under the bridge to reach the objectives, and players can expect some fierce fighting above and below. Using the boxcars as cover can prove to be a mixed bag, as they can be destroyed by grenade fire.

Last Stand


The battle now almost completely relies on infantry. The Russians' last stand is a building under construction. One M-COM is each on the upper and lower floors. Incomplete walls surrounding the building provide both attackers and defenders considerable range into the building, and cover is scarce. A popular tactic is to take the high ground and then drop down onto unsuspecting enemies below. This section of the map is almost entirely close quarters fighting, but snipers can stay at their spawns to try and pick off unsuspecting attackers or defenders. Use of smoke around the M-COMs is a must here.

Outcomes
At the end of the match, a short cutscene will play, depending on which side won. There is one cutscene for each side, but the dialogue that follows varies greatly.

If the Americans win, a US soldier reports the successful capture of the port as a column of Abrams tanks drive through the village.

If the Russians win, a Russian tank crunches an American radio set as the Russian counterattack begins.