Downfall Map

Call of Duty: World at War - Multiplayer Guide

Downfall Map

This is an absolutely humungous map, set in the centre of ruined buildings, a central square and lots of open space. Snipers can have a field day, but the primary mode of death (or killing) comes in the form of stacks of tanks. Once your team controls these it's game over for the other teams. The target is generally to get hold of the vehicles and pin down the enemy in the centre of the map. You can leave enemy snipers in the buildings around the edge or in the main bunker, but if you can force the infantry into the open then they are simply at the mercy of you and your tank.

If you are trying to get out of a tough spot and the enemy have control of the vehicles (or you can't get to them), use anti-tank sticky grenades and satchel charges on the roads around the central area and detonate them appropriately. If you hold up in the trench in the centre then you can pick off enemy infantry as they get impatient and come looking for you, especially if you have a team-mate with you (you can watch one direction each). This is also a great location for sitting out dog attacks. The rest of the map is a haven for snipers and generally is very unsafe if you are out on foot. The main bunker has many entry points and should be avoided except as an area to plant Bouncing Betties or to camp in one of its corners as it is quite an active thoroughfare. As much as it may irk most players, you simply have to, as a team, utilise the vehicles on this map or you will not win.

The dreaded open space in Downfall

Gun Selection: Long-range weaponry, mainly favouring rifles, but not excluding some of the machine guns, such as the BAR for example, is the way to go here. Grenades are fairly useless, so ensure you pick the anti-tanks to at least have some purpose for them. It is worth mentioning that Smoke Grenades are also great against tanks, as they obviously then can't see the target, but ensure you throw it between you and the tank rather than at the vehicle itself, or it will obviously just drive through it. The linear path around the edge of the level means a tank will struggle to move into a position where it can see past the smoke.

Snipers can have a field day in the buildings and debris around the edge of the level, and they will also want to take Bouncing Betties to ensure they are not snuck up on.

Perk Selection: This is one of the maps where stealth can be a major advantage, so Camouflage and Dead Silence are a good pair to employ. Pair these up with a silenced machine gun and you can have a successful game with very few deaths. Of course, anti-tank classes also do well as part of a team with so many vehicles on the map, so Flak Jacket or Fireworks (to decrease enemy shells and increase the power of your anti-tank devices) are good choices. If you see yourself residing in a tank for much of the game then Extreme Conditioning (to run to them quickly), Fireworks (to do more explosive damage) and Reconnaissance (so you can see dogs, enemy tanks and artillery before it becomes a threat) can be applied. Bomb Squad is also a possibility as this shows enemy mines on any roads you are travelling on.

Apart from that, the usual gun-related enhancements are obviously good choices.