Stronghold (Mission)

Stronghold is the fifteenth mission of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This mission marks the beginning of Act 3, the final act in the campaign, and it takes place shortly after "Blood Brothers", at Karlstejn Castle outside of Prague. Following Soap's death, Price and Yuri (the player-character), infiltrate a castle guarded by Russians. The main objective is to learn the location of Vladimir Makarov.
==Characters==
*Yuri (playable)
*John Price
*Nikolai (heard only)
*Vladimir Makarov (seen on TV)
*Misha (probably K.I.A.)
*Alexi (K.I.A.)
*Boris Vorshevsky (seen on TV/W.I.A./P.O.W.)
*MacMillan (voice only in the cutscene)
*John "Soap" MacTavish (mentioned only in the cutscene)
*Alena Vorshevsky (mentioned only)
*Imran Zakhaev (mentioned only)
==Plot==
During the loading cutscene, Price contacts MacMillan, informing the latter of Soap's death. Price mentions that Yuri states Makarov uses an old castle to cache weapons, and asks MacMillan if the place sounds familiar, to which MacMillan reveals that they did run UAV surveillance on a suspect castle years ago. With the location now confirmed, Price and Yuri gear up to infiltrate the castle. The mission starts with Yuri and Price parachuting into the castle grounds. As they approach the ground, Price eliminates two guards with his pistol. The pair cross open space and hide behind an old wall as a patrol passes by. The two then drop down into a courtyard with numerous vehicles in it. Crawling under the vehicles, Price plants C4 to cover their escape. Emerging from the last vehicle, Yuri takes out a sentry and Price hides the body. A spotlight scans the area, and after it passes, the pair rush across to a platform. Crawling under that, Yuri plants C4 on the underside. Once reaching the edge, a guard drops down and puts out his cigarette. Once he has left, the pair creep to the security center. Price bangs on the door, and when it is opened, proceeds to kill all personnel inside. Studying the cameras, Price decides to go straight to the command center. Using a dead sentry's fingerprints, he opens the door. The pair clear out a dark dungeon, using night vision to kill sentries. The guards become wise to this and throw flares to help spot the attackers.
Yuri and Price are thrown into fierce combat, and clear out a floor full of enemies. Emerging outside, the two climb up a ladder to reach scaffolding attached to an old bridge, and Yuri places more C4 on it. After crossing the rickety bridge, they breach a wall in a corridor, timing it with the thunder outside so they do not alert anyone inside. The hole in the wall reveals a narrow, vertical passage with rickety wooden beams in it. Yuri and Price climb up until they find a small vent, and overhear a conversation between Alexi and Makarov, which reveals that the Russian President is being interrogated for the nuclear launch codes and that Makarov's men are on their way to Berlin to kidnap his daughter.
A guard alerts Alexi that the base has been breached, and Price throws a grenade through the vent to buy the pair some time. The two slide down the passage and land in a kitchen where there are more hostiles. Price contacts Nikolai about the location of the daughter and he and Yuri move outside where they face more enemy resistance. Returning inside, the two clear out an office and go through doors to a courtyard where more hostiles are stationed. They quickly dash through and end up on a platform overlooking the bridge. Yuri detonates the C4 that they had placed previously, killing a large force of enemies on the bridge. The pair jump off the platform and charge across the bridge towards another courtyard, where they encounter heavy resistance from infantry and vehicles. A BTR-80 blocks their exit so the pair steal a UAZ-3151 and drive out of the castle. The UAZ comes under more fire from enemy vehicles and the engine is heavily damaged, sending it plunging off a cliff. However the pair both have spare parachutes and safely glide down to the ground as Price signals for Nikolai to pick them up.
==Weapon Loadout==
Starting Loadout
MP5 menu icon MW3.png|MP5 Suppressed w/ Red Dot Sight and Grip
P99 menu icon MW3.png|P99 Suppressed w/ Tactical Knife
Found in level
AK-47 menu icon MW3.png|AK-47 (There are 3 AK-47's w/Underbarrel shotguns in one of the lockers on the right of the security office)
PM-9 Menu Icon MW3.png|PM-9 (Used by one of the Inner Circle soldiers in the security office)
AA-12 menu icon MW3.png|AA-12
G36C menu icon MW3.png|G36C
PP90M1 Menu Icon MW3.png|PP90M1
P90 Menu Icon MW3.png|P90
PKP Pecheneg Menu Icon MW3.png|PKP Pecheneg
G18 menu icon MW3.png|G18
Striker menu icon MW3.png|Striker
SCAR-L menu icon MW3.png|SCAR-L
RPG-7 menu icon MW3.png|RPG-7
RSASS Menu Icon MW3.png|RSASS
L86 LSW menu icon MW2.png|L86 LSW (The weapon uses the Modern Warfare 2 model)
UMP-45 menu icon MW2.png|UMP45 w/ ACOG Scope (The gun uses the Modern Warfare 2)
AK-74u menu icon MW3.png|AK-74u
MP5 menu icon MW3.png|MP5 w/ Suppressor (Used by Cpt. Price; Unobtainable until you blow your cover, which might kill Price which allows you get the weapon but will result in a failure)
==Transcript==
==Achievements/Trophies==
*Storm the Castle (10 / Bronze Trophy ) - Complete "Stronghold" on any difficulty.
*The Darkest Hour (25 / Silver Trophy ) - Complete "Eye of the Storm", "Blood Brothers" and "Stronghold" on Veteran difficulty.
==Intel==
35. After being on the wrong end of a flashbang, there is a control room with lots of TVs. The intel that is in the back left corner of the room on top of a power generator.
36. Leave the command center through the front door, then head right, south, up a flight of stairs and look for a storage area off the catwalk. The intel is atop a small crate.
MW3 - Intel Locations - Stronghold - Mission 13 - Scout Leader Achievement Trophy guide|Intel locations
==Gallery==
Baseplate Castle Simulation Stronghold MW3.jpg|Drone simulation of Karlstejn Castle provided by Baseplate.
Makarov's video conference Stronghold MW3.png|Makarov with President Vorshevsky during a video conference with Alexi.
Parachuting Stronghold MW3.png|Parachuting off of a cliff.
Security Office Karlstejn Castle MW3.png|Security Office.
Dungeon Karlstejn Castle MW3.png|Dungeon.
==Video Walkthrough==
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 - Campaign - Stronghold|Stronghold
==Trivia==
*The briefing sequence for this level shows the Task Force 141-Disavowed symbol differently from the others.
*Coming towards the end of the level, after the player exits the command center, there is an RPG-7 with no visible rocket loaded, yet it can still fire.
*Russians soldiers will have suppressed weapons at the start of the level. Once reached to a certain checkpoint, the guards will have unsuppressed guns. Suppressed AK-47s will have a Red Dot Sight, an ACOG Sight, or just reliable on iron sights while other weapons with a suppressor will have no other attachment. Ironically, the PP90M1 and SCAR-L fitted with a suppressor does not follow behavior of a suppressed firearm and will alert guards if used for stealth. However, suppressed AK-47s, G36Cs, and P90s will contradict this odd behavior.
*Yuri's MP5 is equipped with the Grip attachment and an IR laser module for the night-vision goggles.
*If the player doesn't detonate the C4 placed under the bridge when Price says, Price will detonate instead of the player and he will also call Yuri a "sloppy bastard". Additionally, approaching the door at the top of the stairs while holding a grenade will have the same effect. The player will still be able to blow the C4, but the objective will be listed as failed regardless.
*When Makarov talks to Alexi, Makarov's name is shown red in subtitles, while oddly, Alexi's name is shown green, despite enemies' names in subtitles usually being marked with red.
*The PMC victory theme can be heard after Yuri uses his reserve chute.
*After clearing out most of the basement, a guard will take a prisoner hostage. If Yuri kills the prisoner, Price will state "He wouldn't have made it anyway," however, if Yuri succeeds in saving the prisoner, Price will yell "Get out of here, go," and the prisoner will run away.
*On the Wii, the TV that shows the president is very hard to see and is only showing an image.
*Yuri automatically takes off his night vision goggles, if they are enabled, when the player is about to climb up to the comm station after detonating the wall with the sound of thunder.
*Price does not have night-vision goggles oppose to the player.
*The cutscene prior to the level shows an "X" marking the spot of a castle. There is a real castle near where the "X" was marked on the map, suggesting the castle was at least inspired by the real life castle, which in some ways even resembles the one in game.
*After the bridge is blown up and the player proceeds to the getaway vehicle, a turret can be found on a ledge above the archway. The ledge can only be accessed via modding.
*It is possible to find a UMP45 with an ACOG Scope, with both the weapon and the attachment using the Modern Warfare 2 model, in the cells area where Inner circle members throw flares. An L86 LSW with a SUSAT scope can be found too, also using the MW2 model, wielded by Inner Circle Machine gunners along with the PKP Pecheneg.
*The Prisoners' model are Russian Navy Personnel's model instead of Czech Resistance Member's Model.
*Some of the Inner Circle soldiers use SCAR-L's. It is likely they were captured from the US.
*There's an AK-74u in a cabinet by the stairs, equipped with an ACOG Scope.
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Category:Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Single Player Levels