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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