In Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare, having a strategy for every map is one of the ingredients in a recipe for success. Understanding your surroundings is key to survival in battle, and the Activision Games Blog has you covered with our Tactical Intel.

This Tactical Map Intel for Modern Warfare takes us to Gun Runner, a coal mine and refinery plant where the Allegiance will attempt to defend this compound against the Coalition’s finest.

Lay of the Land:

It is Day 215 in the seemingly endless war between the Allegiance and Coalition, with both sides targeting a power plant and mine outside Tavorsk. As Coalition troops arrive by helicopter, Allegiance forces roll in on trucks through the facility’s main checkpoint.

Gun Runner combat takes place across the refinery complex, not the mine, so leave those spelunking hats at home. Should you want to see some mining action, look outside the eastern boundary or peer down a deep tunnel in the northwest.

But of course, don’t take too long appreciating the wonders of coal mining, you have a war to win.

Gun Runner has 24 named areas (known as Zones) in total. Some are routes away from initial spawn locations, others can be important objective areas. However, no matter what you their purpose, all have the potential for engagements.

Map Zones:

The second image in the map carousel (below) showcases all the named Zones; locations appearing in the middle of your on-screen map compass. Here is a complete list of them, before we detail tactical advice within each Zone or Zone Grouping:

1: Driveway

2: Parking Lot

3: Shipping Warehouse

4: Loading Zone

5: Smokestack

6: Forest

7: Head Frame

8: Cargo Containers

9: Center Platform

10: Mine Entrance

11: Furnace

12: Boiler Room

13: Crawl Space

14: Office

15: Minecarts

16: Back Alley

17: Reservoir

18: Showers

19: Train Yard

20: Water Tower

21: Rooftop

22: Dumpsters

23: Munition Depot

24: Back Lot

Map Overview:

The following set of maps detail the entirety of Gun Runner, including the Zones, the locations of important areas in different game modes, and a topographical image. Swipe or click left or right to see them all:

Map Zones Detail:

1, 2: Driveway, Parking Lot

The Driveway and Parking Lot are considered the initial spawn areas for Allegiance members in team game modes and are located at the western-most part of Gun Runner.

The Driveway offers a connection to the Woods or Loading Zone, while the Parking Lot has a direct entrance into the Shipping Warehouse.

Within these areas, the vehicles will be your cover pieces, so should the enemy push up, it may be wise to use these obstacles as defensive positions.

The only other unique part of these western areas is a small open duct at the end of the Driveway leading into the Shipping Warehouse. Getting through this area can only be done while prone, which could be a sneaky way to enter the complex.

The hole is big enough to fit a grenade, so consider bouncing one through here if a few enemies are cooped up inside.

3: Shipping Warehouse

This large building defines the western area of Gun Runner: boxes of important cargo are stacked and scattered, with a lone abandoned forklift hoisting a crate above three others. There is also a makeshift break room with a small TV, as well as an office. The power switch for the warehouse is near a yellow X painted on the ground in the warehouse’s northern outdoor section.

As a game progresses, the warehouse can become a contested area, connecting multiple routes across the map together before they end at the Driveway and Parking Lot. It also serves as the fifth and final Hardpoint and Headquarters in their rotations, as well as the Data Center location for Allegiance players in Cyber Attack.

Within the Shipping Warehouse, close-quarters weaponry may be strong, as the various boxes and other obstacles – most of which can be to mantled onto – confine the action to a small space. Aiming outside the warehouse, however, is a different story. With long sightlines over the Loading Zone and other areas, mid-range to long distance weaponry could work. The roof of the warehouse can also be mantled up onto, providing an overwatch point all the way to the east towards the Train Yard.

Just be wary of the various entry points into the warehouse, as they may be defended well by equipment or defensive players.

4, 5: Loading Zone, Smokestack

The Loading Zone sits right outside the Shipping Warehouse, with Smokestack – named after the map’s towering red and white structure – acting as a transition area between the Loading Zone, Head Frame, and Mine Entrance.

Because these two areas are in open air, they are susceptible to crossfire, aerial Killstreaks, and traffic. That may not be the case during the beginning of a match, but as a game ebbs and flows, expect some combat to take place here.

The Loading Zone specifically may also be a particularly busy area, as the A Domination flag sits near the crates and parked cars. These can be used for defense against attacking players, but a well-placed grenade could knock someone off the objective.

As for the Smokestack, there are two wooden crates to be mantled upon. Here, a cinderblock wall can either be mantled over to reach the Center Platform, or be mounted onto for long-range combat against those at the Train Yard or across the Center Platform.

While that area may be a tempting sniper spot, one could also use two boxes slightly away from the wall, or a truck with crates in the Loading Zone, as an alternative vantage point.

6: Forest

Tavorsk’s natural beauty shines in this southwest portion of the map, as trees spring up from rocky soil parallel to the Driveway, past the hoist motor of the Head Frame, and towards the Cargo Containers.

While this area may not have much objective importance, it may be used as a unique flank route against those in western portion of the map, especially in the Loading Zone.

The trees and rocks provide natural cover, which may be used to force close-range engagements, or act as protection during long-distance fights.

7: Head Frame

This green, two-story building normally acts as a mine elevator, but was put out of commission. It can still help you navigate the elevation shift between the Smokestack and Center Platform areas.

The small window on the second floor is a great spot to oversee combat taking place on the platform or can be hopped through to access the Center Platform and Cargo Containers quicker.

Within the Head Frame building, close quarters weapons could be viable, as there is little room to move around on both floors and the staircase.

8: Cargo Containers

Several stacked and broken containers litter the space between the Woods and Train Yard. They act as makeshift cover, breaking up the otherwise open and dusty path into an often-contested area.

While some may weave between and through the containers, it is also possible to get atop some of them using surrounding crates and other environmental pieces as parkour points. This offers a risk-reward scenario: the container tops offer solid vantage points in this area and in surrounding places but will more often than not leave you exposed.

This area has potential for even more chaos during a variety of objective game modes: it serves as a location for the B bomb site in Search & Destroy, the 2^nd Cyber Attack bomb location, and the 4^th Headquarters or Hardpoint in their respective rotations. When coming here to play the objective, be aware of the various exit points, as well as the container tops, where attackers may jump out from.

9: Center Platform

Welcome to the center stage.

As Gun Runner’s dead center, plenty of lanes empty out into this deadly area. Those who wait here for too long may end up watching a killcam.

Still, the Center Platform is an important chokepoint and intersection for traversing across the map, acting as the open air where crossfire from the east (Train Yard) and west (Loading Zone) may occur. It also can be a hotbed for Killstreaks given its lack of cover and high traffic tendencies, so it would be wise to use caution and be quick when running through here.

However, objective game modes may force you to play around here. In Hardpoint or Headquarters, this is where the first hill lives, while in Cyber Attack, you’ll find the first EMP Device here. Should you need to play objectives here, know that it’s harder to hit a moving target. In other words, with so much potential crossfire, you may stay alive longer by not remaining stationary.

One part of the platform that may not seem accessible at first is the yellow roof that marks the Showers. Jumping from either the lone crate or the cargo containers gets you on top of here with a unique perspective of the surrounding area.

10: Mine Entrance

This is where the mine tunnel lies; a few coal-filled mine carts sit stationary on the path from the mine itself to the Furnace. The area also serves as the end of the Shipping Warehouse to the southwest.

Here, the green metal wall divides combat into two sections and also creates a small alcove. This may be a spot where an enemy could be taking cover, but one could deal with enemies with a well-placed grenade.

The area is considered the end of Gun Runner’s northern lane; long-range weapons could work well here while looking east towards the Furnace, or south over the Loading Zone. It would be wise to consider using the minecarts for cover.

During Hardpoint and Headquarters, part of this area becomes the third location in the rotation. Using the alcove and minecarts for cover may be a wise decision while defending and, while attacking, should be places to check for hostiles.

11: Furnace

While the coal burns brightly here, it’s far from the intensity of combat that often takes place here.

Especially during objective game modes – this is where the B flag in Domination and the first Cyber Attack bomb location lies – the Furnace can be a hotly contested zone. Not only is there the potential for crossfire from the Mine Entrance and Minecarts, but the area itself can be conducive to short-range weaponry.

Ground-based Killstreaks, such as a Sentry Gun, could also be strong here, as their versatility can do wonders by taking a tactical position within this area.

In other words, be prepared for a fight when entering the Furnace and play to your weapon’s strengths. Long range weapons could mount up on the dividing wall and aim across the area, while close quarters Operators could weave through the Furnace to take down enemies.

And, if all else fails and multiple enemies are in here, throwing a lethal equipment piece into here could be that explosive start to a winning engagement.

12, 13, 14: Boiler Room, Crawl Space, Office

These areas could be an oasis for close quarters builds, with all three room’s respective structures playing to the strengths of weapons that excel at shorter ranges. You can get to the Boiler Room from the Furnace or Center Platform, and the Office from the Minecarts or by hopping up on a platform in the Reservoir.

The Boiler Room and Office could be places where enemies can set traps at their respective entry points, so be mindful when entering them both. However, once inside either of these areas, another issue may present itself: a tiny duct that connects the Boiler Room to the Office.

This area, the Crawl Space, may be inhabited by a crouching hostile force, or just someone looking to get across the map in a unique way. Whatever the case may be, throwing an equipment piece into here could smoke out anyone clogging up the ventilation.

At night, the power switch for the Boiler Room can be found in the outside entry area between it and the Center Platform, while the Office lights can be turned on with a switch in the corner of the Minecarts area leading to the Furnace.

15: Minecarts

The opposite end of the Furnace has a few more minecarts sitting on tracks, which become makeshift cover pieces during battle.

This, like the Mine Entrance, can be described as a transitionary area; action may be taking place in the Office, Train Yard, or Reservoir, but the Minecarts can still provide a tactical advantage.

Sharpshooters may want to come here if a rival sniper is at the Mine Entrance, using the concrete wall corner into the Furnace as a mounting point. Or, during a potential short-range gunfight in the Office, once can crouch behind a minecart, chuck a grenade in, then slide in to finish the job.

No matter what fight may happen here, just be aware of potential reinforcements coming from the Reservoir, Office, Furnace, Back Alley, or Train Yard. It can be easy to get surrounded here, so moving quickly through the Minecarts isn’t a bad idea.

16: Back Alley

If the Furnace is too hot to handle, one can kick open the back door and spill out into the Back alley. Here, a staircase to a small platform defines this otherwise tiny area.

Despite its size, the Back Alley may have a place in your tactical decision making. Outside of being an escape route from the Furnace, or a unique entryway into it, the Back Alley can also provide a unique overwatch point over the Train Yard and the eastern portion of Gun Runner.

Although there is little cover to take on the platform, it can be used to cross-snipe those travelling from the Reservoir or even from the southern end of the Train Yard. Caution should be used while sharpshooting here, but don’t let the danger of it second guess a clean shot.

17: Reservoir

A slurry of various liquids and minerals defines this wet portion of Gun Runner. In other words, be thankful that your Operator is wearing boots around here.

The Reservoir is a low point within Gun Runner, as the Center Platform, Train Yard, and Minecarts areas look down upon it, while the bombed out lower wall of the Showers leads to it.

Because of its low-lying property, the Reservoir might not be the most tactical position to stick around in for long, rather potentially acting as a transition portion of the map to move between lanes. Fighting within the Reservoir may devolve into close-quarters combat due to its size, with crossfire from its surrounding areas being a potential problem.

The area also has a small platform to hop which can be used to make your way up through a window frame into the office, which might be the combat route a run-and-gunner would want to take during a typical match.

18: Showers

Decaying and dirty, the Showers are anything but clean, especially when it comes to its rules for combat.

Within the showers, close-quarters weapons may reign due to the area’s structure. One may have to check those corners – and even a bathroom stall – for potential hostile forces and be wary of traps set either in the doorways to the Train Yard or Center Platform, or even within the Showers complex.

A well-placed equipment piece might disorient or destroy those inside here, but players may take refuge at the bottom of this area’s stairwell, which also provides an escape route to the Reservoir.

At night, you can flip on the lights to the Showers on the southeast outside wall facing the Cargo Containers.

19: Train Yard

This is the longest single area of the entire map, as it takes up a huge chunk of Gun Runner’s eastern portion.

The train cars here can be used for cover in long-range combat, or obstacles to shoot around while fighting someone within the area. Along with the possibility of both kinds of extreme range combat taking place in and around here, this area could also be a popular place for Killstreaks to be dropped.

There is plenty of opportunity to be had in the Train Yard, especially when using the tops of these train cars as overwatch positions or alternative means to get across the map. Yes, within this play area, you can realistically get on top of every train car. Whether that can be done by using a box nearby or hopping from high ground of other areas, it is possible to hop from car to car and get around the Train Yard in this unique (and dangerous) way.

In objective game modes, the southern-most part of the Train Yard holds the C flag in Domination. This may sway combat more towards this side of the yard, making the northern portion a potential flank route to ultimately flip this flag.

20, 21, 22: Water Tower, Rooftop, Dumpsters

These three areas define the north part of Gun Runner’s eastern border, and each have a different role to play when it comes to potential engagements.

The Water Tower may be used as a sharpshooting point for those looking down towards the Back Alley or Train Yard. It may not be as populated during a match, making it a potential area one may cross when flanking as well.

The Rooftops may be a more tactical place for sniping; its high ground, accessible through some mantling, gives a solid view all the way over to the Central Platform and beyond. The ventilation boxes can be used for cover against counter-snipers, which may be necessary after you earn a kill or two up here. The Rooftop also provides an entry into the Munition Depot’s rafters, where one can theoretically aim down on those inside.

Last, but not least, the Dumpsters could be a transition area from the Munition Depot, Rooftops, Back Lot, and Water Tower. Within here, a short-range weapon can clean up any enemies looking to snipe.

23: Munition Depot

Within this building, problematic materials are mixed with legitimate shipments in attempt to dissuade invaders from figuring out the depot’s true intentions.

In the beginning of a Gun Runner match, this area may not be as populated. However, action can shift here quickly, making the various containers and other cover pieces potentially important for getting through here safely. This can especially be the case in objective game modes; this is the location of the second Hardpoint or Headquarters spawn, as well as the Data Center for the Coalition in Cyber Attack.

What some may not realize at first are the rafters above the ground floor. Players can actually get up on the rafters from the Rooftops or crates in the Back Lot. The rafters is an excellent high ground, but you can easily fall off.  With that in mind, it might be wise to not only check corners here, but also the ceiling for potential hostile forces.

At night, the light switch for the building can be found on the southwest corner wall outside in the Train Yard.

24: Back Lot

Considered the initial spawn area for the Coalition, the Back Lot is a few concrete pads that the team’s helicopters hover over in the beginning of the match.

Much like the Driveway and Parking Lot, this area may not have as much tactical use. It may be wise to leave here quickly at the beginning of a match, or to use the crates to crawl across the rafters of the Munition Depot.

Like a usual traditional spawn area, its open design allows Operators to shoot down enemy Killstreaks. Should you find yourself back here after a death from above, it may be a good idea to take out a launcher and lay waste to any Killstreak in the skies.    

General Tips

Outside of the tips we have for each specific area, here are some more ideas that you may want to take with you in your next Gun Runner match:

·      Lane Movement. Gun Runner could be broken down into three separate lanes – a north, center, and south. Moving between these three during a match can make you less predictable, which could translate to less deaths.

·      Smart Combat. Don’t be afraid to disengage on this map if you are at a disadvantage in combat. Many of Gun Runner’s areas have escape routes and less-travelled roads that could help you live to fight another day.

·      Death from Above. With most of this map being outdoors, it may be smart to equip aerial Killstreaks before diving into a match on here.

·      On the Go. No matter what high ground you take on this map, you may be spotted quickly as most of it has little cover. Usually, the sniping spots on this map have others nearby, so it could be in your best interest to move often and keep enemies guessing.

·      Rotate Early. In a linear Hardpoint or Headquarters game, the transition to or from the 2^nd hill (Munition Depot) can be a stretch, as the other four hills are relatively close to each other. Those who want to play the objective might want to get a head start in moving to or from the Depot.

·      Well Played Objectives. During Domination, a typical strategy would be to hold the A and B (or B and C) flags. However, Gun Runner’s flags resemble a triangle more than a straight line, making it possible to lock down the map’s southern portion and hold A and C while leaving B to the enemy. Learn the enemy’s tendencies during a match and consider going for the A-C hold if their defense of the Furnace is rock solid.

Have fun playing matches on Gun Runner, and we’ll see you online. Stay frosty.

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