Caspian Border

Caspian Border (Persian: مرز خزر) is a map featured in Battlefield 3's multiplayer. Caspian Border is a multi-faceted, vehicle heavy map that exemplifies classic Battlefield gameplay. This map is one that is fit for all classes as a result of a wide variety of vehicles and different terrains. It pits the United States Marine Corps against the Russian Ground Forces and was revealved through Battleblog 14 to be set on the border between Iran and Turkmenistan near the Caspian Sea.

It was exclusive to PC players in the Battlefield 3 Beta and is currently one of the largest maps in the game.

Description
A Russian recon force has set up camp over on the Turkmenistan side of the Iranian border and proceeded to take over the heavily built up border checkpoint.

Antenna
Near the forest there is a huge tower that is able to tip over during conquest and to get it to fall over the enemy or your team must have 15 spawn tickets left for it to fall over but getting crushed by it will resault in either suicide or bad luck

This flag only appears on the Conquest Large variant available to PC players. Players from either side can still use the antenna area regardless of map size, as a side road (between the US deployment and Gas Station) gives easy access. A tank and a ground transport will spawn here.

As with other tall objects, the antenna is very popular with snipers, who can use aircraft or a series of Radio Beacon spawns to reach the upper stages. From here, American snipers can engage targets at the Russian deployment, which is at a higher elevation than the rest of the map.

Players can also use the built-in ladder to reach the lower platform. Javelin teams have a good vantage point from which to assault the US deployment. The railings also provide (likely unintentional) defense against gunfire from below. The hills around the antenna are also popular campsites.

Checkpoint
This area is more developed than other flags, with many buildings (both permanent and portable) and cargo containers adjoining the border post. A creek running parallel to the main service road gives some cover to attackers.

Forest
This is the only flag that doesn't have an emplacement. Overlooking the flag area are several ridges, one adjacent to the creek, another along the border, and several outcroppings from the remaining side. There are portable buildings at the second border crossing between here and Antenna.

This area is usually targeted and can be hard to hold as a base. It is recommended to hide on the ridges overlooking the base or in the foliage to make capturing it easier. Another things players have to watch out for is enemies on the Hilltop. This being because it is very easy to see players from the Hilltop causing their cover to be blown.

Gas Station
This is one of the more developed bases on the map. Since it has a small village in the base, players can be seen hiding in buildings, behind cars, etc. It is very prone to be attacked by enemy vehicles such as tanks and helicopters which is why it is recommended to place some mines on the roads and paths leading up to the base. A tank and a ground transport vehicle spawn here, which also gives owners of the base easy acess to the Forest and Hilltop bases. Like the small radio tower on the Hilltop, the base's water tower can be brought down.

Hilltop
From here, players have good vantage point over all the flags, though the surrounding forest provides plenty of visual cover. Two roads provide access from the main service road, and many footpaths allow access from all sides. It is usually the site of heavy bombardment from air vehicles and is also known for the many anti-tank mines places on the paths leading up to the hill so stay vigilant. Players usually hide in the small buildings and underneath the small radio tower to capture the base. A ridge across the service road gives the Russians some vantage to the slope leading to the flag, but not the hilltop itself.

Rush
The three sets of objectives on this map are spaced far apart, although the game mode ensures that players will aggress them.

Stage 1
The checkpoint holds the first set of Russian M-COMs, one inside the smaller building beside the border, and the second in the cargo container area. The field between here and the US deployment leaves attackers highly exposed. The fence on the opposite side of the main service road and the hilly area leading towards the antenna provide some opportunities for flanking. Great tactics for defending the base would be to set mines, use Javlins, and destroy the aformentioned fences to stop flanking opertunities.

Stage 2
The gas station holds the second set of objectives. M-COM A is located in the set of buildings near the water tower. An easy way to defend it is to destroy the wall of the small "shack" that the M-COM lies in and set mines on the path beside it. This station is usually prone to be destroyed first because of the road leading to the Gas Station and because the station itself is not in an actual building like M-COM B. Because of this, be sure to be constantly watching this station or you'll quickly lose it. M-COM B is set inside the gas station itself. Like A, be sure to watch the station because it is extremely easy for attackers to quietly flank players and arm the M-COM. Trying to stop enemies from destroying the building itself to make it harder to enter and arm the station.

Stage 3
Attackers must climb the slope leading up to the airbase housing the third set of objectives. This is one of the harder bases to defend. Transport vehicles make it extremely easy for attackers to enter the base unseen. Many usually hide out in the dozens of buildings around the base making capturing it extremely easy. They're arent many easy ways to defend it except to destroy insignificant builidings, setting mines, and remaining extremely vigilant.

Team Deathmatch
The Gas Station area provides the setting for deathmatches.

Trivia

 * During the Battlefield 3 Beta, the Antenna had a ladder which could be used to reach an area on the antenna. The ladder was removed in the final version of the game.
 * On the console versions, the mobile anti-aircraft vehicles and Flag E are not present.
 * The antenna could not be collapsed in the final version of the game until the release of the Back to Karkand DLC. During the beta, players could destroy the cable anchors, and eventually topple the antenna.
 * The antenna now collapses when one team has less than 10–25 tickets in Conquest, depending on map size. Players can hear radio chatter describing the artillery barrage that is targeting the antenna.
 * The falling antenna will kill and/or destroy any vehicles beneath it as it falls. It is long enough to reach to the portable buildings by Checkpoint.
 * If the player is on the antenna as it falls the player will simply fall through it or be launched upwards randomly, as though they ejected from a jet.
 * On PC, it shows that there are 5 points to capture, with A being an antenna, B being a checkpoint, C being a forest, D being a hilltop and E being a gas station. On consoles, A is a checkpoint, B is a forest, C is a hilltop and D is the gas station.
 * Despite the maps location, text on the gas station is in some sort of Latin script. Writing in Farsi can also be found on shipping containers, which suggests it is in fact in on the northern Iranian coast of the Caspian Sea.