User blog:Heatedpete/Battlefield 3 Beta Experience - no. 1

Ok, so having downloaded the beta (it took just 27 minutes, ethernet cables ftw!!!) I decided to unleash my dormant FPS skills on Operation Métro, and, just after the third match, I hit upon a match worthy of my favourite forum post. So, here's my story, from the view of an American attacker on the ground.

Kit make-up

 * Weapon - M16A3
 * Optic - ACOG
 * Rails - Foregrip
 * Other - Heavy Barrel
 * Sidearm - M9
 * Gadget - Defibrillator
 * Specialisation - Sprint

Park - Base 1
So, starting in the park, my squad and I quickly moved up the left flank, skirting the brick wall and keeping close to the edge of the map. As soon as we cross the river, we hit the ground, closing with the enemy in prone position. A squad of Russian defenders cross in front of us, and are quickly gunned down by our Support player's M249. Myself and two Engineers push up, but are quickly suppressed by another Russian trio, but our Support gunner hits them with a huge burst of fire to give us a respite. We relocate, sprinting over towards objective B, and soon start crawling towards the objective, supported by fire from another squad.

As we hit objective B, I arm the objective, but soon the Russians react, crashing into our squad. Finishing the objective arm, I revive a downed squad-mate and yank the enemy squad leader's dog tags with my knife - my only knife kill to date. I find he has an EA logo on his tags, but miss the name (O_o). We begin forcing the Russians back, before a quickly launched attack by our third squad blasts the enemy rear-guard and arms Objective A. We rush forward, leaving an Engineer to hold B, before it explodes with good grace, and take the northern bank of the river behind A, holding off the Russians pushing forwards from the SAM silo to the north-east. M-COM A explodes, and, having been the first team to do so in my play-time, we begin our advance into the tunnels.

Tunnels - Base 2
Instantly we hit problems - a Russian squad had backtracked and emplaced their two RPKs and two AK-74Ms at the two tunnel entrances. Under heavy fire, our two Engineers blast both positions with SMAWs, and the other two squads advance into the left tunnel. We take the right tunnel. But the Russians aren't awake, and we hit the eastern M-COM with ease. I hold down the platform itself, while an Engineer from my squad holds the stairs. Our other two squad members flank through the maze of trains and platforms to engage an enemy strongpoint in the other tunnel. We quickly destroy the objective, and our team-mates destroy the other M-COM. The Russians counter-attack, but as we fight back, their attack swiftly loses steam.

Station - Base 3
As the Russian counter-attack stalled, all three US squads surge forwards, capturing the escalator exits and move up our support players to suppress the defenders. However, our advance loses steam, we take heavy casualties as the Russians pin down our pointmen, and the entire force retreats back into the tunnels. It seems as if our initial surge would be defeated. It was the crisis time - an act of heroism or retrat will win or lose the game for us.

Up steps myself and a squad leader from another squad. We charge forwards and blast the defenders back with grenades and SMAW rockets. I take Objective A, arming the thing and hold the Russians back, before being killed. Somehow, despite a tense 5 seconds of watching a Russian Engineer crouching by the objective, it is destroyed, and the other squad leader brings in his unit and destroys the other objective. We soon emerge, blinking, into the light of truly urban Paris, victory in sight...