Grand Bazaar (Persian: بازار بزرگ) is a map featured in Battlefield 3. The map is set in central Tehran, in the Grand Bazaar, during the War of 2014. The map features weather conditions being damp and drizzling rain and has Persian graffiti sprayed across the walls of the bazaar itself, along with PLR propaganda posters. It is similar to Operation Métro in Rush, featuring open areas and tight alleyways.
Conquest
In Conquest mode, both teams start on opposite corners of the map which is essentially a square of streets split in half by a major footpath. The Junction and Highway bases only appear on Conquest Large on PC only.
Equipment
 United States Marine Corps
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| Light vehicle(s) | |
| Infantry fighting vehicle(s) | |
| Emplacement(s) | |
 Russian Ground Forces
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| Light vehicle(s) | |
| Infantry fighting vehicle(s) | |
| Emplacement(s) | |
Deployment Zones
The US Deployment is in the northwest corner, and the Russian Deployment is in the southeast corner.
Both deployments have quick access to the next flag, and both also have off-street paths to the Highway. Both sides must travel main roads to reach Junction, although the Russians have a longer off-street path (a hallway corresponding to one of the first Rush objectives).
Both teams have nearby buildings that allow occupiers to cover the near flags and the east-west streets.
Flags
Square (A)
Closest to the US deployment, the Square has some sturdier cover and a wider capture area. A destructible concrete wall separates the base from a small market to the west. A nearby pedestrian overpass and a pile of rubble to the north give some vertical vantage points. This can be an easy base to capture but be careful, enemies can easily hide behind the bus and car, and can flank from the Alleyway. Also watch out for the LAV and transport vehicles coming from the US Deployment.
Alleyway (B)
As the central flag, this objective is often captured early in the round and hotly contested. It directly links the Square and Market. Four smaller paths branch off, linking the corners of the map to positions a quarter of the way up. There are quite a few walled off areas that can be uncovered with explosives.
Unlike open maps like Caspian Border, it is easy for defenders to be pinned inside, with the long alleyway giving advantage to long range combatants (including the armored transports that spawn at both ends). Along with the relative ease of spawn trapping, this can make matches end with little effort expended by the team in control. The best way to capture or defend this base is to have a strong defense at not only this base but also the Market or the Square. Players on the US Deployment can drive their LAV or Humvee into the Alleyway itself, causing lots of havoc and opportunities to rack of up some kills.
Market (C)
The closest flag to the Russian deployment, the Market contains many buildings that can give occupiers a height advantage. A set of awnings also gives pathfinders a way to bypass the main entrance to Alleyway. This base gives players plenty of opportunities to capture it because of the market itself.
From Market, players also have access to a tunnel-like passage towards Alleyway, and a passage parallel to the street leading all the way to Highway. The base also allows players to travel from "roof to roof" give them an advantage over enemies.
Junction (D)
[Conquest Large] The capture area consists of much of the street area, the area surrounding a ruined bus, an empty shop across the corner, and parts of the surrounding buildings. A footpath to Alleyway can be accessed either by a rug shop on the east street (corresponding to Rush objective B1), or an alcove from the south street.
Highway (E)
[Conquest Large] The pedestrian overpass is a major feature of this area, as is the bi-level street leading to the US deployment and Square.
Rush
Compared to Conquest mode, action follows the map in a clockwise fashion, originating at Junction, passing through Alleyway and Market, then through Highway, and ending between Square and the American deployment.
| United States Marine Corps
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| Main battle tank(s) | |
Stage 1
In Rush and Squad Rush mode, each teams start roughly equal distance away from the objectives. Most of the fighting is in close quarters inside buildings, or medium range down the main street.
Objective A is located at the end of a long hallway from the attackers or from the side which after traveling up the road from the spawn. Attackers can potentially sprint here faster than the defenders, allowing them to quickly arm the M-COM and hold a good defensive position towards B.
Objective B is located inside a room containing stacks of rugs. The room opens into the street, but has a back entrance accessible on the attackers' right side. This path, however, can be flanked by defenders arriving from Alleyway.
Stage 2
The second set of objectives are around Market. Attackers can now enter Alleyway, but a wire fence and map boundary prevent them from entering Square or its side path for now. The Russian Conquest deployment is also open to Attackers, and is often used by flankers going wide. The attackers also receive a tank, which can be maneuvered close to either objective by a careful driver.
Objective A is at the market end of Alleyway, with the defenders' side path leading directly to it. Holding this end of Market is often necessary for controlling the M-COM.
Objective B is located in a short hall near the mosque at the south side of the map. Long weapons can be used to control this objective either from the halls, the street, or even the three-story platforms at Market.
Defense of stage 2 involves stalling the attackers inside Alleyway and behind the rubble piles on the east street. Snipers can use many of the second-story areas near the Russian Deployment.
Stage 3
The third and fourth sets of objectives take place in much more open environments similar to the highway featured in the singleplayer mission "Operation Swordbreaker", with overpasses where players can take positions.
Objective A is at the end of the side path from Alleyway to Highway, and objective B is tucked in a corner on the far side of Highway, leading to the street shops. The overpass provides excellent view of the area, with highway signs providing some hard cover. The rubble pile near A is an often-used fallback position, but does not give adequate access to either M-COM.
Since the attackers still spawn from Junction, a strong defense at Market can save the base.
Stage 4
The US spawn moves to Market, and all the major streets are opened for use. The Russians have a very difficult defense, with both main roads, Alleyway, and the alleys behind the west road to cover.
Objective A is located in the last single-story shop, and objective B is in the small market to the side of Square.
Squad Rush
Starting from the near corner of Junction, attackers must make their way towards Market. The first M-COM is in the single-story building, and the second M-COM is in the near alley leading towards the Russian Conquest Deployment.
Team Deathmatch
Team Deathmatch takes place in the Market area and the Russian Deployment. Like on Conquest, it offers fierce firefights and chokepoints.
Squad Deathmatch
The entire map is used for Squad Deathmatch, with the IFV spawning at one of the main intersections.
Designer Notes
"We knew we wanted to do something very urban in the city center of Tehran. The fiction has you coming in two weeks after fighting started, so the tight and narrowly built city has a great deal of destruction already when you spawn into the game. Grand Bazaar is a classically mirrored map where both sides have very similar pathways, sideways, and possibilities to traverse heights to get a better view of the action. It's a very short range close quarter combat map where shotguns tend to be favored."
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Trivia
- The 'ceiling' or height barrier on this map is very low, limiting the use of MAV's, as they constantly hit awnings, walls and the barriers.
- Even if the player is indoors, raindrops will still appear on the screen.
- Mortars are often used on this map due to the high likelihood that enemy players will cluster and group together due to the close nature of the map.
- Mortars were unable to be used on this map at one point due to a glitch. This has since been patched.
- The map was revealed when IGN uploaded it with a developer commentary with Patrick Bach playing on Rush.
- Battlefield Hardline's Chinatown is a stylistic remake of Grand Bazaar, retaining most of the map's layout but now set in Chinatown, Los Angeles, instead of Tehran.
Gallery
