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= MEDAL OF HONOR ALLIED ASSAULT: SPEARHEAD =
= ---------------------------------- =
= Rifle Guide =
= ~ =
= Written by Scottie_theNerd (scottie_thenerd@yahoo.com) =
= Copyright (c) 2004 Scott Lee =
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LEGAL DISCLAIMER
****************
This guide is written by Scott Lee, who also goes under the names of David
Nguyen and Scottie_theNerd. Should this FAQ be hosted on any site other than
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com), permission is required from me before hosting.
Distributing this guide without prior permission is a direct violation of
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-Supercheats (www.supercheats.com)

To gain permission, ask nicely via an email to scottie_thenerd@yahoo.com. This
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Anything resembling spam will be promptly removed.

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Version History
================

v1.0 (Jan 27 2004) - Guide completed


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CONTENTS
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1.0 - Introduction
1.1 - Philosophy of the Rifle
1.2 - Why use a Rifle?
2.0 - The Rifles
2.1 - M1 Garand
2.2 - Kar98k
2.3 - Mosin-Nagant
2.4 - Lee-Enfield
3.0 - Strategies and Tactics
3.1 - General strategies and tactics
3.11 - Targeting 101
3.12 - Mobile Warfare
3.13 - Sniper Warfare
3.14 - Close Combat
3.2 - Specific strategies and tactics
3.21 - Vs. Rifles
3.22 - Vs. Submachine guns
3.23 - Vs. Machine guns
3.24 - Vs. Sniper rifles
3.25 - Vs. Rockets
3.26 - Vs. Shotguns
3.27 - Vs. Rifle grenades
3.3 - Flexibility: The Need for Variation
4.0 - Issues
4.1 - The Rifle: The Weapon of Honor
4.2 - The M1 Garand
4.3 - Live by the Rifle, Die by the Rifle
4.4 - The Rifle Grenade
5.0 - Conclusion


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1.0 - INTRODUCTION
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Released in 2002, Spearhead is the first expansion to the classic Medal of
Honor Allied Assault. Based on and around events in the Second World War, the
Medal of Honor series started a trend in games, being the first historic WWII
shooter. Allied Assault placed you in the boots of Lt. Mike Powell and took you
all across Europe. In Spearhead, you play the role of Sgt. Jack Barnes. Like
Lt. Powell, Sgt. Barnes must complete a tour in Europe, fighting in Normandy,
Bastogne and Berlin alongside British, American and Russian troops.

Spearhead great expands your arsenal of weapons with the addition of British
and Russian weapons on top of the existing American and German weapons. Among
these, several rifles were included, and Spearhead greatly emphasises the
tactical value of these classic weapons.

The purpose of this guide is to provide an in-depth look into the strategies
and tactics involving effective use of rifles. This includes general
strategies, specific countermeasures against other weapons as well as
historical information on the weapons themselves. This guide does NOT provide
detailed strategies concerning other weapons, such as submachineguns or assault
rifles, although it may cover some aspects of sniper warfare.

With that said, enjoy the rest of the guide, and hopefully it will prove to be
of some value to you in any form.


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1.1 - Philosophy of the Rifle
==============================
The rifle is not a new weapon: the concept of a rifled weapon firing a
projectile to long distances was an early step in the evolution of firearms.
Such techniques allowed the weapon to be able to fire further and more
accurately. Rifling became common in artillery, but the most prolific
developments came in the field of hand-held weaponry. These weapons were
further improved by combining the propellant and bullet into one cartridge,
introducing a magazine which stored extra rounds, and ultimately providing
the ability fire rounds automatically. At the time of the First and Second
World Wars, however, the standard issue rifle was bolt-action, with the
exception of the American army.

It was during this period that another weapon made a revolutionary appearance:
the machine gun. Lessons were learned from the Russo-Japanese War, in which
the Russians and the Japanese used contrasting tactics. From this, different
countries had different mentalities. The British believed that high casualties
were the cause of poor marksmanship, and increased the intensity of their
musketry training. The Germans thought it was pointless making marksmen out of
conscripts, so they elected to specialise in automatic weapons. Regardless of
perspective, by the time the Second World War arrived, every country had a huge
stockpile of rifles while their automatic weapons were still being refined.
Suffice to say, the countries involved in war were obliged to continue to use
their old, but reliable rifles.

It was also during this time that the length of the rifle was standardized.
Earlier, there were two types of rifle issued: a 'long' rifle for accurate
shooting for infantry, and a shorter 'carbine' for calvary and auxillary arms.
It was later realised that this distinction caused difficulties in supply, and
the shortcomings of both weapons were apparent. Instead, a medium-length rifle
was introduced to supply all units, and became the trend in all armies.

Indeed, rifles were so reliable that some of them remain in use in today's
armies, especially as modified sniper rifles. Many modern weapons have features
that were originally in these classic weapons. However, the rifle was far from
the perfect weapon, and gradually became phased out as more modern weapons
were developed. Among these, the assault rifle would have to stand out the
most. Designed to replace the rifle, the submachine gun and the light
machine gun, assault rifles are clearly the next step in the evolution of
firearms.


=======================
1.2 - Why use a Rifle?
=======================
Unlike Allied Assault, in which rifles were simply novelty weapons, Spearhead
greatly increases the potential of using a rifle. This is most apparent by
the massive decrease in ammunition: you are given approximately 50 rounds in
comparison to the 200 rounds in Allied Assault. The sheer power of the rifles
have been increased, doing away the main disadvantage of a low rate of fire.
Furthermore, all rifles are similar in their characteristics, allowing you to
to use any rifle effectively regardless of which team you are on.

Apart from the sniper rifle, the rifle has the best efficiency for scoring
kills. While a submachine gunner usually takes out one or two enemies with 30
rounds, the rifleman can often take out 3 targets with a 5 round clip. Indeed,
many experienced riflemen can score hits with every round, and overall a
rifleman survives longer provided they can pick their targets very carefully.
On top of that, the rifle is the lightest weapon apart from the pistol and the
grenade, allowing riflemen to be extremely mobile and harder to hit.

Of course, rifles are far from being the ideal all-around weapon. Although very
versatile, the rifle requires a lot of skill and experience to use effectively.
For the most part, rifles are single-shot, meaning you have to load the next
bullet manually. It also means you have to be precise. Rifles are precision
weapons, designed to make the bullet hit where the firer wants it to hit.
Missing the target means you have to wait 2-3 seconds before firing the next
round. Against an automatic weapon, you will only have the opportunity to fire
2-3 rounds before getting cut down. Despite this pressure, a rifleman must also
be very calm and patient, waiting for the right target and the right shot. Due
to their slow rate of fire, rifles are unsuitable in close range, although not
useless.

To summarise the qualities of the rifle:
PROS:
-One-hit kill capability
-Light weight, therefore fast move speed
-Extremely accurate
-Ideal for medium/long range engagements

CONS:
-Slow rate of fire (except for the M1 Garand)
-Low magazine capacity
-Unsuited for close combat

Despite popular belief, the rifle is not an inferior weapon. Many players use
it for the challenge, and many veteran riflemen prefer it over all other
weapons.


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2.0 - THE RIFLES
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Spearhead features 4 different rifles: the M1 Garand, the Lee-Enfield, the
Mosin-Nagant and the Kar98k. Of these, only the M1 Garand stands out in
characteristics. The other three rifles are more or less the same, only
differing in magazine capacity. Their real-life statistics are substantially
different, but for Spearhead's purposes they have the same properties. This
section will provide a detailed description of each weapon and any notes worth
pointing out.


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2.1 - M1 Garand
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Country: United States of America
Calibre: .30-06
Magazine capacity: 8 rounds
Firing mechanism: Semi-automatic, gas-operated

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
----------------------
Developed by John C. Garand, a weapon designer who was later based at the
Springfield Armory, the Garand rifle was accepted by the US Army in 1932. Prior
to this, the standard infantry weapon was the M1903 Springfield, a bolt-action
rifle used in the First World War. Although reliable, experience from the Great
War left a lot to be desired. Although Garand's design was breaking new ground,
the Army's decision to standardize the rifle meant that America was the only
country to enter the war with an automatic weapon as the standard infantry
weapon. Despite an early shortage in supply, during which the Springfield was
still used, the M1 Garand proved to be an effective weapon, providing accurate
fire with a better rate of fire, giving the American soldier the advantage in
firepower.

The M1 Garand was operated by a gas piston underneath the barrel, which rotated
the bolt after each shot, which in turn ejected the spent case and loaded the
next round. After the final shot, the clip was ejected. This proved to be the
only flaw in the design: the Garand could only be loaded with a full clip, and
could not be topped-up. Despite this, the M1 Garand proved to be one of the
best combat rifles ever made, and was used in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

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SPEARHEAD NOTES
----------------
The M1 Garand has been improved in Spearhead, although the amount of ammunition
issued has been substantially reduced. Although the 48 rounds you start off
seem plenty, the M1 Garand eats up bullets fast. Very fast. Remember, the
Garand is a semi-automatic weapon, and focuses on quantity over quality. Due to
the relatively fast rate of fire, the Garand is often called a "semi-SMG" by
players. The semi-automatic action makes it easier to use in close combat, and
does far more damage than an SMG. However, the Garand lacks the one-hit kill
capability of the bolt-action rifles, making it a liability. It is important to
make use of the 'double-tap' technique, firing two quick shots in the torso to
guarantee a kill. Despite it's fast firing rate, you should really take time
to aim your shots rather than spray and pray.