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CIA station chief Laswell and Captain Price talking things over.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

MW3 campaign: ‘Deep Cover’ mission guide and walkthrough

Don't blow your cover.

Modern Warfare 3’s campaign is short but sweet. It’s got a lot of action, but one of the more low-key missions involves someone outside of Task Force 141 in enemy territory.

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The fifth mission in MW3’s campaign stars CIA Station Chief Laswell undercover, hence the name “Deep Cover.” She’s at a Russian military base to meet with a friend, and she’s got to be really careful while doing so.

Here’s how to finish Deep Cover in the MW3 campaign.

MW3 Deep Cover guide

A screenshot of the Arklov base in the MW3 mission Deep Cover.
It’s Laswell time. Screenshot by Dot Esports

First things first, put that weapon away by pressing right on the D-pad. You can’t be undercover on a base like this with a silenced pistol while skulking around.

The main theme of this mission is to stay as far away from enemy personnel as possible. If you get too close, they will realize they don’t recognize you and cast suspicion. Eventually, if done enough, you will alert the guards and fail the mission.

Objective: Reach the Admin Building

Move down this pathway, avoiding the two groups of soldiers who are walking toward you. When they’re on your left, move right, and when they’re on your right, move left. Simple enough.

A screenshot of the opening moments of the MW3 mission Deep Cover.
Steer clear of soldiers at all costs. Screenshot by Dot Esports

At the end of the path, walk right, and then make a left toward the objective marker while keeping your distance from the soldiers. Keep following the marker until you see the admin building, and then immediately turn left and hide behind the vehicles.

A screenshot of the Admin Building in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
This is the admin building. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Objective: Acquire a keycard

At this point, an officer will exit the building flanked by two guards and he has a keycard we need. That’s your target. Walk, don’t run, along the fence to make your way around the building he’s headed toward. Then, make your way around the side of it and head toward the front, slowly and cautiously.

A screenshot of the officer who has a keycard in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
There’s our target. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The officer will make his way up the stairs and head inside. Wait until he’s all the way inside and then quickly follow him up the stairs after squeezing between the staircase and the vehicle. Once you’re inside behind him, quickly take out your pistol by pressing right on the D-pad and take out the officer and female soldier with two well-placed shots.

A screenshot of the officer heading into a building in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Once he’s inside, get ready. Screenshot by Dot Esports

If done correctly, no one will be alerted. You can then put your pistol away and grab the key card off of his dead body.

A screenshot of the dead officer and his keycard in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Sorry, pal. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Objective: Enter the Admin Building

A screenshot of Laswell using the keycard in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Swipe it. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Head back outside and in between the staircase and vehicle again, and begin to make your way toward the front door of the admin building while keeping your distance from soldiers as much as you can. Use the key card on the door and head inside.

Objective: Meet Yuri

A screenshot of Yuri's location in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Yuri’s lying in wait. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Once inside, veer to your right to avoid the soldiers on your left, and then enter this door. A cutscene will trigger.

Objective: Get to the roof

A screenshot of the chemical weapon attack in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Time to go! Screenshot by Dot Esports

Once the cutscene ends, it’s time to haul ass. The base is under attack and you need to survive the chemical weapon assault, so the time for stealth is over. Follow the linear pathway ahead by moving to your right down the hallway, avoiding the gas as best you can.

At the end of the hallway, head up the staircase. On the second floor, veer left and go down the hallway until you reach an elevator shaft. Use it to climb up this ladder.

A screenshot of the final ladder in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Climb fast. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Once you’re up the ladder, turn right and run straight until you find another staircase. Head up and bash the door open to reach the roof. Jump into Nikolai’s chopper to finish the mission.

A screenshot of Nikolai and his chopper waiting for Laswell in the MW3 campaign mission Deep Cover.
Home free. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Back In The Field Achievement (Optional)

The Deep Cover mission has an attached optional achievement to accomplish, Back In The Field, which requires you to reach Yuri and the storage room within 90 seconds. A tall task, but it is possible with a slight adjustment to your game plan.

Instead of waiting outside and trailing the officer to the office, go into the office straightaway and eliminate the female guard. Then, wait with your pistol at the ready for the officer to walk in.

The moment he walks in, shoot him and pick up his keycard, vault over the stairs, and make a beeline for the door. Once inside, gun it for the storage room. If you’re quick enough, you’ll reach the room before the guards at the front desk turn hostile.

Deep Cover in Stealth

Make no mistake—while this isn’t your run-of-the-mill CoD stealth mission, it is of the utmost importance that you go undetected in Deep Cover. You can’t just shoot your way out of this one.

Unless absolutely necessary, do not walk around the military base with your weapon drawn. This almost immediately alerts nearby enemies and you’ll need to restart the mission as they’ll gun you down on sight.

Avoid sprinting too, as enemy units become immediately suspicious. Walk, don’t run, regardless of what the nearby units say to you as you walk past. Ignore and avoid anyone’s line of sight who says anything to you, like when you’re asked for ID when you proceed down the hill.

Also, avoid direct eye contact with enemy units at short to mid-range. They become increasingly suspicious if you spend too long staring at them, and will approach you with ill intentions. Look to the ground and walk around in a small area.

That concludes the walkthrough for the Deep Cover mission in MW3. You’re now free to continue on your journey in MW3’s campaign or switch up to multiplayer for a bit of a change of pace.


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Author
Image of Scott Duwe
Scott Duwe
Senior Staff Writer & Call of Duty lead. Professional writer for over 10 years. Lover of all things Marvel, Destiny 2, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and more. Previous bylines include PC Gamer, Red Bull Esports, Fanbyte, and Esports Nation. DogDad to corgis Yogi and Mickey, sports fan (NY Yankees, NY Jets, NY Rangers, NY Knicks), Paramore fanatic, cardio enthusiast.
Author
Image of Nicholas Taifalos
Nicholas Taifalos
Weekend editor for Dot Esports. Nick, better known as Taffy, began his esports career in commentary, switching to journalism with a focus on Oceanic esports, particularly Counter-Strike and Dota. Email: nicholas@dotesports.com