Overview:
- Estimated achievement difficulty: 8/10
- Offline: 27 (980 )
- Online: 1 (20 )
- Approximate amount of time to 1000 : 40-50 hours
- Minimum number of playthroughs needed: 1 and a third
- Number of missable achievements: 11
- Glitched achievements: None
- Do cheat codes disable achievements?: No cheats


Introduction
Welcome to the Road Map for Operation Darkness. This is a turn-based strategy game with RPG elements. There are 28 achievements in this game, which should take one and a third playthroughs to complete. I say one and a third because you can save before completing the final mission to allow yourself time to get the Victoria Cross achievement. You then reload that save, finish the Eagles Nest missions for their achievements, and the finale again for the Medal of Honor achievement. Of the 28 achievements, 11 are can be missed. Look at the guide for details on to obtain them.

Tips for playing the game
Though the guide goes over many different aspects of how to go about getting the achievements, there are a few more things that you should know as far helping you complete the game in general. One thing to always remember is to put Auto-Restoration on when you get it, and keep it on for the rest of the game. Make sure to keep the characters of Herbert East and Cordelia Blake as light as possible. You will want to do this so that the have quicker turns allowing them to make full use of their special powers. When playing, also learn to use cover attack and ambush regularly. These actions will save you time and help you defeat your enemy while taking less damage. Just like in real life the snipers and intersecting fields of covering fire will control the space and funnel the enemy towards your killzone.

As for some specific missions that you should be aware of, here are a few not covered in the guide that you should look out for while playing. On "Campaign Mission 6 The Eye of the Needle" you are sent to capture a spy named the Needle . You can kill him and still complete the mission, but you will lose one of your squad members later on, as well as receive the bad ending for the game. Always make sure not to kill him.

Another mission is Campaign Mission 14: Zero Hour Approaches. On this level you will have to destroy a train before the time runs out, and you will have about 25 minutes to do so. Once you destroy the train you will have unlimited time to mop up all the enemies on the map so concentrate on the train and the enemies up front first.

Another timed one is Campaign Mission 22: Frankenstein's Heir. On this mission you will have to destroy the V2 rockets in 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This works out to around 15 minutes in real time, so although time is not as tight as it would first appear do not waste too much of it.

It is worth mentioning that on Campaign Missions 24 through 26, you will not be able to restock between missions. Make sure you bring the proper loadout of supplies, and that you scavenge everything you can of the enemy before moving to the next mission.

Conclusion
I just want to say that this game is not as difficult as some people make it out to be. If you are astute, patient, and decisive you will have no trouble getting yourself a full 1000 .

x360a would like to thank ImpendIn_Agony for this Road Map

Operation Darkness Achievement Guide

Printable Guide
Show completed achievements
Show secret achievements

There are 28 achievements with a total of 1000 points

  • Complete Campaign Mission 01

    Refer to "Purple Heart".
  • Complete Campaign Missions 02-04

    Complete the campaign missions-
    2: Key To Copenhagen
    3: Destroy the Deuterium Plant
    4: Sneaking Into France.
  • Complete Campaign Missions 05-07

    Complete the campaign missions-
    5: Call of Darkness
    6: The Eye of the Needle
    7: The Longest Day
  • Complete Campaign Missions 08-10

    Note: There is a rare weapon on mission 10 that has no achievement attached to it, but makes getting one easier, refer to "Victoria Cross" for details. I will also note all missions with rare weapons after the mission name with an (RW) from now on.

    Complete the campaign missions-
    8: Knight of Iron
    9: In the Name of the Mother Country
    10: Boiler of Hell (RW)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 11-13

    Note: Starting with level 11 there will be 3 legendary swords you need to find. Refer to "Africa Star" for details. I will also note all legendary weapons after the mission name with an (LS) and the sword's name from now on.

    Note: Starting with mission 13 and continuing through mission 25 are 12 Valhalla Reports. Refer to "Soldier's Medal" for details. I will also note all Valhalla Reports after the mission name with a (VR) from now on.

    Complete the campaign missions-
    11: LA Marseillaise (LS-Muramasa Sword)
    12: Is Paris Burning
    13: Farewell MY Friend (VR)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 14-16

    Complete the campaign missions-
    14. Zero Hour Approaches (VR)
    15. The Reprisal Weapon (VR)
    16. Last Line of Defense (VR) (RW)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 17-19

    Note: On stage 19 you will first encounter an unlockable character named Max Neumann There is no achievement attached to his unlocking, but makes getting one easier. Refer to "Victoria Cross" for details. I will also note all missions that need something done to unlock Max Neumann with (MN) after the mission name.

    Complete the campaign missions-
    17. Ardennes Offensive (VR)
    18. Breakthrough (VR)
    19. Devils in Black Steel (VR) (MN)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 20-22

    Complete the campaign missions-
    20. Into the Darkness (VR) (LS-Dragon Slayer)
    21. The Devils Without... and Within (VR) (MN)
    22. Frankenstein's Heir (VR) (LS-Dragon Slayer)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 23-25

    Complete the campaign missions-
    23. The Blood Legion (VR)
    24. The Eagle Has Landed (VR)
    25. The Deserter (LS-Excalibur)
  • Complete Campaign Missions 26-27

    Complete the missions-
    26. Operation Darkness
    27. An End to the Bloodshed
  • Complete Armed Recon Missions 01-03

    Complete the AR missions 1 through 3.
    For reference see "Distinguished Service Cross"
  • Complete Armed Recon Missions 04-06

    Complete the AR missions 4 through 6.
    For reference see "Distinguished Service Cross".
  • Complete Armed Recon Missions 07-09

    Complete the AR missions 7 through 9.
    For reference see "Distinguished Service Cross".
  • Complete Armed Recon Missions 10-12

    Complete the AR missions 10 through 12.
    For reference see "Distinguished Service Cross".
  • Complete Armed Recon Missions 13-15


    Complete the AR missions 13 through 15.
    For reference see "Distinguished Service Cross".
  • Complete Eagle's Nest Missions 01-05

    Note: In order to play the Eagle's Nest missions you must collect 12 Valhalla reports.
    Refer to "Soldier's Medal".

    Complete the EN missions 1 through 5.
    For reference see "Military Cross".
  • Complete Eagle's Nest Missions 06-10


    Complete the EN missions 6 through 10.
    For reference see "Military Cross".
  • Complete Eagle's Nest Missions 11-15

    Complete the EN missions 11 through 15.
    For reference see "Military Cross".
  • Complete Eagle's Nest Missions 16-20

    Complete the EN missions 16 through 20.
    For reference see "Military Cross".
  • Completed Campaign Mission 01 within 14 minutes.

    Getting this has more to do with how fast you can pick and execute your actions, than with actual combat. Actions are the movements, attacks, and item usage prior to the actual execution of them by the character you are controlling.

    In this first level you only have control over Edward (your main character) and Jude. Both of them are considered essential characters, and if either of them die the game ends. It is important to remember this fact and keep them safe behind cover whenever possible. The other allied characters will be controlled by the CPU.

    You will have 8 enemies to face on this map: 7 DAK Foot (grunts) and 1 DAK Oberschutze (sniper). Your first action should be to advance Jude towards the enemy. Get him within firing range of the enemy and kill one of them. At this point what you do with Edward does not matter, so do as you like with him. When the first enemy soldier is killed, a sequence will start and the Oberschutze will appear and kill the commanding officer. At the end of this Edward is standing out in the open next to the dead commander. You should first pick up the Thompson SMG from the commander's body along with any other useful items. You pick up things off of dead body's by standing next to the bodies, selecting "pick up" from the action menu and pressing A. After doing this move Edward forward towards the enemy and kill the DAK Foot directly in front of you.

    On Edward's next turn, move him behind the tree next to the small pond to your left. You should also be advancing Jude so that he is near the pond as well. As the CPU controlled allies start to eliminate the enemy, start to use your characters to help them mop up the rest. Make sure to heal your characters if their health becomes too low. You can do this by selecting "items" in the Action Menu, and picking one of the medicinal items for use.

    You should receive this achievement along with "Campaign 01".

  • Played on Xbox LIVE.

    You must first play and save the main game at least once in order to access the multiplayer. Also you do not actually have to play with anyone else in order to get this achievement. You just have to load into an online game for the first time. Now that you know this, go into the Xbox Live sub-menu on the title screen. Now go to create session. Once inside just press and at that character menu you enter press . You will now be in the session screen. Just scroll down to start game and press . Once you load into the map this achievement is yours.
  • Completed a mission after obtaining the Muramasa Blade, Dragon Slayer, and Excalibur.

     
    In order to acquire this achievement you must collect the legendary swords Muramasa Blade, Dragon Slayer and Excalibur. They are hidden on enemies in certain campaign missions. You must kill the enemy and pick it up from his corpse. There is only one of each blade, except for the Dragon Blade. You only need one of each, but getting them all makes the game easier to complete. The location of the blades are as follows.
    • The Muramasa Blade is located on campaign mission 11. One of the Magiers (magic and gun wielding human Major) in the north group on the map at the start of the mission has it.
    • The first Dragon Blade is found on campaign mission 20. It is on one of the Magiers that arrive as reinforcements.
    • The second Dragon Blade is found on campaign mission 22. It is on one of the Magiers that arrive as reinforcements.
    • The sword Excalibur is found on campaign mission 25. It is located on one of the vampires that arrive as reinforcements. The achievement unlocks after completing this mission.
  • Gathered all 12 pages of the Valhalla Report

     
    You must gather all 12 page from the Valhalla Report scattered throughout campaign missions 13 to 25. Finding these reports unlocks the Eagle's Nest missions. You will not be able to unlock all Eagle's Nest achievements or the "Military Cross"and "Medal of Honor" without collecting all of them. Valhalla Reports are found on the bodies of enemies that you kill. You must pick it up from their corpse, which is done by going next to them and choosing "pick up" from the Action Menu.

    The reports are always on a specific enemy type for each mission, but the exact enemy is picked at random. For example if I say that the Valhalla Report is on a Panzer Demon it will always be on a Panzer Demon, but it could be on any Panzer Demon on the mission. The reports are usually on one of the specified enemies in the first wave (the enemies on the map that you first face), but not always. Make sure you are thorough in your search.
     
    Here are where the Valhalla Reports are found:
    • 13- W Heer Schutze.
    • 14- W Heer Schutze.
    • 15- Waffen-SS Magier.
    • 16- Waffen-SS Schutze.
    • 17- Waffen-SS Schutze.
    • 18- W-SS Panzer Demon.
    • 19- Waffen-SS Vampire.
    • 20- Waffen-SS Schutze.
    • 21- Waffen-SS Vampire.
    • 22- Waffen-SS Schutze.
    • 23- Waffen-SS Magier.
    • 24- Waffen-SS Magier
  • Completed all 27 Campaign Missions.

    Simply play through the main missions to the end, and you will unlock this achievement.
  • Completed all 15 Armed Recon Missions.

    Play through all 15 armed recon mission to unlock the achievement.
  • Completed all 20 Eagle's Nest Missions.

    Note: After finding all 12 Valhalla Reports these missions become playable.

    To find the reports refer to "Soldier's Medal"

    Finish all 20 Eagle's Nest to unlock the achievement.

  • Completed Campaign Mission 27 after completing all of the Armed Recon and Eagle's Nest Missions.

    You must complete every available mission in the game before completing the final campaign mission in order to unlock this achievement. All missions will become available to you as you play, except for the Eagle's Nest missions. In order to get them you must find 12 Valhalla reports. Refer to 'Soldier's Medal" for details on where to find the reports.

    Note: A good way to get this is to first concentrate on getting the "Victoria Cross" achievement. Save after mission 26, then complete the game. Now you can load that same save and get the achievement. Just complete all the missions you skipped, and replay the final mission.

  • Completed Campaign Missions 01-27 within 35 hours.

    You must complete the campaign mission in under 35 hours. Some people find this daunting, but it is not as bad as some people make it out to be. Just use these tips to make sure finish in under the 35 hour mark.
     
    You have to be quick and concise in your actions and planning. All time spent playing counts toward the 35 hours, not just the time spent in missions. The first thing to remember is to save early and often on multiple save files. This will help you just in case you make a mistake. Next is that if you fail a mission, do not restart the mission. This will waste valuable time, so what you should do is load your previously saved game.

    After you finish every mission you will need to outfit your characters with supplies for the next mission. In order to do this quickly save immediately after you finish a mission, then take your time figuring out who needs what and what to buy. Once you know what to do load your last save, and do it as quickly as possible. The game will tell that only certain characters need to survive in order to advance, this is a lie. If you lose any of them it makes the game extremely hard to complete, period, let alone in under 35 hours. You will need each of your characters alive in order to complete this achievement, so if you lose one load your last save.

    Speeding up dialog scenes saves large amounts of time. To do this just hold down RB. I also advise that you should do the Armed Recon missions along with Campaign missions. This will give valuable experience making it easier to complete the game in general, just leave off the last two or three to make sure you have enough time. As an example I finished all AR missions along with campaign missions, and ended up with a play time of 30 hours and 31 minutes. This left me over four hours to complete the last mission.

    On top of this there are a few things you can acquire in game that will make it easier to complete the achievement. One of those things is to get all legendary swords for use. You can find out where to get them by referring to the "Africa Star" achievement. Another thing you can do is collect the rare weapons. One good one is the "PPSh 1941" found on one of the Vampires on campaign mission 11. This is a powerful machine gun that is light and has excellent damage. The other useful rare weapon is the "PTRS 1941" that is found on one of the Oberschutzes in the fifth wave of campaign mission 16. This large sniper rifle will kill most enemies in one shot and even do massive damage to tanks and other large enemies. One of the most important things to acquire though is the secret character Max Neumann.

    Max is a Panzer Demon you can convince to fight with you if you follow these steps. On Campaign mission 19 you will encounter Max for the first time. Have Edward (Main Character) shoot him or be shot by him. This will lead to a cutscene where Max retreats. Remember just shoot him and do not kill Max as this will lead to you losing the ability to acquire him. This will set up an encounter with Max on Campaign Mission 21. You must make sure Max is the last enemy unit alive on the map, and that he has less than full health. If you have done everything stated above, he will join you at the end of this mission. Max is a valuable asset and provides extra firepower for the coming missions. By doing all of these suggestions you should be able to complete this achievement with a few hours to spare.

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