The Ultimate Guide to Completing Muddy Waters in Call of Duty: Warzone 2 DMZ

As an avid Call of Duty player since the original Modern Warfare, I‘ve spent countless hours mastering each new title. With the launch of Warzone 2, I was eager to dive into the all-new DMZ mode and take on the challenging story-driven missions within its sprawling open world.

One of the initial missions you can choose to infiltrate is Muddy Waters – a data extraction task that has you traversing diverse areas of Al Mazrah to secure valuable intel.

In this comprehensive 2000+ word guide, I‘ll equip you with an in-depth walkthrough for successfully completing the Muddy Waters mission based on my extensive DMZ gameplay experience. Follow these tips and you‘ll be ready to take on Al Mazrah‘s forces and environments like a pro!

Understanding DMZ Mode and Key Factions

Before jumping into mission-specific tactics, it‘s helpful to understand the basic structure and components of DMZ mode itself:

Extraction PvEvP Hybrid: DMZ combines PvE against AI combatants with PvP against rival operators.
Story-Driven Missions: Complete objectives that advance the overarching narrative across seasons.
Open World Al Mazrah: Traverse a massive, constantly evolving battleground.
Infiltrate, Loot, Survive, Extract: Raid for supplies, data, contraband and extract safely or risk losing it all.
Operators vs Factions: Main factions include the occupying force Shadow Company, local militia Al Qatala and smuggler cartel Opex.
Persistent Weapons/Progression: Weapons, unlocks and XP carry over between matches.

This background information will allow you to better understand the context for missions like Muddy Waters and the challenges the different factions present.

Overview of the Muddy Waters Mission

Muddy Waters tasks you with infiltrating set areas of Al Mazrah to retrieve intel on Shadow Company and the new Ashika Island zone. Specifically, you must secure and extract:

A Shadow Company USB stick
Ashika Island intel
Crown intel

With DMZ‘s persisent progression, completing Muddy Waters will unlock new story developments, zones and missions for future infiltration.

The objectives will take you across both inland and coastal areas, requiring you to adapt to diverse terrain and enemy forces. From dim underground caves to exposed waters, you‘ll need skill, strategy and well-chosen equipment.

In the rest of this guide, I‘ll provide detailed walkthroughs for achieving each objective while overcoming hazards and enemies along the way.

But first, let‘s discuss optimal loadouts and squad roles for conquering this mission…

Recommended Loadouts and Squad Composition

Based on my DMZ experience, here are the ideal loadouts and squad roles to succeed in Muddy Waters:

Recon

Weapons: Signal 50 (Diver Scope), P890 pistol (Akimbo)
Equipment: Heartbeat sensor, Stim, Throwing Knife
Role: Scout water extraction point, mark targets

Assault

Weapons: Kastov-74u (underbarrel shotgun), RPG-7
Equipment: Semtex, Flash grenade, Trophy System
Role: Room/cave clearing, anti-vehicle

Support

Weapons: Sakin MG38 LMG, .50 GS pistol
Equipment: Ammo box, Spotter Scope, Proximity Mine
Role: Suppressive fire, intel scanning

Medic

Weapons: M4 assault rifle, PILA launcher
Equipment: Med kit, Stim, Smoke grenade
Role: Reviving, healing, cover

As you can see, having specialized roles with complementary loadouts is key. The Recon‘s waterproof Signal 50 rifle ensures you can smoothly retrieve the submerged USB stick for the first objective. The Assault provides close-quarters firepower ideal for the tight cave spaces. The Support supplies ammo and overwatch, while the Medic keeps the squad in the fight.

Adjust your own squad‘s composition to match these recommendations as closely as possible for the best chance of completing Muddy Waters.

Next, let‘s dive into the step-by-step walkthrough…

Step 1: Finding the Shadow Company USB Stick

The first piece of intel you need to secure for Muddy Waters is the Shadow Company USB stick located underwater off the coast of the Beach Club point of interest.

Here is how to retrieve it:

Gather Equipment

Before approaching the Beach Club, ensure your squad is equipped with the necessary items to handle this underwater portion:

Diver Scope optic for underwater visibility
Subsonic ammo to penetrate water
Throwing knives for lethal stealth
Inflatable boat for quick extraction

Approach From the West

I recommend approaching the objective from the west via inflatable boat, arriving south of the Beach Club structures. This allows you to spot potential enemies on the shoreline before going underwater.

Scout Deck

Have your Recon operator carefully inspect the observatory deck jutting out over the water and call out any idled boats that could be occupied by foes. Use the Heartbeat Sensor to confirm no hidden enemies are lurking on the deck itself.

Submerge and Acquire

Once the deck is cleared, submerge beneath it while equipping your Diver Scope. Locate the underwater toolbox and retrieve the USB stick inside before returning to land swiftly.

Defend Extraction

Fend off any additional hostile forces while waiting for your extraction helicopter to secure the USB stick objective. Smokes and trophy systems help cover your escape.

Through methodical scouting and the right aqua-ready loadouts, your squad can quietly secure the tricky underwater component of this first objective.

Step 2: Collecting the Ashika Island Intel

After extracting the USB stick, you next need to infiltrate the coastal caves north of Beach Club and retrieve the Ashika Island intel from a cargo container tucked away in its shadowy depths.

This step demands careful cave navigation and CQB preparedness:

Have a Plan

Study your Tac Map ahead of time to understand the winding structure of the cave system. Memorize key intersections in case you get turned around.

Pack CQB Loadouts

Within the dark, tight cave spaces, you‘ll want short-range weaponry and equipment like shotguns, SMGs and flashbangs to swiftly neutralize threats in close quarters.

Breach and Clear

When first entering the caves, toss flashbangs to stun any patrolling enemies near the entrance. Quickly clear connecting tunnels before descending deeper.

Use Your Lights

The caves are extremely dark, making lighting essential. Use your weapon flashlight and laser designations to identify targets and avoid disorientation.

Grab the Intel

Finally, in the cargo container, grab the Ashika Island intel. Toss a smoke grenade when extracting to obscure your squad‘s movements.

With close-quarters firepower and smart cave navigation tactics, retrieving the cargo container intel should go smoothly. Now, let‘s tackle the third and final objective.

Step 3: Securing the Crown Intel

Your final goal is to infiltrate an Al Mazrah power plant just northeast of the Town Center and extract the Crown intel from its control room.

Storming the power plant demands mid-range firefights and room clearing skills:

Pack Versatile Weapons

For fighting both indoors and at mid-range across the plant exterior, equip accurate assault rifles like the M4 plus lethal snipers like the Victus XMR for cover fire.

Use Suppressors

Silencers allow taking down exterior guards stealthily before breaching the control room. The Support‘s MG38 LMG with suppressor excellently covers fireteam movement.

Check Corners

When sweeping the control room, slice the pie and meticulously check corners, as enemies often hide in ambush. Stuns and snapshots help identify occupant locations.

Maintain Situational Awareness

Constantly scan windows and stairwells for new hostile reinforcements during extraction. Defend all avenues of approach.

With suppressive fire, room clearing tactics and situational awareness, your squad can swiftly secure the intel and escape safely despite the risks.

Additional Tips for Success

Beyond the core walkthrough, here are additional tips for getting through Muddy Waters as efficiently as possible based on my DMZ experience:

Attack at night – Darkness helps conceal your infiltration and reduces visibility for defenders.
Pack EMPs – Disable cameras, mines and enemy electronics with EMP grenades before advancing.
Use distractions – Have the Recon fire decoy shots to pull enemies out of position.
Check your Six – Periodically scan behind you, as enemies can pursue from cleared areas.
Listen for audio cues – Stay alert for enemy chatter hints at their locations.
Move as a unit – Teamshooting is vital, so stay close and support your squadmates.
Check your corners – Many ambushers hide around structures and in rooms as you pass.
Leverage verticality – Use rooftops and cliff positions for overwatch and sightlines.
Have a helicopter pilot – This allows quickly traversing between objectives.

Mastering these tips along with the intel location walkthroughs will set you up to excel in Muddy Waters.

Maximizing Rewards and Progression

Completing Muddy Waters earns you XP, new unlocks and other bonuses that carry over due to DMZ‘s persistent progression system. Here are tips for maximizing your rewards:

Extract all 3 intel items – This fully completes the mission for the max XP payout.
Extract via helicopter – Helicopter extractions award more XP than using ground extracts.
Loot supply boxes – Retrieve cash, armor, Killstreaks and more by raiding supply boxes.
Complete contracts – Eliminate HVTs, secure weapon cases and finish additional contracts for big XP gains.
Survive longer – The longer you survive during infiltration, the more rewards you obtain.
Use 2XP tokens– Activate 2XP tokens during the match to double your XP earnings.

By extracting all intel, surviving longer, completing additional objectives and leveraging 2XP boosts, you can optimize your DMZ progression speed after finishing Muddy Waters.

Summary

Completing Muddy Waters in DMZ demands methodical infiltration, strong squad cohesion, and flexibility across both inland and underwater combat scenarios.

By following this comprehensive walkthrough, packing the recommended loadouts, learning key extraction tips, and maximizing your rewards, you‘ll have the ultimate blueprint for dominating Muddy Waters across all three intel objectives.

Master this mission, and you‘ll be primed to excel across the entire diversity of game-changing experiences that DMZ offers. Now grab your squad and start securing that intel – the future of Al Mazrah is in your hands!