- "Taking the Mace was one thing. Now... now, we have to hold it!"
- — Stan Jackowicz
The Mace is the thirteenth and second to last mission in Call of Duty 3 and last Polish campaign level in the game.
Characters
- Bohater (playable)
- Papa Jack
- Kolwalski (K.I.A.)
- Rudinski (K.I.A.)
- Ulan
- Olszewski (K.I.A./alive player-determined)
- Nowak
- Wisniewski (K.I.A./alive player-determined)
- Walczak (K.I.A./alive player-determined)
- Leslie Baron (K.I.A.)
- Erek Slauchik
Plot
As Corporal Bohater, the player must defend Hill 262 until Canadian reinforcements come to relieve the stranded Polish. The Polish once thought that approaching tanks were the Canadian reinforcements, but when one noticed that there wasn't any green flares, they knew that they were another wave of Germans.
First wave
The first wave of German attack begins when the player enters his emplaced Sherman Firefly. The player is tasked to hold off German Panzer tanks until the players tank itself is destroyed. The player is rescued by Cpl. Rudinski. The player must fold into the trench. He fights with Ulan and Rudinski and meeting the private Olszewski whose tank is destroyed. He climbs the hill and enters the trench where he finds Papa Jack, Kolwalski and Nowak. Kolwalski was killed in an explosion.
Papa Jack gave the order to withdraw. Walczak organize the folding of the soldier. Papa Jack, Ulan, Bohater, Nowak, Wisniewski, Rudinski and Walczak meet to give the order : Ulan and Wisniewaki will go through the trenches to fight to Germans, Rudinski and Walczak cover them, Nowak and Papa Jack pass through the sides. For the player, there are two ways to go: To snipe the Germans or directly hit the trenches. The player will then be offered to take the Scoped FG-42 to take down the Germans on the hill. In Veteran, the player may want to snipe the Germans to avoid being shot. However, the player will take a lot of gunfire running down from the hill. In the trenches, take out the Germans and avoid being shot by the tank. Continue pushing forward and eventually reach the hillside bunker.
Second wave
The player must advance to a small hillside with small wooden bunkers. There, Pte. Baron, the Canadian radio operator will be waiting. The player must use the artillery to hold off a barrage of tanks from taking the hill. The player is then ordered to escape to the top of the hill. Soon, Baron is killed and the player must cover Marek Ulan as he attempts to salvage the radio from Baron's jacket. Then retreat up hill to a manor house where team believes that the Canadians have broken through. However, they are mistaken, and a tank shot from below kills Rudinski, Krol, and Gorski, much to the despair of the other tank crew members. Enter the house and come out to another bunker and call in the artillery strikes. Then when the post is no longer safe, retreat up hill again. In Veteran the player will need to use a smoke grenade on the hill, because the bunker will be attacked by Germans and flanking on the left when going up hill.
Third wave and finale
Take cover and hold off the Germans. After killing a set of amount of Germans, they will push forward. Fall back with Ulan. Go up and take the turn. Go prone. The barricade will be blown up and smoke grenades will be popped everywhere. Shoot them until the smoke is out. Take cover and kill them all. Before taking the Panzerschreck, pop smoke. Destroy the tank and keep shooting enemies. Soon the player will see a green smoke is popped in the middle of the Mace. Canadian fighter planes will be here.
Weapons
| Starting Loadout |
|---|
| Found in Level |
|---|
 Panzerschreck. Used by German Army  MP40. Used by German Army  Scoped FG42. Used by German Army  MG34. Used by German Army  Lee-Enfield. Used by Polish soldiers and Leslie Baron  Sten. Used by Polish soldiers M1919 Browning. Used by Polish soldiers  Binoculars. Used to call Artillery Strike.  Sherman Firefly's cannon. Used by Polish troops |
Gallery
Trivia
- The player should make note; that in this level it is the only time in the game when getting an MG34. The player should go prone or behind cover to use it. Aiming will automatically go prone and deploy it. It works like a mounted machine gun, except it must be reloaded.
- A climatic theme will play automatically when the German pop smoke, and an uplifting tune will play after the Canadians arrive.
- An interesting fact is that when the player points at Kowalski's dead body with the cross-hair, his name appears as if he was alive, but wounded. If laying down and looking at his face he is still blinking. Even if the player throws grenades at him, his name will go red as if on the brink of death, but go no further.
- Before entering the bunker where previously meeting Pvt. Baron, the player should see two allied soldiers running to the bunker. It's possible to shoot them down without getting a "Friendly fire will not be tolerated!" message.
- Private Olszewski, the character that helps the player, Rudinski, and Ulan get to Papa Jack, will always have the same name but his face always changes. If the player keeps him alive to Papa Jack, he will take cover behind some crates and the player will be able to shoot him without failing the mission.
- After Rudinski is killed, the two other surviving soldiers will come with the squad into the manor house and stay there for the rest of the level, as evidenced by the mini-map.
- A similar tactic is planned in the mission "Heat", where the squad holds back enemy troops and eventually waits for support.
- When calling the first artillery strike in, destroy a tank on the road and leave the next tank that comes. It will drive through the destroyed tank.
- During the cutscene when the player meets up with Pvt. Baron, it is possible to shoot the player's weapon. (Confirmed on the Xbox 360, Wii, PS2 and PS3).
- There is a glitch on the Wii where when the first tank is destroyed, the machine gun will still shoot at the player. The gun can sometimes shoot through the mountain, causing it to sometimes continue until the finale of the level. Also, it is possible to die from wounds sustained by this. It is nearly impossible and rare to be able to hide from this.
- When the player is told to defend the trenches, instead of going left, one can go right and find an FG-42 leaning against a crate.
- This is the level where the most allied major characters die, being Rudinski, Kolwalski, and Baron.
- When Baron dies, it is impossible to pick up his Lee Enfield.
- At the field hospital, it is impossible to see most of the randomly-generated soldiers' tags.
- The Battle of Hill 262 is inspired on a real event in World War II.
- During the level, it is impossible to pick up the Kar98Ks Wehrmacht troops have, as the rifles disappear when they die.
- This is the only Polish mission that the player fight on foot.
Videos
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