Groznyj Grad

Groznyj Grad was a large military fortress located in Tselinoyarsk, USSR. The mountain stronghold of GRU Colonel Yevgeny Borisovitch Volgin, it was here that Nikolai Stephanovich Sokolov was forced to complete the nuclear-armed Shagohod.

History
Groznyj Grad was created through Volgin's use of the Philosopher's Legacy. The Hind A prototypes as well as the flying platforms were developed at this location. The center of the stronghold contained a weapons lab at the center. To the northeast was a provisions storehouse containing supplies for the base and its personnel. To the southeast is a prison and torture chamber that dissident personnel and intruders were placed in. To the northwest was an armory containing weapons of Soviet origin. Also, Groznyj Grad contained at least two underground vaults, one containing the Philosophers Legacy, and the other containing weapons of Western origin used for research purposes. Trucks also traversed in and out of the base, presumably to transport supplies. The base also contained a library, which was frequently visited by GRU Major Ivan Raidenovitch Raikov. It also contained a runway for the liftoff of several aircraft, and was originally going to be used in the Shagohod's first test.

During Operation Snake Eater, Volgin tortured and murdered Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin thinking he was the spy helping Naked Snake. He discovered a tracer in his shoes, meaning that even if Granin wasn't the spy, there was indeed a spy within their ranks. The Boss also told Volgin that The Pain and The End are both dead, and that Naked Snake may have been arriving to steal the Philosophers' Legacy. Naked Snake used an underground tunnel from Krasnogorje to first enter the base, where he encountered the Cobra Unit's Flame Soldier, The Fury. After defeating him, a section of the tunnel caved in, preventing Snake from backtracking the way he had come. Air raid sirens were also heard blaring throughout the base, most likely due to Khrushchev's forces attempting to enter Groznyj Grad. After arriving and avoiding the guards, Snake located Major Raikov and knocked him out, stealing his uniform and locking him up in a locker. Afterwards, Snake went over to the West Wing of the weapons lab and attempted to rescue Sokolov. However, his plan backfired when Volgin realized that Snake wasn't Raikov and were both captured. Snake managed to escape, having to take the sewers after the original escape route that EVA provided was cut off by Volgin's forces.

Afterwards, Snake returned to Groznyj Grad, and thanks to the Shagohod's completion, the actual design area of the weapon was left heavily unguarded: personnel called for a day of rest due to Volgin's refusal to let the engineers and scientists rest while working on it, resulting in a mass amount of exhaustion. Snake successfuly planted C3 explosives, supplied by EVA, on the fuel tanks intended for the Shagohod, but he was discovered and captured as he attempted to leave. A fight ensued between Snake and Volgin, with the former emerging victorious, just as the GRU soldiers began evacuating the facility. Snake met with EVA ouside, who arrived on her motorcycle with a sidecar, and the two used it to make their escape, as the hangar exploded behind them. However, the EOD had removed all the fuel from the tanks earlier, so the explosion only took out the assembly line. The Shagohod was unscathed by the blast, and emerged from the smoldering hangar with Volgin at the controls.

Volgin went on a rampage, tearing through Groznyj Grad in the Shagohod, in pursuit of Snake and EVA, without regard for any of his troops or his base. Eventually, the two spies reach the main runway, evading GRU soldiers on motorcycles. as well as the Shagohod. as they headed for the nearby rail bridge. Volgin plowed through the parked aircraft using the Shagohod's rocket engines, but eventually crashed into a fence. EVA and Snake lured him to the bridge, which had been rigged with explosives earlier, in the hopes of taking out the Shagohod with it. The bridge explosives were set off, and it collapsed as the "Treading Behemoth" attempted to cross it.

Groznyj Grad was later destroyed by The Boss in a nuclear explosion, just before she fought against Naked Snake at Rokovoj Bereg, using a Davy Crockett missile. Later, Ocelot reported the incident to the Director of the KGB, who disapproved of the fortress and research lab's destruction, with Ocelot replying that "they were necessary sacrifices."

Trivia
Groznyj Grad translates from Russian as "Terrible City."

Gameplay
The exterior of Groznyj Grad is divided into southwest, southeast, northwest, and northeast sections. The southwest section is where Snake first emerges. The southeast section contains the jail/torture rooms. The northeast section contains a provisions storehouse and the entrance to weapons lab. And the northwest section contains an armory and sewer entrances.

When Snake first arrives, it is already night, and several searchlights scan the area. There are attack dogs and numerous guards patrolling. When he later returns, it is daylight.

Underground Tunnel
Run down the stairs and follow the path. Be wary of bats in the darkness. When you get to the open walkway, you can reach the items behind the barrels by swinging over the railing and shuffling along. Once you are properly prepared, follow the walkway to the ladder and descend.

Boss: The Fury
The Fury is most dangerous when you get in front of him. Never under any circumstances engage him in a front-on attack, as his flamethrower will prevent you even getting close. Because of this, the best approach for the battle is a "Run and Gun" approach, though, if going for a stamina kill, rolling into him can be surprisingly effective here.

When the battle begins, run directly south and hide in the centre of the passage behind the pillar. You can knock on the pillar to attract The Fury to your position; whichever way he comes, stalk round the other way and shoot him from behind (either three times with the MK22 or once with the M37; the latter is your weapon of choice for most of this battle if going for a lethal kill). Immediately after knocking him down, get a pillar between him and Snake, so as to protect from his flamethrower. Use the direction of the flames to figure out which way The Fury is looking and run to him from behind either rolling into him or shooting him again (the former for non-lethal, the latter for lethal).

You can repeat this process indefinitely. Use the directional microphone, or another sensor to determine his position, lure him to you, and then get behind him. You can even occasionally hit him several times in succession before he flies off by running behind him WHILST he is using his flamethrower.

If going for a lethal defeat, the survival knife can be useful from behind - not only will it inflict a lot of damage if done correctly, but it will also cut his astro-suit open, making him more vulnerable to other types of damage. Remember you can also use the environment to your advantage; shooting the barrels will make them explode, and you can also shoot the pipes to extinguish any lasting flames. If you do catch on fire, either roll a couple of times or switch your camouflage. On the topic of camouflages, black camouflage (or any other dark-colored uniform) is most effective in this fight. Though obviously, if you have previously unlocked the fire camouflage, use it.

The Fire camo is the reward for defeating The Fury non-lethally. It is completely resistant to fire (though note that you can still be hurt from the force of any fire attack).

Southwest
After climbing the ladder from the underground tunnel, Snake will enter the South-West section of Groznyj Grad. Immediately hop over the wall and run north. Crawl under the crates to the northernmost one. Either tranquillize the two guards, or wait until neither of them are on the northern path and run. At the turning, dispatch the guard just round the corner and then run, without hesitation, to the north door.

Northeast
Once through the door, run immediately right and peek round the corner. A guard will be walking away from you. He would probably have gone too far north for you not to be seen, so wait until he patrols north and then comes back south again. Once he is back at the corner and has turned away, CQC him.

Crawl north to the end of the path and tranquillize the two guards patrolling by the door, starting with the one on the right. Note, however, that, upon tranquillizing the right guard, the left guard may notice and start a Caution alert. However, this actually makes it easier, as he will retreat to behind a crate to make his transmission to HQ, allowing you to run straight to the door unnoticed.

Weapons Lab: East Wing
In this area, Snake must capture Major Raikov and steal his uniform to disguise himself and get clearance into the west wing.

In addition, a Scorpion submachine gun can be obtained in a locked room here. The doors can be unlocked with a frequency obtained by interrogating the officers in the building. Alternately, since the doors automatically open for the guards here, Snake can closely follow a guard into the room, or enter the room himself while wearing Raikov's uniform. In addition to several guards looking out for intruders, there is also a large number of scientists working in the east wing, most of them in the second floor and another one at the library at the first floor. Raikov can be found often in the toilets as EVA describes him as having a weak stomach despite a large appetite.

When Snake returns to the East Wing at daylight, he can obtain the Sneaking Suit in the locker Raikov was put, as well as the Maintenance Uniform to disguise as one of the workers at the hangar where the Shagohod is held.

Weapons Lab: West Wing
This high-security wing is accessible only to Volgin and Raikov, and is where Sokolov is kept. Snake meets up with him here using the Raikov disguise and learns about Phase 2. However, Volgin shows up, and when he realizes "Raikov" is actually Snake, he beats him to a pulp. Make sure you're paying attention during the next cutscene, as an R1 prompt will give you a codec frequency you'll need for the next sequence. If you miss it, don't worry there is another way to find out the frequency.

Torture Room
To escape from the cell there are three options. Firstly, you can use the Fake Death Pill - it has an identical effect to the ketchup from MGS. Secondly, you can enter the Cure menu and spin Snake around several times until he vomits. When he does so, the guard will come in and make sure he is all right. Thirdly, finally and most speedily, you can call use the radio to call the frequency 144.75, which opens the door. Of course, you are supposed to find out this frequency by throwing three pieces of food out to the guard. He will be so thankful he will show you a picture of his family in the cutscene that follows; the frequency can be seen written on the back, by pressing R1. If you actually take the trouble to throw the food and trigger the cutscene, you will be rewarded the Cig Gas-Spray for good sportsmanship. Dispatch Johnny any way you see fit. Another idea is to use the frequency when Johnny has just gone to the toilet due to 'stomach problems', this way you won't have to engage him and won't trigger an Alert phase. To make this happen quickly, throw rotten food out for him to eat.

Southeast
Once escaped, you are into arguably the most difficult portion of the game, and timing is everything. Press up against the wall and go south to the corner of the building. The guard just round the corner should be looking in your direction. When he turns round, use the D-Pad to sneak behind him and to his right; once he passes the gap between the car and the wall, run south to the hole in the wall without pausing.

Southwest
In Groznyj Grad SW, keep crawling until you are under the crate. Watch for when the two guards patrolling across the top row of the crates walk south into the crates, and then crawl out north and run west. Stop on the corner to check the guard is looking the other way and then go (sneak if he is too close) west again. Follow between the two bunkers and then north to the door (no one should see you).

Northeast
Groznyj Grad NE is easiest. Simply run west without stopping to the door. A guard may see you, but he won't trigger an alert if you don't stop running and stay close to the south wall. You are far from over, though, as Groznyj Grad NW is the most difficult one.

Northwest
Once through the door immediately run west and then south and then west again, following the wall and the corners round. Stop when you get to the corner of the railings and the south wall. Use First Person View to check north, and you should see a guard patrolling between the two rows of tanks, moving east. After a few seconds he will stop and turn north; when he does so wait 1 second (yes, ONE second) and then run north, U-turn around the railing, run south again, and then run west/north-west, cutting the corner if you want.

Go past the parked car to the first tank, go inside and get the ration (it's not for eating, you'll need it in a moment). Crawl straight out the way you came. If you time it right, the dog in the north-west should be waking up at that moment. Run north slightly to the second tank and then wait, positioning yourself where you can quickly crawl under the tank (though remain standing). The second you hear the alert sound of the dog seeing you, crawl under. You should hear the guard go "Huh?" about two seconds before reaching the styptic. If the guard's cry comes to late, wait for a second or two. Then crawl straight out the other side.

Stand up straight away and run north, curving slightly once you see the parked car by the green-blue crate. Crawl straight under the parked car and wait. Out the other side, you should see a guard strolling either north or south, and a dog either sleeping or standing. Wait for the guard to move in a southern direction until he is directly in front of the car. Then, crawl out the north side of the car. Run east ever so slightly so as to expose you from behind the crate and alert the guard to the north-east.

Go to the west side of the crate and wait for the guard to come close enough so that he won't see you if you emerge from behind it. When he does, go the northern side of the crate and throw the ration all the way over to the bottom of the stairs. The second it hits the ground, run directly towards. When you are inches away from picking it up (do not) turn north and run all the way to the open wire door. The dog, attracted by the meat, will ignore you completely. Crawl under the pipes and Snake will automatically descend to the sewers. Give yourself a pat on the back, especially if you completed the near impossible feat of doing that on your first try.

Sewers
Descend the steps to the main path. You can navigate left an right through crawlspaces. After following it north to the end, take a left and then a right. Go forward and dive into the water, emerging on the other side via the ladder. Drop down to the central pathway and notice the sets of steps on the right. Ascend one to the side on the right and crawl through the crawlspace at the far end. Once through it, take a left and you will notice, quite literally, a light at the end of the tunnel. Run towards it to trigger the cutscene.

Weapons Lab: Main Wing
The central hangar where the Shagohod and the assembly line are located. After returning to Groznyj Grad, Snake must plant C3 explosives on the fuel tanks to sabotage the system and destroy the hanger.

However, as he leaves after planting the last explosive, he is detained by Volgin and The Boss, who discovered EVA stealing the Philosophers' Legacy. As the timer counts down, Snake and Volgin battle it out on a lowered platform. During the battle, the explosives are discovered and EOD are called in as an evacuation is ordered.

Boss: Colonel Volgin
General Strategies:

Volgin employs several shock attacks towards you during this match, which in any case should obviously be avoided. Visual clues indicate what kind of attack he is going to use, and this time should be used for evasive preparation.

In one attack, he raises both his hands over his head with electricity between them. When you see this, immediately drop to the ground. The attack consists of Volgin firing bullets around him, capable of reaching you even if you stand behind him. If you lie down, you'll avoid this attack completely.

Another one of his standard attacks involved him "charging up" one hand, (i.e raising it over his head) and then firing shots after you, normally very low along the floor. If you are hit by this, it will result in a serious injury. The best way to avoid this is basically just maneuvering around him. Don't try to roll, even though you immediately gain a little momentum, Snake will take some time regaining his posture after this, and you will most likely be hit.

He also employs "shock-beams" which he sends after you. Normally in one hand, but he can employ several at once. This attack "homes" after you if you have a weapon equipped, and if you are hit, the ammunition in the current magazine will be incinerated. If you see this attack coming, unequip your weapon immediately, and maneuver around it as you normally would. This attack cannot be avoided if you have a weapon equipped.

Volgin also has the ability to create electric beams which run across the platform you are fighting on. To avoid these, simply roll over them.

He can also attack you with hand-to-hand combat, which can be avoided by running and rolling, if he manages to connect, the damage is devastating, and you'll be sent up in the air before coming down, and vomiting before you can resume the match.

No matter if you're going for a no-kill defeat or trying to kill him, his back is always unguarded, and is the place you should attack vigorously. Maneuver around him during his attacks (he usually is stationary during these attacks)You can also hit him while he is knocked down, he won't have his "shield" during this time.

Stamina Kill:

Stamina Killing Volgin is actually the simplest way to deal with him, since you can combine firepower (albeit with tranquilizer weapons) together with CQC. The best way to apporach this situation is using the Mk22, together with CQC. Hit him in the back when you have the chance, and when he doesn't have electricity visibly around him, run up and knock him down with CQC. This will damage him, and is your chance to get several shots off while he's down.

Another, perhaps more efficient way to stamina kill Volgin, is to make use of the SAA, CQC, Mk22, and in some cases, stun grenades. At the start of the fight, execute a CQC throwdown. While he is kneeling down on the floor, take out the SAA, and smack him around with it while he is on the floor. After that, roll over him for additional damage. You can also use the Mk22 instead of smacking him with the SAA, although this attack is slower and wastes ammo In the second half of the match, it is more difficult to do this method as he uses more attacks and has electricity around him more, but if you're patient, he will let his guard down at times. If you combine this method in the second half along with throwing stun grenades (if you have any) when he is not attacking you, you should be able to defeat him easily. You can also use the Cig-Spray or Handkerchief, although it is more dangerous since you must get very close to him, which can leave you open for Volgin's punches.

Handkerchief kill:

If you still have your hankies that pass people out or even the cigs use em for a stamina kill!

Regular Kill:

Volgin can be taken down in the same way as stated above under the "Stamina Kill" section, but with lethal weapons. You could use the M1911A1 for this, or you could go in heavy with the RPG-7 or the M37. Those are the most efficient weapons, rifles will only waste your ammo, because you have to use a significant amount in order to actually do any damage. Hit him in the back, as stated above. CQC can also be used in the same way as under the "Stamina Kill" section, though the stamina bar-damage won't help you if you are trying to kill him. If you have already finished the game once the patriot is very useful in this fight if you just keep firing, once you damage him he wont be able to take damage for a few second, but as soon as he can again you instantly damage him.

There is another strategy where you can easily end the first part of the boss fight. Take the fake death pill and make Volgin think Snake is dead. Then take the revive pill and secretly sneak up to him. Equip the TNT and lay down as many charges possible (preferably in one place). Walk away and detonate the charges one by one.

Boss: Volgin and the Shagohod
After the motorcycle chase, the Shagohod survives the subsequent destruction of the rail bridge with the C3, although its entire back panel and rockets have now been torn off, making it vulnerable to attack from behind.

Stage 1 strategy

Use the RPG-7 to hit the "treads". This will lock them up and the motorbike can circle around to where the weak spot is. hit it with RPG-7 rounds, If you quick-reload you should be able to hit it a couple of times before the Shagohod restarts.

After sustaining significant damage Volgin is forced to use his electric abilities to direct the Shagohod manually.

Stage 2 strategy

This time EVA will distract Volgin while you attack on foot. This is similar to the previous stage but you have to attack Volgin from behind or the sides and after each attack he will use the Shagohod to attack you. After each attack there is a slight pause, use this to attack the "treads" with a grenade. This will allow you to run to a position where you can attack him.

Another strategy is to stand near the mounted guns at the perimeter of the area. use the RPG to lock up the "treads". Then use the gun on Volgin. When Volgin can move again he will charge the gun to destroy it. Before he gets there, jump off and run to a safe spot. You can then easily hit the "treads" since you know where the Shagohod is going to be.

You can also try to knock out the treads with the RPG the shoot Volgin with the Mosin Nagant< which only takes 3-4 shots on normal.

After defeating him, a stray lightning bolt struck Volgin, killing him and destroying the Shagohod for good.

Equipment
Underground Tunnel:
 * Grenades (2)
 * M37 Bullets x16
 * M1911A1 Bullets x21 (2)
 * XM16E1 Bullets x80 (2)
 * Bandage (2)
 * Antidote
 * Mk22 Bullets x24 (3)
 * AK-47 Bullets x120 (2)
 * Battery
 * SVD Bullets x120
 * Disinfectant
 * Ointment

Southwest:
 * XM16E1 Bullets x80 (2)
 * M1911A1 Bullets x21
 * Styptic
 * Chaff Grenades
 * Smoke Grenades
 * Mk22 Bullets x24
 * Disinfectant
 * M1911A1 Suppressor
 * Grenades
 * SVD Bullets x40
 * Bandage

Northeast:
 * M1911A1 Bullets x21
 * Book
 * Cardboard Box C

Hints & Tips

 * When Snake is putting Raikov's body into the locker, a poster of Metal Gear Solid 2 featuring Raiden is seen on inside of the locker door.
 * Using the R1 viewer in the scene after Volgin dies shows The Sorrow's ghost, suggesting he was responsible for the lightning strike.
 * When Snake is inside the torture chamber, he will have two wounds - a transmitter and a fake death pill. Leaving the transmitter inside him will cause an Ocelot unit to pursue him later on, but also triggers two cutscenes, one of which is hilarious.

Behind the Scenes
Groznyj Grad was remade for Metal Gear Online using Metal Gear Solid 4's graphics engine. It was made slightly smaller however, and given a run-down and more dilapidated look.

Groznyj Grad