IRON NEST Walkthrough: Complete Operator Guide
Follow the full IRON NEST operator loop from reading orders and plotting targets to loading, firing, correcting misses, and advancing through changing missions.
LAST REVIEWED // 2026-08-11
Quick answer
Every operation uses the same core loop: read the order, place known assets on the tactical map, locate the target, turn that location into a firing solution, select ammunition and charge, set bearing and elevation, fire, then correct from the impact report. Later operations add moving targets, limited intelligence, unusual ammunition, and time pressure, but they do not replace that loop.
The full release contains 15 operation areas, and target details can change. Treat any fixed coordinate from a Demo video as an example of the tools—not as an answer for your current run.
Prepare the operation
Read before touching the gun
Start at the receiver or teleprinter. Separate known positions from observations. Known positions include the IRON NEST itself, spotters, reference points, and other named assets. Observations may provide a bearing, a distance, or a target description. Put each known asset in the correct main grid and 10-by-10 sub-grid before drawing lines.
Build a clean map
Use measurement tools while locating the target. The yellow tool is for measuring and checking. Use the red tool only after the target has been located, drawing from the IRON NEST gun position to the target. That final red line provides the range and bearing needed for the shot.
Build and execute the firing solution
Enter the target, ammunition, range, and powder charge at the in-game ballistic calculator. Its task card gives the elevation and other shot data. Carry those values to the loading and aiming stations.
Before firing, verify five items:
- the shell matches the target and mission instruction;
- the selected charge matches the calculator entry;
- the breech is closed and the weapon is armed;
- bearing and elevation match the current task card;
- the expected flight time makes sense for the selected solution.
Do not load first and decide later. A shell placed into the firing chain and a committed charge cannot simply be taken back, so an unchecked solution wastes limited resources.
Correct a miss without losing your reference
After impact, keep the previous impact marker on the map. Read the reported distance and direction from the impact to the target, plot the correction from that impact point, and rebuild the final line from the IRON NEST to the corrected target position. Deleting the previous marker too early removes the origin of the correction.
If a shot lands far from the expected area, check the map before changing the gun. A common failure is drawing the final firing line from a spotter rather than from the turret. Spotter bearings locate the target; they are not automatically the turret bearing.
A practical progression path
Use the elevation guide for the firing-solution chain, the triangulation guide for map work, and the Mission 2 guide for a complete correction example. When a mission introduces a new system, add it to the same operator loop instead of rebuilding your method from scratch.