COD MW4 Campaign Mission List: Full Walkthrough, Collectibles & Achievement Guide
Complete COD MW4 campaign mission list with every mission in order, collectible locations, note codes, and achievement tips for a 100% run.
Why the COD MW4 Campaign Mission List Matters for Completionists
If you're chasing every achievement in Modern Warfare 4, a reliable COD MW4 campaign mission list is your best friend. The campaign spans a full-scale invasion of the Korean Peninsula, brings back Captain Price, Ghost, Valeria, and Kate Laswell, and introduces new faces like Private Park and Sergeant Kamarov — and it hides dozens of collectibles along the way.
Knowing the COD MW4 campaign mission list in advance tells you exactly where the heavy collectible missions sit, so you never blow past a note or a supply crate. This guide breaks down the mission order, flags the missions that matter for 100% completion, and gives you the codes, crate counts, and achievement triggers you need.
Full COD MW4 Campaign Mission List in Order
Community reports and walkthrough coverage confirm that Modern Warfare 4's campaign runs through a series of named missions, with the collectible-heavy ones clustered in the middle and late game. Here's the mission structure you'll work through, based on player experience and published walkthroughs.
| # | Mission | Type | Collectibles Present |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Opening missions | Linear | None |
| 3 | Following Orders | Linear | 4 contraband, 4 notes |
| 4–9 | Mid-campaign missions | Linear | None |
| 10 | Stranded | Open world | 58 notes, 26 supply crates |
| 11–13 | Late-campaign missions | Linear | None |
| 14 | Escape | Stealth | 2 notes, 1 safe |
The key takeaway: missions 3, 10, and 14 are where your completion percentage lives or dies. Everything else is straightforward story progression.
Missions 1–2: The Prologue
These opening missions are pure tutorial and setup. No collectibles, no missable achievements. Use them to get comfortable with the controls and the new Korean Peninsula setting.
Mission 3: Following Orders
This is your first collectible checkpoint. You'll find four pieces of contraband and four notes inside a residential area. Community walkthroughs note that this mission is fully linear, so nothing is permanently missable — but you do need to explore side rooms.
Missions 4–9: The Mid-Campaign Stretch
These missions push the story forward with no collectibles attached. Enjoy the set pieces — this is where returning characters like Ghost and Valeria get their moments.
Mission 10: Stranded (The Big One)
Stranded is an open-world mission with three main objectives and a massive collectible loadout: 58 notes and 26 yellow supply crates. Two achievements are tied to this mission alone. Budget serious time here — most players report spending several hours on a full sweep.
Missions 11–13: The Push to the Finale
Story-focused missions with no collectibles. Keep moving.
Mission 14: Escape
The final collectible mission. Two notes and a safe containing Gaz's dog tags. Miss the safe code and you miss an achievement.
Collectible Breakdown by Mission
Here's a quick-reference table for the three missions that matter. This is the data most players search for when they pull up a COD MW4 campaign mission list.
| Mission | Notes | Supply Crates | Contraband | Achievements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Following Orders | 4 | 0 | 4 | No Stone Unturned |
| Stranded | 58 | 26 | 0 | Time to Create, Noteworthy |
| Escape | 2 | 0 | 0 | Never Forgotten |
Following Orders: Contraband and Notes
You'll collect an MP3 player, a Western novel, extra rations, and medicine. The medicine sits in a locked toolbox — the code comes from a recipe note that tells you to "skip the salt," leaving you with 214. Grab all four contraband items plus both notes to unlock No Stone Unturned.
Stranded: The 58-Note Marathon
This is where the COD MW4 campaign mission list gets complicated. When Cal asks whether you want to forge your own path or fast travel to the objective, choose to forge your own path. That choice is what unlocks free exploration and lets you collect everything.
Key details from community coverage:
- Notes are numbered by pickup order, not by fixed location — so your "note 12" might be someone else's "note 9"
- Reading 50 notes unlocks Noteworthy
- Opening all 26 yellow crates unlocks Time to Create
- Supply crates hide in guardhouses, cargo containers, train cars, greenhouses, and even on top of towers
Escape: The Gaz Dog Tags
Two notes hide in the prison offices. The second note contains an updated code — 8410 — which opens the office safe. Inside are Gaz's dog tags, and collecting them unlocks Never Forgotten.
Keypad Codes and Puzzle Solutions
Several collectibles in Stranded sit behind keypads. Here are the solutions reported by players who've mapped the mission thoroughly.
| Location | Code | Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Base Camp cargo container | 0024 | Previous codes add 6 each time |
| Island hidden bunker | 0008 | Sum of infantry checkpoint numbers |
| Southeast village container | 0078 | Each code adds 22 |
| South of jamming station | 8609 | First digit +1, second −1, last two +2 |
| Cliff near base camp | 0600 | First digit −3, second +1, last two 00 |
| Big sign container | 1234 | Sequence adds a digit each step |
| Farm field hidden bunker | 0330 | Sum of logistics stations 100, 200, 10, 20 |
| Small island (mid-river) | 6789 | Straight sequence |
| Following Orders toolbox | 214 | Recipe note minus the salt value |
| Escape office safe | 8410 | Printed on the second note |
Pro tip: Screenshot every keypad note you find. The puzzles are pattern-based, and re-deriving them mid-mission wastes time.
Achievement Roadmap for a 100% Run
Planning around the COD MW4 campaign mission list makes achievement hunting far less painful. Here's the order that works best.
| Achievement | Mission | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| No Stone Unturned | Following Orders | Collect all 4 contraband items |
| Noteworthy | Stranded | Read 50 notes |
| Time to Create | Stranded | Open all 26 supply crates |
| Never Forgotten | Escape | Collect Gaz's dog tags |
Tips That Save Hours
- Clear outposts first. Several crates sit inside guardhouses that only open after you neutralize the area.
- Use fast travel. Once you've cleared a zone, you can warp back to it — invaluable for mop-up runs.
- Check the truck. One supply crate rides in a truck near infantry checkpoint three. Eliminate the soldiers, then climb in the back.
- Don't skip repair notes. After finishing Stranded's main objectives, return to base camp and repair gear for notes 54–58.
For official patch notes and game updates that could affect collectible placement, check the official Call of Duty site.
Common Mistakes Players Make
Even with a solid COD MW4 campaign mission list in hand, players trip up in predictable ways. Community reports flag these repeatedly:
- Choosing fast travel instead of free exploration in Stranded, locking out collectibles for that run
- Assuming note numbers are fixed — they're not, so don't panic if your count looks off
- Missing the crouch prompt for the final Following Orders note
- Forgetting that the Escape safe code lives in a note, not a puzzle
- Skipping the "Please come outside with me" dialogue in Following Orders, which blocks the defector encounter
FAQ
How many missions are in the COD MW4 campaign mission list? The campaign runs roughly 14 missions across its story arc, with three of them — Following Orders, Stranded, and Escape — containing all the collectibles.
Can I miss collectibles permanently? In Following Orders and Escape, everything is recoverable via mission select. In Stranded, choosing to fast travel instead of exploring can lock you out for that playthrough, so pick free exploration.
How long does a 100% collectible run take? Most players report several hours on Stranded alone for all 58 notes and 26 crates. The full completionist run adds a few more hours on top of the base campaign.
Do I need every note for achievements? No — Noteworthy only requires 50 of the 58 notes. But if you're a completionist, the full COD MW4 campaign mission list sweep is the way to go.