If you’ve just stepped into the Iron Nest for the first time, it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed. Between the map table, teleprinter, ballistic calculator, shell types, and firing procedures, there is a lot to take in at once. The good news is that once you understand how each system works and how they connect together, operating the Iron Nest becomes incredibly satisfying.
This guide is designed to walk you through the entire process, from understanding your equipment to locating enemy positions, calculating firing solutions, and delivering accurate artillery strikes. Think of it as a veteran operator sitting beside you and explaining how everything works.
By the end of this IRON NEST Heavy Turret Simulator Beginner Guide – Map, you’ll understand not only how to fire the gun, but also how to find targets, interpret intelligence reports, and use every major tool available inside the Iron Nest. Let’s get started.
1. Getting Acquainted
The moment you enter the Iron Nest, you’ll notice several important stations around you. At first they may look intimidating, but each serves a specific purpose.
The centerpiece of the bunker is the map table. This is where you’ll spend most of your time planning missions, locating targets, marking positions, and calculating firing solutions. If the gun is the Iron Nest’s weapon, then the map table is its brain.
To the right of the map table is the teleprinter. This machine receives intelligence reports and mission information from High Command and your field spotters. Nearly every mission begins with information received through this device.
To the left of the teleprinter you’ll find the requisition station. This is where you’ll purchase ammunition, powder charges, and reconnaissance support using requisition points earned during battle.
Before firing a single shell, take a moment to familiarize yourself with these three stations. Understanding where everything is located will make your life much easier once combat begins.
2. Requisition Station
The requisition station is your source of supplies. Without it, your Iron Nest quickly becomes nothing more than a very large paperweight.
At the start of a session, you’ll have a limited number of requisition points to spend. Because resources are limited, it’s important to think ahead and avoid wasting points on equipment you don’t need.
You can purchase several different items here.
Powder charges are essential because they provide the force needed to launch shells. No matter how many shells you own, they are useless without charges. A good habit is to maintain a healthy reserve of charges at all times so you never find yourself unable to fire when a target appears.
Reconnaissance planes can also be purchased. These aircraft reveal portions of the battlefield and can expose hidden targets. At the moment they patrol randomly, but even with limited control they can provide valuable information when you’re unsure about enemy positions.
Finally, you’ll be able to purchase various shell types. Each shell serves a different purpose and choosing the correct ammunition is often just as important as aiming accurately.
You can earn additional requisition points by destroying priority targets marked with stars. Every star target destroyed rewards extra requisition points, allowing you to sustain longer operations.
Always remember that requisition points do not carry over between sessions. Spend them wisely, but don’t hoard them unnecessarily.
3. The Teleprinter
The teleprinter is your connection to the outside world.
High Command uses it to send mission objectives, intelligence reports, and location information. Friendly spotters also relay observations through the teleprinter, providing valuable clues about enemy positions and battlefield developments.
You’ll be referring to these messages constantly throughout a mission. In fact, many of your target locations will need to be calculated using information received here.
A useful feature is the ability to copy teleprinter messages directly to your clipboard. This makes it much easier to reference coordinates, bearings, and ranges without constantly returning to reread the original message.
Get into the habit of carefully reading every incoming report. Sometimes a single line of intelligence can reveal the location of a critical enemy target.
4. The Map Table
The map table is where all the pieces come together.
This large workstation contains nearly every tool you’ll need for planning and executing artillery strikes. You’ll use it to locate friendly units, identify enemy positions, calculate ranges, measure bearings, and coordinate fire missions.
Several important tools can be found here:
- The Grid System
- Marking Tools
- The Iris
- Map Icon Key
- Marker Icons
Learning these tools is one of the most important steps toward becoming an effective operator.
5. The Grid
Understanding the grid system is absolutely essential.
The battlefield map is divided into large lettered and numbered grid squares. These provide a general reference for locations, but they are not precise enough for accurate artillery fire.
To achieve the accuracy needed for artillery missions, each large grid square is divided into smaller subgrids.
These subgrids range from 0,0 in the bottom-left corner to 9,9 in the top-right corner. As you move upward and to the right, the numbers increase accordingly.
The difference between grid squares and subgrids is significant. A full grid square covers an area measuring 1000 by 1000 meters, while each subgrid represents a much smaller area of 100 by 100 meters.
When you’re trying to locate spotters, targets, or reference points, knowing the correct subgrid can mean the difference between a devastating hit and a shell landing hundreds of meters away from the target.
Always aim for the greatest precision possible.
6. Marking Tools
The marking tools are some of the most frequently used instruments on the map table.
Each tool has a unique purpose and understanding their differences will make target plotting much easier.
Red Pencil
The red pencil is your primary targeting tool.
When you draw a line with it, the game automatically calculates both the bearing and range. Even better, this information is copied directly to your clipboard, making it immediately available for the ballistic calculator.
Whenever you’re creating an actual firing solution, this should usually be your first choice.
Yellow Pencil
The yellow pencil also calculates bearing and range, but it does not copy information to your clipboard.
This makes it ideal for planning and investigation rather than actual firing solutions. You’ll frequently use it when triangulating positions and identifying targets.
White Pencil
The white pencil is the simplest tool available.
It only draws lines and provides no measurements. While that may sound limited, it can be surprisingly useful for tracking spotter movements, sketching plans, or simply organizing information on the map.
Drafting Compass
The drafting compass allows you to create circles while measuring distances from a central point.
This can be extremely useful when determining possible target locations based on range reports received from spotters.
Like many tools in the Iron Nest, its usefulness becomes more apparent the more you use it.
7. The Iris
The iris is one of the most underrated tools available.
Its purpose is simple: it allows you to visualize the blast radius of different shell types.
By opening and closing the iris, you can estimate how much area a shell will affect upon impact. This is incredibly helpful when deciding which ammunition type to use against clustered enemies or targets positioned near friendly forces.
Before wasting expensive ammunition, take a moment to compare blast radii using the iris. It can save both shells and requisition points.
8. Map Icons Key
The map icon key acts as your field reference guide.
Throughout the battlefield you’ll encounter numerous symbols representing different units, structures, and objectives. Learning these icons allows you to quickly identify what you’re looking at without guessing.
A few minutes spent studying the key can save a great deal of confusion later in a mission.
The faster you recognize targets, the faster you can destroy them.
9. Marker Icons
Marker icons allow you to visually organize the battlefield.
As you discover important locations, you can drag and place markers directly onto the map.
Different colors serve different purposes.
Blue markers are commonly used for friendly spotters.
Green markers are useful for reference points such as Alpha.
Red markers are ideal for marking enemy Fire Direction Centers (FDCs).
One especially important marker is the Iron Nest itself. Although the turret cannot currently move, the icon can be moved accidentally. Avoid doing this whenever possible because many of your calculations depend on the Iron Nest remaining in its correct position.
Treat markers as your battlefield notebook. A well-organized map makes every future calculation easier.
10. Locating Spotters
Before you can find enemy positions, you need to know where your friendly spotters are located.
Fortunately, High Command provides enough information through the teleprinter to determine their positions using the grid system.
Carefully read the location reports and translate them onto the map using the grid and subgrid references.
Once you’ve identified a spotter’s position, place a blue marker on the map immediately.
This may seem like a small step, but it becomes incredibly important later when you’re triangulating enemy positions. Having clearly marked spotters prevents mistakes and makes calculations much faster.
Always mark them as soon as you locate them.
11. Locating Reference Point Alpha
Once your spotters are identified, you can begin locating reference points.
Reference Point Alpha serves as an important landmark for finding enemy positions.
Typically, you’ll receive information such as a bearing from one spotter and a distance from another. Using the yellow pencil, draw the reported bearing from one spotter and then measure the reported distance from the second spotter.
Where those measurements intersect is the approximate location of Alpha.
It’s important to remember that spotter reports are not perfectly accurate. Small errors in bearing and distance are normal, which means your calculated position may not be exact.
Think of your result as an educated estimate rather than a guaranteed location.
If you need absolute confirmation, use a recon plane or fire a star shell to reveal the area.
12. Locating the FDC
After locating Alpha, you can begin hunting the enemy Fire Direction Centers.
This process follows the same basic principle used to locate Alpha.
Using intelligence reports, draw the bearings provided from known locations. Usually these bearings will originate from Alpha, spotters, or other identified reference points.
Where the lines intersect is the likely location of the enemy FDC.
Because spotter information contains a small margin of error, don’t expect perfect results every time. Your estimated location may be slightly off, but it will usually be close enough to engage effectively.
With practice, you’ll become surprisingly accurate at identifying hidden targets.
13. Plotting a Fire Mission
Now it’s finally time to prepare an actual strike.
Using the red pencil, draw a line from the Iron Nest directly to your target.
This step is extremely important.
When drawing from the Iron Nest, make sure your line begins from the correct point on the model. Even small positioning errors can produce inaccurate bearings and ranges, leading to missed shots.
Once the line is drawn, the red pencil will provide both the range and bearing required for the ballistic calculator.
These numbers form the foundation of your firing solution.
Double-check them before proceeding.
14. The Ballistic Calculator
The ballistic calculator transforms your target information into a usable firing solution.
At first glance it looks intimidating, but once you understand the process it becomes surprisingly straightforward.
Start by entering the target bearing obtained from your red pencil measurement.
Next, select the appropriate target icon if desired. This isn’t strictly necessary, but it helps organize information and provides useful context.
Then choose the correct shell type.
Armor-piercing rounds are intended for underground or hardened targets.
High-explosive rounds are designed for surface targets.
After selecting your shell, enter the target range.
Finally, adjust the powder charge setting. The calculator will indicate whether your chosen charge amount is sufficient.
Once everything is entered correctly, pull the calculation lever.
The calculator will generate a firing card containing the information needed to engage the target accurately.
This card is one of the most important pieces of equipment you’ll use during a mission.
15. Loading the Gun
With a firing card prepared, it’s time to load the gun.
Purchase the required ammunition and ensure the correct shell type is selected.
Next, load the appropriate number of powder charges specified by the firing card.
One very important thing to remember is that shells and charges cannot be unloaded once inserted.
If you accidentally load the wrong ammunition or too many charges, you’ll need to adjust your firing solution around your mistake.
Because of this, take an extra moment to verify everything before loading.
A few seconds of caution can save several minutes of frustration.
16. Aiming the Guns
While the gun is loading, you can begin aligning the turret.
The Iron Nest offers both fast and precise methods for rotation.
The lever allows rapid movement but sacrifices accuracy.
The wheel moves more slowly but provides precise control.
A good strategy is to use the lever for large adjustments and then finish with the wheel for fine tuning.
Even tiny bearing errors can result in shells landing far from their intended target, especially at longer ranges.
Elevation works in a similar way.
You can quickly approach the desired elevation using the lever and then carefully refine it with the adjustment wheel.
The Iron Nest also allows the guns to be elevated independently, making it possible to engage multiple targets sharing the same bearing.
This feature can be extremely powerful when used effectively.
17. Final Checklist and Firing
Everything is loaded. Everything is aimed.
Now comes the most important step: making sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
The checklist may seem optional, but it exists for a reason.
Before firing, confirm the following:
- You have the correct firing mission.
- The range was entered correctly.
- The proper shell type is loaded.
- The bearing matches the firing card.
- The gun is armed and ready to fire.
Many missed shots happen because of simple mistakes rather than bad calculations.
Once you’ve completed your checks and you’re confident everything is correct, pull the firing cord and send the shell downrange.
Few things in Iron Nest are more satisfying than watching a carefully planned strike land exactly where you intended.
Happy hunting, operator.
18. Tips for Challenge Mode
Challenge Mode requires a different mindset.
Instead of viewing enemy FDCs purely as targets, think of them as opportunities.
Destroying an FDC temporarily pauses counter-battery fire, giving you valuable breathing room to restock supplies, plan future strikes, and reorganize your map.
Use these moments wisely.
Try to plan multiple missions before resuming combat. Every second spent planning while the timer is paused is a second you don’t have to spend under pressure later.
Because only three FDCs exist, they are a limited resource.
Avoid destroying them immediately unless you truly need the pause. In many situations, it’s better to eliminate several other targets first and save the FDC for later.
Also look for opportunities to engage multiple targets on similar bearings. The less time spent rotating the turret, the more shells you can deliver before the enemy responds.
Efficiency becomes survival.
19. Shells: Understanding Their Uses
Choosing the right shell is just as important as aiming correctly.
AP (Armor Piercing)
AP rounds are designed to penetrate hardened or underground targets.
If the enemy is protected by cover, fortifications, or underground structures, AP is usually the correct choice.
HE (High Explosive)
HE rounds are your standard anti-personnel and anti-structure ammunition.
They create a large explosion and are highly effective against surface targets.
When in doubt, HE is often the safest choice.
HCHE (High Capacity High Explosive)
HCHE rounds feature a significantly larger blast radius than standard HE.
These are excellent when multiple enemies are clustered together or when targets are spread slightly beyond the reach of normal HE rounds.
STAR
Star shells illuminate dark areas of the battlefield.
They are incredibly useful for confirming target locations and revealing hidden enemy positions.
Never underestimate the value of good reconnaissance.
SMOK
Smoke shells create visual concealment.
At the current stage of development they have limited practical use, but future updates may expand their role.
PHOS
Phosgene gas rounds are designed to poison enemy units.
Currently their availability and usefulness remain limited.
TEAR
Tear gas rounds are intended for non-lethal area denial and crowd dispersal.
Like several specialty rounds, they currently have little practical application outside specific scenarios.