"Earned in Blood" continues the Brothers In Arms saga as newly-promoted Sergeant Joe "Red" Hartsock (Hartsock was the Corporal of Baker's Fire Team), who was part of the historic Normandy invasion in the previous game.
The first part of the game is a recollection of Hartsock's time in Sergeant Matt Baker's squad during the initial D-Day invasion. The second part picks up when he takes command of 2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon during the liberation and defense of Carentan, and the eventual link-up between 82nd and 101st Airborne Division at the town of Baupte. The final part takes place in and around Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte.

The gameplay in Earned in Blood is similar, if not identical, to Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30. The player usually assumes command of two teams of paratroopers to use the Four Fs--Find, Fix, Flank, and Finish--tactic against the enemy. The game discourages the use of solo run 'n' gun tactic by limiting the player's ability to aim, by decreasing the player's health, and by placing large numbers of enemies behind cover. To successfully complete a mission, the player has to study the layout of the battlefield, fix/suppress the enemy with overwhelming suppressive fire with one team (usually the fire team), and direct another team (usually the assault team) to flank the enemy by sneaking to the side or rear of the enemy to finish them off.

One huge difference between Earned in Blood and its predecessor's gameplay is the improvement in enemy AI. In Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30, the enemy usually will not move under fire even when the player's flanking action has been detected. In Earned in Blood, the enemy will constantly reposition himself according to the player's action, regardless of danger. This change makes stealth and distraction important considerations when the player is attempting to flank the enemy. At the same time, new tactics such as forcing the enemy into kill zones is possible with the new AI system.

The new enemy AI allows the player to be attacked more frequently than in Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30.

Team Members:
Sgt. Joe Hartsock


Fire-team:
Cpl. Campbell

Pvt. Marsh

Pvt. Paige


Assault Team:
Cpl. Paddock

Pvt. 'Friar' Winchell

Pvt. McConnel