2020-11-13T12:20:23 01:00

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Tips & Tricks

In our Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War tips guide you will learn:

What the best settings are
How Black Ops Cold War differs from Modern Warfare
Which extras are especially good for the first hours
Which point series are available and which are particularly effective
What equipment is available and how to use it
What to watch out for in the battles

Since November 13, 2020 you may plunge into the multiplayer of the new Black Ops on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC and then from November 19 on Playstation 5. Treyarch moves away from the future setting and sends you back to the time of synthwave music and proxy wars - the early 80s! We'll help you get started in multiplayer with our guide.

What are the best settings for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War?

Take a look at the settings before you jump into the fray. Everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to brightness or mouse / controller sensitivity. However, there are a few settings that will give you a clear advantage in the game.

The Field-of-View is regularly set to 80, but we recommend setting the slider to at least 100 to 105. If you want, you can go even higher, but that requires considerably more performance. 100 to 105, on the other hand, do not cause any performance problems and are therefore the best setting option for players on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

In combat, the first visual contact plays a decisive role. For this, you need as clear a field of vision as possible, which is why you turn off motion blur.

Finally, we advise you to activate the High Boost sound mode, especially when playing with a headset. This makes all sounds - such as enemy footsteps - much louder. This is especially interesting for players who pursue a less offensive play style.

How does Black Ops Cold War differ from Modern Warfare?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (), released in 2019, brought some changes and innovations to the series. And since Black Ops Cold War and Modern Warfare are connected by the Warzone mode, some people are probably wondering if the innovations have also made it into the new Black Ops. The following features return from Modern Warfare:

Class adjustments during a match
Reloading while aiming via front and rear sights
Weapon level
Parkour system
The Weaponsmith

The following things are no longer available in Black Ops Cold War:

Tactical Sprint
Cover system

Furthermore it should be mentioned that most maps are based on the classic Three-line principle are built. Because of this - and the lack of a cover system - knowledge and positioning on the map is no longer as important as it was in the predecessor. This also means that camping brings more disadvantages than advantages.

Black Ops Cold War therefore plays much more classically than Modern Warfare. In other words: Always keep moving and be a bit more offensive. You also have more health, which results in a longer kill time - meaning that both you and the enemies can take more than just two or three shots.

A more confrontational playstyle is more likely to be rewarded, as you'll encounter enemies more often on the small and straightforward maps, and you'll be able to score a lot of points with the kill multiplier - we'll go into this in the scoring section.

Did you know that all weapons from Black Ops Cold War will also be available in Warzone? By the way, we also have a great Warzone tips guide on our site.

What extras are available in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War?

Extras are passive abilities and part of your class. In the class editor you can equip one extra from each of the three categories. However, you cannot select multiple extras from the same category.

Category 1 extras

Name	Unlock	Description
Technician	-	Detects enemy equipment and point series through walls. Enemy point series are displayed on the mini-map and supplies can be re-rolled.
Paranoia	Level 8	You hear an alarm when enemies target you. If the enemy is out of your field of view, the screen pulses orange around the edges. (If the enemy is on your right, it pulses on the right - if it is on your left, the left edge pulses)
Tactics Mask	Level 20	Maximum resistance to blinding and stun grenades. You are also immune to gas.
Flak jacket	Level 29	You suffer less damage from enemy explosives, as well as from fire from Molotov cocktails and battle arcs.

Category 2 extras

Name	Unlock	Description
Raider	-	Replenishes ammo on killed enemies.
Assassin	Level 17	Enemies in a kill spree are marked with crosshairs on the mini-map. You will receive extra points for killing these enemies.
Tracker	Level 23	You can see enemy footprints. If you aim at enemies, they will be marked on the minimap.
Quartermaster	Level 35	Equipment recharges within 25 seconds.

Category 3 extras

Name	Unlock	Description
Gung-Ho	-	Shoot and use equipment while sprinting. Keep running at full speed when reloading while sprinting - less fall damage, faster weapon change, and higher accuracy when shooting.
Spirit	Level 14	Enemy spy planes can't track you.
Cold-blooded	Level 26	AI-controlled point series ignore you, while player-controlled point series do not mark you. You cannot be seen in thermal view and players in vehicles cannot see your name tag.
Ninja	Level 38	You sprint more quietly and are invisible to the directional microphone while sprinting. Your character will speak only when necessary.

We would like to introduce two extra combinations designed for the Run & Gun and Stealth playstyles.

The frontline fighter (Run & Gun)

Extras: Paranoia, Quartermaster & Gung-Ho
Advantagesthe extras Paranoia and Gung-Ho promote a run-and-gun style of play, since you'll enjoy much more mobility and you'll be able to react faster in case of enemy contact. Besides, enemies won't be able to surprise you as easily. Use your equipment regularly in combat, as it will recharge after 25 seconds.

The Spy (Stealth)

Extras: technician, tracker & cold-blooded
Pros: With the Technician, you will no longer be surprised by enemy equipment around the corner or in a back room. The tracker makes it easier for you to locate and track enemies.

What kind of point series are there and which ones are particularly effective?

Point series are special events that are unlocked by reaching a set number of points. They give you a decisive advantage and can be used every time you reach the necessary number of points. Deaths have no effect on your score, but all point series have a cooldown.

A new feature is the kill multiplier. This is a multiplier that doubles your points received when you kill multiple enemies during a life. For skilled players, this is an efficient way to accumulate enough points in the shortest amount of time. However, the kill multiplier is reset after each death and it also only works on kills.

Despite Kill Multiplier, kills are not the most effective way to unlock point series, especially in the beginning. Of course, each kill gives you a few points, but as a beginner you're unlikely to kill so many enemies in a lifetime that you'll regularly bag point series from them alone. Focus on the objectives, and you'll be earning a lot of points in no time.

Below, we'll show you what point series are available, when you unlock them, and how many points they cost:

Point Series Table

Name	Score	Unlock	Description
Remote control charge	800	Level 5	A remote controlled car equipped with explosives.
Spy plane	1000	-	Reveals the positions of enemies on the minimap.
Spy plane	1200	Level 11	Disables enemy missile guns and disrupts enemy minimaps.
Gun	2000	Level 15	Automatic gun that independently fires at enemies and enemy vehicles and equipment.
Napalm attack	2100	Level 26	Area bombardment with napalm bombs.
Artillery	2300	-	Conduct three targeted air strikes - single air strikes can also be saved.
Air Patrol	3600	Level 32	A fighter squadron that attacks enemy air series.
War Machine	4000	Level 20	Equips a high explosive grenade launcher.
Attack helicopter	5000	-	A helicopter that will support you from the air.
Helicopter gunner	8000	Level 38	You sit behind the gun on a helicopter.

In your first hours of play, equip point series that require few points to activate. The high series like the helicopter gunner are only worthwhile if you regularly reach the 8,000 points in the match. You can use lower series of points and use them more often. As soon as you are good enough to earn a lot of points with kills, the more expensive point series are also worthwhile.

As with the extras, you should choose point series that fit your playstyle and loadout. So, if you're into stealth, the spy plane is a good choice, while the war machine is interesting for run & gun players.

What equipment is available and how do I use it effectively?

There are several pieces of equipment in Black Ops Cold War that you can use in the field. The following equipment (Field Upgrades in English) are available:

Name	Cooldown	Unlock	Description
Proximity mine	2:00 minutes	-	Throw a mine that explodes when an enemy walks or drives over it. Always explodes on vehicles. Doesn't explode if you run over it crouched, though.
Directional microphone	3:15 minutes	-	Uses a recording device to mark sounds made by enemies on the mini-map.
Trophy system	1:20 minutes	Level 15	Destroys thrown enemy equipment and launcher missiles within a 10 meter radius.
Surface to air gun	3:45 minutes	Level 18	Fires missiles at enemy air point series (e.g., attack helicopters and counterintelligence aircraft) and player-controlled helicopters.
Gas mine	2:00 minutes	Level 24	Releases a large cloud of gas when enemies approach the gas mine. Enemies in the gas take damage and lose orientation.
Disruptor	2:30 minutes	Level 36	Creates an electric field that disables enemy field equipment and affects enemy minimaps.

Each field equipment can give you an advantage or collect kills for you if you use it appropriately. The ground-to-air gun is logically placed out in the open. Trap equipment like the gas mine or proximity mine, on the other hand, in narrow passages, in front of entrances or around corners, where enemies will spot them too late. On the other hand, set up the trophy system in spacious and contested areas to have as many potential targets as possible.

It takes some time to unlock the powerful equipment. As you can see in the table, only the directional microphone and the proximity mine are available at the beginning. The proximity mine is strong, but we still recommend using the directional microphone. This way you'll be surprised by enemies less often, while you get familiar with the minimap.

General tips for combat in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

Last but not least, we have some general tips for fighting in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War 's multiplayer mode (). Enemies can withstand a lot if you shoot at the torso, but they are susceptible to headshots.

Aim via rear sight to increase your hit accuracy and thus your chance of getting hit in the head. You can also do this well in combat, as damage has little effect on your hit accuracy. Even if you get shot while aiming with the front and rear sights, your image only jerks marginally.

The ping system made famous by Apex Legends finally makes its way into Black Ops. Always ping enemies on sight to mark them for your teammates. Also use the ping system when you suspect an enemy is in a certain spot (behind a wall, for example) to get your teammates' attention.

Throw grenades during a firefight to panic the enemy. Even if he manages to escape the explosion, he will have to give his attention to the grenade for a moment. You can also throw them to clear rooms with multiple enemies or at least chase them out of the room. By the way, grenades can be thrown while shooting - so don't take your finger off the trigger when throwing a grenade!