Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Guide v2

This guide is meant to be a resource for new and current players to help them become better at multiplayer. It will describe the basics to become a better shooter and work up to more advanced gameplay tactics to dominate the opposition.

Introduction

Welcome to my Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Guide! This guide will cover and discuss the various ways you can improve your gameplay experience by becoming a better player overall. The main goal of this guide is to become a resource for various gamers by providing various tips, tricks, and links from the community itself.

For those new to the franchise or veterans from previous versions of Call of Duty, Black Ops 3 is not your usual CoD game due to various new mechanics to the gameplay and map design. If you're expecting a tactical, realistic shooter such as CS:GO or Call of Duty: World at War, there's a good chance you're going to be disappointed. Black Ops 3 is geared towards a much faster paced gameplay style with its new wall running feature, jet thruster assisted movement and flashy action. It also tends to discourage camping and favors the quicker, "up close and personal" weapons such as the SMGs and Shotguns. Regardless, it is still an FPS at heart and anyone can find success in-game by finding the proper playstyle for you.

Preview

Here's how the guide will be broken down:

• Game Modes
  
  
• Maps
  
  
• Specialists
  
  
• Weapons
  
  
• Perks
  
  
• Aim
  
  
• Game Tactics
  -Camping
  -Run N' Gun
  -Pre-Aim
  -Lethals/Tacticals
  -Exploiting/Avoiding Enemies
  
  
• Advanced Tactics
  -Spawn Trapping
  -Immersion
  -Thrusting
  -Map Awareness
  -Teammates
  
  
• How To
  -Level Up
  -Beat A Camper
  -Beat A Runner

The guide will start off by discussing the very basics of the game and as it progresses it will discuss more complex concepts to try as you get better. It will explain; game modes, maps, the Specialists and their qualities, the various weapon classes, how to develop a proper aim, some simple gameplay tactics, and finally some expert tips.

I. Game Modes

As with most Call of Duty games, there are usually three categories of game modes; Core, Hardcore and Bonus. Core is usually the most played and well known out of the three categories. People have a larger amount of health, you get a HUD (Heads Up Display), you can't kill or harm teammates, and its usually the preferred play category for most casual players who want a more relaxed experience. Hardcore is the tough guy equivalent of Core and the preferred category for most expert players and those who just want a more realistic experience. Everyone has much smaller health (1-3 bullet kills with most weapons), there is limited HUD and no minimap, you can kill your own teammates (can get you kicked out of games), and everything in general tends to be more tense. Bonus is the wacky category that contains unique game modes with their own special set of rules that are primarily just for fun or for those who want a different kind of experience. It contains old school favorites such as Ground War and Gun Game as well as containing DLC unique content such as Nuk3town.

Core and Hardcore

Mode	Description
Team Deathmatch	Goal : The goal of the mode is very simple, kill the opposing team members. There is a limit of 100 points that must be reached within 10 minutes and each kill/death is worth 1 point. Core Average Playerbase: 65%~ Hardcore Average Playerbase : ~40%
Free-for-All	Goal : Similar to Team Deathmatch, but without the team. You alone have to kill the opposing players to reach the score limit of 30 within 10 minutes. Core Average Playerbase: ~10% Hardcore Average Playerbase: ~5%
Domination	Goal : Capture objectives and maintain them to reach the score limit of 200. Unlike previous renditions, there is no time limit. There are two rounds, and the second round starts when a team hits 100 points. Also, flags can no longer be neutralized. Core Average Playerbase: ~40% Hardcore Average Playerbase : 40%~
Demolition	Goal : Teams alternate to attack and defend two bomb sites. The player may respawn as many times as they need. Additionally, each attacker has a bomb as soon as they spawn, and after any respawning. There is a maximum of three rounds per game and an overall score limit of two. Also, both bomb sites must be destroyed within the given time limit. 2.5 minutes are given for the attackers to destroy the first target (either A or B) and if they destroy it, 2.5 additional minutes are added to destroy the second one. If any of these limits are reached, the defenders win the round. There are two rounds in a match, one with each team attacking. If the result is 1-1, a tie break round is played, where the team with the most kills plays defense. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : N/A
Kill Confirmed	Goal : Similar to Team Deathmatch, but when a player dies they drop a tag that must be recovered by the killer to "confirm" the kill for the team or by a teammate to prevent the opposing team from gaining the point. Additionally, the tags will disappear if they are not collected quickly enough. 100 point limit with 10 minutes to complete. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : ~10%
Hardpoint	Goal : The teams must rush to secure a "hardpoint" on the map and repel the area from the enemies. Holding the hardpoint increases the teams' score, but if no players are in the hardpoint, no points are gained. The Hardpoint switches to different positions on the map several times during the match and a point is granted every second a single team is present in the Hardpoint. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : N/A
Capture the Flag	Goal : Capture the opposing team's flag and bring it back to the player's team's flag. A team must capture 3 enemy flags or have more captures than the other team when the round timer ends. Sides then switch and the same process is repeated. If, at the end of two rounds, the teams are tied (both teams winning one round each or two draws), the game goes into overtime in which the first team to capture the enemy flag (bring it back to their base) wins the match. If nobody captures the flag in overtime, the match is a draw. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : ~5%
Search & Destroy	Goal : The goal is for an attacking side to either eliminate the defending team or detonate either one of two bomb sites. Additionally, players only get one life per round and there is an intermission/half when two or three rounds are completed. The team that wins four rounds first wins the game. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : ~5%
Uplink	Goal : Bring a satellite drone, which is placed in the middle of the map, to the enemy uplink station. Each team can score one point if the drone is thrown in or two points if the player enters the uplink station with the drone. Teams switch sides at half-time once the timer runs out or if one team scores 10 points. Teams must score 20 points to win the game. Essentially a Rugby/Football style game. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : N/A
Safeguard	Goal : There is an offensive and defensive team. The offensive team has to escort a non-combative robot to a certain objective on the map that the defensive team has to prevent the robot from entering. When the robot takes enough damage, it will be disabled, and the offensive team will need to reactivate the robot in order for it to start moving again. Deliver the robot to the objective to win. Rounds are similar to Capture the Flag. Core Average Playerbase: ~5% Hardcore Average Playerbase : N/A

Bonus

Mode	Description
Gun Game	Six players competing in a free-for-all-style game. As players get more kills, the player will receive different weapons. The first person to achieve a kill with all twenty weapon tiers wins. Average Playerbase: ~5%
Ground War	Massive team games ( 18 players total ) consisting of Team Deathmatch, Domination and Safeguard Average Playerbase: ~5%
Mercenary Moshpit	Various objective based game modes with random teams, no pre-created parties are allowed to join. Average Playerbase: ~5%
Nuk3town	Multiple game modes in Nuk3town only. Average Playerbase: 85%~

II. Maps

To describe the maps in this game going to be using these icons to point out various areas to keep an eye on whether you're camping, running around or collaborating with teammates.


The Camp Zones are pretty self-explanatory, these are locations campers tend to favor or where bundles of players happen to group up. It's good to take note of these since it will alert you on where to go and where you can rack up multiple kills.

Spawn Zones are self-explanatory also, it's where players spawn if they die and typically the furthest spawn point is where enemies will spawn. The white circle surrounding the point is the "detection radius". If enemy players are within the radius, players will begin to spawn somewhere else. These are not 100% accurate but accurate enough to use a reference.

Contact Points are areas where you are likely to run into enemies and engage in fire fights. These will help you when pre-aiming and when to prepare lethals, tacticals and so on.

Areas of Interest are locations you can take advantage of that people aren't necessarily aware of. I will include more as they pop up.

Last, but not least, Danger Zones are open areas or locations that are dangerous to travel across due to snipers, campers or other dangers since they tend to have little coverage and easy access. If you plan on going through a Danger Zone, use caution and be prepared for the worst.

Now that you know the icons, I will post the maps currently in the main game rotations.

Standard

DLC: Awakening (WIP)

The maps in Black Ops III are generally smaller than previous CoD maps. Even the two largest maps, Havoc and Infection, are relatively smaller compared to larger maps in previous games. Because of this, running from location to location is easier and kills are easier to rack up if you know where to go.

The blue areas in the maps are bodies of water and are usually placed in areas where you can use them for protection, sneaking, or suprise attacks. Take advantage of these and save yourself the headache of running around in the open where anyone can shoot at you.

Another thing to take note of are areas where you can wallrun. Redwood is a good example of where wallrunning can help you cross areas quicker and safer and where practicing would benefit you a fair amount.

~~I will include the DLC maps when they come out and are intergrated into the main game

III. Specialists

Specialists are new to the CoD franchise and are unique soldiers with enchanced abilities that utilize unique weapons and characterisitics. They each also have a distinct personality suited to their styles and can be customized to an extent the more you play and complete challenges with them. They all have various taunts and gestures for when they are in the winner's circle (top 3 on winning team) that can be unlocked through supply drops. Although they have special abilities suited for certain styles, they can be used in any manner you see fit.

Once you choose a Specialist they have to be used for the whole match, they can not be changed mid-game or when you change classes. They use a special yellow meter in the bottom right corner of the HUD. It fills up at varying speeds depending on the specialist ability being used and on how active you are in game.



Specialty: Running

Overview

Ruin is a direct, confrontational specialist that appeals to players who like to run around and shoot people. His primary weapon is the Gravity Spikes, which unleash a massive gravity blast into the ground effectively killing anyone within a large radius of the impact (does not go through obstacles). Usually charges up twice in a match, three times with the Overclock perk. Overdrive is his specialist ability and grants a temporary boost in running speed, ideal for rushing past traps and open areas or to bull rush an enemy or two and kill them with enchanced strafing and movements. You can limit the Overdrive's energy drain by standing still. Charges up approximately 3-4 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Sniping

Overview

Outrider is a sniper specialist that appeals to players who rather keep a safe distance and Snipe a majority of matches. Her primary weapon is a bow called the Sparrow, which explodes on impact and that can be held with the trigger to increase the range in which the arrow travels. The explosion alone is usually enough to kill most people. Usually charges up 2-3 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Vision Pulse is her specialist ability that unleashes a sonic ping that reveals nearby enemies as red targets, even through walls, but reveals your location as well. Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Electricity

Overview

Prophet is a heavily modified specialist who utilizes electricity and hacking. His primary weapon is an arc gun called the Tempest that fires an arc of electricity that electocrutes a player and chains the electricity to other nearby players. Usually charges up 2-3 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Glitch is his specialist ability that teleports you back a few seconds to a previous location (can kill you if your previously location was in mid-air of a lethal drop). Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Demolition

Overview

Battery is a demolition specialist that appeals to players who like to blow stuff up and kill multiple enemies at once. Her primary weapon is a grenade launcher called the War Machine, which shoots one large projectile that splits into three smaller ones that can bounce of walls and explode on impact. The explosion can kill you if you're already hurt. Usually charges up 2-3 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Kinetic Armor is her specialist ability that deflects enemy bullets away from your body while active, but not explosives, knives, or headshots. Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Precision (Unlock: Lvl 22)

Overview

Seraph is a specialist that appeals to players who have precise aim and like to be efficient. Her primary weapon is a revolver called the Annihilator, which shoots a very powerful bullet in a straight line, killing anything in its path even through walls. Usually charges up 2-3 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Combat Focus is her specialist ability, it increases all score earned towards Scorestreaks with a bonus multiplier. You can further boost this ability with the Overclock and Ante Up Perks. Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Camping (Unlock: Lvl 28)

Overview

Nomad is a camper specialist that appeals to players who like to camp and defend specific areas. His primary weapon is called the H.I.V.E., which shoots Nano-Drone pods that stick to any surface. The pods are triggered when an enemy gets near it and releases a swarm of Nano-Drones that shred and eliminate the target (activation delay after shooting, disappear at death). Usually charges up 2 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Rejack is his specialist ability which is basically tactical insertion (resurrect on the spot when dead) but more obvious (optional to use, still lose killstreak, not usable after getting killed with other specialist weapons). Charges up approximately 4 times a match depending on actual Rejacking, more with Overclock.



Specialty: General Combat (Unlock: Lvl 34)

Overview

Reaper is a combat specialist that appeals to players who like to be effective in a combat zone. Its primary weapon is a gatlin gun called the Scythe, which unleashes bullets at a very rapid fire rate in a very tight cone (charge up delay before shooting). Usually charges up 2-3 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Psychosis is its specialist ability which hacks enemy HUDs and simulates 3 decoys into the battlefield to disguise the original (decoys move around and spread into seperate areas). Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Stealth (Unlock: Lvl 39)

Overview

Spectre is a stealth specialist that appeals to players who rather keep a low profile in matches and like to flank. It's primary weapon is a knife called the Ripper, which replaces your melee attack with twin blades and extends its attack range significantly when used. Usually charges up 4-5 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Active Camo is it's specialist ability that renders you nearly invisible for a short duration (deactivates after taking damage or shooting). Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.



Specialty: Flames (Unlock: Lvl 46)

Overview

Firebreak is a flamethrower specialist that appeals to players who like to eliminate multiple enemies with ease. His primary weapon is a flamethrower called the Purifier, which easily torches enemies within a short duration (suprising range, flames can be removed by jumping in water). Usually charges up 2 times in a match, more with the Overclock perk. Heat Wave is his specialist ability that unleashes a strong stun to nearby enemies, destroys hostile equipment and takes down incoming projectiles. Charges up approximately 3 times a match, more with Overclock.

IV.I. Weapons

Here I will cover the various guns, recommend attachments, and give a brief description about the gun and its qualities.

Primaries

Assault Rifles

Pros: Versatile and Effective at Most Ranges, Strong Bullet Penetration, Best at Mid-Range

Cons: Slower ADS, Average Handling

Gun	Description
KN-44	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Grip, High Caliber, Rapid Fire You're standard assault rifle with basic well-rounded stats. The recoil is a little heavy and fire rate could be better but overall this is a good weapon to begin with.
XR-2	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Long Barrel A 3-round auto-burst assault rifle, it can usually kill most enemies with one burst if all bullets hit above the chest from relatively close range. The recoil is pretty light, the burst is quick and it conserves ammo but requires good aiming to use effectively due to a slow burst cycle which can leave you vunerable after missing the first.
HVK-30	Unlock: Lvl 2 Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Long Barrel, Fast Mag Another standard assault rifle that has the fastest fire rate in class. It has little recoil but not very much damage or range for an assault rifle. Since you use more bullets to kill people, you tend to burn through clips pretty quick so fast mag is a good attachment for this gun. It also exits faster from sprinting than any other assault rifle.
ICR-1	Unlock: Lvl 16 Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Extended Mag Has the the best accuracy in class but the lowest damage and moderate fire rate. It's a good practice gun for aiming since there's very little recoil but due to the minimal damage it's tough to kill with outside of Hardcore games.
Man-O-War	Unlock: Lvl 28 Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Grip, Rapid Fire A very powerful gun but with a very slow fire rate to accompany it. Generally, if you have a pretty good aim this is a very good gun to use since it tends to kill most people with 2-3 well placed bullets ( even in core ) from close to mid-range. Grip is mainly to reduce recoil when killing targets from long range but with Rapid Fire it's arguably one of the best Assault Rifles in game.
Sheiva	Unlock: Lvl 43 Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Long Barrel, Varix Sight The only semi-automatic assault rifle in game, it has the highest damage per bullet but obviously the slowest fire rate. It's basically like using a Sniper since it kills most targets with 2 bullets but with the handling of an assault rifle.
M8A7	Unlock: Lvl 55 Recommended Attachments: High Caliber, Long Barrel, Varix Sight A 4-round burst assault rifle, it's very similar to the XR-2 since it can usually kill most enemies with one burst with proper aim. The difference is that the M8A7 does not have an auto burst but has better accuracy and range so handling it is a bit better, particularly from a distance.

Submachine Guns

Pros: Quickest ADS, Faster Running, Easy Handling/Hipfire

Cons: Weak at longer ranges, Weaker Bullet Penetration

Gun	Description
Kuda	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Grip, Long Barrel, Rapid Fire The standard Submachine Gun, it has well rounded stats with the added benefit of being very quick to use and effective at almost any range.
VMP	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Grip, Quickdraw, Laser Sight A powerful gun that is very effective at close range but difficult to use at longer ranges due to a heavy recoil. Grip can help aleviate this issue, but still requires good aim to handle effectively. It also has a larger-than-average clip.
Weevil	Unlock: Lvl 4 Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Quickdraw Has a massive clip, fast fire rate and manageable recoil, but has minimal damage. For a submachine gun, it's not very effective at close range due to the weak damage but can be effective at mid-range.
Vesper	Unlock: Lvl 19 Recommended Attachments: Fast Mag, Extended Mag, Grip The bane of Shotgun users, the Vesper has the fastest fire rate in class and can easily mow down anybody before they even realize what happened. It's primarily effective at close range due to a heavy recoil, even with Grip, and requires very good aim at longer ranges. Also, the clips are really small so you will be reloading a lot more compared to most guns.
Pharo	Unlock: Lvl 31 Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Quickdraw, Rapid Fire ( Faster Cycles ) A 4-round auto-burst Submachine Gun, the Pharo is a weird gun. It's similar to the M8A1, but with the handling of a Submachine Gun. Usually kills most people within 2 burst cycles ( 1 cycle at close range ). It doesn't standout stat-wise but is good for conserving bullets and managing aim.
Razorback	Unlock: Lvl 46 Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Quickdraw, Rapid Fire It has the speed and handling of a Submachine Gun but the accuracy and fire rate of an Assault Rifle. It has a particularly slow fire rate compared to other guns in its class but Rapid Fire aleviates this issue. It's a good all-purpose gun that doesn't excel at any particular area.

Shotguns

Pros: Easy to use, Best at Close Range, Easy for Multi-Kills

Cons: Weak at Mid-Long Range, Loud and Easy to Detect

Gun	Description
KRM-262	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Laser Sight A pump-action shotgun, it tends to kill most people with 1 shot but you need to be in pretty close range and aim directly at the enemy. It's tougher to use compared to other shotguns but very effective with proper aim.
205 Brecci	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Laser Sight, Long Barrel, Fast Mag Being a semi-automatic shotgun, great aim isn't necessary for it to be effective and it usually kills people with 2 proper shots. Clips tend to run out quickly and it also has a pretty weak range so use it only in close range scenarios.
Haymaker 12	Unlock: Lvl 10 Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Laser Sight, Fast Mag Technically the weakest shotgun, it's also fully automatic so spamming is very easy to compensate for the small damage. It also has a decent "spread" so it can pretty easily wipe out a group of enemies with a couple of well placed shots at close range.
Argus	Unlock: Lvl 37 Recommended Attachments: Long Barrel, Quickdraw Lever-action shotgun, it's very powerful and has a massive range but very close spread so accuracy is important. It's also the only shotgun that you will find yourself needing to aim with to get kills. Tends to be a "hit or dead" gun due to the lever-action.

IV.II. Weapons (Continued)

Primaries (Continued)

Light Machine Guns

Pros: Stronger Bullet Penetration, Massive Clips, Effective at Longer Ranges

Cons: Slowest Handling and ADS, Difficult to Use at Close Range

Gun	Description
BRM	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Rapid Fire, Quickdraw An average L.M.G., it has a decent fire rate and range but is ideal for mid to long-range scenarios. Not very difficult to aim with, but has a long ADS due to it being an L.M.G. class.
Dingo	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Stock, Quickdraw Has a very fast fire rate and large clip, ideal for dealing with large groups of enemies at a respectable distance without reloading. Reload times are larger than average though so it's advised you keep an eye on your ammo.
Gorgon	Unlock: Lvl 7 Recommended Attachments: Rapid Fire, Grip The strongest L.M.G. in class but with a very slow fire rate. It can usually kill most people in 2 well placed hits from close to mid range. It's good to use for ammo conservation and longer ranges, but can be tough to aim with.
48 Dredge	Unlock: Lvl 34 Recommended Attachments: Quickdraw, FMJ A 6-round auto-burst L.M.G. with well rounded stats. Like most auto-burst guns, it can usually kill most people on the first burst at close to mid-ranges with the added benefit of having a short burst cycle.

Snipers

Pros: Best at Long Range, Best Bullet Penetration, Best Aim

Cons: Weakest at Close Range, Long ADS

Gun	Description
Drakon	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Rapid Fire, ELO A semi-automatic Sniper that can kill most enemies with 2 shots at most ranges. The recoil isn't too extreme either so spamming is pretty effective for quick kills.
Locus	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Ballistics CPU Bolt-action Sniper that can kill most people at most ranges with 1 shot to the chest and above. It also has good handling and ADS.
P-06	Unlock: Lvl 25 Recommended Attachments: Rapid Fire A "Charge-Burst" Sniper that shoots 3 rounds that can kill most people with 2. A weird Sniper to use at first due a short, initial "charge" delay before actually firing. Very powerful but with a slow fire rate compared to the other snipers.
SVG-100	Unlock: Lvl 52 Recommended Attachments: ELO or Ballistic CPU A powerful sniper rifle which can kill any enemy with only a single shot above the knees, giving it the largest one-shot kill area of any sniper rifle. Suffers from slow ADS, fire rate and overall speed.

Secondaries

Pistols

Pros: Powerful Secondaries, Quick ADS, Easy Handling

Cons: Weakest Bullet Penetration, Small Clips

Gun	Description
MR6	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Quickdraw Semi-auto Pistol that has very high damage and accuracy. It has moderate fire-rate and very good handling which makes it ideal for most situations, making it a strong secondary weapon.
RK5	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: Dual Wield A 3-round burst pistol that usually requires two burst to kill enemies with. Has a very good fire rate but lacks range, has a heavy recoil and suffers from small clips. Ideal for close range scenarios.
L-CAR 9	Unlock: Lvl 49 Recommended Attachments: Quickdraw A fully automatic pistol that has pretty weak damage but good range. Clip sizes are good and accuracy is average with some moderate recoil that is manageable with proper aim.

Launchers & Melee

Gun	Description
XM-53	Unlock: Lvl N/A Recommended Attachments: N/A A missle launcher that can be free-fired or locked onto enemy vehicles. A free-fired rocket flies straight for a short distance but will begin to veer off randomly over medium to long ranges. Only has a 2 missle capacity.
BlackCell	Unlock: Lvl 13 Recommended Attachments: N/A A missle launcher than can only lock onto enemy vehicles and cannot be free-fired but contains twice as much ammunition than the XM-53.
Combat Knife	Unlock: Lvl 40 Recommended Attachments: N/A Standard knife that can kill enemies in 1 slice. Various variations of this exist as DLC that can be obtained from Supply Drops ranging from a butterfly knife to a sword.

**Recommended attachments are just attachments that, I believe, help alleviate weakenesses on a gun. You don't have to use them all, just use the ones that you feel work best for you.

V. Perks

Perk 1

Here I will list the various perks in the game with their descriptions and some minor info involving their abilities.

Perk	Description
	Unlock: Lvl N/A If you tend to run a lot and use your thrusters to help, this perk increases the recharge rate so you can use them a lot more often and sooner.
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Makes you undetectable to air-based killstreaks except UAVs and H.A.T.R.'s. ( Does not apply to user controlled killstreaks )
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Displays a red indicator on your radar and HUD along with a loud "BEEP" to indicate the location and direction of close-by enemies.
	Unlock: Lvl 5 You take less damage from most explosives and flames whether it's from lethals, killstreaks or specialist abilities. ( ideal for objective based game modes )
	Unlock: Lvl 20 Increases the speed at which the yellow specialist meter increases.
	Unlock: Lvl 38 Makes you undetectable to enemy UAVs. This effect only applies when you are moving/running around and when doing actions such as planting/defusing and using killstreaks. ( Must not be in the same general area while moving around, does not apply to H.A.T.R.s )

Perk 2

Perk	Description
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Increases ADS after sprinting and allows for quicker weapon swaps, including after doing certain actions such as planting/defusing. ( ADS speed increase stacks with quickdraw attachments )
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Gives a small bonus to your scorestreak ( about 50 ) after spawning. ( Stacks with Seraph's Combat Focus )
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Makes you immune to Counter-UAVs, Power Core, Smoke and EMP grenades. Traps such as Shock Charges and Trip Mines will not be triggered by you and also counters the Tracker and Sixth Sense Perk by reducing your digital imprint.
	Unlock: Lvl 8 Shows bright red, digital footsteps on the ground trailing close by enemies. ( Ideal for slow paced, low player games )
	Unlock: Lvl 26 Makes you immune to ground-based Scorestreaks and Thermal Optics. ( Does not apply to user controlled killstreaks )
	Unlock: Lvl 44 Replinishes ammo and equipment from fallen enemies, as long as they weren't blown up. ( Ideal for weapons with low ammo, such as the Vesper )

Perk 3

Perk	Description
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Allows you to hip-fire weapons and use lethals/equipment while sprinting. ( Perfect for running and short range classes )
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Makes thrusting a lot quieter and makes you invisible on mini maps while thrusting. ( Perfect when matched with the Afterburner perk )
	Unlock: Lvl N/A Makes enemy sounds a lot easier to hear and cancel out Dead Silence perks on enemies.
	Unlock: Lvl 14 Lessens the effects of Concussions, Shock Charges and Flashbangs along with their severity.
	Unlock: Lvl 32 Makes killstreaks and scorestreaks bright orange as well as visible through walls. Also, allows you to re-roll and booby trap care packages.
	Unlock: Lvl 50 Makes footsteps and most actions silent. ( Necessary for flanking )

VI. Aim

Aiming is the foundation of any FPS game, no matter how futuristic or wacky it is. Without a proper aim you will never succeed, at the very least not consistently. This section will briefly discuss the various ways you can improve your aim and some mechanics to take note of when aiming.

The Proper Settings

I shouldn't need to explain this but for those new to PC gaming, PC isn't as simple as console where you can insert a game and play without worrying about FPS, Character Detail, Stuttering and so on.

If you play on PC you need to make sure you're playing with at LEAST a steady FPS of 60 or above. Not only is this necessary for proper aim, but it's also important to make out blurry images and to see enemy players at longer distances. The level of graphics quality in a game is pleasing to see but if you can't get kills or are dragging teams down you're going to have to sacrifice quality over results. There are various guides out there that can help you fix your performance issues so take the time to do some research and get a proper running game.

Same principle applies to your gaming hardware such as monitor, keyboard + mouse, and controller. If anything isn't up to the task, consider upgrading or replacing your outdated/unnecessary gear, it's only holding you back.

The Guns

Not every gun is created equal. When you're first starting out you want to stick to a certain group of similar guns that don't completely throw off your aim. Knowing the various characteristics of every gun type is beneficial to knowing what to expect when trying to maintain a proper aim.

You need to take into account recoil, Aim Down Sight (ADS), fire rate, range, and bullet penetration. Afterwards you need to factor in the various attachments, their effects, and how they affect the gun's characteristics. For example, Suppressors are good for keeping your location off the mini map when firing guns but they also help reduce recoil while reducing bullet range while Rapid Fire increases recoil but lets out more bullets quicker for quicker kills.

Another thing that affects aim is crouching and prone positions. They help aleviate weapon sway while also reducing recoil a bit when aiming down the sight. This is good to take note of when you're camping and have proper coverage.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Once you've familiarized yourself a bit with some of the mechanics involved with aiming, you can select a gun you find most comfortable and start practicing with it. A very good way to practice is to set up a Custom Match with bots and to use them to practice your aim and reflexes. It allows you to experiment with various sensitivities to find the sweet spot where you can aim quickest without sacrificing accuracy. It's also a great method of trying out various attachments and combinations to find which is most effective for you and your gun.

Here are some things to practice while you're shooting:

• Hipfire; practicing your aim with hipfire and knowing when to hipfire
  
  
• Recoil control; shooting within a tight circle while aiming without shooting too far outside of it.
  
  
• Burst Shots; shooting a couple bullets at a time to help with heavy recoil, especially at longer distances
  
  
• Tracking; shooting at a moving target in a steady motion without missing.
  
  
• Strafing; shooting while you're moving and maintaining a proper aim
  
  
• Twitch Shots; very quickly aiming at a target as soon as they pop up.
  
  
• Jumpshots; shooting while you're thrusting or in mid-air
  
  
• Bullet Counting; knowing how many bullets it takes to kill an enemy with a specified weapon and/or to stop shooting immediately once the bullet count is met and the target is dead.

Don't practice everything in one session early on. Make sure you're proficient at one thing before moving on to the next step. If you develop sloppy habits early on, the rest of your aim suffers and killing will be more difficult than necessary. Once you feel comfortable with all aspects of shooting, merge everything together and practice using all your skills at once.

Most guns have a set recoil pattern so practicing allows you to get more comfortable with it and to make it easier to move your mouse/controller around to maintain a steady aim. After a couple sessions of target practice with the bots, steadily increase the difficulty and work to keep up with the increased reactions and movements to increase your speed and reflexes. By this point you should be a lot more comfortable with your selected weapon and should have an easier time getting kills.

This gun should be your "go to" weapon for when you have a tough time using different guns and gives you something to fall back on should you need it. Once you feel you've got a good grasp on your aiming and feel like trying out different weapons, it's much easier to jump into guns that have similar characteristics as your go to gun rather than jumping to a completely different weapon class you've rarely tried. You won't sacrifice too much of your abilities or aim and it will help you get adjusted to using different kinds of weapons.

VII. Game Tactics

Here I will discuss various Tactics to try out in game to improve your scores and gameplay experience.

Camping

One of the oldest tactics in existence, Camping is a simple and effective way to ease into the gameplay without bringing your whole team down. You can employ this from the beginning of games or mid game if you notice your racking up a lot more deaths than you should.

There are several things to take note of before you begin camping:

• Location; without a good location you might as well be running around with a big "HIT ME" sign hovering over your head. A good location has minimal entrances, minimal blind corners, coverage, and an easy method of detecting enemies. The center room in Havoc is a prime location and a good example of a good camping spot.
  
  
• Equipment; A good camper has the tools to succeed and is tailored made to camp for long periods of time. These usually include a strong secondary weapon(if you have a long range exclusive weapon), the proper lethals/tacticals (trip mines, shock charges, etc.), the proper perks, and the right specialist for the job.
  
  
• Supporting Cast; This won't always be readily available but a good crew to team up with and camp a single location is incredibly effective in winning matches. A good two-three man crew can easily carry most parties if the coordination and communicate is good.
  
  
• Hate; If you're going to camp you have to be willing to accept that opposing teams and several players will most likely despise you and make sure you know it, especially if you camp heavily during a game. Camping is just strategy that people employ because it works so you should expect occasional campers in lobbies, but not everyone can handle that so they will flame the camper for it. You've been warned.

That pretty much covers camping. It is ideal for beginners, people who need to pad up their Kill/Death ratios or just need to slow down a bit and regain your composure. Whatever the reason, it is there when you need it and effective.

Run N' Gun

The opposite of Camping, Run N' Gun is literally running around and bringing the fight to your opponents head on. It's mainly suited for more experienced players but a lot of people, usually beginners, seem to prefer this style of play even though they aren't prepared for it. It's funner than camping and can yield great results, but requires good practice and better reflexes/skills.

• Equipment; A good runner will usually use a quick, light gun that is powerful in close quarters and easy to aim with ( i.e. Submachine Guns). They generally also use grenades, flashbangs and other tools to help blindside opposing enemies and gain an upperhand against opponents that would generally kill them.
  
  
• Map I.Q.; What usually seperates a good runner from a great one is that a great runner knows every corner and location on a Map. They know where people will usually go, how to sneak around, and generally reach the enemy in ways they didn't know possible. This mostly comes from practice and in-game experiences, but if you need some help in this area you can refer to the Maps portion of this guide for some guidance.
  
  
• Aim; Below average aim is the kryptonite of almost any runner. Since you don't always get the luxury of seeing most enemies before they see you, you're going to have to speed up your reflexes and really improve your aim to maintain a positive K/D and effectively catch enemies off-guard.

There are usually two kinds of runners; the straight ahead, in-your-face kind and the stealthy, right-behind-you kind. The first kind is usually more common but only the people with the best reflexes and aim usually succeed with this method. The second is a little less common but generally involve using suppressed weapons, covert perks and pretty much avoid generating any kind of noise. The in-your-face method is suited for people who love action and need a good adrenaline rush while the right-behind-you method is for slower-paced people who don't mind being a little patient.

Pre-Aiming

Pre-Aiming isn't always necessary but is important in gaining the upper hand in a gun fight. The concept is pretty self-explanatory, it means you're already aiming before turning a corner or before someone engages you.

This is something I recommend for people with generally slow reflexes and who are still not too comfortable with the maps and don't know when to expect enemies. It also tends to come in handy when you know where someone is hiding or camping and to gain the edge right off the bat. It isn't always ideal when you're already camping in a corner and someone is rushing towards you. Aiming lowers your sensitivity so if someone rushes past your line of sight and they know where you are beforehand, their reflexes will usually beat your pre-aim. This tends to be the only exception to the rule, but for the most part pre-aiming is a valuable tool to have and can help keep your killstreak alive.

Lethals & Tacticals

Lethals and tacticals can take up slots when creating a class but a lot of times can also help during tough situations where your usual skillset just isn't enough.

Most lethals are very effective and can be used in various, creative ways. A lot of them involve bouncing off walls and being smart with where you throw them, particularly in crowded areas. You should also hold on to grenades , count down to 5, and release before the 5th tick to kill enemies before they can react (shorter count for longer distances). You can also cancel throwing a grenade on your hand by switching weapons before it explodes. Tacticals are more unique and offer a wide array of methods to render opponents helpless for an easy kill. Once again, be smart with them and use them in areas that are crowded, small, and where it won't effect you.

The most unique one, Black Hat, is effective for hacking enemy equipment and killstreaks. Couple it with the perk Engineer and you can turn the flow of most matches around when things get rough.

Exploiting/Avoiding Enemies

If you're facing a particularly tough player you can't seem to beat, either try to gain an edge by flanking/blindsiding them or by stunning/blinding them. If that still doesn't seem to work you should try avoiding that enemy to avoid racking up deaths and losing killstreaks.

Another tactic you can employ is cherry picking enemy players. If you notice a particularly bad player and want to exploit them, you can keep an eye out for their player name or hang around an area they're likely to go to to build up some easy kills. It's particularly useful when your team can't seem to get ahead and you want to gain an upper hand.

VIII. Advanced Tactics

These are more complex tactics you can try, but generally require more practice and experience to pull off.

Reload Cancelling

Reload Cancelling, or "YY" for old school players, is just as the name implies, cancelling your reload when you unexpectedly bump into an enemy. This is mainly tied to your reflexes but can be a massive lifesafer if you tend to reload a lot after killing enemies (which you should be doing). To pull it off, simply press your weapon change button twice while reloading and it will cancel the reloading animation for a much quicker recovery.

Spawn Trapping

The spawning in this game is more stable compared to previous CoD titles, but ultimately makes it more predictable so spawn trapping is not too difficult to pull off. Essentially, if you noticed from the Maps section of this guide, there are two main spawns in all of the maps on this game. One is on one far end of the map while the other is on the opposite end. If several opposing team members are in both spawns, you will spawn in some random area in the middle edges of the maps.

What you need to know if your going to spawn trap is that each spawn has a detection radius a couple meters surrounding each spawn point. Usually if one or two people are right outside the radius, enemies will still spawn in that location, but very clearly in your line of sight or close enough that they are within a few paces of shooting range. This is particularly easy to pull off in maps with huge open areas on the spawn points such as Infection and Stronghold.

Spawn trapping isn't illegal by any means but kind of a cheap and effective way to rack up easy kills and frustrate opponents. It's similar to trapping a lone objective without actually capturing it in modes such as Domination to make the spawn very predictable for the opposing team.

Immersion

Immersion is immersing yourself in the gameplay and taking advantage of the various sounds of the game. If you have a decent pair of noise cancelling headphones, put them on and open up your ears because almost every movement made by players in this game can be detected, especially with the perk Awareness.

The trick to mastering Immersion is to familiarize yourself with the different kinds of sounds and to anticipate exactly where the enemy is without actually seeing them, whether its in Core with a minimap or no map at all. Even suppressed weapons and thrusters generate a sound, rendering them ineffective against expert players. This is especially important when flanking and camping where prediciting enemy movements is more important than usual. If you need a general rule of thumb just ask yourself, "Is my teammate nearby?". If no, then you've got an enemy nearby. Not only does this save you plenty of perks and attachments, it makes you a much more effective player overall. Soon enough people will be shouting, "WALL HACKER", when they really just can't accept that sounds are an actual aspect to gameplay.

Thrusters

One of the reasons old school players don't like the new CoD games is mainly due to the new thruster and wallrunning features of the game. It more or less eliminates the original, down-to-earth gameplay and adds a new, unexpected element to player movement and predictability. You either evolve with the franchise itself and use those new mechanics to your benefit or struggle to keep up with the faster paced gameplay.

Thrusting is particularly important in Run N' Gun, where your primary form of defense can be unpredictable and unexpected movements, making aiming a hassle. A simple movement that can be really effective is a thrust slide. It can be better than a Dropshot since it quickly covers distance between you and your target and can catch most players off guard (perfect for shotgun users). Another popular movement is a Jumpshot, where you simply thrust jump as high as you can while aiming down and shooting at your enemy. It helps create a delay by the time they start shooting and gives you easy access for a headshot. A more advanced move is a Thrust Jump to a Thrust Slide, especially important when jumping off from a wallrun. It's obviously more flashy and unexpected but also allows you to move around quicker than usual.

If you want to try thrusting out and become more fluid while thrusting and aiming, create Custom Matches with bots and use them as target practice or play Freerun Mode.

Always keep in mind, thrusting generates a big red dot on a mini map without the perk Blast Suppressor. Not everyone checks it out, but against more experienced players its a big problem.

Map Awareness

Map Awareness is similar to Immersion, but involves using the enviroment to your advantage. This is usually tied to Map I.Q. since its involves a good understanding of the maps and their characteristics.

For starters, you should know the various camping spots, contact points and danger zones without too much thinking or guessing. Once you have that down, you can begin to get an idea of where the safest locations are, where the easiest killing spots are and how you can blindside or flank the enemy without them knowing. You should also begin to take advantage of various blind corners and corridors where you have the immediate advantage when attacking enemies. The tiny corridor in the middle of Evac is usually a good spot to blindside enemies along with Northern edge of Metro. Also, using the various bodies of water in certain maps helps a lot since its typically harder to see and move around underwater, but easier to kill. Lastly, various walls available for wallrunning are great for a surprise attack or quick getaway since most are strategically place in areas designed to help you rather than trick you.

Overall, know your maps and know them well. If you haven't made much of an effort to familiarize yourself with them, then do so now because it pays off in the end and gives you knowledge to things various players don't.

Teammates

Teammates are a double-edged sword in my gameplay experiences. They either save me from trouble, or more commonly get me killed by exposing me if anything. Obviously this wouldn't apply to Free-For-All modes, but teammates can either be a valuable resource to you or an anchor holding you back. If you're a high SPM and K/D kind of player, you probably noticed that you probably get a lot more of the lousier players than you can handle when trying to win games. It's Black Ops 3's way of matchmaking and can be an unfortunate one at that, but it happens and you have to live with it.

Now, before you actually begin a match, it's worth scouting the lobby leaderboards to get a glance at what to expect from enemies and teammates alike. Once the match is set up and gameplay is about to begin, you should have general idea of what to expect and how to go about playing the match. If you have a good couple of players on your team, it's generally ok to rely on them to get things done or at least have your back when necessary. If you have a pretty bad batch of teammates, you're probably going to have to do things solo and expect little to no support from them. With a bad group of teammates, you can take notice of them and use them as decoys or "markers" for where enemies are located by noticing where they tend to get killed or by having them go into areas first and keeping an eye out if they get killed or not. Alternatively, you can try to adjusts your killstreaks to support them (i.e. UAVs, sharing Care Packages, H.A.T.R.'s), and by using the team chat often to help them out and point out things they can't notice (not always practical).

Overall, adjust to your team compositions and play accordingly to pull off a win.

IX. How To

This section will provide some guidance on how to do certain things while playing multiplayer. Player input is appreciated and credit will be given where credit is due.

How To: Level Up

Leveling up is pretty standard to most CoD games, but can be quicker if you want to try to speed things up. Here are some common methods and advice to leveling up quicker in BO3.

A pretty common method is to play Domination game modes. These matches tend to be longer than average and have many methods of obtaining EXP. To get the most out of these modes, be sure to attack and defend as well as capture objectives to rack up easy points and level up quickly.

Sometimes this can be tedious but try to complete as many challenges as you can. Try not to limit yourself to a select group of challenges and try to knock out some that are a little outside your comfort zone. Camo challenges tend to add up as well so try to use as many weapons as you can to complete these. Most importantly, don't waste challenges before you prestige. If you complete some when you max out at level 55, you waste the EXP points from the challenge and won't be able to make good use of it in future levels. You can also hold off on some big EXP challenges and complete them as soon as you prestige to quickly breeze by the beginning levels and get some unlockables.

Playing with a group can also make leveling more bearable. Winning and doing good in matches obviously yields better EXP points after the match. Having a group of people to play and communicate will help you win more matches and do better overall.

Prestiging weapons is key to leveling since leveling the guns themselves and unlocking attachments give you EXP as well. Not having your attachments for awhile will seem troubling but leveling the gun multiple times is worthwhile and can make the leveling process noticeably quicker. Keep in mind you can only prestige a weapon twice before it's maxed out for good.

Lastly, keep an eye out for Double EXP and Double Weapon EXP events. These tend to occur pretty often and on weekends so it can be worthwhile to plan your schedule accordingly to get the most out of these events.

How To: Beat A Camper

The key to beating a camper is to figure out what the camper is capable of and where they tend to camp. For starters, you need to figure out their camping location and recognize the various access points to reach them and be able to kill them. Once you know where they are or where they tend to go, you should get an idea of what tools they have at their disposal such as Tacticals, Weapons, and Perks.

The next step would be to figure out "how" they are camping. Are they camping a window, hallway or a corner? Do they have other teammates camping the same area? Are there any killstreaks currently protecting them or the general area? Do they have godly aim and reflexes? Depending on the answers to these questions you need to plan accordingly on how you plan to reach the camper with minimal risks of death.

Generally with window campers, a pretty simple solution is to just snipe them from a distance when they pop up their heads or to anticipate when they get distracted or occupied and to jump into the window and kill them at point-blank range. Corner and hallway campers are more complicated because they have the advantage in aiming and can gun you down before you reach or shoot them. A good tip when dealing with these campers is to eliminate their advantages and give yourself the upperhand to make things easier. You can either stun/blind them, use a specialist ability, or wait until you get a proper killstreak (i.e. HC-XD's, Darts, etc.).

Once you eliminate the camper, it's usually a good idea to hang around the area you killed them in to get some easy kills since most campers will try to run back to the same area and camp it again. You can also booby trap the area with your own arsenal to keep them away and frustrate them. Worst case scenario, if you can't kill the camper and nothing seems to be effective, avoid the area and spare yourself more unnecessary deaths.

How To: Beat A Runner

Beating a runner is simpler than beating a camper, but generally a skilled runner is much harder to beat than it sounds. Depending on the method of running they are using, you need to adjust accordingly and be aware of your surroundings at all times.

A common kind of runner is bad one with little aiming/shooting skills or one who uses a shotgun/knife and who will do almost anything to get close range. Beating these kinds of players is pretty simple; don't get to close and if they do get too close for comfort try to create as much distance between you two as possible, especially by thrusting. Be sure to also keep a steady aim since unexpected movements are common with these runners, particularly jumpshots.

A more difficult kind of runner is a flanker. These players will be as silent as possible and can catch you off guard easily if you're not careful. A good way to counter these players is to apply the Sixth Sense or Awareness perks. Also, keep an eye on nearby teammates and see if any "mysteriously" die. Another good tactic is to place minor traps in nearby locations and to be aware of any that are set off or destroyed. All in all, keep a good eye on yourself and your surroundings and watch out for areas the flanker tends to travel through.

The most difficult kind of runner is the jack-of-all trades kind. These players are usually the best when it comes to all aspects of the gameplay and are almost impossible to beat with conventional 1 on 1 methods. The best way to beat these players is to simply gang up on them, but be sure whoever you are gonna "team" up is up to task and not just another liabilty. If no one seems willing to help out, you're going to have to try to slow down the runner or gain an upper hand by sneaking up on them or stunning/blinding them if you know they're coming. Also, always try to be aware of where they are so you can anticipate where they are going to come from and how safe you are from getting yourself killed. For the most part, if these players are too tough to beat be sure to avoid them but if you need to go up against them be sure to use everything you've got to get the edge.

Final Notes

Next Update:

Adjust DLC Maps for Radius, Adjust Game Modes section with updated listing and pictures

Change Log #	Date	Description
v2.5	03/16/2016	Updated "Introduction" section; Fixed Grammatical Errors.
v2.4	03/12/2016	Created "How To" Section.
v2.1	03/03/2016	Added DLC maps to Maps section; Adjusted Aim section.
v1.8	02/25/2016	Enchanced the Maps section with updated images and new detection radius.
v1.6	02/22/2016	Completed "Perks" section; Fixed grammatical errors
v1.2	02/19/2016	Moved "The Proper Settings" from Tactics to Aim; Fixed minor grammatical errors
v1.0	02/17/2016	Initial Release

I've been playing Call of Duty games since the original Modern Warfare and have played various others shooters in between. I'm by no means an FPS God and mainly play for fun, not always competitively. The contents of this guide are not 100% set in stone and are not the absolute method to playing the game, it's just advice and tips from my multiple years of gameplay experience and whether or not you choose to use them is up to you.

If you have some tips or advice you'd like to discuss that are tried and effective and not posted on the guide, I will gladly add it while giving credit to the contributor. After all, this is meant to be a resource for the players by the players.

Comments are always appreciated as long as they are reasonable and acceptable, and baseless criticisms and trolling are best left to the discussions section of the community hub, not my guide.

Thank you for reading and happy killing! ▄︻̷̿┻̿═━一

- Alexander Marquez

[flimp]

+rep

[Noele Veerod 🖤]

Good read!

[Ergis]

or you couldve just typed "use haymaker instant win everytime"

[HawksWill]

Section 5- AIm

You dont need it in black ops 3.

[Toreador]

I don;t see how to beat a camper who is using a Drakon with thermal and Rapid fire

[|BB|~DrumFix]

Nice!

[LeftoverAtoms]

What about the black market weapons?

[ToXXicPanda]

nice im looking forward to more DLC maps
bec i love multiplayer
+rep good guide

[Passion]

Nicely put, looking forward to more tips.

[LostCrusader]

Loving your guide, really comprehensive. The maps section escpeially is really useful. Keep up the good work!