6 Styles of Play To Consider For Black Ops

Another unfamiliar name writing today: Ed! A little background: I started up CoD Black Ops News and used to be Site Admin – those who participated in the live-blog on Sept 1st may remember me – but now I’m just helping out. All those articles in the past written by ‘admin’ were me! So, without further ado…

Many Call of Duty players like to specialize in a particular style of play. There’s rushers, snipers and heavy gunmen, to name a few. In today’s Black Ops countdown article, I’m going to be taking you through a few new play-styles to consider.

Fuelled by montages on YouTube, sniping in Call of Duty has gradually been redefined as the ‘party trick’ play-style. The focus has shifted from long-range support play to run-’n'-gun quickscoping with 360 ladder-shots to boot. However, Treyarch have affirmed that they’re combatting quickscoping in Black Ops, for better or for worse. Rather than give an opinion on this tweak, I’ve decided to propose a return to good-old fashioned marksman sniping.

Primary weapon: Dragunov w/ Variable Zoom Scope attachment

Secondary weapon: ASP

Equipment: Claymore

Lethal grenade: Tomahawk

Tactical grenade: Smoke

Perk 1: Ghost

Perk 2: Scout

Perk 3: Marathon

This class should enable you to sneak around, undetected (thanks to the Ghost perk), in order to pick the best location you can find. From there, the Scout perk will allow you to hold your breath for that extra second in order to score a one-shot kill, while the Variable Zoom Scope will let you pick off the most distant of enemies. Finally, Marathon will allow you to sprint off and find another position before the opposition get wise to your hiding place. Just to be sure, though, use your claymore to protect your back.

There was a vocal minority of players that were disappointed over Infinity Ward’s decision to include the M21 EBR sniper rifle (strictly a fictional gun) in the Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, while omitting its assault rifle brother and namesake, the M14 EBR. They’ll be pleased to hear that the M14 returns in Black Ops, together with a vintage wooden look.

Primary weapon: M14 w/ custom red dot sight

Secondary weapon: Python

Equipment: C4

Lethal grenade: Frag

Tactical grenade: Decoy

Perk 1: Scavenger

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Second Chance

This class has something for every situation. First off, the M14 is a high-damage weapon, and, coupled with a custom red dot sight, will be capable of killing enemies at range. However, when surprised at close-quarters, the Steady Aim perk will allow you to hip-fire and get yourself out of some tricky situations. In objective games, the combination of the Decoy tactical grenade and C4 will allow you to set a trap: plant your C4 in a doorway or corridor and then use the Decoy to draw enemies out.

Finally, the combination of Second Chance and the high-powered Python handgun should allow you to snag some last-ditch kills.

Although Juggernaut won’t be returning as a health-boosting perk, it doesn’t stop you from emulating the armoured-up baddies of Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops! The Juggernaut class packs plenty of firepower, but not much pace…

Primary weapon: M60 w/ Grip

Secondary weapon: China Lake Grenade Launcher

Equipment: Radar Scrambler

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Nova Gas

Perk 1: Flak Jacket

Perk 2: Hardened

Perk 3: Tactical Mask

Sporting the famous M60 light machine gun, often seen mounted on helicopters, you’ll be able to tear through enemies with this class. Chuck Nova Gas into a crowded corridor and mow them down, as they stumble around blindly. Deploy your Radar Scrambler to add to their confusion. Hardened will allow you to spray through walls in order to catch those hiding in cover, while Tactical Mask and Flak Jacket will render you almost immune to explosives and stun grenades. If you run out of ammo, switch to your China Lake and decimate multiple hostiles with a single explosive round.

Rushing is not a new play-style, but it’ll be as thriving as ever in Black Ops. The basic premise of rushing is to be light, nimble and quick, so that they can sprint behind enemy lines and catch them out.

Primary weapon: MPL w/ Silencer

Secondary weapon: Ballistic Knife

Equipment: Motion Detector

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Flashbang

Perk 1: Lightweight

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Marathon

The combination of Marathon and Lightweight will make this class faster than Usain Bolt (don’t quote me on that!). Steady Aim will allow you to spray from the hip with more accuracy, giving you a split-second advantage when you surprise the enemy in their spawn. Both your weapons are silenced, so you needn’t worry about picking your shots. Set the Motion Detector by your A or C flag on Domination, and sprint back if you’re alerted that someone’s trying to capture it. Finally, the Ballistic Knife will allow for stealthy kills if you want to keep a low profile.

The Shotgun was a secondary weapon in Modern Warfare 2, much to the surprise of many players. However, it’s reclaimed its original place as a primary weapon in CoD: Black Ops. Shotgunning, like rushing with an SMG, relies on the element of surprise. If you get the first shot in, you should get the kill – but venture out into the open and you’ll have little protection from snipers.

Primary weapon: SPAS-12  w/ Grip

Secondary weapon: Crossbow w/ Scope

Equipment: C4

Lethal grenade: Frag

Tactical grenade: Concussion

Perk 1: Lightweight

Perk 2: Steady Aim

Perk 3: Ninja

Although similar to the ‘Catch me if you can’ class, this class also packs a crossbow for longer range kills. Steady Aim decreases the spread of your shotgun pellets, making a one-shot kill more likely. Ninja will make your footsteps silent, so you can sneak up on enemies. The Concussion tactical grenade (formerly known as a stun grenade) will slow down your enemy if they’re just out of range, and Lightweight will allow you to take advantage of this in order to take your shot from close range.

In team-based objective games such as Domination and Capture the Flag, you need to put the good of the team before yourself. To recognize this, Treyarch have removed Kill per Death ratios from objective games, in order to encourage players not to focus on their personal kills but on the team’s objective. Here’s a class that’ll make you popular with your team-mates:

Primary weapon: Enfield w/ custom red dot sight

Secondary weapon: RPG

Equipment: Camera Spike

Lethal grenade: Semtex

Tactical grenade: Flashbang

Perk 1: Hardline

Perk 2: Sleight of Hand

Perk 3: Hacker

This class packs power and precision: the Enfield with your choice of sight will allow you to pick off the bomb planter from a suitable vantage point, while the RPG will allow you to blast away several enemies capturing a flag on Domination. The Camera Spike equipment will help you to watch your back in case of flanking. Hardline helps you to earn those killstreaks sooner (equip UAV in order to help your team discover enemies with only a 2-killstreak), while Hacker will allow you to warn your team of the opposition’s claymores. Finally, Sleight of Hand will give you an all-important quicker reload-time.

That’s all for today! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the next article in our countdown series. 6 days to go!

PS: A big thanks to Jamie, a moderator over at the forums, for sourcing those images.

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Black Ops’ Soundtrack and Valkyrie Rocket Info

Treyarch and Activision recently announced that Sean Murray, the composer who provided much of the soundtrack to World at War, has returned to compose the soundtrack for Black Ops. An excerpt from the press release can be found below.

“SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 4, 2010 /PRNewswire/ – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) revealed today that the soundtrack to the most anticipated game of the year, Treyarch’s Call of Duty®: Black Ops, will also be available for download starting November 9th.  Featuring the music of renowned film composer, Sean Murray, the digital-only soundtrack includes 30 tracks available through iTunes and other major digital media retailers.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops soundtrack, part of a digital distribution agreement between Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Fontana, the award-winning independent sales, marketing and distribution division of Universal Music Group, will be available for purchase online for a retail price of $11.99 per entire soundtrack or $.99 per track.

Sean Murray, one of the entertainment industry’s most esteemed musical talents, reunites with Treyarch for the Call of Duty: Black Ops soundtrack, an encore to his Call of Duty®: World at War composition.”

Players may remember portions of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Dies Irae featured in World at War, towards the end in the Red Army portion of the campaign. We know that Activision has licensing to use some Cold War era music, so it won’t be strictly a composed score.

COD HQ, the official Call of Duty message board and notice center, has updated with some more intel on Valkyrie Rockets, the 8-kill streak reward. The full post can be found below, courtesy of COD HQ.

The objective is in sight, but your backup’s been taken out and there’s no time to wait for reinforcements. Two defenders carelessly wait by the capture point, but a third more carefully covers the flag from a balcony above. You need something that can take out the grouped soldiers.

Enter the Valkyrie Rockets.

The Valkyrie Rockets killstreak is accessible after 7 kills. Activate it to call in a Care Package drop with a launcher and two rockets. Equip the launcher and move to an open position. Now things get interesting.

After launching a rocket, you retain control over its trajectory. It travels at high speeds, but it’s got a lot of mobility. Swerve around obstacles and over rooftops. Enemies are highlighted for easy kills. If you need to cover ground quickly, the rocket even has a boost function, plus a manual detonation trigger for extra power and control.

The Valkyrie Rockets killstreak is particularly effective when defending objectives from a distance. Blasting an enemy off a Domination point or a flag, or quickly clearing enemy headquarters is vastly more satisfying with the Valkyrie Rockets. Use their mobility to surprise enemies and prevent your targets from retaliating.

How will you use the Valkyrie Rockets? Will you save them to defend and assault objectives, wait for groups of enemies to open themselves up to fire, or simply let loose into the open skies, guiding the rocket across the map and into the enemy lines?

We’re certainly anxious to try out our Valkyrie Rockets on November 9th, and we hope you’ll join us in counting down these last few days until release! Be sure to check out our forum for some captivating discussion on all things Black Ops.

Thanks for checking in with us!

Source: COD HQ | Activision PR

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Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer - GameSpot Now Playing

5 Things to Expect from the Campaign

Hello, again, gang. Today, in our continued Countdown to Black Ops, we bring you an editorial from our Forum Administrator, Mike! He will be touching on one of the most overlooked parts of Black Ops, the campaign! Too many people don’t ever play campaign, or only get to it after a few months of Multiplayer and Co-op. With all of the brilliance going into Treyarch’s passionate and captivating campaign mode, it is a shame to see it go unplayed by so many people. With those few words, I will pass it on over to Mike.

Five days to go! Really, who here isn’t excited? I don’t think anyone is raising their hands, so, on with today’s countdown article!

I was reading through the comments on one of the previous articles, and I saw a whole string of replies talking about how some of our readers were planning to play the games campaign first for a variety of reasons. Many users of our forums will know that I could not agree more! Yes, multiplayer is the part of the game that will keep you coming back over and over again for a long time, but it is the story-driven campaign where the developers can really stretch their creativity and show their true talent at the art of creating an engaging and well worth playing video game. The SinglePlayer campaign of Black Ops promises to be one of the best yet. And so here are the FIVE things that you should expect from Black Ops campaign! (NOTE: CoD Black Ops News does not report on any leaked material, so all the items in this list are either speculation or details released BY Treyarch!)

Black Ops is taking Call of Duty to a relatively un-touched time era in video games, the Cold War. It was a time of controversy and strained international relations. The United States and the USSR were constantly at each others throats, just waiting to finally attack the other. In reality, it is a miracle that the Cold War never escalated into all-out war. However, Black Ops will look deeper into the Cold War. It will show covert operations and missions that only conspiracy theorists could believe. Of course, the story is fictional, and we have no idea what really happened during the Cold War that was hidden from the public, but one thing is for sure… It is an awesome setting for a video game!

Treyarch showed with Call of Duty: World at War that they are not against using violence and language to help in the telling of the game’s story. Black Ops is almost certain to continue in that same vein, and explicative are expected to be aplenty, and violence will be prevalent. Treyarch has even said that they had to tone down the violence, as even they felt it went too far. One must also remember that conflicts during this time period, most notably the Vietnam War, were notorious for being controversial and violent. Anyone who has seen one of the many popular Vietnam war films that have been released over the years since the wars conclusion, or has seen pictures or heard retelling of the war from it’s veterans and will know exactly what I am talking about. It only makes sense that Treyarch will portray this same level of content in Black Ops. If not overdone, things like this can actually help a game’s story get it’s message across, and that is no doubt the approach Treyarch is taking.

The big theme for Black Ops is deniable operations and going “behind enemy lines” (something that Mark Lamia has made a point of telling us!). A lot of people, myself included, expect Treyarch to look at some of the most influential events of the Cold War Era and try to show us what might have happened that the public didn’t see. Some people may think of it as Treyarch creating their own conspiracy theories, but I feel that it is more speculation. We all love to imagine “what if…” and that is exactly what Treyarch is doing. Expect a lot of recognizable names and events to be mentioned! The Cold War was a controversial time, and Black Ops will almost certainly be using that to it’s advantage!

Especially early in the games development, a lot of people thought of the next Call of Duty as CoD: Vietnam. While Black Ops does have levels that take place in Vietnam, there will be plenty of other locals for you to fight in! The game will be taking players all around the globe, in various missions that go “behind enemy lines”. The trailers have show Washington D.C., Cuba, some sort of underwater location, and more! The deniable operations subject matter of Black Ops allows Treyarch nearly full freedom with the games plot, and they are taking advantage of that, creating a story that circles the globe! Expect plenty of diverse locations when we finally get to play the game in only a few more days!

Treayarch has shown through it’s trailers that they plan to tie the games story in with the real life history of the Cold War, and that includes a number of Political Figures. Two of these well known people have been highlighted in recent Black Ops trailers. These two are Robert McNamara and John F. Kennedy. Kennedy is the better known of the two. He was president for a rime of the Cold War era before being famously assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald. McNamara, on the other hand, may be less familiar. He was Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense, and played a large role in much of the Cold War, helping to influence key events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, and he continued to serve under Lyndon B. Johnson after Kennedy’s Assassination. McNamara was spotted in the games SinglePlayer trailer, and Kennedy was spotted briefly during the Launch Trailer, among other key protagonists, leading us to believe that he may play a large role in the games plot.

Thanks for taking the time to read Mike’s editorial, and a big thanks to Mike for taking the time to write it! We hope you’ll check back with us, and visit our forum, as we’re sure that there are bound to be a few last minute interviews or surprises before Black Ops is released in just a few short days!

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13 Ways that Combat Training will Improve Your Game

Welcome to the second entry of our Countdown to Black Ops Articles. This post will point out just some of the ways that Combat Training will improve your skill in Call of Duty: Black Ops.

First things first though – an introduction to Combat Training! Those of you who have had anything to do with Call of Duty: Black Ops since the September 1st Multiplayer Reveal will probably know all about Combat Training. For those of you who have had your head in the sand, Combat Training is a brand new game mode that involves you fighting against enemy A.I! This can be played alone, or with a partner via splitscreen offline, or even co-operatively with friends online. Game modes include Free For All and Team Deathmatch. There will also be separate rank progressions in Combat Training and regular multiplayer.

This article covers the basics of Combat Training, and will provide anyone who is still sceptical about the new game mode with a number of reasons why Combat Training will have a very positive impact on your game.

Get into Multiplayer – Are you one of the few people who have never tried Call of Duty’s online component? Maybe you’ve dabbled with the multiplayer, but never really got into it… Or maybe you think you will not be good enough, and don’t want people yelling at you for being a ‘noob’… If you fit into one of these categories, then Combat Training is definitely right up your alley. The main reason Treyarch implemented Combat Training into Black Ops was to help people get involved in the multiplayer aspect; people who have never made the leap like so many millions have. Combat Training will provide everybody, from total beginners to experienced gamers, with a starting point in Black Ops’ multiplayer. Hesitant about Competitive MP? Test the waters with Combat Training!

Learn the Maps – A second way Combat Training will help your game is enabling you to learn the maps, including finding all the best places to set up a base with your team, or even the places to avoid that look like certain deathtraps. This was possible before in a private match, but Combat Training will greatly increase the effectiveness, providing you with enemies and team mates to observe or fight against.See the Maps’ Interactivity – Most, or all of Black Op’s maps will have some kind of interactivity, enabling players to activate something during gameplay to use to their advantage. For example, on ‘Launch‘, a rocket can be launched via a control panel. As the rocket takes off, it will fry anybody underneath. Conveniently, a bomb site for Search & Destroy is located directly underneath the rocket’s blasters. So, with Combat Training, you can play each map, and figure out how you think each map’s special interactivity can be used to your advantage! The Rocket lifting off on Launch

Improve Your Strategies & Tactics – After learning the maps, and their interactivity, you can continue to use Combat Training to further evolve the way you play Black Ops. You can try new tactics and strategies for Free For All and Team Deathmatch, and if they don’t work right away, then no matter, your online stats will not be affected.Alter Your Gameplay Style – Is your usual CoD playing style not doing so well in Black Ops? Maybe you feel like the gameplay is different, or the new maps don’t suit your play style as much… Combat Training is the perfect solution for you! You will be able to find a new play style, again without affecting your online stats. For example if you are a sniper, you can learn how to rush against the enemy A.I., or if you prefer to rush and that isn’t working, you can learn to play slower and more tactically.Practice Using New Weapons - Black Ops features many new weapons, most of which we have never seen in a Call of Duty game before. Therefore, it will take some time to get used to using them. For sure, old favourites like the AK-47 return, but there are many new assault rifles and sub-machine guns, to use. Also, shotguns return to being a Primary Weapon, and new special secondaries, namely the crossbow and the ballistic knife, are brand new, and will require practice to use effectively. Test your skills with the Crossbow

Use the New Equipment – Even more prominent than the new weapons in Black Ops is the new equipment. Tactical equipment such as the Jammer, Motion Sensor, and the Camera Spike will bring several new possibilities to Call of Duty. Combat Training will allow you to purchase them and find the best uses for them before you take them into competitive multiplayer.Learn the Effectiveness of Killstreaks – Killstreaks in the past have been very much ‘fire and forget’, but Call of Duty is now moving away from that with many user-controlled killstreaks. The Gunship is a prime example of this; an 11-killstreak, it allows you to take full control of a helicopter gunship, meaning that you can fly or hover wherever you like, and both rockets and minigun can be fired. Other examples include the RC-XD, Valkyrie Missile, and the new rare Care Package drops ‘Death Machine’ and ‘Grim Reaper’. Why not use some of these in Combat Training? Set the difficulty to easy so you can gain the killstreaks faster, and learn how to use them to their maximum potential.Create and Share Tactics with Friends – Combat Training can be played both online with friends and offline with a partner via splitscreen. You could use Combat Training to come up with new tactics working as a pair, and translate this into the competitive multiplayer. Teams are always more effective and more likely to crush the opposition if they work together, and Combat Training is the perfect basis for this.Improve Your Campaign – Scenario: You have become stuck on a mission in the Single player campaign, when trying to complete the game on Veteran difficulty. You do not want to lower the difficulty level, because you want the achievement/trophy for completing the campaign on Veteran. What do you do? Well now, rather than dying endlessly at the same spot, give Combat Training a try! There you will be able to not only improve your skills, but you will also be able to see how the enemy A.I. works, how they use cover, and look for signals that they might be about to shoot at you.Utilise the Dive Mechanic – A first for Call of Duty, the new Black Ops contains a new gameplay mechanic. When sprinting, if you hold the Crouch/Prone Button, then you will perform a new diving manoeuvre. This is primarily used for defence, to avoid someone’s gunfire or even to dive through windows to avoid killstreaks like the RC-XD or an airstrike. However, it is possible to use if for offence, even though it will take you a half-second to adjust your gun before you can fire. Combat Training will allow you to quickly get used to this new mechanic, and it will enable you to work out the best times to use it to maximum effectiveness. Learn to dive-to-prone like a champ - note the right side of this image

Improve Accuracy & Reaction Time – If your Call of Duty skills are anything like mine, I can guarantee that fairly often you see an enemy, bring your weapon up the shoulder and prepare to fire, but in that time he has already done the same and shoots you first. Well, Combat Training will provide us all with a perfect play area to improve our reaction time, and shooting accuracy. The difficulty can be set to easy if you are a beginner or if your accuracy and reactions are not up to par, and you can increase the difficulty as you improve to provide more of a challenge.Test things out! – Finally, the thirteenth way that Combat Training will improve your game is by giving you the ability to test new weapons, attachments, equipment, perks, and killstreaks. As mentioned in the beginning of this post, rank progression is separate in Combat Training and Online Multiplayer. This will mean that a player will be able to use CoD Points earned in Combat Training to buy things they aren’t sure about, without wasting their valuable Multiplayer CoD Points. For example, say you unlock FAMAS assault rifle in Multiplayer, you may think ‘should I be spending my points on this gun?’ If so, why not buy it in Combat Training, where you can test it out to see if you like it, without it having any negative effects on your Multiplayer stats!

There you have it, thirteen ways that Combat Training will evolve your Black Ops Multiplayer experience! Combat Training certainly is a fantastic edition into Call of Duty. While it may not be a new thing for a First-Person Shooter, it is certainly brand new to Call of Duty, and will surely be one of the best additions into the series to date. Everybody should use Combat Training at some point, even seasoned experts. Overall though, it provides a perfect basis to learn the extremely popular multiplayer component of the Call of Duty franchise if you have not experienced it before.

How much will your game improve? Find out November 9th, and be sure to head back here to report your success stories involving Combat Training! Feel free to share your own Combat Training tactics below, or over at our community forum. Just a note on our mathematics here: we are counting down the days using Pacific Daylight Time, the time zone that Treyarch/Activision are in and we are counting the current day, but not counting November 9th because there are zero days left on that day. So, if you count that out, you should end up with 1 day left on November 8th. Hope that explains our math a bit, we saw some confusion in the comments section.

Thanks, as always, for checking in with us!

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Co-op News Inbound? Plus Small Misc Updates

It is starting to look more and more like we will be getting our first real taste of what Black Ops’ co-op mode is going to be about pretty soon. By pretty soon, we mean this Sunday. Josh Olin recently tweeted that they have ‘one helluva #CODBlackOps launch trailer’ coming our direction this Sunday. We are also expecting GameTrailers to air part 4 of their Bonus Round feature, which we expect to feature co-op, but that is not confirmed.

A brief look at Zombies, via GKNova 6

As each video launches, we will have that up for you as soon as possible along with a review of what we were able to see. Here’s to hoping for some Zombies!

Call of Duty: Black Ops! This years Golden Joysticks award for the One to

One to Watch - Black Ops

Watch for 2010 went to Black Ops. These awards are voted on by us, the gaming community.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was awarded the Golden Joystick for Shooter of the Year. While some may argue that point, we definitely feel that Modern Warfare 2 earned this one.

Members of the Wii community have been getting pretty nervous lately. There has been an all-out drought concerning news for the Wii version of Black Ops. Sadly, this is the same story that was told for Modern Warfare Reflex and World at War. Members of the community were left in the dark until release was just days away. It seems that Treyarch and Activision have taken that route again, but there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Josh Olin said, via his Twitter account, that Wii news was on the way. Hopefully this will be sometime soon, and in the form of a trailer or images.

Stick around, however, because we’ll be continuing our Countdown to Black Ops each day and continuing to bring you the latest intel as it comes in. We’ve also got part 2 of our Strategy and Tactics Guide on the way, so be sure to check back for that in the coming days.

Thanks, as always, for checking in!

Source: CVG

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11 Killstreaks and How They Can Help You

Hello there, and welcome to the next installment in our Countdown to November 9th. Today, we’re bringing you a quick guide on Killstreak Rewards. This is an editorial, written by our very own Graphics Designer, Brushfire. Brushfire touches on some of the finer details of Black Ops’ Killstreak Rewards and provides some great insight as to their effective use. Check out Brushfires full editorial below.

Welcome to the next edition of the Countdown to Call of Duty: Black Ops. This article will detail some of the new killstreaks in Call of Duty: Black Ops and how exactly they can be used to benefit your game. A quick little run-down on the killstreaks on the game first: Killstreaks will not add towards your killstreakKillstreak will stackCustomized killstreaks will return from Modern Warfare 2Drivable vehicles will return in the form of some killstreaks

This information seems pretty basic, but it’s notable enough to include. So, without further ado, 11 Killstreaks and how they can help you!

RC-XD (3 killstreak): Many of you may be thinking “how exactly is this little toy car going to help me get kills?”, and I’ll be honest, I’m thinking the same thing. Some people view this as overpowered, some people view it as underpowered. Personally, I believe it to be the latter due to it’s difficult controlling and time limit. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be used very effectively, especially in certain game types such as Headquarters. You can easily drive this nifty little car straight to the Headquarters for a possible 4-5 kills! Of course, that’s hardly a guarantee but certainly possible.

The RC-XD is one example of an interactive killstreak reward

SAM Turret (4 killstreak): I honestly think that this will be one of the most unused and undermined killstreaks in the game, but it really shouldn’t be like that. In the past, if the enemy has had a strong killstreak reward out (Attack Helicopter, Harrier Strike, Chopper Gunner, AC-130) you’ve had to switch to a “Launcher class” and take it out. Well, that should no longer be the case! Simply run SAM Turret, and it’s only a 4 killstreak and it’ll take out almost any killstreak for you. It can take it everything in the air but the Blackbird, which can’t be shot down. Enemy Chopper Gunner on the way? Use your SAM Turret and it’ll shoot it down without a problem. In my honest opinion, a very useful killstreak.

Care Package (5 killstreak): You might be thinking, “uh, yeah, this isn’t a new killstreak reward…” which is very true. However, there are a few changes to it. For starters, it is now a 5 killstreak rather than a 4 killstreak. Why? Well, we could sit here and debate on that all day but the main reason is probably the “special weapons” you can now obtain from it: namely the Grim Reaper and the Death Machine. The Death Machine looks like a beefed up version of an LMG, and could be a very deadly killstreak reward if used properly. As far as we know, as no evidence as suggested otherwise, you can obtain any of the killstreak rewards through the care package. Chopper Gunner or Attack Dogs from a 5 killstreak? Who’s going to complain about that? Not only that, but complete with the use of Hardline Pro (second chance for a Care Package reward) if you’re not satisfied with your Care Package you can try again for a better reward.

Napalm Strike (5 kilstreak): This killstreak is very similar to the other 5 killstreaks in other games, such as the Airstrike in COD4, the Artillery Strike in World at War and the Precision Airstrke in MW2. However, while it is indeed very similar to them, it is not exactly the same. The Napalm Strike not only bombs the area but also sets it alight, meaning that even once the strike is complete you can still get kills through the fire burning people. Pretty useful.

Napalm: One of the many Killstreak Rewards with explosive power

Mortar Team (6 killstreak): I believe that this is definitely one of the best new killstreaks that there is. Why? It’s quite similar to the Napalm Strike in a few ways, minus the fire, except that you select 3 different locations for the mortars to land. This killstreak is extremely useful in Domination, as you can select A, B and C as the three locations for the mortar team to land. “We are losing Charlie!”? Sure, you could quickly put a Napalm Strike on the location, or you could try and get the opportunity to win back B at the same time. Definitely a very useful killstreak, and hopefully it will be used as such.

Valkyrie Rockets (7 killstreak): Another one of the controllable killstreaks. I see this as being quite similar to the RC-XD in terms of usefulness, but it’s better in a few ways. Namely, you have two tries instead of one. It’s a lot less unlikely that they’ll be destroyed on the way (RC-XD can be shot and explode before they reach you). They are airbourne, so there will be less trouble navigating. On the flip side, they become almost useless inside. They also have a larger explosion range. Again, like the RC-XD, they become very useful on tactical gamemodes like Headquarters as you can fire a rocket into the HQ and kill almost everyone capturing it.

The RC-XD offers mobile explosive power - note the Valkyrie Rocket in frame, as well

Blackbird (8 killstreak): Can easily be described as a “beefed up Spy Plane”. Not only does it show the location of the enemies, but also what direction they are headed in. A lot of people didn’t like UAV for that reason, as it only showed where they were- they could be running away from you or towards you and you wouldn’t have any idea until you got to them. Using the Blackbird allows you to have a distinct tactical advantage over the enemies. Not only that, but unlike the Spy Plane, it cannot be shot down by a Primary weapon, a Launcher or even the SAM Turret, so you’ll keep it out for as long as… well, however long it lasts.

SR-71 Blackbird

Rolling Thunder (8 killstreak): This carpet bomb airstrike is very similar to the Stealth Bomber in MW2. You select where to place it (the mini-map shows what direction the carpet strike will be going, too) and the Rolling Thunder comes in and bombs that area in a line. I can see this being useful on open-spaced, large maps with no buildings, as you could carpet bomb an area where the enemy may be and you’re bound to get someone. You’d use this killstreak very similarly to the Stealth Bomber in MW2, which is why I see it as being quite underused.

Chopper Gunner (9 killstreak): So, the Chopper Gunner is now a 9 killstreak rather than an 11 killstreak? Whoa! Well, for starters, due to the whole “killstreaks don’t add towards your killstreak” thing you’re quite unlikely to be seeing much of this anyway (which is actually more reasons for you to use that Care Package!). This killstreak may have been watered down, but it’s still quite deadly. You’re on a mounted turret inside a helicopter, meaning no infrared. Though really, this makes it quite a bit easier, as it’s much easier to see people. From the gameplay that I’ve seen of it, it’s still quite similar to the old killstreak but with more recoil. Should still be quite easy to obtain kills with on open-spaced maps.

Attack Dogs (11 killstreak): We send the dogs to do our work! Many of you may have been wondering why they are now an 11 killstreak as opposed to 7… as Josh Olin pointed out, they now have “sharper teeth”. Meaning, they are now a one-bite-kill rather than two. This makes them A LOT more deadly, as many people had trouble killing them back when they were a two-bite-kill. They are said to be very similar to the World at War dogs in every aspect other than that, so be prepared! Attack Dogs are useful to use over the Gunship as you can still run around and obtain kills while your dogs are out also getting you kills, so you aren’t as likely to be killed while trying to hide when activating the Gunship.

Gunship (11 killstreak): And finally, the Gunship! This is probably one of the most anticipated killstreak rewards, and it seems to be very similar, if not exactly the same, to the Hind Helicopter gameplay we saw in the Single Player reveal at E3. You can use both the rockets and the machine gun, similar to the AC-130 in MW2. However, this seems to be even more powerful than that as it doesn’t appear to have any cooldown time, nor does it use infrared. Although, you’re still very unlikely to see much of it because of the whole killstreaks don’t add towards your killstreak thing, but if by any mixture of luck and skill you do obtain this killstreak, it seems to be very powerful. It is useful to use over dogs as dogs can be [fairly] easily killed by multiple people, whereas the Gunship is in the air and there’s only one of them. You’re more likely to kill someone trying to shoot you down than your dog is. Whichever one you pick mainly becomes out of preference because of this, as they both have their ups and downs!

Well, that’s it! That’s simply my opinion on what some of the new killstreaks can provide you with, and that may differ to many other people’s, and we’ll only know for sure how exactly useful they can be on November 9th. Why don’t you share your opinion on the community forum? Hopefully we’ll see you over there! Ciao!

So, there we have that! Be sure to check back with us as we continue the Countdown. This Sunday is scheduled to be a pretty exciting day for Black Ops. Josh Olin, Treyarch’s Community Manager, has said that they are going to release a really exciting Launch trailer on Sunday. We’re also expecting part four of GameTrailers Bonus Round featuring Black Ops.

Be sure to stick around! Thanks for checking in.

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