Call of Duty Warzone: A Beginners Guide
With the majority of the world stuck at home, more and more people are hopping online to play Call of Duty’s free to play battle royal game, Warzone. With this influx of new people, a lot of them are playing Warzone for the first time. It can be frustrating learning the controls and going up against the seasoned veterans of the franchise. But rage no more! Over the next couple minutes, I will show you some of the best ways to get better at Warzone. These various tips and tricks will help you survive longer and win more games.
Before You Drop In: The Basics
Bump Up Your Sensitivity:
If you want to succeed in Warzone, you’re going to need a higher sensitivity. I know a lot of people that like to set their sensitivity around 3-5 which is just too slow. I strongly recommend a sensitivity between 7-10. This will help you scan the environment and switch between enemies in the blink of an eye. If you’re up for it and have the time to practice, you can go up to 15. Anything higher than that will most likely make you worse at the game.
If you’re used to using a lower sensitivity, you’re going to need to practice. The best way to practice is to create a private match with bots as your enemies. Set them to whichever difficulty you see fit and get to work.
Changing Your Button Layout:
Similar to sensitivity, this is all about personal preference, but it can make a huge difference in your gameplay. I like to play on tactical button layout so it’s easier to drop shot. I also changed my interact settings from holding square to just tapping, which is called Contextual Tap. While playing Warzone, you’ll have to pick up a lot of items. This new setting will make that much more efficient.
Customize your Loadouts:
The weapons that you get from supply boxes in Warzone aren’t the best, but they’ll work. The best way to increase your chances of winning is to get a Loot Crate and select one of your custom loadouts.
The great thing about getting your custom loadout is that you can make it whatever you want. Personally, I like to use a SMG like the MP7 or MP5 and a sniper like the AX50 or Kar98. With a loadout like this, you have the opportunity to hit your enemies from range before pushing to a close quarters battle with your SMG.
My Favorite Weapon Loadout:
My favorite loadouts switch almost every game, but one of my favorites right now is the Kar98 with the MP5.
Obviously, you should pick the weapons that you are the most comfortable with. Having two weapons at your disposal can be the difference between wiping a squad and getting sent to the Gulag.
Along with weapons customized to your preferences, picking up your loadout gives you perks and equipment.
Perks:
There are 6 options in each of the 3 perk categories. These perks can give you an upper hand against your enemies if you select the right combination.
Perk 1:
I recommend using Cold-Blooded so you’re invisible to thermal sights and can’t get tagged by recon drones. Kill Chain is another good option because it gives you a higher chance of finding a killstreak in supply boxes. This is extremely helpful if you find it hard to get money to buy killstreaks at buy stations.
Perk 2:
If you’re running a loadout with two primary weapons, you’re forced to use Overkill. However, if you don’t want two primary weapons, the options in the Perk 2 section are by far the most helpful for yourself and your team. Hardline gives you a 25% discount at the buy station. This includes killstreaks, field upgrades, and armor plates. High Alert will let you know if an enemy is looking at you. This helps avoid getting randomly headshot by some guy laying on a roof top 500 meters away. Ghost makes you undetectable by UAVs, Radar Drones, and Heartbeat Sensors so you’re invisible to the enemy. And finally, Pointman gives your team more money when you complete missions in Warzone.
Perk 3:
The third set of perks is really all up to personal preference. I like to use Amped so I can switch weapons faster. Overall, the perks in this set won’t have a huge impact on your game. Tune Up makes you revive teammates faster, and Shrapnel gives you an extra lethal. Battle Hardened reduces the effects of flashbangs and other equipment, and Spotter shows you where enemy equipment is. Finally, Tracker shows you enemies footsteps.
Equipment:
There are two categories for equipment which are Lethal and Tactical, and they mean exactly what their names are. The Lethal category is for equipment that does damage to enemies. Tactical equipment is either used to disorientate, confuse, or to find the enemy.
Lethal:
The items in the Lethal category are Claymore, Frag Grenade, Molotov Cocktail, C4, Semtex, Throwing Knife, Proximity Mine, and Thermite. All of these items are very useful in Warzone except for the Throwing Knife because you have to be extremely precise and it doesn’t do much damage. It is important to pick the item that best fits your play style. For example, if you are more into pushing enemies, you’re going to want an item that you can throw. These items are the Frag, Molotov, C4, Semtex, and Thermite. If you want to sit and camp in a spot for a while, then I recommend using the Claymore or Proximity Mine.
Tactical:
Similar to the Lethal items, your choice of Tactical equipment depends on your play style. Your options for Tactical equipment are Flash Grenade, Stun Grenade, Smoke Grenade, Snapshot Grenade, Heartbeat Sensor, Gas Grenade, Stim, and Decoy Grenade.
Aggressive:
If you’re more into pushing enemies, then the Flash, Stun, and Gas Grenades are your best fit. Each of these items disorientates your enemy in a different way which allows you to bust in and gun them down.
Passive:
If you’re more tactical, then I recommend using the Smoke and Decoy Grenades. The Smoke Grenade will create a wall of smoke that can be used to block off vision from your enemies. If you’re smart, you can attach a Thermal Scope to one of your weapons so you can see through your smoke. The Decoy Grenade will mimic gun fire which will cause enemies to look in that direction. This will give you the opportunity to flank them.
Finally, the Snapshot Grenade and Heartbeat Sensor will show you where enemies are which is very useful when you’re entering a new building or area.
My Perks and Equipment:
Warzone Tactics
Whether you’re playing Warzone in Solos, Doubles, Trios, or Quads, you’re going to need some kind of game plan. If you try to go into a game guns blazing, you’re going to get lit up. I’m going to break this up into three sections. Picking a landing zone, early game, and late game.
Picking a Landing Zone:
Where you land on the warzone will determine how your entire game goes. If you land somewhere “hot”, which is usually somewhere close to the beginning of the drop or a popular location on the map, there will be a lot of people. Be prepared to fight the moment your boots touch the ground. These “hot drops” usually have the best loot. If you’re able to find a spot that has good weapons, you should be alright as long as you can hit your shots.
Luckily, not all the drops in Warzone are as popular and hectic as hot drops. There are a lot of other places to land that will give you time to get settled in and prepared to take everyone out. However, no matter what, you have to remember that wherever the beginning of the drop is, is usually the most popular place to land. Beware of dropping early.
The Map:
Below, I have highlighted places on the map that are “hot” (red), places that you’ll be able to land at relatively easily (green), and zones that are in-between (yellow).
With that in mind, another thing to account for is how far your selected landing area is from the first circle. If you pick a landing zone that is far away from the first circle, you’ll have to loot fast and get on your way towards the safe zone. But don’t worry, you can loot along the way.
In the example above, Farmland, Prison, Port, Lumber, Hills, Prominade West, along with the already designated red drops would be hot because they are close to the beginning of the drop.
Another tip is that once you deploy your chute, you can cut it for a little speed boost. This will cause you to lose altitude fast, but it will also help you get to your location faster. And yes, you can redeploy your shoot after you cut it.
Early Game:
There are five main things to focus on in the beginning of your game. Loot as much as you can, find contracts to complete, buy killstreaks and a loadout drop, and position yourself in a good spot.
The fifth and final thing to focus on in the early game, and throughout the entire game, is to keep an eye out for enemies. They can come from anywhere so keep your head on a swivel.
Loot, Loot, Loot:
Looting at the beginning of the game is essential towards your survival. Opening supply boxes and finding weapons on the ground can give you an upper hand against your enemies. Not only do weapons pop out of supply boxes, but so does money and ammo. Creating a stockpile of both of these will help you throughout the entire game. Grabbing as much money as you can will allow you to purchase killstreaks and other items from the buy stations.
Finding and Completing Contracts:
Completing contracts will give you money, experience, and items and will help you travel around the map. There are three contracts that you can complete which are Bounty, Scavenger, and Recon Contracts.
Bounty Contracts:
Bounties are by far my favorite contract to complete. Once you find a Bounty Contract, an enemy team will be highlighted on your map with a yellow circle. Your objective is to find the person the bounty has selected in that squad and eliminate them. You have three minutes to find that person before the contract expires and the other team gets money and experience. The enemy team will be alerted whenever someone in their squad has a bounty on them. They will also have a proximity marker as to how close you are to them. If you are able to eliminate the player with the bounty on them, and most likely the rest of their squad, you will be awarded with money which can be used at buy stations.
Scavenger Contracts:
Scavenger Contracts highlight three loot boxes that have special loot in them. This is one of the best ways to start your game and to get money quickly. One thing to be aware of, and I’m not sure if this is an actual mechanic, is that the loot boxes bring you closer to another enemy team. I could be completely wrong here but that is something to keep in mind.
Recon Contracts:
Once completed, these domination esque contracts will show you where the next circle is going to be. They also drop loot at the center. The position is secured faster with more people inside its zone. Make sure to get your team in there because when it starts, a massive flare is shot into the sky notifying other teams of your location.
Buy Killstreaks, Loadouts, and Other Items:
Before heading into battle, it is a good idea to pool your squad’s money together to buy items from the Buy Station. This will better prepare you for the enemies that lie ahead. But no matter what, please don’t buy the Shield Turret.
Positioning:
It’s always a good idea to stick close to the circle. But, you don’t necessarily always want to be in the center. Your position in the circle can help you get more eliminations, set you up for the next circle, or get your entire squad eliminated. If you’re more of a passive player, rotate to the short side of the circle. The short side of the circle is the side that is closest to the edge of the map. You’ll want to rotate there because there is a lower chance of it being populated by enemies. If you want to get some more action, head to the biggest part of the circle. This is the area that has the most map behind it. This area will have a lot more players so be ready to fight if you go there.
Late Game:
There is no need to panic once the circles start getting smaller. All you have to remember is that there are enemies everywhere closing in with the same goal as you. The final circles are the most hectic part of the game. Without somewhat of a plan, you will undoubtably lose. The problem with this, is that there is no one tactic to surviving the second half of the game. All I can give you is recommendations.
Buy UAVs and Other Killstreaks:
Buying UAVs and Killstreaks will give you an advantage against your enemies. With the UAV, you will be able to see everyone around you that doesn’t have the Ghost Perk equipped. You have a couple options with this information. You can go between squads and position yourself in the circle, or push a squad, take them out, replenish supplies, and repeat the cycle. Other killstreaks such as Precision Airstrike and Cluster Strike will deal damage to enemies in the area that you marked. These are especially useful when enemies decide to sit on top of roofs. Calling in one of these kill streaks will either knock the squad or cause them to spread. Making it easier to pick them off.
Pick Up Bounty Contracts:
If you don’t have the money for a UAV or can’t find a buy station, pick up a bounty contract. Once you pick this up, you’ll be able to see where one of the squads is on the map. This won’t tell you where everyone is, but it will show you where one of the teams are.
Positioning in The Circle:
Your positioning in the final circles is everything. If you’re constantly making it into the circle with short time, you’ll be at a disadvantage. I recommend getting into the circle at least 30 seconds after it appears. This way you and your team can find a safe spot to hang out before moving to the next circle. Being this early to the circle will also help you see other teams coming into the circle behind you. You can either take note of their position or pick them off and make them pay for being late.
Another great idea is to get as far as you can to the back side of the circle. You should find a place in the circle that has the least amount of map behind it. Hopefully, this means it has a lower chance of being populated by enemies. But beware, a lot of other people have the same idea so be prepared to fight for your spot.
Cover:
Sadly, you won’t always have buildings and barriers to hide behind when it eventually comes down to a fire fight. While you’re moving from circle to circle, keep an eye out for places to take cover. This could be walls, trees, rocks, laying on the other side of a hill, or even placing a Deployable Cover. Without cover, you’re just a sitting duck waiting to get hit.
Gas Masks:
Gas Masks will give you some extra time in the gas which can help you reposition around enemies. The gas mask will save you five ticks of damage, which is roughly 8-10 seconds. One thing to keep in mind is that when your character uses the gas mask, you can’t do anything else. This means that you can’t shoot, put on shields, or call in killstreaks. This is an extremely frustrating mechanic, but gas masks will help when it comes to the final circle.
Communicate and Stick Together:
Arguably one of the most important parts of Warzone is communication and staying with your squad. If you don’t have a mic for your gaming system, I highly recommend getting one. I have a $25 headset that I’ve had for years and I have absolutely no complaints. Communication is essential throughout the entire match but becomes much more important in the late game. Use the ping system to show your team where enemies are, where you want to go, and where items are. Especially in Warzone, there is power in numbers. If your entire team is working together, you can eliminate teams in the blink of an eye.
Misc. Advice:
- Use Heartbeat Sensors to find enemies in nearby buildings
- The RPG is way more useful than you think
- Same goes for C4
- Put a Thermal Scope on your sniper
- Share everything with your teammates
- Money
- Armor Plates
- Ammo
- Kill Streaks
- Don’t play scared in the Gulag – confidence is key
If you follow these basic guidelines I have set forth, you’ll see your performance in Warzone improve immensely. Don’t be afraid to put your own twist on things, everyone plays differently. Good luck Soldier.