Circle Navigation
If you find yourself outside the circle, the worst thing you can do is panic. While the collapsing combat area does diminish health, the first time it collapses it does so at a modest rate. Getting caught outside isn’t necessarily a death sentence as long as you keep an eye on your health meter. In fact, it’s not uncommon to catch opponents who treat the edge of the circle as a wall and pick up easy kills on their way back to the combat area. It’s always good to be mindful of the collapse, but it’s best to not let it completely dictate your movements and actions.
Conversely, if you’re inside of the circle, you have the option to press outward or simply post-up and defend the area. For conservative players, consider keeping your sights toward the circle’s edge and try to pick off anyone running from the collapse. If you like a bit more action, consider pressing outwards. You’ll be going against the flow of traffic, so you might catch people chasing the circle off-guard. The Outlander perk and the Mobility perk can come in handy to help you play more aggressively and live to tell the tale.
For more information on navigating the combat circle, catch the Final Circle episode from our Blackout Starter Guide video series..
Engagements: Choose Wisely
When and how you engage opponents isn’t always up to you – if you get spotted, you’ve gotta figure it out from there. But, a good rule of thumb is to try to engage enemies on your terms. If you have opponents outnumbered, flank them and go in for the kill. If it’s the other way around and you’re down a couple team members, you may think twice before you attack head-on. Whatever your numbers are don’t fall victim to underestimating an opponent. Concussions, Grenades and other equipment are key components to any attack, so if you have them use them to gain an advantage.
In Blackout, long-distance engagements and short-range firefights require separate strategies. Close encounters favor perks like Mobility, or Dead Silence if you prefer a stealthy approach. The key to close engagements is to force the enemy out of cover. Consider using Frags or Cluster Grenades to divide and conquer opponents or a Barricade and the Grapple Gun to surprise oncoming attackers. If you prefer a more long-distance fight, make sure you’ve got a decent scope, the extended barrel attachment and steady aim. Opening up on enemies from afar is great but, the downside is you are loudly making your presence known. So, pick your targets and drop ‘em quick.
Communication & Squad Wipe Safety
When you’re engaged with an opposing team, the most important thing you can do is communicate with your teammates about what you’re seeing and what you’re doing. Giving teammates a direction AND a number regarding an enemy position can go a long way in squad survival. Clear and constant communication during a fight ensures you’ll have all four sets of eyes coordinating an assault instead of just your own. And when you down an enemy, you don’t have to immediately go for a kill. If they’re out in the open, consider letting them bleed out or use them as bait when their teammates come to revive them.
Once you kill somebody and they immediately die instead of being downed, you’ll know you’ve taken out their entire squad. Now, it’s time to loot, but be cautious. Looting leaves you vulnerable. It’s generally a good idea to go prone and take turns looting while a teammate keeps an eye out. Or, you can drop a smoke grenade to cloud the vision of potential lurkers.
The mid-game of a Blackout match is often the least predictable part. So, these are simply thought-starters to get you thinking about what you and your opponents are up against once the circle starts to collapse.
Keep an eye out on the Call of Duty Blog for Part III of Decision Points where we break down those tense final moments where you meet your enemies face-to-face during the endgame.
This article is #2 in a series. To read Part I & Part III, follow the links below:
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