Operation: Rank Up Report #0048

Day 336 – 10:30:20 PST

Somewhere in California

AGB – Lead Writer

The Haunting of Verdansk brought Halloween to Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® and Warzone, so it’s only fitting that on the day before All Hallows Eve, I treat you to a Rank Up Report filled with tricks for your next battle royale match.

Let’s get to ranking up:

Operator of the Week

This week, I show off two Halloween-themed skins that I’ve been using ever since they dropped in their respective bundles.

First up is “Azrael,” a skin for Ghost found in the recently added Ghost: Grim Reaper bundle. Along with this badass skin, the bundle also comes with a few profile items and three weapon blueprints, including one that deserves some time in the Gunsmith Custom Creation spotlight.

As for the Allegiance, I chose “Dr. Karlov” for Bale, featured as part of the Dr. Karlov Lives bundle. When the Haunting of Verdansk came, Dr. Karlov was the original creation that stood among giants. Personally, I bought this bundle for those electrifying weapon blueprints, but over the past two weeks, I’ve used Dr. Karlov just to show off a bit of love to Verdansk folklore.

Top Rank Up Tip – Five Tricks for Setting Traps in Warzone

In my research for the Haunting of Verdansk – mostly watching classic horror movies and playing Warzone – I started to notice a theme between the two.

Instead of fighting their adversaries head-on, the most devious minds in the Warzone universe use the environment and unconventional tools to their advantage. Sure,  

And so, I propose these five tricks to use in your next Warzone match; read on to find out how to set up some unexpected, yet super effective kills… Or take note of these potential grizzly fates and avoid them with a counter-tip I’ll give for each trap.

5. Wait and See…

One common horror movie trope involves the soon-to-be deceased getting comfortable in unfamiliar territory – e.g. a totally-not haunted old house or the middle of a field at night – only for the killer to jump out and clean house.

So in lies the trap: letting other squads gain a false sense of security before engaging. Especially if you have the Ghost Perk and can stay off enemy UAVs and Heartbeat Sensors, it’s best to allow an enemy squad to get into your weapon’s effective range (e.g. around 40 meters for an Assault Rifle, within the same room of an old house for a sledgehammer) before engaging.

Obviously, the way to counterplay this is to be diligent when exploring any area of Verdansk. Check those corners, listen to footsteps, and double-check those insights on what looks to be an enemy player.

Worst case scenario: it’s just a bird, but identifying a false threat is a lot better than a surprise engagement.

4. Fatal Fake Out

Sprays: a harmless visual effect on its own, but with proper placement, it can lead to enough confusion.

Within the Trick or Treat event, there are a few humanoid-like Sprays that could fool an untrained Operator, making them fire their weapon and reveal their position. In a game where danger could lurk around the corner, putting these up stairwells or in random rooms might be a nasty, yet super effective, trick. Couple this with a few equipment pieces or well-timed return fire from “out of nowhere,” and you may be sending that squad to the Gulag in seconds.

Avoiding this trick is as simple as thinking like a Spray-happy Operator: where would you put up a Spray to fool someone? Or, take a few minutes to learn what these Sprays look like, then recognize these false threats before saving that quick reaction time for the real killer.

If all else fails, just don’t play their game; especially early on when the circle collapse can move, let them admire their masterpiece on the wall long enough to forget they need to be in the safe zone.

3. Don’t Doubt Shotguns and Melee Weapons

There is something to be said about using a shotgun or melee weapon in a building-heavy locale, especially when the whole squad commits to a brute-force approach.

Kitting everyone with a shotgun and melee loadout can be incredibly useful for picking off Operators inside buildings, especially as the current meta is slanted towards mid to long range weapons.

How can you avoid being on the wrong end of this shotgun barrage? On top of usual precautions, try throwing Tactical Equipment like Flash or Snapshot Grenades into buildings before entering them. An alternative way is to have a well-rounded squad; let a squad member who isn’t afraid of close-combat take an SMG or fast-firing sidearm out of a Loadout Drop, rather than having a uniform assault rifle and sniper rifle combo for everyone.

2. Supply Box and Loadout Drop Bait

The hum of a Supply Box. The sight of a Loadout Drop. Two sensory effects that give operators hope that a victory is just one step closer…

Now for you to immediately destroy that hope with some planning ahead.

If you are more than capable of using the weapons and equipment you currently have, it may be best to not open another Supply Box or Loadout Drop and instead use it to catch another squad searching for better items. Whether it’s throwing down Proximity Mines amid a trio of Loadout Drops or being close enough to hear when a nearby Supply Box hum goes silent, if you are ahead of the power curve against enemy squads, it’s not wise to let them catch up with no strings attached.

Again, these traps can be avoided by simply taking more time to check for them as the game progresses. Outside of the opening moments when everyone is either searching for loadout items or desperately fending off sidearm fire and pistol whips, it’s best not to let your guard down around Supply Boxes or Loadout Drops.

1. The Unofficial Vehicle Anti-Theft Device: C4

As soon as I planted one of these on a helicopter when doing research for the Warzone Official Strategy Guide, I’ve made this my #1 trick in my book.

Just like a Supply Box or Loadout Drop, Vehicles can be absolute gamechangers in Warzone given how much they affect movement. With these machines, outrunning a circle collapse becomes easier, or in a case of fight or flight, they offer a means of temporary defense or a way out of a bad situation.

If you don’t have a use for them, but are sticking around the area and would know when another squad hops in, try throwing some C4 in a spot where the average Operator wouldn’t think to check, such as on the inside of a roof or on a side of a vehicle facing a wall. Then, as soon as it moves, pull the trigger, and you’ll either disable the vehicle or, in a best-case scenario, cause an explosion that’ll wipe a squad instantly.

Obviously, you can work around this trick by properly inspecting a vehicle prior to entering it. Don’t attempt to shoot the C4 off it either; just leave it be and let someone else fall for this trap.

Gunsmith Custom Creation

Next week, I plan on sharing some real treats: the loadouts that I, the Lead Writer, personally use in Warzone.

As a quick preview, I’ll showcase one of the weapons I’ve been using since day one through buffs and nerfs, one that was featured through the Ghost: Grim Reaper Bundle as the “Soul Reaper” Assault Rifle blueprint.

Yes, I firmly believe this semi-auto Assault Rifle can still harvest many a soul in Multiplayer and Warzone, and the way I prove it is with the “Don’t Fear” Gunsmith Custom Creation.

To make this, keep the Muzzle, Barrel, and Laser attachments, then swap out the Optic for the No Stock attachment, found on the “Refractor” blueprint in Season Three’s Tacticolor III bundle. This allows the weapon to have faster aim down sight (ADS) speed despite the Monolithic Suppressor and XRK Marksman Barrel, a stat that’s crucial to have as low as possible for close or mid-range encounters.

Because I use this configuration for Solo games, I also replace the extended magazine with Stippled Grip Tape, which also comes from the “Refractor” blueprint. This minimizes my ADS speed and improves my Sprint to Fire speed, further countering the Muzzle and Barrel effects to give me a versatile rifle with decent mobility and phenomenal range. For squad-based game modes, I’ll put the 30 Round Mags back on to ensure I’m not left high and dry for teamfights, especially if more than one party is involved.

No matter which way you kit this weapon, it’s still a force to be reckoned with even if the “meta” shifted off it. Even if it can no longer 2-shot kill a fully armored enemy with just headshots, it still competes well with other Assault Rifles and truly breaks out in the 40-55 meter range with that Muzzle and Barrel attachment combo. If you have trouble handling its recoil when firing at its RPM cap, then feel free to swap the No Stock out for an Underbarrel grip, although I’ve gotten used to the bounce after a while and can compensate.

With all that said, I’ll see you online to celebrate Halloween in Verdansk.

Stay frosty.

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