5 quick tips to improve at Cold War Zombies

Zombies have long been a staple of the Call of Duty franchise and the methods behind mastering this game mode is an evolving art.

Whether playing a regular game of zombies or trying out Cold War’s new Outbreak mode, here are a few tips you can use to up your zombies game. 

Tip #1: Start With a Knife to Maximize Early Point Values

While the knife may not be the most appealing loadout to start your game with on the surface, it is far and away the best weapon to begin with and can easily maximize your early points. Points no longer have the same flat value from previous games and vary upon the type of kill or damage you are going for. Melee kills give significantly more damage than most bullet weapons in early rounds, especially if you cannot guarantee headshots on most bullet guns. Another advantage of the knife is that it does not drop off as early as many other starting loadouts and remains viable into middle rounds.

Tip #2: Improve Your Movement and Make Zombie Trains

Great movement and map knowledge is your greatest asset in any Call of Duty Zombies’ mode and is the greatest indicator of your survivability and a generally applicable skill. A general knowledge of zombie spawn points really helps in determining approximately how many zombies are on the map at any given point and prevents you from getting overwhelmed. Once you are aware of where zombies are spawning, you can plan your movement better and gain the aggro of massive hordes. ‘Training’ zombies usually requires a wide open space that gives you plenty of ability to maneuver around the mob you create, which makes Die Maschine one of the better maps to practice this in. Unfortunately, this requires a great deal of practice to perfect and can only be done through trial and error.

Tip #3: Know When to Apply Armor

Knowing when and how to use armor helps in both single and co-op games. If you are playing with more than one person, then it really helps to prioritize who gets the armor. As an armored vest immediately repairs any broken armor you may have, it also grants the first slot of armor however it will not grant another slot if you already have unbroken armor. Thus, it makes more sense to either give over armor to those without or those who have taken more hits. 

When in a solo game, it is important to immediately prioritize getting armor for yourself. Rushing level three armor instead of just using salvage to upgrade your guns and weapons when Pack-A-Punch is available drastically improves your survivability. 

Tip #4: If You Want to Camp, Use Ring of Fire

Camping in Cold War zombies is a legitimate strategy that diametrically opposes itself to the movement focus zombie training strat facilitated by Aether Shroud. Ring of Fire allows you to set up shop and gun down hordes of zombies at a time, with the benefits making any weapon look significantly better than they usually are. Once fully upgraded, the Ring of Fire provides many offensive and defensive benefits. Offensively, it increases your damage output and decreases reload times while defensively any zombie that crosses the ring is slowed and projectiles from special zombie units are blocked. 

There are definitely specific, optimal spots on the map where the Ring of Fire works better with the most famous being the Penthouse next to the Wunderfizz machine. This is a great strategy however leaves you vulnerable to the zombie hordes if things go south.

Tip #5: Commit to Your Gun and Avoid the Mystery Box

The mystery box has been a constant since World at War however is often a money hole for players in the early round. In middle and later rounds, the likelihood you get a rare weapon with more damage significantly increases making it much more prudent to use your essence to purchase Perks in the early rounds. 

Upgrading and sticking with a single weapon is a far better use of resources, whether it be the weapon you start within your loadout, a weapon you get off the wall, or something picked out of the mystery box. This strategy will ensure that your weapon scales with the rounds as zombies get stronger and more special units start spawning. Personally, I recommend buying the Gallo SA12 off the wall as it only costs 2000 essence, requires no regular Salvage, and is cost-effective as it only needs 1500 High-Grade Salvage to max out.

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Image Credit: Activision/Treyarch