Call of Duty Black Ops 3 multiplayer beginner's guide

How to get the advantage over your opponents

Virtually reality: a still from the forthcoming sequel to the bestselling 2012 game Call of Duty: Black Ops 2

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is out, and players are already beginning to climb the ranks in the series’ acclaimed online multiplayer.

For those new to the series, or relatively inexperienced at multiplayer, here’s a few beginner’s tips to help in your opening matches.

Start with Team Deathmatch

Team Deathmatch is the most basic mode in Call of Duty multiplayer, and is a good place to get started. It’s ideal for you to learn about the guns in the game, map layouts as well as Black Ops 3’s brand new Specialists.

Increase your aiming sensitivity

At times you’ll probably find yourself frustrated having died against an opponent you shot first. The chances are your aiming sensitivity is too low to keep up with their movement. Head into the options menu and increase your aiming sensitivity a bit, both vertically and horizontally.

Don’t increase it too much, though, as you’ll find it just as hard to stay on target, especially against enemies in the distance.

Change the angle of attack

The thrusters your soldier is equipped with mean you can attack enemies from all different angles. This gives you the element of surprise in shootouts. If you hide behind low cover against an opponent, rather than running around it to attack, why not jump straight over and start shooting? Most enemies won’t even see you coming as they’re used to seeing players run either side of cover spots and will be expecting you there.

Look for alternate routes

Thanks to Black Ops 3’s new wall-running and traversal mechanics, there are many more ways to get around the maps. Any flat wall can be run across, so keep an eye on your surroundings to see if there are alternate ways to make it from A-to-B. This is another way to sneak up on enemies and get the jump on them.

Check every corner of the room

Many players like to camp in the darkest corners, waiting for reckless players to become their latest victims. When you move into buildings, make sure you look around and check it’s empty before moving on. Campers can be annoying for players who prefer to frantically run around the map, checking the corners of rooms will help minimise your frustration.

LMGs are excellent this year

The Kuda SMG is the perfect starting gun for new players, but once you get used to the shooting, try out an LMG. The BMR in particular can be devastating on the larger maps, especially in objective-based games where you can predict enemy locations, like Capture the Flag or Domination. Once you unlock the Quickdraw and Grip attachments, equip them for added lethality.

Save your Unlock Tokens

As you level up, you’ll earn Unlock Tokens which can be used to buy new weapons, Specialists and other equipment. Don’t waste these on items you’ll hardly use, instead take the time to work out your play style and then focus your spend in these areas. If you prefer using SMGs, don’t waste a token on a shotgun.

Also, as you rank up, better equipment will become available to you, so you’ll want to have a bunch of Tokens ready to unlock the good stuff.

Start with a defensive Specialist

Each Specialist has a unique weapon and ability. When you’re in a game, you’ll see a meter around this ability in the lower right corner of the screen gradually fill up, eventually allowing you to use it.

Abilities tend to be defensive in use, and two of which stand out as the best for new players in order to stay alive longer: Battery’s Kinetic Armour and Prophet’s Glitch.

Kinetic Armour allows you to deflect enemy bullets that hit the body, while glitch teleports you back to an earlier position. So if you find yourself taking fire, quickly activate one of these powers to either sustain more or escape damage. These are very useful skills for players looking to get more kills than deaths.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is available to buy now on all platforms.