CoD 4: Rank Up, Soldier!

Now that you know how the Rank and Unlock systems work, it’s time to get dirty and earn some experience points. Even with the knowledge of how things work, the game might seem a little daunting to new players. So be patient, follow our tips, and you’ll be just fine:

Gunplay

You might be a Counter Strike or Battlefield veteran and feel like you know your guns pretty well, but trust me when I say that the guns handle a lot different in CoD 4. For starters, while gun recoil is present, it’s much more forgiving in this game; so you can actually run around wildly with your trigger pulled down at times. This works mainly with submachine guns since they’re meant for close-quarter battles.

More from News Analysis

As usual, assault rifles are ideal for midrange combat since they’re far more accurate, but less maneuverable. What I’m trying to say is: choose the right tool for the job. After you play a whole map cycle on a particular server, you’re bound to understand the maps a little better. Pay attention to what kind of combat you’re involved in most of the time and select your weapon accordingly.

If there are long corridors or open stretches in the map, an assault rifle may be viable. In that case, I suggest you stick to the M16 and work your way to M16 Marksman Level I, II and eventually III. Doing this with this weapon (or any other) will allow you to get more than 1500 bonus experience!

If the map you’re playing has a lot of closely-knit areas (such as Shipment or, to an extent, Wetwork), using an SMG is a better option initially. Pick up the MP5 since it’s an effective weapon that's very easy to use. Again, when you decide on the weapon, use it till you complete all three Marksman Challenges (which involves getting only 150 kills; very doable if you’d ask me) with that weapon.

__PAGEBREAK__

Staying Concealed

In any shooter, the way you move plays a big role in how well you perform. In a game as chaotic as CoD 4, it’s a terrible crime not to use the chaos to your advantage. With people rushing all over the place, most players never notice stationary objects. Use this to your advantage and position yourself in places that are concealed and provide cover. Chances are your enemy will run past you and leave their squishy backs vulnerable to stinging bullets – or a sharp knife.

While stationary, try and stay crouched and use iron / red dot sight. This not only helps you shoot more accurately, but it helps dwarf your profile, so spotting you becomes a lot harder. Keep moving from cover to cover using your sprint skill – its one of the biggest boons to any player so use it whenever you can. While moving, stay close to walls and refrain from running in the open – that’s one sure way to get killed. You’ll be surprised by how much your survivability improves.

__PAGEBREAK__

Survivability

The longer you’re alive, the more you can kill and so effectively, you earn more experience. Here are some simple tips on staying alive:

Take cover after taking damage

After you take damage, your screen starts pulsing red. At this point you’re really vulnerable to damage and even a stray bullet can kill you. The best thing to do is to go prone or crouch in a corner for a few seconds, till your health rejuvenates. I know it’s kind of hard to do this in the heat of battle when the adrenaline’s pumping, but once you make it a habit, you’ll see those 5-10 kill streaks more often since you’ll be alive a lot longer.

Know your maps

Keep an eye open for hotspots in every map you play – all maps have them. These are places where both sides usually collide and the action is extremely intense. Steer clear of such spots or overlook them from a vantage point to bag some free kills, while staying alive.

Once you know the hotspots you’ll automatically figure out where the chilled out areas are. Use these areas to rejuvenate health when you’re hit really badly.