The Newbie's Guide to Surviving "Black Ops II" Multiplayer

Understanding Allocation Points

Call of Duty: Black Ops II features a brand new Create-A-Class system that eschews the tried and true model of old, but it also offers more freedom and customization than ever before. With a total of 10 Allocation Points available per loadout, you'll be able to configure your dream set of weapons, attachments and perks to your heart's content.

Each item in your loadout takes up 1 of your 10 Allocation Points. Pick a primary gun, dock a point. Pick a secondary, dock another. Each perk takes one up, and so do attachments. You've got a budget to spend and knowing how to spend it best is how you do well.

There are also the new Wildcards which allow you to bend the rules a little bit on how you build your loadouts, but at the cost of 1 Allocation Point each. Perk Greed lets you take a second perk from a given teir, but at an effective cost of two points while the Gunfighter wildcards allow you to add an extra attachment to your primary or secondary weapon but that option costs an extra Allocation Point as well. They're a little bit of a gamble, but if it's necessary for pulling off the combo you want, they can be well worth the investment.

The coolest thing about this new system is that there are no hard-and-fast rules on how you build your loadout. Don't want a primary weapon, don't take one! Who needs perks when you can load up on extra grenades? If you want to travel light, offload your tactical gear for an extra attachment; the choice is yours.

A Note on Killstreaks

Black Ops II has redefined the old Call of Duty killstreak system with the much-improved scorestreaks. Now instead of unlocking bonuses at a set number of kills, you can do so by earning score through a variety of different methods ranging from capturing objectives to destroying enemy ordinance.

Weak Players

If you're barely able to function on the battlefield, it's important to maximize your scorestreak progression for the lower-tier. It's going to be more beneficial for you to set up a 3-5 kill progression than one that requires 7+ kills before it even starts.

Loadout 1: RC-XD (325), UAV Recon (350), Care Package (450)

Coupled with the Hardline perk, this is probably the easiest way to rack up kills with a scorestreak. Don't deploy the RC-XD until you've unleashed the UAV Recon so you can see where enemies are hiding and drive your little buggy of death over to them. This will earn you the final kill you need to order a Care Package, and then it's all up to chance what you wind up getting. If you're lucky, it could be a far deadlier weapon than this combo alone provides.

Loadout 2: UAV Recon (350), Counter-UAV (475), Hellstorm Missile (525)

Just because you're no good doesn't mean you should be useless to your team. This loadout will help your allies by giving them sight over the battlefield with the UAV Recon before obscuring it for your enemies with a Counter-UAV. All that support needs to be rewarded though, and if you make it past that, the Hellstorm Missile is a really fun toy to unleash on your blinded, vulnerable enemies.

Strong Players

You're hot shit and everyone knows, but it's time to put that effectiveness to work with a scorestreak that optimizes your raw killing potential. When you're setting out to build a scorestreak and routinely find yourself being the one with a high k/d ratio or are constantly capturing objectives, set your progressions so that it makes use of the more lethal options at your disposal.

Loadout 1: A.G.R. (800), Escort Drone (1000), K9 Unit (1275)

Even though the rest of your team is constantly face-down in the dirt, there's no reason why you should walk the battlefield alone. The A.G.R. is a deadly mini-tank in the shape of a robot that can follow you around the warzone providing additional fire support while you're fighting. The Escort Drone has a similar effect, but it takes to the skies and covers all your blind spots. Once you've racked up enough kills, it's time to unleash the hounds with the K9 Unit. For some reason people just can't seem to get the hang of fending these things off and they make a nice surprise for anyone proccupied with shooting at you. Man's best friend indeed.

Loadout 2: Orbital VSAT (900), EMP Systems (1050), Swarm (1400)

Should you feel more like a leader than a lone ranger, the Orbital VSAT will give your allies the best chance of picking off enemies with your help. Using the EMP Systems will mess up both the enemies' radar, and any electronic scopes they might be using which really cripples them. All that sacrifice shouldn't go unrewarded though, and so the Swarm will release a fleet of autonomous drones that will hunt your enemies to no end, leaving you time to kick back and applaud yourself for being such a great guy.

Close-Up Kaboom!

Primary Weapon: S12 Shotgun (Quickdraw Handle)

Secondary Weapon: None

Lethal: Fragmentation Grenade

Tactical: Concussion Grenade (x2)

Perks: Lightweight, Toughness, Dexterity

Wildcards: Perk 3 Greed (Extreme Conditioning)

This loadout is designed primarily for objective-based missions. It won't serve you too well in free-for-all matches or a straight-up deathmatch, but when you've got groups of enemies clustered around a flag or a capture point, it's going to mess up their plans considerably.

The S12 Shotgun is a fantastic boomstick that can be unlocked early in the game, get this thing close to someone's face and you'll be making brain jello in no time. The combination of the Lightweight and Extreme Conditioning perks will keep you nimble on the battlefield while the Quickdraw Handle attachment and Dexterity perk let you jump into action faster than your more tactical enemies.

There's no doubt this is a class for the berzerker at heart, but if you want to play it a little tactically, make use of the Concussion Grenades to stun enemies before diving in. Toughness will help mitigate any of the few lucky bullets that manage to clip you while they're in a fog while you dance around making organ stew out of your foes.

Be careful to keep on the move though; at distance you're pretty much screwed with this set. Either close the gap gracefully by ducking between cover as you approach your opponents, or if you notice they've spotted you just turn and run. It's better to flee and live so you can flank them on the other side than charge in and face certain death.

Think You Can Do Better?

With so many options available in the new create-a-class system, it's likely you're going to find one outside of these recommended that'll best suit your particular playstyle. Deciding how you spend your 10 Allocation Points is going to uniquely cater your gaming experience to how you best like to play.

League Play is the best way to start experimenting with new loadouts. With every gun already unlocked, it'll give you the freedom to try something different. Of course, you'll be affecting your global rank, so you may not want to go too crazy here, but if that's not something you care about by all means tinker away.

If you find a winning combination that's working really well for you, be a pal and leave your loadout in the comments below. Sharing is caring, even in war.