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

Call of Duty: Black Ops II has a whole bunch of new perks, killstreaks, and weapons for you to mess with. These combinations might give you an edge.

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Image via Complex Original
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The new Create-A-Class system for Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a lot more versatile than its predecessors. With so many more options for customizing your loadouts it can be hard to know where to start. We've spent some time with the game now and developed the following packages to help you maximize your effectiveness on the battlefield, no matter what your playstyle is. We can't guarantee any of these will turn you into a one-man army, but they might help you rise above that pitiful k/d ratio you've been sporting. 

Understanding Allocation Points

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A Note on Killstreaks

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Close-Up Kaboom

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Silent But Deadly

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Silent But Deadly

Primary Weapon: DSR 50 Sniper Rifle (Full Metal Jacket, Variable Zoom)

Secondary Weapon: Executioner

Lethal: Bouncing Betty (x2)

Tactical: None

Perks: Blind Eye, Cold-Blooded, Extreme Conditioning

Wildcards: Danger Close

Big Man Needs Big Gun

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Big Man Needs Big Gun

Primary Weapon: QBB LSW (Foregrip, Full Metal Jacket)

Secondary Weapon: SMAW Rocket Launcher

Lethal: None

Tactical: Trophy System

Perks: Flak Jacket, Toughness, Tactical Mask

Wildcards: Primary Gunfighter (Adjustable Stock)

I Am The Wall-Rus

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I Am The Wall-Rus

Primary Weapon: Assault Shield

Secondary Weapon: B23R (Reflex Sight)

Lethal: None

Tactical: Shock Charge (x2)

Perks: Flak Jacket, Cold Blooded, Tactical Mask

Wildcards: Secondary Gunfighter (Long Barrel)

You're a nice guy, a team player, and this loadout is just for you. It's unlikely you'll get many kills carrying an Assault Shield as your primary, but the B23R pistol with Reflex Sight and a Long Barrel is as close as you can get while staying so guarded.

Playing objective matches where you need to defend a point, nothing's going to get through this setup. Your Shock Charges are great for blocking off choke points and your Flak Jacket, Cold Blood, and Tactical Mask will keep you alive a lot longer than most.

Park yourself in front of whatever you need to protect and nobody will get past you. You won't rack up many kills at all, but if you're the team player you think you are, a job well done will be all you need.

Death From Above

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Death From Above

Primary Weapon: SWAT-556 (ACOG Scope)

Secondary Weapon: None

Lethal: C4 (x2)

Tactical: Black Hat PDA (x2)

Perks: Hardline, Hard Wired, Engineer

Wildcards: Danger Close

When you've got access to a near infinite military budget, why wouldn't you want to try out all the shiniest toys? This loadout is designed to maximize your killstreak abilities with Hardline front-and-center, reducing the number of kills you're going to need to rack up to earn one.

My Secondary Is My Primary

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My Secondary Is My Primary

Primary Weapon: None

Secondary Weapon: KAP-40 (Dual Wield)

Lethal: Combat Axe

Tactical: Flashbang (x2)

Perks: Lightweight, Scavenger, Dead Silence

Wildcards: Perk 3 Greed (Extreme Conditioning)

Shed the extra weight of carrying a primary weapon around and blitzkrieg the hell out of those sons of bitches with this lightning-quick secondary focussed loadout. The KAP-40 is a late-game unlock, but when using it with Dual Wield it unleashes a barrage of bullets so quickly nobody will know what hit them.

To add to the confusion, Flashbangs will ensure that previous cliche is executed very literally while Dead Silence will guarantee nobody will hear you coming. Lightweight is there to keep you nimble and Extreme Conditioning has been wildcarded in for extra speed. This package is all about hitting them fast and hard.

Your Combat Axe is your last resort if you run out of bullets - the rapid-fire drains ammo quickly - but Scavenger will keep you supplied as long as you've got dead enemies around you. Of course, if you play this one right dead enemies will never be in short supply.

Super Soldier

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Super Soldier

Primary Weapon: M8A1 (Reflex Sight, Fast Mag)

Secondary Weapon: None

Lethal: None

Tactical: None

Perks: Ghost, Toughness, Dexterity

Wildcards: Primary Gunfighter (Foregrip), Perk 1 Greed (Hardline)

You're an all-American hero and you want everyone to know it. With precision and mobility, you enter the battlefield with your burst-firing M8A1 decked out with a Reflex Sight and Foregrip for speedy, steady aiming and a Fast Mag for even quicker reloads. The last thing you want is to be caught reloading with this all-or-nothing loadout.

You won't have any other options to fall back on if you're a lousy shot, so this is best for those who've got a steady hand. With no grenades or tactical options, there's nothing but you and your gun out there all alone. Better make good friends with it.

Think You Can Do Better?

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