GAMES360VIEW

One of the biggest additions to the Call of Duty formula with Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot is Ground War. The multiplayer mode pits huge teams of players--up to 100 or more--against one another on massive battlefields. It's a lot different from most Call of Duty modes of the past, which favor tighter, more intimate maps and closer engagements. As such, Ground War requires a shift in thinking, and in tactics, from what veterans of the series are used to seeing.

There's a lot about Ground War that can be confusing the first time you jump into it, and a lot you'll want to keep in mind when playing it. Playing it like you would a regular 6-on-6 or 10-on-10 match will probably be ineffective, as Ground War is all about taking advantage of the space and working with your squadmates. This quick rundown of how Ground War differs from the rest of Modern Warfare's multiplayer modes will help get you acclimated and should help you adapt and succeed where others may struggle.

Attack And Defense

Your principal goal in Ground War is to take over various control points scattered around the map. This isn't too different from past CoD game modes like Hard Point, and it's pretty straightforward: the team that controls the most zones for the longest wins. Control points in Ground War will change hands pretty regularly, and the key to winning is not only to constantly attack them, but to find good ways to defend them as well. Luckily, you can get creative on this, because Ground War maps offer a lot of options thanks to their scale.

Use The Space

Ground War's large maps accommodate a lot of players, and their layouts provide you with a whole lot of options as you look to engage enemies. There will be flashpoints around the capture zones in each map, of course, but you can also hole up in tall buildings and shoot approaching combatants or take side paths and find great ways of flanking opposing players. A lot of people tend to cluster in main locations, but finding ways to ambush them and outflank them is a huge part of Ground War. And don't forget to look up, as well.

Explore To Get Vertical

Ground War maps aren't just large horizontally, they're tall, too. Freestanding buildings, skyscrapers, and other structures allow you to reach high locations and get great lines of sight on huge parts of the map. If it looks like you can climb up to a place and hang out on it with a sniper rifle and do some damage, you probably can. Taking the high ground can make you a formidable force in Ground War, especially as large groups of players move around. Some Ground War maps even feature skyscrapers, so it's worth investigating how you can get up high--or what good spots your opponents might have found. High ground is great for defending control points from afar, as well. As you're playing, keep in mind that enemies might not just be in front of you, but probably above you, as well. It's also worth noting that you have a parachute in Ground War that can help you bail out from tall locations when things get hairy.

Vehicles In The AO

Apart from its size, Ground War stands apart from other Modern Warfare modes with the inclusion of drivable vehicles. You'll find a few of these at your spawn point at the beginning of the match, and more will appear periodically (you can also summon a few on-demand with certain killstreaks). Vehicles give you a handy way to get around quickly, and you'll also find yourself trying to fight off tanks that are attacking control points or helicopters dropping enemies on your position. More than in other modes, it's a good idea to keep anti-vehicle explosives handy in Ground War matches, because you'll probably need them.

Numbers Matter

It's always a good idea to stick with your squad in Modern Warfare, but in Ground War, numbers play a big role in all engagements. Running off by yourself is a great way to get overwhelmed and killed, while the superior firepower created by a large group of teammates can help you take down the enemy. That doesn't mean you should blindly follow everyone else through all Ground War matches, but it is advisable that you stick with other players when possible--even if that's just to use the distraction they create to flank enemy positions. You're likely to run into several enemies at once in Ground War, and you're not likely to survive those encounters alone.

Customize Your Loadout

Because of its size, Ground War lends itself to certain weapons, perks, and equipment more than others. Claymores, for instance, are very handy in Ground War for defending a control point or safeguarding your sniper nest against flankers. The Tactical Insertion Field Upgrade can allow you to spawn in enemy territory even when you don't have a control point, allowing you to backup attacking teammates quickly. Meanwhile, killstreaks like Personal Radar are a lot less useful than they are in modes like Team Deathmatch, simply because you're flooded with information in a big game. Figuring out what loadout items are right for Ground War, as opposed to other modes, can be extremely helpful to winning.

Support Your Team

With so many other teammates on the field, being the best kill-getter is a lot less important in Ground War than in other modes. This mode is a good opportunity for support players to shine, so pay attention to your killstreaks and Field Upgrades to pick things that can help out the most. Recon drones, ammo dumps, and portable cover for Field Upgrades are great for helping out your squad as you fight through the battlefield, as are killstreaks like UAVs for intel and chopper gunners for ravaging an enemy position. You don't have to be the best FPS player in Ground War to be successful, but it does help when you and your team work together.