I posted a discussion yesterday about how to learn about the flow of maps in AW. (https://community.callofduty.com/message/415815180#415815180) I was quite general about my approach and suggested that players use a class that puts out a heavy amount of UAVs. The intention behind that class is so you can get some real world insight about the flow of the game on the maps and game modes you play more often. The response was quite positive. So, I am continuing the series. I think I am going to break this discussion into multiple topics since each part of it deals with a different aspect. This will also keep my original posts on the subjects separate rather than getting them lost in the stream of replies to the original topic.
I have personal notes and insights on most of the maps of the game and most of the game modes. However, this excludes hardcore and search and destroy as I rarely play those modes. I could list all of it, but it would take about 60 to 70 pages of text. Most players don't want to read all that and what they will retain from it isn't nearly as useful as just watching the map in their own favorite game modes. I will cover the general flow of several game modes in later posts and perhaps some of the more popular maps. However, I want to start discussing what to do with that information.
Knowledge is Power:
If you are just reading this in hopes of finding out how understand the chaotic flow a little better. There is nothing wrong with that. Having this information will allow you to react better and get blindsided less often in AW. However, if you want to put this knowledge to good use, you can really start to dominate in this game. I have a .87 overall KD right now. I did several challenge prestige’s, ground out most of the cammos and died more than a few times on the objectives trying to win. Still even with that stat, I can easily grind my way to a warbird or paladin with a little patience if I really want to try. The whole key is understanding the flow of the game and how to get an edge up on the competition. If you want to change up your game, you have to be willing to alter the way you play drastically.
Keep in mind, that you don't have to do this every game you play. However, learning these skills will make you a better player overall. It will also diversify your skill set and give you some classes you can draw from if you are getting pummeled. A lot of times I don't play this way because it's more fun to rush around and be a team slayer. But, if I am in a bad mood I break out these skills rather than rage quit and lose a game outright. Let's take a look.
Analyzing AW:
As I stated in part one of this discussion, AW is a fast pasted chaotic battle ground. Players tend to rush because of the speed and maneuverability the exo suit provides. Normally, the traverse the map quickly and force close range encounter where they can leverage their speed. Light weight is probably the second most commonly used perk behind blast suppressor. You need to accommodate that into your strategy if you are going to take advantage of this information.
AMR9
Ameli
Pytaek
AK12
IMR
ARX
Lynx
Mors
This is your new gun list. If it's not on this list it shouldn't be in your primary weapon slot when you are trying to use this strategy. The EMP3 or MK14 could also be used here, but those guns the learning curve generally overshadows the advantage. Find something on this list you are comfortable with and start designing a class around it.
The Bal, HBRA3 and ASM1:
It's a statistical fact that 90% of the games you are in, that 3 to 5 of the players on the other team are going to be using ones of these guns. I have 3 months’ worth of data on this game and it holds true to that level for me. If you think about it, it makes sense. Players rely primarily on rushing and these 3 guns are good at rushing. The Bal has the highest fire rate in the Assault rifles and is accurate enough to compete out to mid-range. The HBRA3 has the longest 3 shot kill range in the ARs. Similar, the ASM1 has the longest 3 shot kill range in the SMGs and is relatively accurate out to middle range. They are the jack of all trade guns and are easy to learn. That's why they are going to suck against you.
These guns are all strong close range well balanced easy to use weapons. But they all share one common weakness. They quickly lose their effectiveness at around 25 meters or so. I did a discussion on relative average time to kill or more importantly the average number of shots you need to fire to secure a kill at a given range based on your accuracy. The Bal fires fast, but most players it takes between 17 and 25 bullets to kill somebody past 26 meters because of the recoil. The HBRA3 requires between 15 and 19 at that range, but it shoots slower than most other guns and has a high per shot recoil. The ASM1 requires between 16 and 25 at that range and shoots slower than most of the ARS during it's warm up.
On the flip side of that the ARX, IMR and AMR9 will all drop an opponent in 2 to 3 bursts at almost any range. The Pytaek and Ameli have much deeper magazines and are a 3 to 4 shot kill while the BAL, HBRA3 and ASM1 are a 4 to 6 shot kill at those ranges. The snipers will kill much faster or almost instantly if you can line up a proper shot. The key to leveraging map flow knowledge in this game is you need two things. You need to know where players are going to come from. You also need to be able engage them where their weapons are at a disadvantage.
Map Size in AW:
One common thing a lot of players forget is that the maps in AW are huge. Many of them are bigger than the maps in BO2 and even Ghosts. However, the exo movement makes them feel much smaller than they really are. If you can set up your class properly and engage an opponent with the BAL, HBRA3 or ASM1 at a range greater than 25 meters. Then, you will win that gun fight 9 times out of 10. Think it through, your weapon has a distinct time to kill advantage at that range. Your opponent likely won't spot you that far out. Even if they do, they are in a losing gun fight and you can kill them before they get a chance to even get half the shots they need to kill you off.
The trick is to be one step ahead of your opponent. You want to position yourself so that you are far enough back that your weapon has a distinct range advantage. If you combine that advantage with map flow knowledge, it's extremely easy to string 8 to 10 kills together a few times in a match. That string of kills is more than enough to grind out some heavy score streaks. Especially if you pair them with assist points from a UAV and a few objective captures. It might not get you a DNA bomb, but a paladin, Goliath or War Bird are definitely within your reach.
I am going to wrap this discussion up here as it's getting towards the long side. I will go through how to design a class to do this in the next part and then how to play it to leverage this advantage. Afterwards, I will come back and get into the more specific flows for particular game modes. I will also discuss what to do when the other team is now playing this way and how to counter it as well. Thanks for reading as always.
