Call of Duty 4 Tips

There are a bazillion ways to play COD4 - I'm not going to pretend these tips are for everyone.  They just work for me, so take my tips with that grain of salt.  If you don't like my style, you won't like my tips  :-)  These are just quick tips - it'd be impossible for me to go into great detail with my limited time in front of my blog, sadly.  But, again, I'm always happy to pass on any tips I can in game - just hit me up anytime (gamertag: iTait)

COVER

This is simple - use cover to your advantage.  Don't hide behind thin plywood thinking it'll protect you against the heavy gun.  It won't.  Do use metal and other big objects.  Don't stand still behind there - move around - the enemy should never have enough time to work out a way to get you out.  Keep 'em guessing.

START BUTTON

Before the game starts, hit your start button - you can see yourself and the team on the map - now, you can guess where the HQ will be.  Or, you can see that you're isolated and likely to spawn near the enemy.  You also can guess where the enemy is likely clustered.  Once the objective appears, you can deduce a likely path for the enemy to take to get to the objective.  Think ahead and you'll get the drop on the enemy.  On an objective map (like HQ), after you die, hit Start.  You can watch the map and call things out to your team to help the remaining members.  You can see where the enemy is going, and also be prepared when you respawn because you know where they are.

MOVEMENT

Move quickly and decisively.  Zig zag when in the open.  Hit the deck quickly when you need to.  Be aware of your surroundings - like, know when obstacles can naturally provide cover when running from A to B.  Think ahead, of course - what is the enemy likely to do?  If you know that, then you automatically know the least vulnerable way to get to where you are going.  If they are likely at one point, then you know which cover to put between you.  Yeah, it's not 100%, but it gives you the edge to think of those little things.

RESPAWNING

You killed someone.  Congrats.  But, I hate to tell you - that person is going to respawn.  Where?  Well, most likely close to his/her team - so, use that info.  But, if your team is on top of his/her team, then chances are that person will spawn across the map at another spawn point.  Use that info too.

FLANKING

Pay attention to the red dots.  The red dots are your friend.  Don't forget to hit start sometimes to see the big map - where are the red dots moving?  Not just where are they, but where are they apparantly going?  Flank the sides - pick them off from there to give yourself an advantage.  Who wants to face an entire team at once that it is zeroed in on your position, anyway?  It's common for teams to focus into a narrow area.  Flanking is a HUGE part of my personal game.  HUGE.  In fact, I'd say that's the one best tip on this page.

RELOADING

Reload early and often.  Don't run out of bullets in a firefight out in the open!  Yeah, you have half a clip left, but you're flanking behind a crate.  Reload!  That's the best time!  If you run out of bullets in the open in a close firefight, just switch to the pistol and juke left/right while popping a few rounds.  Stab the person when he/she reloads.

UAV/AIRSTRIKE/CHOPPER

If someone has a UAV up, don't use yours.  Duh.  But, equally important - use it at the right time even when there is NOT one up.  There is one person left on the enemy side in a HQ game where you are breaking down the HQ.  Don't use your UAV, yet.  Wait until the base moves.  Wait a few seconds.  THEN use it to give your team the maximum usage out of the UAV when it matters the most.  For Airstrikes, aim intelligently - not where the enemy currently is, but where are they going?  If you know where they are in a HQ game and you know where the HQ is, aim the airstrike between them.  Even if the airstrike misses, it'll keep them back for a few precious seconds.  If you aim at where they currently are, chances are you'll just hit the backside of them and the frontside will still achieve the objective area.  Also, it's always better to call in an airstrike when there's a UAV up - they seem to be more accurate.  And, of course, as soon as the green planes show up on your radar, pay attention to how they are oriented - that gives you an idea of the direction of the airstrike.  If you can mentally draw a line from where they are to where they are going, and you are on that line, you will probably kill yourself so freaking sprint out of the path and quick.  OK, and the chopper - don't call it in for 1 enemy.  Also, you may not want to call it in when you're the last man on HQ - you might, it depends on a lot of factors, but if you do, chances are it'll be shot down before everyone respawns.  This is not a solid tip, though, because I'm kinda 50-50 on it - just think about the other factors involved (what is the score, how talented is the other team, how open is the HQ, where are you positioned, etc).  If you can, hang onto your chopper until you die, respawn, and kill your first enemy - that way, you get "credit" for subsequent kills to earn more stuff.  This is ONLY if it won't hurt your team, though.  Always call it in if it's best for the team.

GRENADES

Try to never die with a grenade still in your possession - and use them wisely.  Don't just throw a grenade through an open door - cook it.  Bank it.  For example, on shipment, when the enemy is milling around in the warehouse about to break for the outside where the HQ is, people always hide behind crates and behind the main door.  Bank a grenade off the wall to catch the backside of a crate.  Bank it off the main door post to get people behind the door (try to have the grenade hit the top of the post to get good distance).  Go into a room by yourself and practice this technique - you'll be amazed at the results.  Imagine an extra 2 kills a game just because of wise grenade useage.

THINKING AHEAD

Well, this maybe the hardest tip of all - not going to sugar coat it.  Think ahead.  Always.  Don't think about what you are doing, think about what you are going to do next.  Think about the team objective and how you can support that objective the best.  Example: your team captured the headquarters and you want to protect it.  You are the last man standing - are you helping your team by hiding in a cupboard across the map?  Nope.  Get your butt over to the objective!  Use cover, use martydom, use grenades, use smoke, use confusion.  Are you shooting someone around a barrel?  How will they react?  Will they move left?  Or right?  Well, think about this - if they just unloaded a full clip and disappeared behind cover, they are reloading - that's a great time to move to another position where they won't see you while they hide - when they poke around the corner again, finish them off - you should get the drop on them.  Is it 10 seconds to HQ move with the enemy on respawn?  Don't hang out at the HQ - get moving - get a jump on the next location - scope out the enemy position so you can be ready.  About to go around a corner?  What do you know about the corner - are there red dots, or did a teammate just die there?  Can you spare a grenade?  Always, always, always, always think about your next move.  The current move takes care of itself.