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10 Tips and Tricks for Getting Started in Outbreak Mode
This page is part of IGN's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Wiki guide and details everything you need to know about getting started in the all-new Zombies mode, Outbreak.
Tips and Tricks for Getting Started in Outbreak
From understanding the map, earning bonus points, using vehicles to your advantage to run down hordes, and even completing side activities such as the Dragon Relic, we have you covered in our complete guide to succeeding in the latest Zombies mode, Outbreak.
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Quick Tips and Tricks
- Look for the Star icon on your map as this indicates your main objective - which can be one of five possible objectives. Without completing the main objective, you will not be able to move onto the next region.
- It's easy to get caught off guard in Outbreak, so make full use of your available Field Upgrades. While there are a bunch of these special abilities available on offer, we found the Healing Aura Tier III - especially as you upgrade its different tiers - will be an essential ability to your team. Not only will it revive any downed teammates, but it'll also heal you up as well.
- Low on ammunition? Look for the bullet icons that appear on your mini-map to find ammo crates around the map.
- Don't be afraid to spice things up! Teams with varying loadouts have been proven to be much more successful than others that use the same weapons, loadouts, and field upgrades.
- Don't underestimate any straggler zombies, as more often than not, that one zombie that you chose to leave alive while you continue to explore nearby buildings or while using the likes of the Pack-a-Punch or Arsenal Machine will end up being the death of you. As these singular zombies manage to link back up with a herd, you'll be surprised at just how easy it is to get caught off guard and quickly swarmed.
- You'll be surprised to know that players will have a chance at receiving the Ray Gun, D.I.E. Shockwave, and even more Wonder Weapons by completing a series of Trials, opening Loot Chests, and killing Megaton Zombies. You can learn more about obtaining Wonder Weapons in Outbreak by clicking the following link.
- Don't go off by yourself! Having your teammates close by will be a significant advantage, especially if you happen to be overwhelmed by an incoming herd and need someone to help take them out or even lend a hand with a revive.
- Don't stay in one location too long! Being constantly on the move will make it harder for Zombies to overwhelm you. As you complete each objective, be sure to move on to the next.
Melee Zombies During Early Difficulty Levels for Bonus Points
Much like the standard Zombies mode, Outbreak offers additional points for meleeing Zombies; while it isn't a massive bonus, any additional points when you're first starting out will help you unlock upgrades faster.
Do keep in mind that knifing Zombies isn't necessarily an effective strategy past difficulty two unless you have managed to earn enough points to justify pack-a-punching a green rarity combat knife or higher. While you will manage to one-shot most enemies with the upgrade, you'll struggle against the Elite and Special Zombies, which become much more frequent.
Alternatively, if you have to use a weapon, try aiming for headshots as these will earn you additional points as well.
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Success in Outbreak all comes down to teamwork. Without communication, your team will quickly become overrun, and completing objectives will become significantly more difficult than they need to be.So, if you're playing with a random team or even a group of friends, be sure to speak up and start making coordinated calls that include asking for help, calling loot chests, side activities, and more.
If you're struggling to succeed with random teams when your friends aren't online, we recommend sticking with the dedicated Outbreak solo playlist. Not only will this allow you to get some much-needed practice, but it will make your overall Outbreak experience much easier.
Loot Everything Possible
Don't go rushing throughout the different worlds, as you'll be heavily benefitted sticking around and looting the different areas that each map has to offer. This will become abundantly clear as you start to explore each map, as you will begin finding hidden loot chests within buildings and other random locations that contain everything from rare weapons, salvage, ammo, armor, and even consumables.While these loot chests aren't marked on your mini-map, they can be found by listening for a jingle-like noise, followed by a childish laugh. If you're able to hear this noise, it will indicate that a loot chest can be found somewhere nearby.
These chests come in different rarity tiers, though, so don't be surprised if you need to a little bit of searching before you come across the rarer tier chests.
Purchase Armor As Soon As Possible
As you start opening more and more loot boxes, you'll quickly start racking up a rather impressive collection of salvage. You will want to make full use of this scrap by purchasing armor from the Arsenal machines that can be found throughout the map.
These machines are red and grey in color and feature a standing mannequin that's wearing armor. As you progress throughout the waves and different regions, the game will start noticeably increasing in difficulty, and armor will be a must if you plan on surviving.
Armor isn't the only upgrade that you can purchase, as you can also purchase weapon damage, which we have found to be more powerful than Pack-a-Punching your weapons. While armor should always be your top priority, we would definitely recommend upgrading your weapon damage once you've got enough points to spare.
Vehicles Aren't Just For Traveling From Point A to Point B
While vehicles such as the Sedan and Light Truck will make exploring the large maps of Outbreak just that much easier, they are also extremely useful for running down hordes of Zombies. Although they will eventually become damaged over time, finding a new vehicle for you and your team shouldn't be too big of a hassle as we've found that they quite frequently spawn throughout the different maps.Additionally, if you're to take down at least 100 Zombies with your vehicle, you'll complete a Dark Ops challenge. If you complete all nine challenges, you'll unlock a unique "Grey Matter" Epic Sniper Rifle Blueprint.
For more details on how to unlock each of the 9 Dark Ops Challenges in Outbreak, check out our complete guide below:
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Looking for more Outbreak content? Check out our Outbreak Hub to find even more How-To Guides.