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In this episode we're covering the MP7.

This fully-automatic SMG built quite a reputation in its MW3 incarnation, where its low recoil and high rate of fire made for a potent combination.

It returns as the first SMG unlock in Black Ops 2 - and while it remains a formidable close-range option, this MP7 lies firmly within its intended niche.

The MP7, or 'Maschinenpistole 7' is a German weapon, first introduced in 2001 by Heckler und Koch.

Technically a Personal Defence Weapon, or PDW, rather than a traditional SMG - the MP7 fires a smaller, higher velocity cartridge - the 4.6 by 30 millimetre round.

This round relies on speed rather than mass for its kinetic energy, and as such offers enhanced performance against body armour and lower recoil than standard pistol calibres.

All this in a compact package, with ample magazine capacity - the MP7 is an ideal weapon for modern close-quarters battle.

In-game, the MP7 is a low damage weapon: it requires 3 to 4 shots at close range to kill, and up to 6 outside of the weapon's relatively short range.

This means the MP7 is very much specialised for close-quarters combat: keeping the enemy within your 4-hit kill zone should be your priority.

In addition, like the rest of the SMGs, the MP7's ability to penetrate cover is poor: for the most part, you will want to land shots directly upon your opponent.

The MP7 makes up for these shortcomings with its rate of fire: at approximately 940 rounds per minute, you will outperform most other weapons in this regard.

The rapid fire attachment will boost this rate of fire to the incredibly high 1250 rounds per minute - but be warned, this will halve the weapon's effective range, severely limiting your mid-range capability.

This innately high rate of fire is paired with a narrow hipfire spread, like all of the SMGs: this means the MP7 is amongst the most effective weapons when fired from the hip.

While you may need to land quite a few shots to kill, the MP7's suitability for spraying means the low damage certainly isn't a problem.

Nor are any of the MP7's handling characteristics: universally fast and generally easy to use.

Recoil is moderate, largely due to the weapon's high rate of fire - this can make it difficult to land the required 6 shots upon distant targets.

You should generally seek to avoid long-range combat - stay within your effective range and the MP7 will generally stay on target.

Aim time is a little slower than typical SMGs in games past - it will take 220 milliseconds to aim down your sights, only slightly faster than an assault rifle.

This isn't a problem, however - as with the SMGs you should fire from the hip first, and wrest your aim onto target as needed.

Switch times are average for the SMG class, and your base movement speed will be the fastest possible, at 100%.

Magazine capacity is 40 rounds, above average for the SMG class and a boon given the high rate of fire. Extended Clip confers a 35% advantage, taking your capacity to 54 rounds between reloads.

While not the highest capacity in the SMG class - that accolade goes to the PDW-57 - the MP7 also boasts a very fast reload indeed, at just 1.72 seconds.

This trait is crucial for a close-range weapon, where every second spent reloading poses a critical risk of ambush: so this speedy reload is a welcome trait.
You will want to avoid long-range firefights with the SMGs - rushing headlong into your enemy's sights will not prove terribly effective.

Instead, use the extra stamina Extreme Conditioning grants to take the longer, lower traffic routes to your enemy - this will help you to strike your enemy where they least expect it, and increase your odds of winning gunfights.

Don't rush headlong into the enemy's spawn, however - with the absence of Dexterity you will need to be careful about sprinting near your opponent.

Instead, learn to anticipate engagements when you're close to the enemy, and leave sprinting to times when you need to cover some ground.

Be careful when reloading, too - with the Extended Clip attachment you have the luxury of engaging multiple enemies between reloads.

If you successfully dispatch an enemy with an unsuppressed weapon, you will alert and draw in nearby foes, who will be hoping to catch you off guard: instead, stay alert, keep your gun ready - and give the would-be assailant a swift rebuttal.

The MP7 is a weapon with some ideal traits for close-quarter gunfights - it is quick to handle and performs very well from the hip.

Its per-shot damage may be relatively low - but this means you are less reliant on a lucky bullet, and instead can benefit from extremely consistent close-range performance.

Few weapons can keep up with the MP7, and when paired with the laser sight you will be unstoppable.

For all its forgiving traits in CQB, the MP7's flaws do start to emerge once you try to tackle enemies at a distance.

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In this episode we're covering FMJ.

In Black Ops 2, FMJ acts to improve the penetration ability of your weapon - although this can be considered a major malfunction, as it's some distance removed from the real-life nature of FMJ.

FMJ is an initialism for 'Full Metal Jacket', referring to soft-core bullets encapsulated in a harder metal: usually lead with a cupro-nickel surround.

This is as a contrast to traditional bullets that were of an entirely lead construction, or modern variants such as soft-point or hollow-point, which have an exposed lead tip.

FMJ permits faster muzzle velocity without excessive lead fouling, and will protect against rifling damage with the use of armour-piercing rounds.

Most modern military ammunition is FMJ - so its depiction as a dedicated means of cutting through cover is inaccurate.

Armour-piercing rounds do exist, and this effect is normally achieved through the addition of a hardened penetrator - made of steel, tungsten or similarly tough material.

The majority of rounds fired are basic lead-core FMJ, however - Armour Piercing rounds are more likely to be used in larger calibres.

It's only with rounds such as the .50 BMG where penetration effects begin to prove particularly useful, and moreso with vehicle-mounted automatic cannons and tank main guns.

The A-10 Warthog, for instance, has a mighty 30mm cannon in the GAU-8 Avenger Autocannon.

Capable of firing up to 4,200 rounds per minute, with a depleted uranium penetrating core capable of shredding tank armour - such vehicle-mounted armaments are a far cry from your basic FMJ round.

In-game, FMJ is an attachment available for the assault rifles, SMGs, LMGs, sniper rifles, and the pistols.

It is absent for the special weapons, shotguns, and the launchers.

FMJ's effects are often misunderstood, thanks in part to the in-game statistics which indicate an increase in weapon damage.




FMJ does not, in fact, increase damage inflicted upon your enemy at all - your basic damage will remain the same.

What FMJ will do, however, is increase the effectiveness of your weapon when engaging targets behind cover.

In addition, it will boost your damage versus most scorestreaks - with the exception of turrets, you'll be able to take out enemy streaks with roughly half the number of shots than without the attachment.



Normally, you will see greatly reduced damage when shooting through surfaces: an enemy lurking behind such cover will be protected to some degree.

FMJ reduces this damage penalty, allowing your shots to more effectively cut through surfaces so they'll deal more damage to targets behind.

Given that, on occasion, your shots will strike a surface before your intended mark - FMJ will elevate the average damage you inflict upon your enemy, on a larger statistical scale.

In cases where you shoot your enemy directly, however, FMJ will grant no benefit.

In most gunfights you should aim to target the exposed portion of an enemy, instead of shooting through any cover in front of them - but should they flee into total cover, FMJ will assist in finishing off your injured quarry with penetrating blindfire.

FMJ is an attachment that suits automatic weapons with the capability to liberally spray through walls - high capacity and high rates of fire excel here.

LMGs are truly the paradigm class for the attachment - their output, combined with a high level of damage, will tear through most cover: pick 'em up and set 'em down.

The attachment is similarly useful on assault rifles - their mid-range ability and rifle-grade penetration born to kill through walls.

It's far less useful on lower damage weapons, or those with a slower rate of fire - it would be a waste of an attachment for most of the pistols, for instance.

Still, it is a universally beneficial attachment, and even on those weapons that benefit the least, there's a chance the elevated piercing power might secure a critical kill.

So show the enemy your war face, get some FMJ, and turn your enemy's cover...

...into mere concealment.

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In this episode we're covering the CZ75.

It's a semi automatic weapon, unlocked once you've purchased all of the other handguns.

The CZ75 originates from Czechoslovakia, now the modern-day Czech Republic.

It's manufactured by Česká zbrojovka, and the design was first introduced in 1975.

This all steel construction semi-auto pistol was originally designed for export, and wasn't sold in its domestic market until 1985.

On the international market, it proved popular - and would become one of the original 'wonder nines'.

This appellation was a somewhat derogatory term applied to the initial wave of double-action, 9mm semi automatic pistols, that threatened the revolvers normally used by American law enforcement.

By the 1990s, semi-automatic pistols were the norm, with weapons such as the CZ-75, Sig Sauer P226, and Beretta 92 paving the way in terms of capacity and reliability.

The CZ's popularity persists today, known for its reliability and versatility at a reasonable price.

The CZ75 fires the 9-by-19 millimetre Parabellum cartridge, the standard NATO pistol calibre.

Magazines are 12 rounds in capacity, or 18 with extended mags.

The CZ75 is a low damage pistol, dealing the same damage per shot as the ASP, Makarov and M1911.

It will kill in 3 shots up close, or with two headshots - and outside of the weapon's fairly short effective range, you'll need up to 5 shots to kill.

Rate of fire is capped to 625 rounds per minute, assuming you can pull the trigger quickly enough: this is generous enough for most.

Recoil is generally low, especially if you fire at a slower rate: in general, the CZ's recoil is simply not a factor for a typical pistol engagement.

Aim time is very quick, on par with the other pistols at 150 milliseconds.

Reloads are quick by any usual standards, but fairly typical for the pistol class, at 1.63 seconds.

The Full-Auto Upgrade is an attachment unique to the CZ, and will turn the weapon into a machine pistol: the only fully-automatic secondary in the game.

As with the real-life weapon, an inverted magazine is attached underneath the pistol as a makeshift foregrip.

Not only will the weapon become fully automatic, but the weapon's idle sway will also be removed.

However, these benefits comes at great cost: your rate of fire is fixed beneath the usual semi-automatic firecap, at just 525 rounds per minute: this makes it the slowest firing weapon in the game, alongside the M60.

In addition, your damage per shot is also reduced: to a 4 shot kill at close range.

This is the same per shot lethality of a low-damage SMG, but with half the fire rate, and half the magazine size, you'll find getting reliable kills troublesome, to say the least.

The CZ-75 offers some very favourable characteristics, principally the highest magazine capacity in its class.

While the benefit may appear to be slight, for those with a faster trigger finger the ability to unload with the confidence of sustainable fire means you can focus on getting as many shots as possible on target quickly, without worrying about ammo conservation.

In addition to the CZ's unique capacity advantage, you also gain the benefit of the longest effective range of any low-damage pistol: the difference is only slight, but nevertheless the CZ leads its class on two fronts.

However, the CZ75 lacks the power of the Python, or the speed of the ASP - both offering more immediate benefit than a higher magazine capacity.

Still, the CZ's impressive all-round statistics come in a single fast-drawing package - making it a very strong choice for your secondary slot.

While there may be other, more specialised choices, the CZ-75 is both versatile and dependable - two very worthwhile traits in a sidearm.

Czech out this wonder gun, and regardless of whether you say C-Zed or C-Zee...

...choosing the right secondary is easy.

Fourth episode of 'Time To Kill', a series devoted to the inner workings and mechanics of Call of Duty's multiplayer.

Episode four focuses on mobility - an essential part of traversing the battlefield, and part of establishing a positional advantage.

Positioning is key in Modern Warfare 3 - whether aggressively rushing or playing with a more conservative approach, your location will do much to determine your success.
In this episode, we're covering mobility.

Your base movement speed is determined by the weapon you carry - heavier weapons will slow you down, whereas others will let you move unhindered.
SMGs and Shotguns are the fastest weapons available - when using these you'll move at maximum speed, prior to any modifiers.
Assault Rifles and some of the Sniper Rifles - the L118A, the MSR and Dragunov, grant intermediate mobility - at 0.9x movement speed, a 10 percent penalty when compared to the fastest weapons.
The LMGs, Riot Shield, and remainder of the sniper rifle category - the Barrett, RSASS and AS50 - are the slowest weapons available, each decreasing your movement speed to 0.8x the maximum, a 20 percent penalty overall.
Secondary weapons adopt the movement speed of your primary, so switching to a pistol while using an LMG will not grant a boost to your mobility, like it did in Black Ops.
However, picking up two secondary weapons will grant you maximum mobility.

If you're using the Overkill perk, your base movement speed will be that of the slowest weapon you carry - so an SMG paired with a Shotgun will retain 100% mobility, while carrying an LMG with a Riot Shield will not reduce your base movement speed below 80%.

Your stance also affects your movement speed - standing up is the fastest means of getting about, with no penalty to your movement.
Crouching will slow you down to 65% of your base movement speed, and going prone will reduce your speed further - to a mere 15% of your base speed, a snail's pace.
Moving laterally will also slow you down, at least slightly - while moving forwards you'll travel at full speed, but when strafing or reversing you'll move at 97.5 percent of your maximum speed.
Aiming down your sights also imposes a movement penalty - the degree of which depends on your weapon class.
SMGs, Machine Pistols, and Handguns will allow you to move at 0.8x base speed while aiming - this will stack with other penalties, so for example moving while aiming and crouching with an SMG will result in mobility a little over half your base movement speed.
Assault Rifles, LMGs, Shotguns, Snipers and Launchers will move more slowly whilst aimed - with a 0.4x multiplier.
Should you employ Stalker in your third perk slot, however - the penalty for aiming is completely removed, allowing travel at your normal rate while aiming down your sights - particularly useful with these slower weapons.

The LMGs, Sniper Rifles and Riot Shield all have a 'Speed' proficiency available, which will affect your movement speed with that weapon.
The proficiency acts as a straightforward 1.1x multiplier - so the LMGs, Riot Shield and slow Sniper Rifles will move at 88% of maximum speed, and the Fast Sniper rifles will move at 99% speed - almost as fast as an SMG or shotgun.
The speed bonus only applies to the weapon in question though, so you lose the 1.1x multiplier should you switch to your secondary, or replace your primary with another weapon.
When using the specialist strike package you will gain the speed proficiency when you reach 8 kills (or 7 with hardline).
This applies even to weapons that normally wouldn't have the option of increased movement speed - but does not apply to a weapon that already has the speed proficiency active.

Finally, the Juiced deathstreak will apply a temporary multiplier to your movement speed, granting 1.25x your base speed for 10 seconds.

Another major component of your mobility is sprinting - sprinting sacrifices your ability to fire your weapon for increased movement speed, allowing aggressive players to reach critical objectives first and to surprise slower opponents.
Sprinting will increase your movement speed by 50 percent - allowing you to cover more distance in a shorter timespan. However, your ability to sprint is limited by your stamina.
Your sprint endurance is around 4 seconds by default, permitting faster movement for that length of time only.
After expending this sprint endurance, you can walk normally - but won't be able to sprint again for a couple of seconds, and won't regain full endurance until some time after that.
You can increase your sprint duration with the use of Extreme Conditioning in your first perk slot - this will double your available sprint time to around 8 seconds, allowing for positional advantages and earlier intervention at objectives.