Napalm Strike


 * For the undead enemy, see Napalm Zombie

The Napalm Strike is an Airstrike-based 5-killstreak reward available in the multiplayer of Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Black Ops
The Napalm Strike calls in a U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom II to drop napalm bombs that leave a column of fire and a massive explosion. Five kills (four with Hardline) are needed for this killstreak in multiplayer. The Napalm Strike is also directional, similar to the Precision Airstrike and the Stealth Bomber from Modern Warfare 2. It cannot be shot down or crashed.

Not only will the initial drop take out anyone unlucky enough to get caught in the blast, but the napalm will also continue to burn, incinerating anyone getting too close unless the player has the Pro version of Flak Jacket.

It works well to defend objectives - provided the objective does not possess overhead cover - by creating an area of lethal fire for about 10 seconds.

Due to the aforementioned area of lethal fire, using a Napalm Strike on a small map is a very effective way to funnel opponents into one area. By holding down this area, this killstreak can be used to earn much higher killstreaks very quickly due to the high number of opponents trying to avoid the fire, thereby wandering into the user's trap. Occasionally, bad connection can allow a player to dive-to-prone over an enemy Napalm strike.

Many players also wait until a friendly Spy Plane or Blackbird is up to use their Napalm Strike as this will allow them to see where a majority of the enemies are for maximum effectiveness.

After Title Update 8, Treyarch has made the Napalm Strike incapable of killing players inside buildings.

Domination
When deciding when to use the Napalm Strike, assess the current situation first. If the player's team is holding two flags (A and B for example) and the enemy are rushing from C in a mass effort to capture B, point the Napalm Strike at B in the direction of C Flag, with the narrow tip of the cone over B and widens as it spreads towards C. This will ensure that the explosives hit B first, killing all attackers, and later burning those still making their way from C to B.

Vice-versa, if the player's team only has the C Flag and need to capture B, reverse the direction of the Napalm Strike and tilt it slightly to where enemies are camping near B. This will incinerate most if not all of the enemy defenders and also provide the player and the player's team a 10-second trail of protective fire. Take note that although the player's team will not be affected by the after-burn in Core Domination, the player who called in the strike can still die by lingering in the fire for a little over 2 seconds. Flak Jacket Pro reduces this suicidal effect.

Capture the Flag
For defending the player's team's flag, adjust the striking angle so that it covers mostly ground and not on top of buildings. Place it over the flag to deter anyone from attempting to grab it.

Attacking wise, it is advised that Tier 1 Perk be Flak Jacket Pro and Tier 3 Marathon for this tactic. Assuming that the player is fighting a well-rounded team, with at least 2 or more defenders and only 2 flag runners. These defenders would be taking up defensive positions in the proximity of their flag. Before entering their flag-zone, place the Napalm Strike so that the area it encompasses is near any openings or partial covers. If the initial explosion does not kill them, the afterburn should do the job as it radiates fire damage if one is close to it. Toss a Willy Pete at another flag-runners' route to distract any surviving defenders, all that's left now is to grab that flag.

Demolition
Attacking or defending, it is a good killstreak to spawn trap enemies.

If defending, launch this by one of the Bomb sites. If one site is already active, it is good to block entrances to that site. If one suspects the enemy is planting, the player can just launch it directly over the bomb site.

If attacking, spawn trapping is a good way to plant the bombs. If an enemy is defusing the bomb, just launch it over the site.

If killed near the bomb after planting it, a good strategy would be to use a Napalm Strike on the bomb just planted on to buy some time by killing the defusers.

Gallery
thumb|316px|right|Power of the Napalm Strike

Trivia

 * The Phantom is based on the Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier, as written on its fuselage (USS Kitty Hawk, VF-114 squadron).
 * The Napalm Strike is delivered by an F-4 Phantom II.
 * The F-4 Phantom that drops the Napalm actually has pilots inside it, albeit very un-detailed and boxy as they are normally not meant to be seen. This can be viewed in Theater mode by pausing the video while the plane enters the map and moving over to it in free-cam.
 * One can also find the same models (including pilots) by spectating on the map Firing Range.
 * As with Rolling Thunder and Blackbird, Napalm Strikes can not be shot down.
 * At the end of the level called Airfield on World at War, multiple F4U Corsairs fly-by, releasing napalm canisters, with the resultant explosion being very similar to the Napalm Strike. It is possible that Treyarch re-used this explosion, or took some inspiration, for the killstreak.
 * In most cases, the fire can burn through walls.
 * Due to connection issues, if the fire doesn't load properly, players can still get killed by it even though there is nothing there.
 * If called in right, a Napalm strike can destroy all helicopter based killstreaks.
 * If the players is directly in the area where the F4 flies by, some sound will be blocked out.
 * The Wii version's targeting icon is different and is similar to the ones of Modern Warfare 2 airstrike icon.
 * Sometimes a Napalm strike will cause the player's game to lag if they go near where it has been dropped.
 * Sometimes fire will be invisible, but it is still dangerous to players.
 * If the player skips the KillCam where one is killed by Napalm Strike, the sound of the Phantom flying can still be heard after the KillCam.
 * The announcers for all factions say "Naplam Strike coming in hot!". Which is ironic as it is a fire-based killstreak.