Bouncing Betty

A Bouncing Betty is a World War II-era mine featured in Call of Duty 3 and Call of Duty: World at War. In World at War it is unlocked at multiplayer level 24. Bouncing Betties are not encountered in the campaign.

Bouncing betties are considered more effective than claymores (their Call of Duty 4 equivalent) for a number of reasons. They explode through the full 360 degrees and are easier to conceal because they are smaller and have no red lasers. They are also "dug in" thus, you will only see a glowing yellow rod (players will often attempt to shoot the glowing rod, which does no damage - the base must be hit).

Bouncing Betties, once placed, remain until triggered, destroyed or until the player who sets them respawns. They are triggered by the proximity of enemy players - even in hardcore game modes, friendly players will not set them off by proximity (although they will damage friendly players in hardcore should they explode). They can 'see' through walls, which can be a disadvantage as an enemy safe on the other side of a wall may unwittingly trigger them. Bouncing betties can be destroyed by damaging the base with any gun or explosive.

Bouncing Betties can be particularly useful in area denial, specifically to prevent flanking or to protect an objective. In Search and Destroy they remain even after the player who set them has died, making them very useful for defending a bomb site before (defense) or after the bomb is planted (offense). A good strategy to use while fielding this weapon is to put it just inside the door on right or left, this way the enemy cannot see it unless they have the Bomb Squad perk.

Many people, especially sub machine gunners, like to use Bouncing Betties in order to get a few more easy kills, which is looked down on by many players; however, using the Bomb Squad perk allows players to avoid the BBs.

Many snipers also prefer Bouncing Betties as their Tier 1 Perk to avoid being flanked while sniping.

Trivia

 * "Bouncing Betty" was not the real name given to this device. Its real name was the S-mine (Schrapnellmine in German)
 * Realistically, one could not place a "Bouncing Betty" in the ground wherever they wanted, such as on a flight of stairs. They could only be placed in soft ground.
 * It'll be tactical to place a bouncy betty on a dead body corpse, that way your enemy can't see the glowing prongs and cannot shoot it, while it can only be destroyed by an explosive, and most players are not willing to waste a grenade and maybe alert someone nearby. Only your allies can see it with the insignia of your team.
 * Bouncing Betties were pressure-activated. This makes them unrealistic in Call of Duty: World at War because they are activated simply when an enemy walks near to one.
 * This perk replaces the Claymore x2 from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
 * If a player walks around with the pin pulled, they will drop the live bouncing betty to the ground when they die - this can be used similarly to Martyrdom.
 * It is recommended that in normal modes the killcam not be skipped if bouncing betties have been planted as they remain fully active until the player respawns.
 * Sometimes the Betties can be counter productive for if you set some close to you and somebody detonates them (gun, grenades walking etc.) they will most likely kill you.
 * Sometimes people will suicide bomb themselves by running up to an enemy with a Bouncing Betty and placing it at their feet, killing both players.
 * In real life, when you step on the 3 prongs of a bouncing betty, the betty shoots out of the ground to about waist height and then explodes.
 * Bouncing betties triggered at the end of a round on S and D result in the whole match freezing for 1 or 2 seconds
 * If you look at a team-mate who is holding a Bouncing Betty, the mine appears as large as 1 gallon milk jug. However, when placed in the ground, it appears as large as a can of soda.
 * The land mines in Modern Warfare 2 level Loose Ends are very similar to Bouncing Betties. Both seem to be proximity activated and both will bounce in the air and launch shrapnel in all directions.