Call of Duty Wiki:Ask A Veteran/Stealth Guide/CQC

Stealth is a tactic used in the Call of Duty series that involves using suppressed weapons or silent means of eliminating enemies, in order to take them by surprise, and to avoid being seen or heard. Stealth is used throughout multiple game modes including Search and Destroy, Sabotage, Headquarters, Demolition, and various hardcore game modes.

Commonly known as "ghosting" in multiplayer modes, players who wish to be stealthy use a silenced weapon, or the knife, with perks such as Bomb Squad, Bandolier, Scavenger or Marathon, combined with UAV Jammer / Camouflage / Cold-Blooded and Dead Silence or Ninja Pro. These perks and weapon combinations cause players to remain unheard and unseen on radars that are used by enemies.

CQC is close-quarters combat. To be stealthy while being proficient at CQC, you have to know what to do. This CQC guide is written from the perspective of a silenced shotgun user.

Beginning CQC Tactics

 * Use a shotgun with a silencer. This is the most effective way of getting yourself out of tight situations in where you did not sneak up on your enemy. For beginning users, the SPAS-12 is ideal as it has long range and high power.
 * Keep a high-power weapon as your primary. The UMP45, MP5k, or SCAR-H are ideal for that.
 * Use the same perks as you would if you were sniping. Cold-Blooded is effective at keeping you out of sight on thermal scopes or UAVs, and Ninja helps sneaking up on users that are using Turtle Beaches or Heartbeat Monitors.
 * Take the long routes. Running across the battlefield getting shot will get you nowhere.
 * Use flashbangs and smoke grenades whenever possible. They'll keep you out of the heat long enough to get away.
 * Marathon is a good first perk as you'll have to be able to run quickly behind enemy lines

Advanced CQC Tactics

 * Practice using a gun without a silencer for your primary. Kills are made much easier when enemies are running towards your last known position. Just fire into the air, and hide behind the nearest object.
 * Ghillie suits can be effective on maps that have tall grass. You can take enemies down while they're stepping on you.
 * Try letting yourself get spotted in the open just long enough to be seen. Then, quickly duck down and run around to where the campers are and take them down from the back.
 * Try using other silenced shotguns such as the M1014, Striker, or the AA-12. If you're proficient at these tactics, you should be close enough where the range reduction won't make a difference.
 * Always pay attention to your radar and where bullets are coming from. You'd be surprised at how many people stay in the same place after they've taken a shot.

How to Counter CQC Tactics

 * Use Heartbear Monitors regularly. Many novice CQC enemies will not be using Ninja and will become easy targets.
 * Always check your back
 * If sniping, cover any entrances with claymores.
 * Watch for white skulls on your map, and always listen to your teammates.
 * Make sure you're a good distance away from a door if you don't know what's outside/inside. They can't take you down if you're not within their range.

Trivia

 * The tactic is sometimes confused with camping due to the use of similar perks and or suppressed weapons.
 * Stealth is more difficult when playing as the Germans due to their uniforms drawing attention (mainly their helmet).