Death Machine

The Death Machine is a minigun obtainable in Call of Duty: Black Ops from Care Packages, as a Power-Up in the Nazi Zombie maps Five and Ascension and is available in the campaign mission "Vorkuta". It is also featured as a random weapon in the Wager Match game mode, Sharpshooter. The Death Machine is a WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction) type of weapon.

Campaign
The Death Machine is obtainable in the mission "Vorkuta," where the player uses it to fight through the Soviet prison guards trying to prevent their escape. It is very effective at killing Riot Guards, requiring minimal body shots. The Death Machine has a capacity of 999 rounds, so the player should not run out of ammo for it. Unlike its Multiplayer counterpart, it occupies a regular weapon slot.

Multiplayer
The Death Machine, similar to the Grim Reaper is kept in the player's inventory for as long as the match lasts, and will only become active upon firing the first shot.

The Death Machine has a maximum capacity of 499 rounds and it acts identically to the version in Campaign. The user's Movement Speed while holding the weapon is slower than their primary weapon, and the player also cannot go prone with it. However, while firing, the player can still sprint for an effective, albeit lower than average, boost to their speed. If the player holding the Death Machine is killed, the weapon disappears and cannot be picked up.

The Death Machine, although seemingly uncontrollable, is the exact opposite. It has very low recoil, having almost none, and very high damage (2 shot kill anywhere, 1 shot kill at close range). It has a very high fire rate, and does not need to reload. It can be effectively fired Full-Auto at long ranges, with surprising accuracy. These characteristics make the Death Machine ideal for prefiring and long distance combat.

Using any other weapons or equipment will cause it to drop, losing the Death Machine permanently, unless pocketed back into the killstreak space.

The killstreak, which can be quite useful in Core modes, sees less usefulness in Hardcore modes, where almost any other gun can kill in little more than a single hit, and the amount of time to spool up the Death Machine may prove fatal in a firefight. In addition, the artificial aiming reticule is not present given the limited HUD, making aiming more difficult.

It can also be quite effective against enemy helicopters, specifically the Attack Helicopter, but is also useful against the Care Package helicopter, Chopper Gunner, and Gunship.

Zombies
Death Machine can be found in the Nazi Zombies map "Five" and "Ascension" as a power-up. In power-up form, it appears as a three-dimensional model of the icon for the Rapid Fire attachment. It is easily identifiable, casting a blue glow instead of the usual green. The Death Machine lasts 30 seconds with unlimited ammo, and firing it constantly will not affect its duration. It does fantastic damage to Zombies at any round as well as the Thief. However, it can be stolen by the Pentagon Thief. It must be noted that one cannot do anything that requires the X/Square button while this power-up is being used, like Pack-a-Punching, reviving teammates, and getting guns. When the power-up is almost over, a low ammo quote will be heard.

The Death Machine also appears in "Dead Ops Arcade" as a pick-up. Once the player gets it, the player is able to use it for several seconds or until it's ammo runs out. The player that is awarded with "The Fate of Firepower" will be granted a permanent Death Machine.

Additionally, on Ascension, the Death Machine can be obtained by all players at the same time, for a total of 90 seconds, if a certain easter egg is completed.

Trivia

 * Treyarch said in an interview that they tried to make a portable, manual version of the Sentry Gun. However, they came across difficulty with the idea. Presumably, this is the portable version they mentioned, but the Sentry Gun is still in Call of Duty: Black Ops as a killstreak.
 * The Death Machine has the word "sparky" written on its underside. One is able to view this in Theater Mode, using the Free Camera option.
 * The Death Machine, Ammo and the Grim Reaper are the only killstreak rewards that are available with the Care Package that cannot be chosen as a normal killstreak.
 * The Death Machine in third-person has no visible feed mechanism or power drive.
 * Whilst in Sharpshooter, the perks the player acquires if you have the Death Machine seem to be almost useless; they cannot ADS or reload (Sleight of Hand Pro), the player moves very slowly (Lightweight Pro) and the Death Machine's cross-hairs are already very small and accurate (Steady Aim Pro).
 * Just behind the front grip, there is a plate with writing. It reads "AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN 7.62MM GAU-2B/A," along with some other writing. This and other writing can be seen in third person in Theater Mode.
 * This and the Grim Reaper are the only weapons in the game whose pickup icons are colored.
 * When using the Death Machine in Multiplayer, both teams' announcers will not mention the activation of the Death Machine, until the first shot is fired.
 * If the Death Machine power-up appears in "Five" in an elevator, it will go through the floor or ceiling during the elevator's movement.
 * The Death Machine power up in the zombie map Ascension is significantly more likely to appear than in "Five"
 * There is a Death Machine located on some shelves along with a Thundergun in the same room on Five where the Winters Howl is located on the desk.
 * The Death Machine in multiplayer is the only time where a Death Machine actually reloads. The Death Machine in Campaign has high ammo and no spare ammo while the Death Machine in Zombies has unlimited ammo, which make both no use to reload at all.

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