BLACK OPS II WIKI

Black Ops 2 Beginner's Guide

Beginner's Guide — Getting Started · Call of Duty: Black Ops II

This Black Ops 2 guide covers everything a new player needs across all three modes — Multiplayer, Zombies and Campaign. Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a fast, systems-heavy shooter, and a little setup goes a long way: understanding the Pick-10 loadout and the score-based scorestreaks will do more for your first sessions than any single weapon. Work through the sections below in order and you will have a working class, a survival plan for Zombies, and a sense of how the branching story fits together.

Pick-10 & Scorestreaks — Core Systems · Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Where to start

Play a few Black Ops 2 Multiplayer matches to get a feel for movement and gunfights before you touch Create-a-Class — the default classes are fine for learning. Once you reach the low ranks, the Pick-10 system opens up and you can start tailoring a loadout. If you prefer co-op, jump into Zombies on TranZit or a Survival map with a friend; it is the most forgiving way to learn the game's economy of points and perks. The single-player Black Ops 2 campaign is worth playing for its branching story, but Multiplayer and Zombies are where most of the hundreds of hours live.

Multiplayer basics: Pick-10 and scorestreaks

Black Ops 2 multiplayer is built on two systems. The first is the Pick-10 create-a-class: every class has ten allocation points, and each weapon, attachment, perk and piece of equipment costs one. You do not have to fill all ten — drop your secondary or a grenade to free points for extra perks or attachments. Wildcards bend the rules: a wildcard costs a point and unlocks a second item that costs another, so Perk 1 Greed (a second Tier 1 perk) is two points total.

The second system is scorestreaks. Instead of counting kills, Black Ops 2 rewards score earned in a single life — kills, assists, captures and defends all build progress. Dying resets your progress toward the next streak, but streaks you have already earned carry over. Equip up to three, and lean on cheap, reliable options early: the 425-point UAV reveals enemies for your whole team and pays for itself almost every life.

Best starter weapons

Every Black Ops 2 weapon requires an Unlock Token, so spend your first tokens on guns that suit your range. For close and medium range, the MP7 and MSMC submachine guns are forgiving and mobile. If you prefer holding lanes, the AN-94 and SCAR-H assault rifles reward steady aim. Pair your primary with the perks Toughness (steadier aim when hit) and Flak Jacket (explosive resistance), and you have a class that survives most rooms. Browse the full weapon list to compare damage, rate of fire and range side by side.

Zombies basics

In Black Ops 2 Zombies you fight endless rounds of the undead, spending points earned from kills and repairs. The first-round routine is the same on every map: knife early zombies for extra points, buy a wall weapon by round three or four, and turn on the power to unlock the Perk-a-Cola machines. Juggernog, which raises your health so you can take four hits instead of two, is the single most important perk — buy it first whenever you can afford the 2500 points. As rounds climb, build the map's buildable and hunt for its wonder weapon from the Mystery Box or Pack-a-Punch. Each of the six maps also hides a full main-quest easter egg.

Campaign & Strike Force

The Black Ops 2 campaign moves between the 1980s Cold War and a near-future 2025, and it was the first in the series to branch. Your choices and the outcomes of the optional Strike Force missions — which feature permadeath — change who lives, who dies, and which of the multiple endings you reach. You do not need to replay the whole game to see them: the key decisions cluster in a handful of missions. See the endings guide for exactly which choices matter and the mission list for the full order.

Ten quick tips

  1. Run the UAV as your first scorestreak — cheap map awareness wins gunfights.
  2. Buy Juggernog first in Zombies; nothing else matters if you go down in two hits.
  3. Use the Hardline perk to earn scorestreaks 20% faster while you are learning.
  4. You can leave Pick-10 slots empty — fewer, better-kitted items beat a full but scattered class.
  5. Learn one Small map (like Nuketown 2025 or Hijacked) inside out before roaming the rotation.
  6. Knife early Zombies rounds for extra points before weapons out-scale melee.
  7. Reload behind cover — most weapons take two to three seconds.
  8. In the campaign, do the Strike Force missions to keep the Second Cold War from escalating.
  9. Turn on power in Zombies before spending points on the Mystery Box.
  10. Try burst and semi-auto rifles — the SWAT-556 and FAL OSW reward accuracy over spray.