Black Ops Cold War, the latest game in the Call of Duty franchise, continues the tradition of multiplayer perks and keeps the system as simple as ever.

What are Perks?

Perks originated back in the first COD: Modern Warfare. These modifiers either enhance abilities or add attributes to players. Avoid showing up on UAVs, see enemy Field Upgrades through walls, and mitigate fall damage, among other potential abilities based on your playstyle to improve your score per minute.

In Cold War (BOCW), perks are separated by color – red, blue, and yellow. There are 5 in each category. Players can equip one of each color for a total of three unless they’re running either the Perk Greed or Law Breaker Wildcards.

Here’s a breakdown of all the perks by color, including what they do and which to combine.

Everything you need to know about Red Perks

• Engineer: This is the default red perk. It allows the player to see enemy scorestreaks, Field Upgrades, and equipment through walls as well as scorestreaks on the mini-map. Users can even re-roll Care Packages, making the scorestreak more reliable.
• Paranoia: This perk alerts the player when an enemy is aiming at them. Also, vision will pulse if the enemy is outside of view via a yellow outline on the edges of the screen. Pairs well with a high sensitivity or tendency to spend a lot of time hardscoping.
• Flak Jacket: Flak Jacket means less damage from explosives, combat bow flames, and molotovs. Strap one on for objective-based modes to more consistently and confidently capture positions.
• Tactical Mask: This offers more resistance to stun grenades and flashbangs, and makes the player immune to gas. It isn't the most useful Perk, especially when the Flak Jacket protects you from more lethal attacks that are far more common.
• Forward Intel: Makes the mini-map larger, and provides indicators for enemy reinforcements. This is another Perk that players can probably do without since alternative options do more to help you survive on the battlefield.

Everything you need to know about Blue Perks

• Scavenger: The default blue perk. It allows players to loot ammo from fallen players. Great for anyone that finds themselves on long killstreaks or tends to quickly run out of ammo with something like a Sniper Rifle.
• Assassin: Killstreak players have a crosshair on the mini-map, and players get a score bonus for eliminating them. Provides more satisfaction for eliminations, however, you can probably get more score in the long run through the help of other Perks.
• Gearhead: This lets you reduce the upgrade time for a Field Upgrade, and allows for the storage of two Field Upgrade charges. Run Gearhead if you nab a lot of kills with Field Upgrades like the Proximity Mine/Gas Mine to maintain better control of specific areas of the map. Two Trophy Systems on objectives will also give the enemy team a tough time regardless of the position.
• Quartermaster: A player can recharge equipment in 25 seconds. You never know when you need another grenade.
• Tracker: When a player aims at an enemy, they show up on the team minimap. Also, enemy footprints have imprints. Communicate and coordinate with allies to wipe them out.

Everything you need to know about Yellow Perks

• Gung Ho: The default yellow perk. Fire your weapon and use equipment while sprinting. Also allows for full speed reloading, more accuracy when sliding, faster weapon switching, and less fall damage. Great for mobility and aggression.
• Cold-Blooded: Scorestreaks controlled by AI don’t target you, and player scorestreaks won’t highlight you. Thermals show you as cold and in vehicles, and players won’t see nameplates when using vehicles. Fantastic for players that prefer the stealthier approach and want to get around the map amidst stronger enemy scorestreaks. Get out there and blow stuff up.
• Ninja: Quiet sprinting and resistance to Field Mic during sprints. More support for players that prefer to go unnoticed. Pair with Gung Ho to supplement aggression, and then flank foes without alerting anyone.
• Ghost: This perk makes the player undetectable to spy planes when planting bombs, moving, defusing a bomb, or controlling scorestreaks. UAVs are extremely common, making Ghost a valuable asset to any loadout.
• Spycraft: This makes the player immune to the jammer, tracker, counter spy plane, and paranoia. The player won’t trigger gas or proximity mines. Players can also booby trap care packages and hack enemy equipment. Combine with Engineer to figure out your next target and take advantage of your opponent's hardwork.

Everything you need to know about Wildcards

After picking three perks, players can pick one wildcard. All four impact loadouts in significant ways:

• Law Breaker: Players can equip any weapon class in any slot, and multiple perks from the same category, although the max is still three. Pair short range with long range guns and grab multiple Yellow Perks for a better K/D.
• Perk Greed: Trouble deciding between too many good options? Get an extra perk from each category for a total of six.
• Gunfighter: If all you need is a powerful weapon, then gain 3 additional attachment slots for primary gun. 
• Danger Close: Looking for more equipment to toss around? Equip an extra piece of tactical and lethal equipment, and start with more ammo.

Match Perks, Equipment, Weapons, and Field Upgrades to your Wildcards for the best results. Experiment with different combinations until you discover the optimal selection for your playstyle. 

Image Source: Activision