Call of Duty: Black Ops 4‘s Blackout mode is positively teeming with weapons and gear. In fact, there’s so much stuff that it can be overwhelming. So we’ve created this guide to all the weapons, armor, and items in Blackout to make things simpler. Take a look!
Armor
Level 1: Can be found just about everywhere on the map. Reduces incoming damage from gunfire by 30 percent.
Level 2: Reduces incoming damage from gunfire by 40 percent. Appears less often than level 1 armor, but is still fairly common inside normal buildings.
Level 3: Reduces incoming gunfire damage by 50 percent. It’s the only armor that protects against headshots. Level 3 armor rarely appears naturally, but can be found inside zombie chests, supply drops, and loot crates.
Consumables
Dead Silence: You make less noise while moving and looting. Lasts four minutes.
Brawler: You do more melee damage and heal 50 health with each attack. Lasts four minutes.
Engineer: Highlights nearby vehicles and enemy equipment, even through walls. Lasts four minutes.
Iron Lung: You can hold your breath longer while aiming rifles or swimming underwater. Lasts five minutes.
Looter: Works like Engineer, but for loot. You can see gear and loot crates through walls. Lasts two minutes.
Mobility: You can swap between weapons faster and use them while sprinting. You also move faster and take no fall damage. Lasts five minutes.
Outlander: You take less damage from and move faster inside “the collapse.” That’s Call of Duty’s name for the big, deadly circle closing in on the map. Lasts three minutes.
Reinforced: Explosions and fire do less damage. 9-Bangs and concussion grenades disorient you less. Lasts four minutes.
Skulker: Move faster while prone and at normal walking speed while crouched. Lasts three minutes.
Squad Link: Works like Engineer and Looter, but for teammates. You can see friendly players through walls. Lasts two minutes.
Medic: You’re better at all forms of healing. Using healing items and reviving take less time, while restoring more health. Lasts four minutes.
Paranoia: You get an audible warning sound when someone targets you. Lasts four minutes.
Awareness: Nearby enemy footsteps are louder. Lasts two minutes.
Consumer: Works similar to Medic. Healing items take half as long to use.
Guns
Assault rifles are the bread and butter of mid-range combat. They offer precision damage at a decent rate of fire. They won’t outgun an SMG in tight corridors, nor out-range a sniper or tactical rifle in the open. But they’re rarely a bad choice in moment-to-moment combat.
Maddox RFB
Rampart 17
KN-57
ICR-7
VAPR-XKG
There are currently only two launchers in Blackout: the War Machine grenade launcher and the Hellion Salve rocket launcher. The former is much stronger (and rarer), but the Hellion can lock on to enemy vehicles.
War Machine
Hellion Salvo
Light machine guns have massive clips and do tremendous damage. Just don’t expect them to maintain accuracy at a distance. If you can predict where your opponent will be, however, an LMG will wipe them out right quick.
Titan
Hades
VKM 750
Pistols are pretty weak in an open-ended mode like Blackout. They just don’t have the range and stopping power you can get pretty much anywhere else.
Strife
Mozu
RK 7 Garrison
Shotguns might be the weakest weapon class in Blackout. Sure, they do big damage at short range. So do SMGs—only with better reload speeds, rates of fire, and mid-range effectiveness.
SG12
MOG 12
Submachine guns are fast, accurate, and hurt like hell. They’ve been one of the best weapon classes in Call of Duty for a long time. They’re a bit more specialized in Blackout (you won’t use them to snipe foes across the map), but they’re still mostly fantastic.
GKS
Spitfire
Cordite
MX9
SAUG-9MM
Sniper rifles are the premier camping tool. Just find a nice, high spot and wait for enemies to walk into your line of sight. Their damage is pretty incredible in Blackout.
Koshka
Paladin HB50
SDM
Outlaw
Tactical rifles split the difference between ARs and snipers. With the right scope they become some of the best long-range weapons in the game. They’re no slouches in mid-range combat, either.
Auger DMR
ABR 223
Swordfish
Essex Model 07
Zombie weapons are unique in Blackout. They can’t equip attachments and only spawn in designated zombie zones. The trade-off is pretty high damage, but getting stuck with iron sights hurts. So zombie weapons might give you an edge during late-game battles indoors. Just keep a “normal” gun for long-range encounters to be safe.
Galil
MP-40
Ray Gun
Zweihander
Weapon Attachments
2x Scope
3x Scope
4x Scope
Sniper Scope (6x Scope)
ELO: A red dot site without the top half of the frame. Provides a very open view.
Extended Barrel: Increases a weapon’s effective range (reduces damage drop-off).
Extended Mag: Increases weapon magazine size.
Fast Magazine: Reduces reload time.
Foregrip: Reduces a weapon’s sway while aiming down sights.
Grip: Speeds up aiming down sights.
Holo Sight: A precision sight with above-average zoom.
Laser Sight: Increases accuracy when firing from the hip.
Reflex Sight: A red dot sight with a tight view.
Stock: Reduces recoil.
Suppressor: Reduces the sound of gunfire.
Equipment
9-Bang: Disorients enemies for several seconds by blocking their screen. Gets more powerful the longer you “cook” it before throwing. You can practice using it in Ajax’s specialist tutorial.
Acid Bomb: A sticky bomb that explodes into damaging acid. Seems to drop much more commonly, if not exclusively, in zombie zones.
Barricade: Deploys a large cover wall. You can practice using a more lethal version in Torque’s specialist tutorial.
Cluster Grenade: Exactly what it sounds like. The cluster grenade sticks to surfaces before spreading into smaller grenades. You can practice using it in Battery’s specialist tutorial.
Combat Axe : A throwing axe that one-hit-kills targets at a distance. You can even retrieve it after throwing.
Concussion Grenade: A weaker version of the 9-Bang. It doesn’t need to be charged over time, but has a smaller radius.
Cymbal Monkey: Makes a bunch of noise that attracts zombies before exploding. Useful for keeping hordes off your back while you loot zombie chests.
Frag Grenade: The classic. Throw it to blow things up.
Grapple Gun: Fires a grappling hook that quickly pulls you to whatever you hit. You can practice using it in Ruin’s specialist tutorial.
Mesh Mine: Launches up to three sticky mines that trip whenever an enemy walks between them. Does massive damage. You can practice using it in Nomad’s specialist tutorial.
Molotov Cocktail: Like a grenade, but for lighting people on fire.
Razor Wire: A damaging trap that holds opponents in place when they step on it. Great for laying under windows. You can practice using it in Torque’s specialist tutorial.
Recon Car: A remote controlled car that lets you scout ahead and around corners. It leaves your body vulnerable, however.
Sensor Dart: Fires a sticky sensor that periodically reveals nearby enemies. Try to place it in hidden areas, high above enemies. You can practice using it in Recon’s specialist tutorial.
Smoke Screen: A smoke bomb that covers your movements. Great for breaking enemy line of sight and/or giving you time to revive teammates.
Trophy System: Deflects incoming explosives and thrown weapons.
Healing Items
First Aid: Quickly heals 25 damage.
Med Kit: Heals 50 damage after about three seconds.
Trauma Kit: Takes about five seconds to use, but heals you to 200 health—50 higher than the usual maximum—no matter how much damage you’ve taken. Healing with anything but another Trauma Kit won’t raise you back to 200, however.
And that’s it! Hopefully this guide told you what gear is worth keeping and what to leave on the ground. Now you can check out our comprehensive Blackout guide for more tips, tricks, and strategies. We wish you luck!
