Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War - Cartel Guide

Last Update: November 14, 2020 6:46 PM /

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Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Cartel Map Guide PS4 PS5 Xbox Series X Xbox One PC

Deep in Nicaragua, Cartel is a multi-layered map in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War that provides various types of terrain to contend with. It's hard to keep track of what's going on around you. Hopefully, this guide will help steer you on the right path.

Key Locations in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Cartel Map

The Tower in this Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War map is a key point of interest as it provides a 360-degree look of the map. You can see players in the field, the overwatch stations, the hangar, and the river, but that also comes with a price; you can be seen very easily. If you do go up the tower, make sure you have a buddy watching your back. Or you could play the game like Time Crisis, popping your head in and out when necessary. 

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Tower

The overwatch stations give you a good look at the crop field, and you can take out those foolish players who run into the middle. But beware. Make sure you have a mine equipped and drop it by the plant or the door.

Stay away from the field area whenever possible. There are multiple areas where the enemy can snipe you: inside buildings, on the truck's back, and within the tall grass itself. You are also vulnerable to the inevitable missile and napalm strikes that will occur. However, if you're really keen, there is a useful point at this section in the map where you can sit between a rock wall and an orange oil canister. If you crouch down, you can be pretty well hidden. If you briefly stand up, you can get a good look at the action behind and to the right of you.

The riverbed is one of the most dangerous spots on the map as players could come in all sorts of directions. They could come in from the end of the river, from the right side where the crop field is at, or from the tower area. Try to take cover by a rock and get a good angle. The bridge is very precarious so try to avoid that at all costs. When you go up to the crops by climbing the rockface, be wary of the overwatch station. 

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Riverbed

From what I've played, the hangar is pretty quiet most of the time. When this is the case, I've found that hugging the transport truck is a great option. It gives you some awesome cover and another look at the crop fields; it's much safer than jumping on the back of the truck in the middle of the field, that's for sure. Going prone next to the truck as well is a good way to scalp out the people who come into the hangar from the east. The work table that has a radio on top can provide some decent cover because of the questionable packs of drugs on the other side. On the left side of the hangar, there's a sneaky hiding spot that gives you a good viewpoint of the action from the crop fields and the office opposite the drug packs.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Hangar

If you need to resupply, the ammo box is on the main road to the left of the riverbed just under the tower. It's behind a stack of coffee bags turned into cover. Be wary of this section of the map, however, as the crops to the right obscure opponents. 

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War Ammo Box Supply Box

Recommended Loadout for Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Cartel Map

Medium-ranged weapons are what I found most useful on this map. The 1-2x optics worked the best in this Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War map. It can cover the far distance of the center of the map but also help you in close-quarter situations with interior locations. There are a few tight corners too in the river section of Cartel.

Opposing soldiers like to use mines on this map in tricky spots like those tight corners behind rocks and within the overwatch areas that hang over the field section. To counter this, equip the Engineer perk that detects enemy equipment and scorestreaks through walls. It also allows you to re-roll care packages, which is a handy plus.

Paranoia could also be helpful if you are a run-and-gun type of player; this perk allows you to be alerted whenever a player aims at you as the screen pulses in red. The Cold Blooded perk might also save you from the aforementioned missile strikes that tend to hit in the middle of the map, because that perk makes sure you don't show up on the radar. 


Hopefully, with these tips, you can start teabagging your enemies in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and be on your merry way (if that's your style).

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


Chris Penwell TechRaptor
| Staff Writer

The British “Canadian” Chris Penwell has been a video game journalist since 2013 and now has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from MacEwan University.… More about Chris

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Developer
Raven Software
Publisher
Activision
Release Date
October 13, 2020 (Calendar)
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