A Beginner’s Guide to Black Ops Domination

Jun 2, 2011

You’ll find that many here at PCP play A LOT of the Domination game type. A while back, we had some recruits unfamiliar with Domination (or even COD in a couple of cases). Some were asking for help, and were interested in doing better.

This is a guide for those who are unfamiliar with Call of Duty, or at least the Domination game type, and want to improve. Because it’s intended as an overview with a few helpful pointers, a lot of stuff is simplified, and even more stuff is omitted. The hope is that you can use this as a helpful starting point, and find what works for you as you become more experienced.

BIG thanks to Konan for help with this!

The Basic Concepts

The goal of Domination (“Dom”) is to win by capturing (“capping”) and holding enough flags to rack up 200 points before the other team does. 1 point is awarded per flag for every 5 seconds of possession. That’s 12 points per flag per minute. Depending on the quality of the host’s connection, the relative strength of your team, and your temperament, you may achieve this goal either by simply holding two of the flags, or capping all three.

The two-flag cap is the more conservative approach to winning, and is often favored because it makes it easier to anticipate from which direction the opposition will be coming (their flag). The two flags most typically taken are your spawn flag, and the next-closest flag (most often “B”). Certain spawns on specific maps offer a better team set up in Domination than others, so you and your teammates may decide to “flip” the other team by taking their spawn flag and leaving yours undefended. Your team will spawn on the newly-capped flag once the enemies in its vicinity are killed off. One aspect of Domination you should keep in mind when using this maneuver: your team spawns on the last flag it capped.

The three-flag cap (“triple cap”) can cause you to win very quickly, as it keeps the opposite team from scoring any points. However, it can also make winning a game much more challenging, thereby also increasing the game’s intensity (and fun), as you can’t easily anticipate where the enemy will respawn. This approach to Domination requires very good team communication and preparedness and is often discussed beforehand. Even a two-flag strategy will occasionally require a triple cap in order to pull off a comeback win.

Common Roles

Winning in Domination sometimes requires a player to wear many hats. Flexibility is a key feature in a team player. That said, it’s helpful for the purposes of this overview to map out some typical roles players take on themselves. The names referenced below are arbitrary; most people don’t really identify themselves as playing one specific role.

Capper:   The capper attempts to capture a flags, solo if need be. They will sacrifice themselves repeatedly to cap a flag, when needed. The capper often defends the same flag once it is taken. Teams should have three or more players equipped to perform this role, as needed.

Defender:      The defender will commit to staying close to the objective as
needed to insure his team retains control. Unique class set ups can help, but are not necessary. A defender often is the first person to attempt a re-cap if a flag is lost, and therefore often uses the Capper set-up throughout the game.

Killer:   Positions himself to interdict enemy routes, rack up kills, build kill streaks, and maintain map control. Distinct from the Defender in that he often maintains his position, whether a flag is under attack or not. Killers can play as Defenders, if their position on the map allows it. An important role, but one not necessarily suited to everyone — teams full of Killers usually lose in Domination.

Griefer:   A variation of the Killer role, distinct for his mobility and predilection for taking the fight to the enemy. Good for disrupting enemy “staging” (see below) by rushing towards the enemy spawn, often with runner perks and a shotgun or submachine gun. Often caps the third flag, when desired or needed. A specialist role that is not critical, but can be very useful when facing a team of rushers.

Class Set Ups

If you feel you are not suited to the Killer or Griefer role, you need to consider how you’re going to help with defending and capturing flags. There are several “tools of the trade” that help immensely with objective play. Here are just a few of the more common ones seen:

Flak Jacket:   Helps you to survive multiple explosive blasts, which can make the difference between a successful cap and an unsuccessful one. Also helpful when the enemy wants you off a flag! Pro version allows you to survive fire-based attacks (especially useful for napalm).

Tactical Mask:    Allows you to bypass the less common but frustrating tactic of a
defender gassing a flag to prevent its capture. Pro version minimizes flash or stun effects, and allows you to determine the enemy’s location when you throw a flash or stun.

Second Chance:   While frowned upon by some players, this perk is very useful in providing a player an extra few seconds to cap a flag, when they would otherwise be dead. Players in second chance can also take out opposing players who come in for a quick counter-cap.

Smoke:      Obscures the enemy’s observation of a flag. Critical to buying
additional capping time while on a flag.

Gas:         Generally better for defending a flag than capping one, it can be
used effectively to block access to a flag.

Silenced Weapons:   Great for Defenders facing multiple opponents. Silenced weapons
keep you off the mini map, which gives you more time to take one
or more of the enemy down before they locate you. Best when combined with a concealed spot.

Claymore:      Designed for defense, though you can plant them while capping a
flag in smoke if you think the enemy may try to walk up on you.

C4:         A less common but often effective tool for defending flags
from a distance. Because you can detonate C4 by simply tapping the “X” button twice, it allows you to defend flags from afar. C4 is vulnerable to explosives thrown or launched by an attacking enemy, so “hiding” C4 decreases the chances it being destroyed by the enemy in advance. Placement on walls, ceilings, and in cars is great for this. C4 is also effective when using smoke to cap a flag. Once the flag is yours, throw down a charge in case an enemy tries an immediate counter-cap.

Semtex/Frags:   Great for attacking a flag, or defending a flag after being killed during the opposition’s attack. Grenades can be thrown further than semtex, and roll upon landing. On some maps, this allows a recently killed Defender to respawn, sprint, cook and throw a grenade, and knock out the enemy on the flag from distance, all within seconds. Semtex is of course superb for precision throwing, and very effective on defense.

Objective-oriented Kill Streaks

Domination is won by capping and successfully defending flags, and those roles can involve a lot of dying. Hence, it makes sense for Cappers and Defenders (regardless of skill) to run low kill streaks in Domination.

Some of the most effective lower streaks are: Spy Plane, Counter Spy Plane, and Napalm. Napalm can be used to block enemy access to entire parts of the map, if placed effectively.

RC XD, Sam Turret, Sentry Gun, and others are also very useful in objective games, but can cause problems, because they can keep the player tied down while they wait for the arrival of the crate (or while they operate the RC XD). If you refer them, however, there is one simple solution for minimizing delays with the air crate-borne streaks. Once you have unlocked the kill streak, throw your marker grenade in your spawn area, or towards it, and continue the fight. Then either grab the package on your next respawn, or let your teammates know that it’s theirs for the taking.

Capturing Flags: Individual Technique

Whether you are capturing a flag with your team, or on your own, there are certain things you can do as an individual to increase your chances of success.

Use smoke. If the enemy will likely only approach the flag from one direction, throw the smoke well ahead of the cap point, in that direction. Not only will you block their line of sight, but they will have to come through the smoke (and into your line of sight) to see you, which is a huge disadvantage for them. If you think the enemy controls the areas surrounding the flag, you may be best suited to mask yourself by throwing the smoke directly on your capping spot. Also, if your teammate has already thrown smoke on the flag, it can be a good idea to throw yours a few seconds later to prolong the effect, or to throw it left or right of his smoke, to cover the capping spot from another angle.

Lie down. Hide in the midst of any bodies around the flag, if possible. Don’t draw attention to yourself by moving, unless you have to.

Find cover. Some flags in the game allow you to take partial or complete cover while capping. Look for the concrete “jersey” barriers. Find those, and use them.

Cap from the periphery. If you are capping a flag while shrouded in smoke, just about the only thing the enemy can see is the flag marker (the inverted triangle with an “A” “B” or “C” label). As a result, defenders will usually aim at that marker.

You can avoid a lot of damage by lying down at the outer extreme of the capping radius. Keeping a good distance from teammates who are also capping the flag can also save one of you from a premature death. Don’t panic if you move too far and the meter disappears; you have a grace period of a second or two to get back inside the flag radius and continue capping where the meter had stopped.

Talk. Tell your teammates that you’re about to attempt a cap. Tell them how far along towards a cap you are. If you think the opposition is about to kill you while capping, ask for help. If you die during or after a flag cap and you know the enemy’s location, tell your teammates.

Try again. It is neither helpful to your team nor fun for you to die over and over while in pursuit of a cap. However, you may need to make repeated attempts, using various tactics, to overcome a well-defended flag.

Capturing Flags: Team Strategy

Regardless of your individual approach to capturing flags, what is most critical is that your team pushes forward when you do not control the majority of flags. It can be daunting for players to push out of their spawn after getting killed four times in a row. Try another path; throw smoke or flash bangs, whatever you can to keep moving. Just don’t sit and wait for the enemy to present you with an easy target before moving ahead. If you find yourself playing defense on a flag that your team doesn’t control, rethink your approach.

The Rush. The most direct way for a team to capture a flag is to put a lot of bodies on it and hope that one of you survives long enough to secure it. This is a common tactic at the start of a Domination match when there is no time to stage or set up a cap. It’s not a bad idea to send the majority of the team to the “B” flag (or most contested flag) at the game’s start, and have one teammate volunteer to capture your spawn flag alone.

The Rush works well enough, but has some serious flaws. Mid-game, it takes time to get enough bodies together to set it up. It can also leave the rest of the map wide open to the enemy if you have several teammates concentrated in one small area. However, the biggest problem with the Rush is that it is open to a quick counter cap, especially when the opposition’s defense has taken out most of the rushers.

The Staged Attack. More often than not, a seasoned Domination team on defense will take cover in positions that allow easy coverage of one or more flags. This defensive strategy involves map control, rather than simple flag defense, and focuses on buildings (or other areas of cover). So, to effectively break the opposition’s defense, and minimize the danger of their immediately re-capping it, you need to focus on taking and holding these areas of control around the flag. Once that is done, one player can cap the flag while the remainder prepare for counter attacks.

The major downside of this strategy is that it requires good coordination, or an intuitive understanding of how your teammates play.

The Distraction Cap. If you cannot dislodge an enemy from a flag, particularly the middle or “B” flag, one or two teammates may try to take the opposition’s spawn flag. It’s often surprisingly lightly defended, and can draw enough players off the previously contested flag to make that cap much easier. It can also result in a permanent “split flags” scenario, which can work for long enough to pull out a win. Your team will begin to spawn on that flag if no opposition is near it.

Defending Flags: Technique

As noted above, it is rarely effective for a player to sit on a flag while defending it, unless they are hidden from view. There are really two types of positions for a Defender to take. A blocking position usually sits in front of the flag and cuts off at least one critical approach to a flag area. A “patrol” area is larger and keeps the Defender moving to multiple spots to insure that an entire area of the map and all major approaches to it are clear.

Look at the map and see if your team needs you to plug a gap or cover an area that is wide open. Use claymores, jammers, or motion detectors to cover at least one approach to your position, and watch your back. Remember to relocate after you’ve killed a few opponents, as they will start to take more interest in you than the flag!

Calculating the Win

If you are in a close fight and need to figure out who will reach 200 points first on the basis of the current number of flags each team controls, simply calculate the leading team’s remaining points needed to reach 200. If the losing team has to score less than double that number to reach 200, they can win with two flags. If the losing team has to score exactly double that amount to reach 200, they will draw with two flags. And if the losing team has to score more than double that number to reach 200, they will have to cap all three flags for at least a short time to win.