How to win in Call of Duty: Vanguard’s new mode, Champion Hill

Call of Duty: Vanguard is the next step in the CoD franchise and a change of scenery is just the beginning when it comes to all the new additions that fans will get to discover. 

Champion Hill has been one of the highlights of Vanguard’s alpha and beta stages. It’ll be one of the new modes that CoD players can try when the game is officially released on Nov. 5.

Champion Hill is a unique game mode that combines the core elements of Gunfight, battle royale, and a little bit of Team Deathmatch. Eight teams of duos or trios enter the arena and only one of them walks out in the end. Since there will be four maps in the lobbies, each team will be actively battling against another one until they run out of lives.

While the game mode may look simple at first, you’ll need to have a clear strategy to give your team an edge. You can get away with going rogue for a round or two, but sooner or later, more organized teams will slowly come out on top of the rest.

If you’ve been struggling to get that first win, doing some studying on the game mode can help you secure your next match. Here are some basic tips and tricks on how to succeed in Champion Hill.

Communicate with your team

Champion Hill is mostly a team mode, after all. You’ll need to communicate with your team effectively and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Strategies, locations, and even pep talk can be a deciding factor in close matches. If you don’t have a microphone or choose not to communicate with your team, your squad will have no way of knowing what you’re up to, meaning they’ll either need to guess or just let you try to be a one-man army.

Actively chatting with your team will also allow you to execute strategies and move in sync.

Don’t sleep on the extra life tokens

Extra life tokens are located in the middle of the maps. Most teams skip out on them since it’s relatively hard to pick them up without getting shot.

They’re one of the keys to lasting longer in a match, however, and will give you enough room to make mistakes. If you’re playing with your friends or a squad that’s actively communicating, focusing on picking up these tokens can make a huge difference in the long run.

Even if you’re full on life tokens, the cash reward is worth it since you’ll need money to build up your arsenal. The best time to collect these tokens will be right after taking out someone from the enemy team or when one of your teammates is being pinned down by multiple opponents.

Get an early Spy Plane

Most players look forward to getting the Ghost perk as soon as possible, but not many realize that an early Spy Plane will set up the perfect conditions to provide as much information as possible.

It costs significantly less than the Ghost perk and it can help you throw off the enemy team’s balance. Most players skip out on making early spendings to upgrade their weapons and purchase perks. Capturing the early-game momentum can prove to be more effective, however. Going for the life token after picking up a kill or two can also help you get back your investment since it’ll yield a decent cash reward if you haven’t lost a life yet.

Collect the cash after taking down players

When you kill an enemy player, they’ll drop cash, the second most important resource in the game. While you may not always be able to collect the cash right after you score a kill since there can be other players around, you should cooperate with your teammates to get this extra cash source.

In matches with three players, one member of your team can focus on securing the cash drops while the other two try their best to protect the frontline member. Building a steady cash lead will be vital since you’ll automatically be one step ahead of other teams that are having cash problems.

Variation may not be the name of the game when it comes to managing your cash

Oftentimes, players use their cash to get a secondary weapon and then divide it even further by trying to upgrade both guns. Though this may look like a valid strategy at first, you’ll end up having two mediocre weapons instead of a single fully decked-out gun that can be more powerful.

If you’re managing your lives and are in the run for a top-three spot, you’ll get an additional weapon anyway since teams that drop out of the game will leave their guns behind. These weapons are also likely to be upgraded since almost every player on the map focuses on leveling up their gun.

Use the timer to your advantage

Like in CS:GO, the timer can both be your friend and enemy. The team with the most kills gets a cash reward at the end of each round, so it’ll be smart to secure a lead.

If you’ve scored more kills than the enemy team and are afraid that you may get reverse wiped by the remaining players, there’s no shame in taking it slow and waiting out the timer. Once the timer runs out, you’ll win the round without putting your life in danger.

This strategy may look a bit cowardly for players who like running and gunning, but Champion Hill requires calmness and a certain level of strategy since it’s different from other fast-paced game modes.

Get familiar with the maps

Getting to know all the ins and outs of the Champion Hill maps will be the key to outplaying your opponents on a regular basis. Airstrip, Courtyard, Market, and Trainyard all feature different characteristics and feeling comfortable on each of them will allow you to make plays that will catch the enemy team off guard.

Trick shots, wall shots, or routes that help you flank your enemies can all come in handy during a match. This will naturally happen over time as you play more Vanguard, but you can also check out guides on YouTube where players showcase all the tricks they know around a map.

Have a dedicated sniper

There’s always room for a sniper on each team since they’ll be able to have better vision of the field while also guarding your back. Snipers can feed information to their team and secure some long-range kills at the start of a round to dismantle the enemy squad.

You should also watch out for enemy snipers since getting picked off early in the round will set your team back. Move like an enemy sniper is watching you since you’ll never know when they may decide to strike.

While the methods above will increase your chances of winning a Champion Hill match, your manners are just as important. No one enjoys playing with rude players and a team that loses its morale can find itself struggling against the competition.

Having a positive attitude will ensure that everybody on your team will have a fun time and allow everyone to bring their A-game.