Call of Duty: Vanguard’s new Champion Hill mode is unlike anything we’ve seen in the franchise before, and many players will find it challenging to figure out how to win. Players have to be good at gunfighting and making decisions on what weapons, equipment, perks, and killstreaks to buy. Fortunately, after spending a bit of time with the new mode, we’ve got some beginner’s tips for Champion Hill in Vanguard.
Tips on how to win Champion Hill in Call of Duty: Vanguard
The following tips will help players get their first win in Call of Duty Vanguard’s Champion Hill mode. However, even though these are helpful, the best advice of all is to just keep practicing.
Picking the right starting equipment is crucial
Players will spawn into the initial Champion Hill buying round with either an MP40 or a Thompson and have access to either Axis or Allied weapons. The MP40 is a decent SMG at level 1, especially once it’s been upgraded a few times. However, the Thompson is useless at anything further than extremely close range until it’s upgraded.
When starting, we’ve found it’s best for those who spawn with an MP40 to hold on to it and spend their initial cash on armor or equipment. Those with a Thompson, though, should spend their funds on a BAR.
Of course, this isn’t a universal suggestion. Once players get used to the modes, they’ll find their own flow to purchases. However, getting rid of the Thompson right off the bat is a good call for new players.
Be sparing when upgrading weapons
It can be tempting to continue to upgrade a weapon; after all, it’s as easy as pressing right on the D-pad. However, it can be a significant waste of cash that could be spent on more useful things.
Upgrading a gun a few times to get a better sight and some useful attachments is a good idea, but there are diminishing returns when upgrading to higher levels. The best way to find which level of upgrade to stop at is to simply play with each gun and see what each upgrade provides. Some players will find upgrades that provide things like faster melee useless, while others will swear by them.
Learn the maps
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Champion Hill is fairly unique in that it changes the map between each round. There are four possible maps that players can spawn on, and each of them encourages a different playstyle.
This is one of the most useful tips we can give. Knowing where enemies are likely to camp or rush from is integral to doing well in this mode. Fortunately, they’re just as easy to learn as a regular Call of Duty map, and things should start to click after a few games.
Get the Ghost perk
Players can buy the Spy Plane killstreak for only $500, putting the opposite team at a major disadvantage. Since it’s such an obvious boon, most teams will deploy it every round, and the only way to counter it is by purchasing the Ghost perk for $1,000.
However, keep in mind that Ghost only works when a player is moving. So, if an enemy team has deployed a Spy Plane, the opposite team won’t be able to camp, even with Ghost equipped.
Make it a team effort
A team that works together in Champion Hill is going to have a much higher chance of success than one that doesn’t. This doesn’t mean that players have to jump on voice chat and act like operators. Instead, be aware of your teammate and be ready to support them.
Working with a teammate can be as simple as watching their back or pushing a point with them. It’s much easier to flank a foe when working with another person, and players frequently hyper-concentrate on killing one person, which makes them easy prey for players who work together.
Go for extra lives
Players have 12 shared lives in Champion Hill, and once they’re gone, the team is eliminated. Fortunately, there are two ways to get more lives. Players can either pick up spinning circular medallions in a match or pay $3,000 during a buy round to get an extra life.
It’s worth it to save some money back to buy extra lives. Especially since the medallions in the levels are always in wide-open locations that make it easy to be spotted.
Don’t be afraid to wait out the clock
Each round of Champion Hill lasts a minute. After the minute has passed, the team that got the most kills gets a $1,000 bonus. However, rounds can also end in a draw with no penalty to either team.
Players should use the timer to their advantage. For example, if they’ve got more kills than the enemy team, there’s no harm in waiting out the rest of the timer to get the bonus. Alternatively, if a player faces a team that is stomping them, playing chicken means living to fight another day.
Be cautious of snipers
At this point, snipers are extremely hard to answer in some maps. However, there are places a sniper can camp and effectively control a section of the map with little recourse. The only strategy, in this case, is to either counter-sniper or avoid that area.
Sledgehammer Games will likely address this issue in a patch, but it can make the game frustrating since a sniper can fire on players from across the map and kill them without being seen.
