Top 5 tips to dominate The Pines in Black Ops Cold War

Andrew Highton

The Pines is a masterful 6 vs 6 map with plenty of depth and a multitude of wonderful, winding options. So here are 5 tips that should assist you and help you to master the mall.

It’s hard to describe how much fun The Pines actually is. It already has that magical feeling of a map that will be replicated and reused for years to come.

Virtually every aspect of it has plenty of flanking opportunities, accessible and open routes, and great spots you can use to outwit the opposition. It’s well organized, has an easy to remember structure, looks fantastic, and Treyarch does their best to pay homage to a classic film.

1. Have an SMG or Shotgun for the shops

There are a few areas of The Pines that all connect together, in confined shops, like a little labyrinth. You can either spray and pray with your AR of choice, or you can head into one of these sections pre-prepared.

We always find it helpful to be packing an upgraded Gallo in the back pocket to pull out and put an end to someone’s terrific run. An MP5 or Mac-10 will serve you just as well.

gallo shotgun in cod bocw

2. Don’t be afraid to go around the outside of the map

The fountain and its adjacent surroundings are predominantly the hub of all the map’s conflict. But The Pines is so much more.

It’s imperative you’re running around the outskirts of the map, flying through the stockrooms and less populated shops on the map. It’s a great way to turn the tables on your opponents and you’re sure to earn a few kills in the process.

3. Avoid the fountain

Even though there is lots of fleeting cover in the form of a few walls and pillars, you’re just so desperately exposed down here. If your K/D is more important than oxygen then we would definitely not recommend this bullet-seeking hotspot.

The main problem with the fountain is that you can easily be spotted from the balcony above, or because you’re so excluded from being behind walls it makes it easy for someone to come round from one of many corners and destroy you. Failing that, a cheeky grenade will make for a big splash.

the fountain in the pines map in cod bocw

4. No aerial scorestreaks

Sometimes a solid indoor map also comes at the cost of some of the game’s most productive scorestreaks. Cruise Missiles are a cinch for several easy kills, but not on The Pines.

Just like Checkmate, the majority of the map takes place indoors under a reinforced roof. So you’re better off quickly selecting some other makeshift rewards such as the Sentry Turret or the War Machine.

5. The best spot on the map

This nice little spot overlooking the main part of the map is by far the best spot to utilize on this map. It provides some decent cover with the wall you’re peering over, and it can reveal enemies below you, moving between the shops to the right, near the fountain, and coming from the opposite side of the map.

A final overlooked benefit is that if the spawns get swapped around, you’re in a nicely concealed spot around the wall, and you can hear the enemy’s footsteps coming. So it’s very easy to pop off a kill or two before jumping down, and making your way back up, encountering and killing enemies on the way that are still looking for you.

You are very welcome. One of CoD: Black Ops Cold War’s best maps just become even more profitable for you.

Image credits: Treyarch

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About The Author

A content creator for Charlie INTEL / Dexerto that earned a degree, wrote for PlusXP, Twinfinite, and Keengamer, before finally securing his dream job of being a professional video game writer. When not writing about games, he's very busy playing every game in existence and adding to his 11,000+ PlayStation Trophies and 150+ Platinums. You can contact him at [email protected].