"Using the distraction of a happy aquatic festival in India, elite assassins have hijacked parade floats to use a battering ram to crack open and breach an embassy.”

Don’t let the colors of those parade floats fool you. These motorized displays decimated the walls of an embassy and are the catalyst behind the lore of this Black Ops Pass map included with Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Operation Spectre Rising.

The largest of the Spectre Rising Black Ops Pass map trio, Masquerade brings a wide range of engagement opportunities to the table. From street fights to rooftop skirmishes, here’s what you need to know about Masquerade:

The Lay of the Land

Masquerade’s initial team spawns run east and west. One team comes in on the embassy side, the other is in the market that leads to some of the parade floats.

The floats aren’t just a part of the environment, but in fighting shape, and usable as cover. Some can even be mantled for a slightly elevated fighting position. Head north to the pirate ship where players on top can fire towards both the embassy or the street. Or duck on and around a dragon ship parade float to take opponents racing towards the map’s center off guard.

There are plenty of buildings where marksmen can come to roost, but all offer different sightlines. The various vantage points allow players to pick off enemies in the streets or the embassy courtyard.   If you like the high ground, go for it but be mindful of players at similar elevations who may shoot across at you. 

General Strategy

Masquerade offers a lot of open space which gives opportunities for flanking, tactical decision-making, and room to outsmart opponents. You can choose to run and gun using the environment like the parade floats to outplay enemies, eliminate foes from up above, or find your mix of both.  

Treat this as a risk-reward scenario: while running through open space can get you from Point A to B the fastest, there may be enemies up above and ready to pick you off. On the flip side, those perched positions may keep you off the ground, but you should be prepared for a counter-attack from all angles.

Due to the amount of high ground on offer, long-ranged weaponry could have a field day when used from building to building. Just be sure to watch your six, as the indoors may attract close-quarters builds as well.

Although it is a big map, those buildings do offer opportunities for those exact builds. Lurking inside buildings and staying close to cover are great options to consider to catalyze close combat.

Objective Tips and Tricks

The north and south of Masquerade are frequently used as flank routes; players often funnel towards the central buildings, the courtyard, and objectives, which may leave these buildings and pathways open for business.

This is especially the case in Domination. The B Flag is right on the embassy’s doorstep where the parade floats are cracking through, which is essentially Masquerade’s center. Snipers and other marksmen are inclined to be in the buildings or on floats to provide overwatch, but those with submachine guns and other short-range weapons may find themselves more comfortable taking the perimeter routes.

In a game like Domination, Masquerade’s size may allow you to flip the spawns over mid-round. In other words, it is entirely possible to start on the A flag spawn, push all the way around the C, and reset an attack on B without too many casualties.

Granted, this strategy involves investing some time and effort, but it could be rewarding, especially against an enemy squad who are throwing themselves towards the center. Consider holding the VIP building near the embassy to get the upper hand on players rushing to the B-site, but it’s not an easy tactic given the multiple windows and ways for enemies to breach the building.

Whether you are dropping in for the first time or looking for the best strategies after your 100th game, the ultimate tip we have for this map, and every map in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, is to have fun.

We’ll see you online.

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