Strategic Placement for Maximum Impact
Getting the most out of your claymore in Call of Duty BO7 starts with understanding that placement is everything. You’re not just dropping it on the floor; you’re setting a trap. The goal is to cover a high-traffic lane or a vulnerable flank that you can’t physically watch every second. Think of doorways, narrow corridors, stairwells, and the paths leading to key objectives like domination flags or hardpoint hills. The key is to force the enemy into the claymore’s lethal cone, which is about a 45-degree angle from the front of the mine. A common rookie mistake is placing it facing directly into a doorway. A savvy player will spot the laser tripwires and either shoot it or jump over it. Instead, try these pro-level setups:
- The Corner Cut-off: Place the claymore a foot or two back from the doorway, angled to cover the entrance. This makes the lasers harder to see from the outside and catches players as they rush in.
- The Stairwell Surprise: On stairs, place the claymore on the wall facing down the staircase. This catches players as they ascend, often before they have a clear line of sight to shoot it.
- The Flank Guardian: When defending an objective, place your claymore to cover a less obvious route to your position. This acts as an early warning system and secures your back.
Remember, claymores are visible. Their red laser beams can be seen if you’re looking for them. The Engineer perk is a direct counter, allowing enemies to see your equipment through walls and even re-roll or hack it. Because of this, you need to be clever. Don’t place it in the most obvious spot. Hide it behind low objects, in shadows, or around a corner just past a doorway. The element of surprise is your greatest asset.
Synergizing with Your Loadout and Perks
A claymore isn’t an island; its effectiveness is dramatically increased when it’s part of a larger tactical plan built into your custom class. Your choices in perks and wildcards can turn a simple mine into a central part of your defensive strategy. The most critical perk for a claymore-centric playstyle is Scavenger. Without it, you only get one claymore per life. With Scavenger, you can replenish them from fallen enemy packs, allowing you to continuously re-secure areas throughout a match. This is a game-changer for modes like Search and Destroy or defending in Demolition.
Here’s a breakdown of how perks interact with claymores:
| Perk Name | Effect on Claymore Use | Tactical Value |
|---|---|---|
| Scavenger | Allows you to replenish claymores from ammo packs. | Essential for sustained area denial. Enables multiple traps per life. |
| Tactical Mask | No direct effect on claymores, but protects you from enemy concussion grenades when you’re near your own trap. | Allows you to hold a position near your claymore without being easily flushed out. |
| Engineer (Enemy) | Enemies can see your claymore through walls and may hack it. | Forces you to use more creative, hidden placements. A major counter to be aware of. |
| Blast Suppressor | No direct effect, but hiding your movement on the minimap helps you set up traps without being tracked. | Covert movement allows for safer placement behind enemy lines. |
For your wildcard, the Perk 1 Greed is a fantastic option, allowing you to run both Flak Jacket and Scavenger. This makes you tanky against explosives while ensuring you never run out of traps. Alternatively, the Danger Close wildcard gives you two claymores from the start, letting you create a deadly two-pronged defense immediately.
Game Mode Specific Strategies
How you use claymores should change drastically depending on the game mode you’re playing. A strategy that works in Team Deathmatch might get you zero kills in Search and Destroy. Let’s break down the application for the most popular modes.
Search and Destroy (S&D): This is the claymore’s premier mode. As a defender, your primary job is to prevent the bomb from being planted. Placing claymores on the two main bomb sites is a classic move, but better players expect this. Instead, place them on the common rushing routes the attackers use to reach the sites in the first 15 seconds of the round. This can net you an early pick, giving your team a crucial numbers advantage. As an attacker, you can use claymores defensively after planting the bomb. Place them to cover the most likely routes the defenders will use to attempt a defuse. This forces them to either waste time shooting the claymore or risk dying, buying precious seconds for the bomb timer.
Domination: Claymores are perfect for defending your captured flags, especially your home flag (A or C) to prevent back-caps. When your team is pushing for the middle flag (B), a well-placed claymore can secure the flank, stopping enemies from sneaking around to reclaim A or C. Don’t just place it on the flag itself; place it on the approach. For example, on the map “Fringe,” if you hold the B flag in the train car, placing a claymore in the adjacent building’s doorway leading to the flank route is more effective than placing it directly in the train car.
Hardpoint: This mode is all about controlling a rotating objective. The best use of a claymore is to secure one of the entrances to the Hardpoint, allowing you and your team to focus your gunfire on the other entrance. Since the hill moves every 60 seconds, you need to be proactive. As the current hill’s timer winds down, start moving to the next predicted hill location. If you get there first, you can immediately set up claymores to fortify the position before the enemy team even arrives. This pre-emptive setup is often the difference between holding the hill for 10 seconds and holding it for the full minute.
Counter-Play and Advanced Psychological Tactics
To be a master of claymores, you must also understand how to play against them. The most direct counter is the Engineer perk, which highlights enemy equipment in bright red through walls. If you don’t run Engineer, you must be visually vigilant. Look for the two small red lasers. You can often jump, slide, or even crouch-walk under them if you’re careful. Shooting them is the safest bet, but it reveals your position.
Now, let’s talk about advanced mind games. You can use claymores not just to kill, but to manipulate enemy movement. This is a high-level tactic that can control the flow of a match.
- The Bait and Switch: Place a claymore in a semi-obvious spot. An enemy will see it, shoot it, and think the coast is clear. What they don’t know is that you’re hiding around the corner, waiting for them to let their guard down after “disarming” your trap. The claymore acted as a distraction.
- The Audio cue Advantage: Even if a claymore doesn’t kill an enemy, you will hear a distinct “click” when the laser is tripped. This is invaluable intel. It tells you exactly which lane an enemy is pushing through, allowing you to pre-aim or reposition to meet the threat.
- Double Stacking: Using the Danger Close wildcard, you can place two claymores in the same location. While expensive in terms of wildcard slots, this is almost a guaranteed kill. Even if an enemy uses Flak Jacket to survive the first blast, the second one will finish them off. This is particularly devastating in objective modes where you absolutely must hold a position.
Finally, always be aware of the map’s flow. A claymore placed in a hot zone at the start of the match might be useless five minutes later as the battle moves to another area. Don’t “set and forget.” Dynamically re-place your claymores as the match progresses to match the current hotspots and flanking routes. This active, thoughtful management is what separates a good player from a great one when using tactical equipment.