Call of Duty remains one of the greatest foundations of first-person shooter games and it has attracted millions of gamers across the globe. As the game turns two decades old, we also have around 20 COD installments in the franchise that have gained so much popularity that its mechanics are being discussed on a daily basis.
Among them is ADS which is one of the most common terms used in Call of Duty games. So, whether you are a newbie in the world of Call of Duty or have heard about this term for the first time, we will explain what ADS stands for and how to use it for effective gameplay.
“ADS” in Call of Duty: Explained
ADS stands for “Aim Down Sights”. In simple words, it means aiming through the scope that provides a zoomed-in visual. This helps increase the accuracy of the gun and also controls its stability.
In Call of Duty, ADS is mainly used by campers who use sniper rifles to kill enemies located far away from their location. ADS is not only used in COD but is also a prominent mechanic in a lot of popular FPS games including Battlefield and Counter-Strike.
ADS in COD is particularly very popular as the most installments feature bigger maps like those of Warzone where you are against more than 100 players in Battle Royale. Therefore, using ADS mechanics is crucial if you own a rifle that comes with a scope that allows ADS.
How to ADS in Call of Duty?
Doing ADS is pretty straightforward and requires a simple key press. If you are using a mouse, press the Mouse 2 button and if you are using a controller, press the L2 Trigger. This will zoom in through the iron sights or attached optic.
Once you have locked your aim at the target, you can now press the Mouse 1/L1 button to shoot. The accuracy will be far better than without ADS and you should see very little recoil.
How to ADS Effectively?
Now that you know how to ADS with your weapon, it’s time to learn the best way to utilize this mechanic. It’s important to remember that each rifle has its own ADS speed. The heavier the gun, the slower will be the ADS.
Of course, there are SMGs as well as Pistols that allow ADS but executing ADS will be pretty quick. However, their range and accuracy don’t come close to those of rifles. On the other hand, heavier rifles as well as LMGs will take more time to ADS but their accuracy will be better particularly the long-range sniper rifles that are pretty accurate.
Some COD games will allow you to choose the attachments and show you the effect on the ADS speed. So, it’s recommended to choose an optic that allows a good ADS as well as reduces its time.
If you are playing on a map where your enemies are mostly far away from you and scattered in different places, it’s recommended to use sniper rifles. If you spawn in an area where the enemies are concentrated you can use assault rifles as well as SMGs to take advantage of both rapid fire and ADS.
Remember that ADS should always be used when you have enough time to react and your enemy is at a distance that requires precision. ADS should be avoided in close-range combats as they are little to no useful in such situations.