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These tips have been collected while spending many hours online playing Tactical Ops, and are designed to make you a better player and improve your frag count. After all, that's what really matters, right? So presented to you below, in no particular order, is a list of tips and tricks that will help you become a worthy opponent. Enjoy!

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR AMMO - When you pick up a weapon, always check how much ammo is left. Many players will take a gun from a fallen opponent or comrade only to realize in the middle of a firefight that it has no ammo in it. Needless to say, this can be a deadly mistake.

RELOAD BEFORE THE START OF THE ROUND - Even if you've only fired one shot out of the magazine, reload. Ammo is generally pretty cheap, and there is no excuse for going into combat without full reserves.

RELOAD FREQUENTLY - As a general rule of thumb, if you have less than half a magazine after an encounter, reload. Getting caught with 2 rounds left in your assault rifle will probably get you killed unless you are very accurate or very lucky. This is especially true with a shotgun. Since there is no wasted ammo (like throwing out a half spent clip) and since reload times can be almost unbearable, reload the shotgun any time you can. You never know when one extra shell will save your hide.

SWITCH WEAPONS BEFORE RELOADING - This tactic can usually mean the difference between being the winner or being a corpse. As most players know, once you start reloading you cannot perform any other action except movement. During this time your opponent is vulnerable because they cannot attack you or switch weapons until the reloading process is complete. You can take advantage of this by switching weapons BEFORE you need to reload. While your opponent is busy changing magazines, you can get off another clip from a second weapon. Just don't forget to reload BOTH weapons after combat.

WORK AS A TEAM - One sure way to lose in Tactical Ops is for everyone to go their own separate way. Players that operate like this usually are eliminated by players who work as a team. If no one on your team is acting as a leader, step up and take charge! Coordinate attacks, discuss defense setups, and identify threats on the other team. However, make sure to always use the 'teamtalk' command when communicating, otherwise the enemy will know exactly what you are up to.

COMMUNICATION - Set up your speech binder with common commands. Typing takes too long and leaves you vulnerable, and usually only players who are dead are paying any attention to the messages. Communicating through voice commands or gestures will help coordinate team members during a battle, so their importance cannot be stressed enough. It's always reassuring to know that someone is coming to your aid when you call for backup. Likewise, telling someone you are covering them will let them know that they have some extra firepower if they need it. Good communication is critical, from planning ambushes to performing a room by room sweep of a house. Don't underestimate it's importance.

USE THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB - Don't use a sniper rifle to clear a house, and don't use a shotgun to engage in a long-distance gun battle. If you do, chances are that you'll soon be watching all the action from your teammates perspective. Granted, there are those players who are good enough to pull this off from time to time, but in general it will usually get you killed. Stick to using weapons designed for your mission, i.e. shotguns or sub-machine guns for close combat, assault rifles and sniper rifles for medium- to long-distance battles.

KNOW THE MAPS - In addition to playing online or on a LAN, play practice rounds by yourself. Determine where the hostages are held, explore the layout, plan escape routes, find hiding/sniping ledges and make yourself familiar with the level. Following the bots is a good way to locate areas you might have never known existed. This will minimize surprises and give you the upper hand when planning offense or defense strategies. Most experienced players will set the same ambush every time to surprise players. Knowing the ins and outs of a level will help you avoid these ambushes and maybe even surprise the other team in the process.

MAKE WISE ARMOR PURCHASES - The first piece of body armor you should always buy if funds allow is the Kevlar Vest. The chest region absorbs most shots, especially shotgun blasts. Unless someone is specifically targeting another part of your body (like snipers), the vest will take the brunt of the punishment. Buy the helmet next, as one headshot can kill you instantly. Most players will be aiming at your chest and head region, so it's safe to hold off on buying thigh pads until you've got money to burn. Also, don't be afraid to run back to your base and replace any armor that has already taken a beating. Even with low health, having a new Kevlar Vest will increase your odds of surviving a firefight against a full-strength opponent whose armor is weak.

MONEY MANAGEMENT - Buying every grenade, all the ammo you can hold, and the most expensive gun will not guarantee you a victory, but it will leave you broke in the process. Be frugal with your money because if the momentum swings in the other team's favor, you'll still have enough money to outfit yourself well for the next few rounds. Only replace armor pieces that have actually taken damage. It is wasteful to buy the Helmet/Vest/Pads combo if only your helmet has been damaged. Don't buy Night Vision if you aren't going to use it. Don't buy grenades just to lob them in the hopes of scoring a random kill or two. Only buy weapons and items that you will actually use and fit into your attack plan.

AMBUSH POINTS - Doorways and corridors require less manpower and firepower to successfully defend than open fields. Use this to your advantage by funneling the enemy into areas that you can defend easily. If you are on the attacking team, recognize these areas and avoid them unless you have sufficient firepower to overrun them. Ambushes can whittle a team down one man at a time, thus improving the odds of your team overpowering the remaining enemies.

RECON - Just because you are dead doesn't mean you have to stop being productive. Use your camera view to study both teams. Which team members are reckless? Which ones like to hide? Where are the ambush points? Which team members work well together? Gathering this kind of valuable intelligence can help you reformulate attack/defense strategies as well as identify problem areas of the map.

MAKE SURE THEY'RE DEAD - This tactic fools so many players. Feigning death is a risky ambush that, when it works, usually pays off big. Players drop to the ground pretending to be dead, then as the enemy passes them by, they pop up and shoot them in the back. Be suspicious of any body that doesn't have blood around it... that's a good indication that the player may be faking. To be sure, some players will shoot any corpse they pass by. While effective, it consumes ammo, so practice this method in moderation.

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