Understanding Tactical Equipment in Black Ops 3
Let’s cut to the chase: the single best piece of tactical equipment in Call of Duty BO7 is the Shock Charge. This isn’t just an opinion; it’s a conclusion based on its unparalleled versatility, area denial capability, and its ability to directly enable kills across virtually every game mode and playstyle. While other tacticals have their niches, the Shock Charge provides consistent, high-value utility that can single-handedly control the flow of a match. Its effectiveness isn’t limited to a specific weapon class or perk setup, making it the most reliable and impactful choice for both new players and seasoned veterans looking to gain a tactical edge.
Breaking Down the Shock Charge: The Ultimate Tool
The Shock Charge is a throwable device that sticks to any surface—walls, floors, ceilings, even other players. Once deployed, it activates a proximity-based electric field. An enemy walking into this field receives a debilitating shock that does three critical things: it causes a significant momentary movement slowdown, produces a distinct audio cue and visual distortion on their screen, and reveals their position on the mini-map for the duration of the effect. This combination is devastating. The slowdown makes the target an easy kill, the audio/visual cue alerts you to their presence, and the mini-map ping gives you and your teammates exact positioning. The cooldown for recharging this equipment is a manageable 30 seconds, meaning you can use it frequently throughout a match to secure flanks, guard objectives, or trap enemies in rooms.
The Contenders: A Detailed Comparison
To understand why the Shock Charge reigns supreme, we need to look at the competition. Each tactical has a purpose, but their utility is often more situational.
Concussion Grenade: This is a classic disorientation tool. It blinds and deafens enemies while also slowing their aim-down-sights speed. Its blast radius is larger than the Shock Charge’s activation zone, making it better for flushing out groups from a confined space. However, its effects are shorter, and a skilled player can often still fight back effectively. It’s a great offensive tool for breaching but offers zero area denial once thrown.
Flashbang Grenade: The Flashbang prioritizes sensory deprivation over movement impairment. A direct hit causes full white-screen blindness and ringing ears, but its effect diminishes significantly if the enemy is looking away or on the periphery of the blast. It’s excellent for initiating a push into a contested area like a Domination flag. The main drawback is its inconsistency; enemies can sometimes avoid the worst of the effects, leaving you vulnerable.
EMP Grenade: This is the specialist killer and equipment destroyer. It disables enemy Scorestreaks, H.A.T.R. units, and Guardian sentry guns for a short time. It also destroys all enemy equipment (like Shock Charges and Trip Mines) in its radius and temporarily disables enemy HUDs and scopes. Its value is immense in objective-based modes against equipment-heavy teams, but against a team not relying on tech, its usefulness plummets. It’s a reactive, counter-play tool rather than a proactive one.
The following table provides a quick, data-driven comparison of their key attributes:
| Equipment | Primary Effect | Duration of Effect | Best For | Cooldown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shock Charge | Movement Slow, Mini-map Reveal | ~3 seconds | Area Denial, Flank Security | 30 seconds |
| Concussion Grenade | Movement & Aim Slow, Disorientation | ~2.5 seconds | Room Clearing, Offensive Pushes | 25 seconds |
| Flashbang Grenade | Full Blindness, Deafness | ~2-4 seconds (varies) | Objective Breaches | 25 seconds |
| EMP Grenade | Equipment/Scorestreak Disable, HUD Disruption | ~5-7 seconds (on tech) | Countering Specialist Setups | 35 seconds |
Synergy with Perks and Wildcards
Your choice of tactical equipment isn’t made in a vacuum; it’s amplified by your perk selections. The Shock Charge, in particular, becomes a nightmare for opponents when paired with the right perks. Engineer is arguably its best friend. This perk allows you to see enemy equipment, Scorestreaks, and traps through walls, highlighted in red. This intelligence lets you place your Shock Charges in spots that counter enemy equipment or cover common lanes that are out of the direct line of sight. Combining Shock Charges with Tactical Mask is a classic “play against your own gear” strategy. Tactical Mask drastically reduces the effect of enemy tactical equipment, meaning you can push through your own shocked area or a counter-thrown Concussion with minimal impairment, giving you an even greater dueling advantage.
For those who want to build a class entirely around tactical dominance, the Perk 1 Greed wildcard lets you run both Engineer and Tactical Mask. Then, the Tactician wildcard allows you to carry two tactical grenades instead of one lethal grenade. Imagine a loadout with two Shock Charges, Engineer, and Tactical Mask—you become a mobile area-denial system, controlling large portions of the map with impunity.
Advanced Deployment Strategies by Game Mode
The true power of the Shock Charge is unlocked by how you use it strategically in different scenarios. Here’s how to deploy it like a pro.
Search and Destroy: This is where the Shock Charge is an S-tier pick. As a defender, you can secure bomb sites by placing charges on common plant spots or entry routes. The audio cue and mini-map ping are more valuable than a kill in this mode, as they give away the entire enemy team’s push. As an attacker, you can throw a Shock Charge into a site before entering to check for campers. The information it provides is often the difference between winning and losing a round.
Domination: Use Shock Charges to protect your captured flags, especially the B flag on most maps. Instead of placing it directly on the flag, put it on a wall or crate overlooking the most common enemy approach path. This way, it tags them before they even get to the flag, giving you and your team time to react. Pair it with a Trip Mine for a deadly combo that can hold a point against multiple attackers.
Team Deathmatch and Kill Confirmed: In these slayer modes, use Shock Charges to secure your team’s spawn flank. By throwing one down a lane you aren’t actively watching, you create a personal early-warning system. The moment you hear it activate or see the ping, you can turn and pre-aim for an easy kill on a slowed target. This allows aggressive players to push forward without constantly worrying about their back.
Free-For-All: Survival is key here. Use Shock Charges to block off doors or narrow corridors near your position. In the chaotic, every-player-for-themselves environment, an enemy triggering your charge is a free kill and also alerts you to the presence of another player who might be targeting you. It effectively reduces the number of angles you need to worry about at any given time.
Countering the Meta: How to Play Against Shock Charges
Any discussion of the best equipment must also cover how to beat it. The primary hard counter is the EMP Grenade. A well-thrown EMP will instantly destroy any Shock Charges in its radius. The Engineer perk is the soft counter, allowing you to spot and avoid or shoot them from a safe distance. Finally, the Hard Wired perk makes you immune to the movement slowdown and mini-map reveal of Shock Charges (and other player-controlled Scorestreaks like the UAV). If you find yourself constantly getting stunned, equipping Hard Wired is a direct and effective solution. However, this requires giving up another valuable perk slot, which is a testament to the Shock Charge’s ability to influence the enemy’s loadout choices—a form of power in itself.