Lovable Games 01 - Call of Duty: Headquarters Mode

For those who speak to me often, you’ll know that video-gaming is a major hobby of mine. I’ve decided that once a week, I’ll write a new article about particular games that I find enjoyable. I will go into detail about what exactly I like and what I don’t like.

While I do enjoy the Zombies mode of the Call of Duty games, I’m going to have to put my enthusiasm aside for the moment and instead talk about one of my favourite ever First Person Shooter game modes. That mode is called Headquarters.

If you go back to FPS games in the 90s, some of them had a mode called “King of the Hill”. In this mode, you could head to one area and attempt to capture it and keep it for the longest time possible.

In November the 5th 2007, Activision released an Infinity Ward game called Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. One of the multiplayer modes, Headquarters would prove to be one of the most popular modes on the game (Because of the way experience is given while a capture point is held by a team).

In most Headquarters games, two teams of 5 to 6 people attempt to capture points on the map. These points on the map are signified by a box-shaped table with a computer on it. Capture points are revealed on the map one at a time and everyone rushes to capture the point first. On some of the more recent games, there is a 0:45 time period where the capture point cannot be captured (This is to stop people camping at various points of the map, hoping to capture the points instantly).

Once a point is captured by a team, the fun begins. The defending team cannot respawn while they have captured the headquarters. The attacking team can respawn and so will usually overpower the defenders. The defenders get points every few seconds while the base is under their control. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Regarding tactics, a good strategy is to throw some grenades at the capture points and then plant claymores. Camping can work, but it’s better if you stay in the general area and pick off the attackers from a medium range distance. Matches get exciting when you’re one of the last people on your team defending your capture point.

Headquarters mode has featured on the most recent Call of Duty games. This includes Modern Warfare, Modern Warfare 2, World at War and Black Ops. It’s thrilling, it’s exciting and it’s one of the reasons that I absolutely love the Call of Duty series in general.

Next week, I’ll move onto another of my favourite modes: ZOMBIES!
Thank you for reading this article. See you soon!