Hello, this is XboxAhoy and this is the twelfth episode of my Black Ops 2 Attachment Guide.
In this episode we're covering the ACOG Sight.
A longstanding long-ranged optical option, the ACOG has been present in the series since
Call of Duty 4.
Named for the real-life 'Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight', manufactured by Trijicon: the ACOG
appelation refers to a variety of firearm sights that provide a magnified view from
1.5x to 6x, depending on model.
In-game, the ACOG is available for the Assault Rifles, LMGs, Sniper Rifles - and the Crossbow.
It is compatible with most other attachments, although you are of course limited to one
sight at a time.
The ACOG has a few distinct effects, the most obvious of which is an elevated level of zoom
when aiming with an ACOG-equipped weapon.
Zoom level for the attachment is the same across the board, for all weapon classes,
regardless of innate zoom: you'll benefit from approximately 2x magnification, making
your targets twice as large when aiming.
Beyond this, some weapon classes receive additional benefit: Assault Rifles and LMGs see a 2%
decrease to recoil, and a 90% reduction in idle sway.
Both of these traits help make the ACOG even more effective at a long range, beyond the
simple zoom advantage.
The only real downside is a side-effect of the closer view: your peripheral vision will
suffer, perhaps leading to tunnel vision.
Sniper Rifles see a different effect to recoil - in fact, they experience an increase of
10 percent: this can make the semi-automatic options suffer in terms of rapid follow-up
shots.
Nevertheless, the ACOG can be a useful choice for a sniper rifle on smaller maps, as you
gain better peripheral vision and use of the minimap when compared to the closed-off view
of the regular scope.
So, for most weapons the ACOG can be useful: it turns the assault rifles and LMGs into
viable long-range weapons, and the sniper rifles become more effective at a middle range,
ideal for a scout sniper class.
The ACOG's default reticle is a familiar red chevron, with the tip of the inverted V marking
your point of aim.
It's a perfectly serviceable indicator, and there's no real reason to switch to another
except for aesthetic preference.
50 kills with the ACOG unlocks the so-called Precision reticle: a bright green cross that
offers great target contrast, but with thick crosshairs that might hamper accuracy at range.
100 kills nets the Ranger reticle - a hollow blue circle circumscribes your point of aim,
with a useless graduated line above.
Next with 200 kills is the Target Range Drop - an amber collection of four vertical dots,
with the top indicator enclosed in a circle.
From Ranger and Target Range Drop to the confusingly similar Ranger Drop, unlocked with 300 kills
with the ACOG.
Possibly the most precise reticle on offer, a single red dot marks your point of aim - with
a superfluous rangefinding line underneath.
Perhaps inspired by the British SUIT scope, the Trilux reticle is unlocked with 400 kills,
and presents as a yellow top-down obelisk.
The inverted approach is unusual, perhaps - but precise enough, and with a high degree
of contrast on-target.
The final reticle unlocked via straightforward kills is the Pyramid reticle, available after
500 successfully slain opponents while aiming with the ACOG.
Two converging lines mark your target, forming a triangle similar to the default reticle,
but extended to the boundary of the viewfinder.
The final four reticles are all unlocked via different challenges - the first, Hall of
Flame, is unlocked with 25 headshots.
With it, you can immolate your opponents with the tip of the flame-shaped reticle and ignite
their rage from afar.
20 double kill medals will help keep your crops safe, with the Scarecrow reticle: a
yellow straw-stuffed face with macabre grin and malevolent blue glow.
It is perhaps the most visually interesting but least practical option on offer, but it
is nonetheless possible to reap your scorestreak reward.
If you're after a playing card theme, the reticle unlocked after 10 longshots has it
in Spades.
Light blue in colour, the top tip of the spade symbol marks your aim - and serves as a suitable
colleague for the Reflex's Diamond and EOTech's Club reticle options.
10 bloodthirsties unlocks the final option, with which you can pledge allegiance to your
favourite developer.
The 3arc option is an amber representation of the namesake studio's logo, conveniently
enough consisting of three lobes, or - if you prefer - a triad of arches.
Some of these reticles are more precise than others, with some offering only novelty value
- but these options do provide another dimension in terms of customising your weapon.
The ACOG scope is a great long-range optic, and while it is less flexible than some offerings
it does confer a useful recoil reduction as well.
It's a great choice for assault rifles or LMGs with high ranged damage, as with the
better view on target you'll be able to better direct your fire to take advantage of this
long-range stopping power.
The recoil reduction means you can fire slightly faster at range with a single-shot weapon,
and burst-fire weapons will see tighter groupings, resulting in better one-burst potential.
It can also be a great choice for the sniper rifles, despite the recoil increase - a better
sense of your surroundings can work well with the semi-automatic rifles in an aggressive
forward position.
However, you might want to avoid this attachment unless you plan on specialising in a ranged
role: the high magnification lacks versatility, and in some cases either the reflex sight
or no optic at all might be a better investment of your points.
Similarly, with the sniper rifles - the default scope is a much better choice for 'traditional'
sniping: while you might lose peripheral vision, the finer crosshairs and higher zoom will
make for more precise shots.
Still, the ACOG does open up some new possibilities with most weapons, and has no real downsides
like previous incarnations of the sight.
It might be a long shot, but if ranged engagements are your thing...
...perhaps you should set your sights on this attachment.
Thanks for watching, this has been XboxAhoy.
Join me for the next attachment guide, when I'll be covering the Fore Grip.
Until then, farewell.