Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference – and this is also the case in the Battle Royale Call of Duty: Warzone. Because one of the simplest movement techniques in the game will make you much better if you use it correctly: Strafing (pronounced in English).

Actually, it’s just moving to the side, but if you use it skillfully and consistently, you’ll become much better at WarZone and shooters in general.

Running sideways as a valuable technique in shooters

What is Strafing in Video Games? Actually, it just means moving to the side compared to running straight ahead. With a controller, you usually have to move the left analog stick to the left or right. With a keyboard you usually “punish” with A and D.

But especially in shooters, strafing is also considered an important technique in firefights.

Your sideways movements keep your hit zones moving, and that alone makes you harder to hit than if you were just standing still. Especially if you are constantly moving from left to right and back again.

However, this is not true for all shooters. For example, in Counter Strike or Valorant, your accuracy deteriorates when you’re on the move. In Call of Duty, however, you have fewer disadvantages due to movement, and in Warzone you have almost no disadvantages at all.

The technique comes into play in many game situations. But if you use #strafing consciously and combine it with your cover, it becomes really powerful and you’re much harder to take down. Especially in shooters that bring a high time-to-kill – like Warzone with its armor system.

Strafing takes you to the next level as a shooter player

How can I use this? Strafing is great for combat or traveling across the map, because it allows you to gather more information about your opponent without running the risk of going down yourself.

If you are standing at the edge of a house and want to know what is going on behind the corner, then stand in front of the edge, take a step to the side and then a step back again.

It sounds trivial, but this is one of the main reasons pro players rarely go down. They consistently check every corner when they expect opponents and “punish” all the time. This way you know what you’re getting into beforehand.

In combat, the same is true. If you’re fighting an enemy that doesn’t use strafing, you’ll be better protected at all times. You “punish” around the corner, gather info and go back to cover. A careless opponent might even stay outside of his cover and is thus at a clear disadvantage.

If you “punish” correctly, the opponent can’t finish you off at all. If you’re not low on health or take a sniper headshot while “punishing” around the corner, you’ll be very safe with this technique. The “Peekers Advantage” in Call of Duty also gives you a small time advantage when sighting your enemies.

If you are sitting behind a half-height cover, you should also use the technique. From the crouch, go up for a moment and back down again. Gather info and use the reconnaissance to your advantage.

Aim assist in CoD strengthens Strafing

Where does Strafing still help? As mentioned earlier, you should “strafing” in any combat to keep your body, and thus your hit zones, moving. In Call of Duty, controller players then benefit from another effect: rotation aiming assistance.

If you are moving and an enemy passes through your crosshairs, the crosshairs will follow behind the enemy for a split second.

You still have to aim yourself, the Aim-Assist is not a perfect “Aim-Bot” even in this moment, which takes the aiming completely away from you. But for a short moment you have a very strong aiming help.

However, the mechanic only works when you are in motion. You don’t necessarily have to “punish” for this, forward and backward movements work as well. But in a battle, sideways movements are often better.

Important: Rotation aim assist is only enabled in the Standard setting. Otherwise, you only benefit from the slowdown aiming aid, which briefly reduces your input sensitivity.

Concentration is the key

What else should I pay attention to? The most important thing about strafing is – always use the technique. There may be battles where your head rumbles the wall and your machine gun sifts through everything in range.

But in shooter formats with few or no respawns, like Search & Destroy or a Battle Royale, you should be “punishing” around corners as often as possible, gathering information and thereby staying a little sideways step ahead of your enemies.

Because even though it’s exhausting and you’ll have to concentrate more – you’ll become a much better “Call of Duty” player as a result.

If you want to know more about the mechanics in Warzone, check out: CoD Warzone: What is Open Bolt Delay and why does it make my weapons worse?