Weapon Attachments & Customization (Multiplayer)

Mastering weapon attachments and customization in Black Ops III Multiplayer is crucial for optimizing your loadouts and gaining a competitive edge. The "Pick 10" system allows for deep personalization, but understanding each attachment's impact and how to combine them effectively is key. This section will guide you through the process, from unlocking attachments to building specialized weapon configurations.

Accessing the Customization Menu

To begin customizing your weapons, follow these steps:

From the main Multiplayer menu, navigate to "Create-A-Class."
Select the class you wish to modify.
Choose the weapon you want to customize (Primary or Secondary).
You will see a visual representation of your weapon with available attachment slots.

Each attachment consumes one "Pick" from your total of 10. Some attachments, particularly advanced optics or specialized magazines, might require more than one Pick, so plan your loadout carefully.

Unlocking Attachments

Attachments are unlocked by gaining experience with individual weapons. The more you use a specific weapon, the faster you'll unlock its unique attachments. There are no specific "locations" to find attachments; they are progression-based rewards. Keep an eye on your after-action reports to track weapon progression.

Weapon Leveling: Every kill, assist, and objective play while using a weapon contributes to its level. Higher weapon levels unlock more powerful and specialized attachments.
Prestige: Prestiging a weapon resets its level but grants you a permanent unlock token for one attachment, allowing you to use it immediately on that weapon in subsequent prestiges.

Core Attachment Categories & Strategies

Attachments fall into several categories, each offering distinct advantages. Understanding their roles will help you build effective weapon setups.

1. Optics

Optics improve target acquisition and accuracy. Your choice here often depends on your playstyle and the weapon's effective range.

Red Dot Sight: A classic, clean sight picture for improved close-to-mid range engagements. Excellent for SMGs and Assault Rifles.
ELO: Similar to the Red Dot, but with a slightly different reticle that some players find more appealing.
Reflex: Another low-magnification option, offering quick target acquisition.
Varix 3: A variable zoom optic (1x-3x) ideal for Assault Rifles or LMGs that need to engage at various ranges. Toggle zoom with the designated button (e.g., L3 on PlayStation).
Thermal: Highlights enemies in heat signatures, making them visible through smoke and certain cover. Useful for LMGs or Snipers in specific situations, but can obscure environmental detail.
Recon: Provides a small amount of magnification and highlights enemies, similar to a mini-UAV. Best for longer-range engagements with ARs or Snipers.
BOA 3: A unique optic that provides a clear sight picture and highlights enemies in a bright outline when aimed at them. Can be very powerful for target identification.

Strategy: For aggressive, close-quarters play, stick to low-magnification optics like the Red Dot or ELO. For longer-range engagements, consider the Varix 3 or Recon. The BOA 3 is a strong all-around choice if you have the Pick slots.

2. Barrels & Muzzles

These attachments primarily affect recoil, range, and sound suppression.

Long Barrel: Increases the weapon's effective damage range, crucial for maintaining damage output at a distance. Highly recommended for SMGs and some ARs.
Suppressor: Hides your shots from the enemy mini-map, making you stealthier. However, it significantly reduces damage range. Best for flanking or stealth-oriented classes, especially with SMGs.
Flash Hider: Reduces muzzle flash, making it harder for enemies to pinpoint your location by sight. A good alternative to the Suppressor if you don't mind appearing on the mini-map.
Compensator: Reduces vertical recoil, making sustained fire more accurate. Excellent for high-recoil weapons like LMGs or certain ARs.
Foregrip: Reduces overall recoil, both vertical and horizontal. A universally strong attachment for almost any weapon.

Strategy: For aggressive play, a Suppressor can be invaluable. For holding lanes or engaging at range, Long Barrel is a must. The Foregrip and Compensator are excellent for improving weapon control on any weapon type.

3. Magazines & Ammunition

These attachments modify your weapon's ammunition capacity and reload speed.

Extended Mags: Increases the magazine capacity, allowing for more sustained fire before reloading. Essential for LMGs and useful for any weapon in objective modes.
Fast Mags: Significantly reduces reload time. Crucial for aggressive players who frequently find themselves in consecutive engagements.
High Caliber: Increases headshot damage, rewarding precise aim. Can drastically reduce time-to-kill (TTK) if you can consistently hit headshots.
FMJ (Full Metal Jacket): Increases bullet penetration through surfaces. Useful for shooting through thin walls or cover, especially in objective modes.

Strategy: Fast Mags and Extended Mags are often paired for maximum uptime. High Caliber is a high-skill, high-reward attachment. FMJ is situational but can be powerful on maps with lots of penetrable cover.

4. Stocks & Grips

These attachments primarily affect movement speed and aim-down-sight (ADS) speed.

Stock: Increases movement speed while aiming down sights. Incredibly powerful for aggressive players who strafe during gunfights. Almost a mandatory attachment for SMGs and many ARs.
Quickdraw: Significantly increases ADS speed. Crucial for winning close-quarters engagements and reacting quickly to threats. Another top-tier attachment for most weapon types.
Laser Sight: Improves hip-fire accuracy. Useful for close-quarters weapons like SMGs or shotguns, allowing for effective engagement without fully aiming.

Strategy: Quickdraw and Stock are often considered a "power pair" for aggressive playstyles, allowing you to out-maneuver and out-aim opponents. Laser Sight is excellent for run-and-gun SMG builds.

Advanced Customization: Dual Attachments & Wildcards

Black Ops III's "Pick 10" system allows for even deeper customization through Wildcards:

Primary Gunfighter (I, II, III): These Wildcards allow you to equip additional attachments on your primary weapon.
- Primary Gunfighter I: Allows a 4th attachment.
- Primary Gunfighter II: Allows a 5th attachment.
- Primary Gunfighter III: Allows a 6th attachment.
Each Gunfighter Wildcard consumes one Pick slot itself, so weigh the benefits of extra attachments against other perks or equipment.
Secondary Gunfighter: Allows a 2nd attachment on your secondary weapon. Useful for making your secondary a more viable backup.

Strategy: Using Primary Gunfighter Wildcards is how you create truly specialized weapons. For example, an aggressive SMG might run Quickdraw, Stock, Extended Mags, and a Suppressor (requiring Primary Gunfighter I). A long-range AR might benefit from a Foregrip, Long Barrel, Varix 3, and High Caliber.

Example Weapon Builds

Here are a few example builds to get you started, demonstrating how attachments synergize:

Aggressive SMG (e.g., VMP, Kuda)

Attachments: Quickdraw, Stock, Extended Mags, Suppressor (requires Primary Gunfighter I)
Strategy: Maximizes mobility while aiming, quick target acquisition, increased magazine capacity for multiple engagements, and stealth. Ideal for flanking and pushing objectives.

Versatile Assault Rifle (e.g., KN-44, HVK-30)

Attachments: Quickdraw, Foregrip, Long Barrel, Red Dot Sight
Strategy: Balances ADS speed, recoil control, and damage range, making it effective in most engagements. The Red Dot provides a clean sight picture for accuracy.

LMG Support (e.g., Dingo, Gorgon)

Attachments: Foregrip, Extended Mags, Varix 3, FMJ (requires Primary Gunfighter I)
Strategy: Focuses on sustained fire, recoil control, and suppressing fire through cover. The Varix 3 allows for engaging at various ranges, and FMJ helps clear out entrenched enemies.

Experiment with different combinations and find what works best for your playstyle and the specific maps you're playing on. The depth of customization in Black Ops III is one of its strongest features, so don't be afraid to tweak and refine your loadouts!