The Wakizashi sword is the new melee weapon in Call of Duty: Cold War and the Warzone. Unlocking it is quite tricky. We’ll give you tips to succeed.
How to get the Wakizashi: You unlock this sword by completing a task. You need to get two execution finishers with the “Cold War” knife in 10 different matches. That means you need a total of 20 kills in this way.
The Wakizashi sword is brand new and has only been available since the mid-season update.
The task is quite tricky, as such melee kills rarely happen and you need to land 2 such kills in 10 matches.
How to get the Wakizashi most easily
Always have the knife equipped: If you want to complete this task, you usually have to forgo high-kill rounds in multiplayer. Always have the knife equipped as your secondary weapon and move around the map with it.
While you won’t stand a chance at range against assault rifles, especially in tight areas you can score some kills.
If you’ve equipped the assault rifle first and then switch to the knife, precious time is wasted that could ruin the execution at the right moments.
Use the right equipment: You shouldn’t just have the knife, but also other things in your loadout. Smoke grenades are effective because you can throw them and then advance unnoticed. This way you can get close to an opponent and take them out.
Perks like “Ninja” are also effective. This allows you to move more quietly and get close to enemies.
Play on tight maps: Maps like Nuketown are ideal for mastering this task. There are fewer open areas where assault rifles can mow you down. Instead, there are many corners and tight spaces where you can gain an advantage with the knife.
Attack enemies from behind: The really hard part of the task is not the kills, but the fact that the character also performs the execution move.
The execution animation occurs whenever you are behind the enemy, attack them in melee, and hold the melee button. However, with the knife in hand, it’s sufficient to be behind the enemy and press your “Fire” button. If you attack from the front, you’ll get the kill, but there will be no execution animation.
It’s important to fully carry out the execution animation. If you get taken out beforehand, it may not count towards the task.
Here are two additional tips to remember:
- Attack the enemy with the button you normally shoot with. If you only press the melee button, it may not trigger an execution animation.
- Look for places with few players – there you can eliminate enemies relatively undisturbed and have less fear of the execution animation being interrupted by your death. Be patient.
Can you do this in Warzone too? Here, you can pursue a different strategy. Play normally with your setup and get kills. When the enemy is on the ground and waiting to be revived by their teammates, you can finish them off with your knife and the execution move. Make sure you equip the knife from Cold War and not the “Combat Knife” from Modern Warfare.
The same also works in the Fireteam mode in Cold War. There, players are also knocked out first and can be revived. Here, you can also sneak up on the enemy from behind and eliminate them with an execution.
What you need to consider: With all these strategies, it’s important to finish the rounds. If you have landed 2 execution kills, you shouldn’t leave the lobby. Your progress might not be saved.
What other weapons you should use in CoD Cold War, you can find out here: The best weapons in CoD Cold War with setups & tips for each class
