Equip the Panther class’s Cloaking Spray or Optical Camo . Sprint directly behind a stationary sniper on a catwalk. Because the camo reduces enemy detection speed, you have a 1.5-second window to execute a karambit takedown.
Use a Bullet Lure (or the Echelon class’s Shock Pistol) to draw a lone Heavy Gunner away from his patrol route. Never engage a Heavy from the front in CQC; they have a counter-grab animation that throws you off.
The karambit is the ghost’s primary tool. When unarmed or carrying a sidearm, a prompt initiates a 2-3 second animation where Nomad hooks the curved blade into an enemy’s collar, neck, or throat. The audio design here is key: a wet, suppressed gurgle rather than a scream. This is the stealth gold standard. Different class unlocks (like the Splinter Cell karambit) change the animation set, including the iconic "hook-and-drag" takedown from behind cover.