Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Comprehensive Multiplayer Weapons Guide *only for Gamefaqs: If you found this guide to be helpful, then I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take a second to recommend it (link at top). Thanks for your support! To find a section, simply press Ctrl + F and type in the keyword in the bracket. ========================== -----Table of Content----- ========================== 1. Introduction 2. Version History 2. General Tips (GTIP) 3. Guns -Assault Rifles [A_R] -Sub Machine Guns [SubMG] -Light Machine Guns [LightMG] -Shotguns [Shtgn] -Sniper Rifles [SniperFrog] -Machine Pistols [MPIS] -Handguns [HNDG] -Launchers [LNCH] -Riot Shield [RISH] 4. Equipment [EQPM] 5. Attachments [ATCH] 6. Perks [PKS] 7. FAQ [FAQS] 8. Closing (including legal stuff) ====================== -----Introduction----- ====================== Hello everyone my name is go_monkey897, I'm a regular on gamefaqs and this is my first time writing a FAQ. I have definetely played my fair share of Call of Duty and I have to say Modern Warfare 2 is a great game and one of the most addicting experiences I have ever played on the Xbox, if you can put up with a little frustration once in a while, that is. My email is awinnerissometimesme@gmail.com so email me if you have any questions or like to point out any mistakes in my FAQ, I'll be sure to give you full credit. That being said, everything in this guide is my work except for the damage and rate of fire for each gun, which are taken from Den Kirson's site, link here: http://denkirson.xanga.com/715966769/modern-warfare-2/ These weapon damages have been universally proven and accepted, but if you find a problem feel free to email me. Also note that I, like everyone, make grammar and spelling mistakes all the time. And since the system I'm typing this on does not have spellcheck I am likely to make a lot of errors, please don't take offense to that, as it is quite insignificant. *note: I use magazine and clip interchangeably, I know what both of them mean, and I know magazine is the correct term, however, clip is much shorter and sometimes sounds better. Please don't be bothered by something so insignificant. =================== --Version History-- =================== 1/5/10 - A guide was born 1/12/10 - It's finally finished! The first complete version. 1/17/10 - Added attachments section and corrected some mistakes. 1/26/10 - Added 3 new sections including the riot shield. 2/1/10 - Added an important general tip and some updates on riot shield, also added max ammo and level unlock for guns. 2/7/10 - Fixed some errors, added some riot shield info and also added kill times for each gun. ================= --General Tips--- [GTIP] ================= Here are some general tips that will help anyone improve: - Try the guns for youself. Each weapon is different and suits a different need. Try them out and you will find some you especially like, then work it from there. Everyone has their own preferences and you should find yours, playing with a gun you like is a lot more fun than playing with one that frustrates you (challenges are a different story). - Learn the ironsight. Yep, simple and straightforward. It's understandable that you might want to put on that flashy red dot sight on your weapon, however, if you learn to aim just as well with the iron sights (start with one you like), then you open room for more attatchments and variety, it's better in the long run. - Cover is a must. Everywhere you travel make sure to find cover, a tree is better than nothing. Even that flimsy banana leaf will give you more protection than you think (they're bulletproof). Lie prone in a hallway, stay still in grass, they will always help your chances of survival. - Learn the recoil. Although many weapons have low recoil, those that have noticable ones are usually easy to learn and get around. Experience is the key. - Short, controlled bursts. Unless your enemy is point blank then fire controlled bursts. They will boost your accuracy significantly, causing more of your shots to hit and saving you bullets. Applies to all guns, a jumpy trigger finger is not good. Learn to control your fire. - First thing the enemy sees is movement. That being said, use your own judgement on when and when not to move. Even the players with the worst eyesight can see a shadow moving in the back of the room. However, a still target is easy pickings for any player. Keep in mind that this principle applies to the enemies as well so look for movement. - Avoid open areas/grenade hotspots. Don't charge in like Rambo expecting to mow people down, there are almost always snipers and randomly tossed grenades (especially at the beginning of a match) going around so move cautiously. - Staying really close to your teammates is bad. You might think the more the safer. Huge, huge misconception, 2 players together most of the time will make you a killstreak magnet and create easy double kills for the enemy team. It's good to travel in groups, just don't hug each other the whole time. - Reloading after every shot is more troublesome than helpful. I use to do this a lot, but in a heated battle there is likely to be more enemies coming, and you don't want to be caught reloading. Most gun kill in 3-4 shots without stopping power. Do keep in mind that when you're relatively safe you should always reload because having a full clip during encounters is not gonna hurt your chances of victory one bit. - Try to aim for the head. This helps low damage weapons and heashots rack up your damage extremely quickly. Developing an incentive to aim for the head will help you in the long run. - Communication is the key. That being said, its ok to mute little kids, but any sort of organization is better than none. Communication is EXTREMELY important in objective games such as Search and Destroy. - Map knowledge is absolutely essential, play more and you'll learn the key camping spots, choke points, and overall positioning of the map, which is critically important to your overall success. - Don't lose your cool. Everyone has bad games, and everyone gets frustrated at some point. Modern Warfare 2 is probably one of the most frustrating games out there. Just remind yourself it's just a game so don't take it too seriously. Also, if you get mad then you'll tend to make more reckless/bad decisions that will result in more anger and possibly broken controllers. Take a break if you have to. - Be a team player. Things that generally apply are: *Have a launcher class to take down killstreaks *In objective games at least try to go for the objective *Don't purposely stand in the door blocking others *Make your best effort to communicate *Shoot down UAVs and destroy sentry guns when convenient. *Important* - Use the resources you have, as in, most players don't even know that they have a compass right above your D-pad on your screen. Also watch the killfeed (bottom left) because it tells you who just died and who killed who. I haven't read a single guide that stresses this, and it's pretty important. Especially in Search, dead teammates can't give you a heads-up, so make sure to watch the killfeed to see if they're dead and/or figure out enemy locations based on this info. Also if you are not sure how to label a map section, then just tell your teammates the direction (north south west east using the compass) and they will have a good sense of direction. Use what you have, they're not there just for aesthetics. ============ ----Guns---- ============ The meat of this FAQ, every gun has different ironsights that are almost pure preference, therefore, I will not say whether any guns have the 'best' ironsight, but I will mention some ones I like or some that a majority of the people like. All gun info are posted in a template like this: Name: Self Explanetory Level Unlocked: Self Explanetory Fire Type: Could be Auto, Semi-Auto, Single Fire, or 3 round Burst Rate of Fire: How fast the weapon fires, measured in RPM (Rounds per Minute) Damage: Given a number like 40-20, the first number indicates damage at close range, and over a certain distance the damage gradually drops to the second number. Each player has 100 health in core and 30 in hardcore. Headshots multiply damage by 1.4 and stopping power multiplies damage in general by 1.4. FMJ does not add regular damage but cuts wall penetration damage penalty in half. Sniper multipliers are different and listed in the sniper section. Kill Time: By using a simple formula incorporating damage and ROF, you can calculate the specific time needed to kill if you are firing at a target nonstop. Keep in mind though that this only applies if all bullets hit (if you miss a lot then the kill time will obviously be different). There will be 4 kill times, one for close and one for far, and another pair for the close/far while having Stopping Power. Kill Time is measured in seconds and will only be included for automatic weapons. Also another note, it seems like kill times are extremely short and you might think it won't make a difference. IT DOES. It's only that short when you hit every bullet, be sure to factor in human error (missing, your aim jumping because you got shot, recoil, etc). Besides in a game where split seconds make the difference, that .01 seconds just might save/kill you. Ammo: Magazine Size @ Reserve (Max Ammo) Reload Speed: I do not have the exact speed but I will say an estimation Info: I will do an analysis of the gun and recall some of my personal experiences keeping in mind the in game situations and gun statistics. Summary: Everything in Info condensed into a sentence. For those that don't like reading big collections of words. Notes: Range from miscellaneous facts to special weapon modifications. Here are some simple terminology I will use in the FAQ for those who are new to Cod or FPS's: -CQB: Close Quarters Battle -Range: The distance in which the bullet will drop from maximum damage -Ironsights: The aiming reticles on the top of a gun -ADS: Aim down the sight of the gun. -Quick Scoping: Quickly aiming through a sniper scope and pull off a quick shot. -Hard Scoping: Generally long distance sniper shots that require more time scoped in than quick scopes. -Wallbang: bullet penetration kill -Noob Tube: Grenade launcher attachment, also known as Pro Pipe ====================== ----Assault Rifles---- [A_R] ====================== Introduction: The dominant weapon class in this game, assault rifles are useful for all purposes and excel in fire-rate, recoil, and ammo reserve. ARs ranges from full auto rifles, to bursts, to even a single shot. They are all purpose weapons that kill fast and are easy to use. ARs have average hip fire and feature a variety of attachments. Available AR Attachments: Grenade Launcher Red Dot Sight ACOG FMJ Shotgun Heartbeat Sensor Thermal Scope Silencer Extended Mags Name: M4A1 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 800 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .225 - .3 SP: .15 - .225 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Moderately Fast Info: M4A1 is a solid all purpose weapon that does everything besides close quarters ninja and max range sniping. Extremely accurate and has relatively low recoil. Excellent fire rate and feel. Can be found in the hands of both beginners and veterans. 30-20 damage encourage either stopping power or long distance engagements. However, it does handle close quarters combat a bit better than the ACR. Ammo size is plenty as long as you don't spray everything that moves. Has low to no sway. Summary: Trades power for accuracy and low recoil. Notes: Camo doesn't show up too well, go for headshots for maximum performance. Ironsights are somewhat cluttered. Sounds like you're firing nails. One of my favorites. Name: FAMAS Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: 3 round burst RoF: 460 RPM Damage: 40-30 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Slow Info: FAMAS is a great weapon as the 3 round bursts usually will kill an enemy if all shots hit (assuming you are not at maximum range). Slow reload so conserve your shots. Couple with stopping power for 1 burst kills at any range. Risky to use in close quarters, but extremely powerful at most other ranges. Aim carefully as the delay between bursts will usually prove extremely disadvantageous in firefights if you consistantly miss. Decent magazine size and reserve. Don't reflexively reload this one. Summary: Excellent 3 round burst weapon, pick your shots and conserve your ammo. Notes: Good looking with Camos, Ironsights are cluttered. Almost the exact same as the M16, but with a little bit more accuracy, a little less recoil, and a slower reload. Statistically speaking a little better than the M16, but such minor differences shouldn't be that big of a deal. Use the gun that you like more. Also note that the FAMAS is French :D Name: SCAR-H Lvl: 8 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 630 RPM Damage: 40-30 Kill Time: .19 - .29 SP: .09 - .19 Ammo: 20 @ 40 (120) Reload Speed: Relatively Slow Info: Scar-H is commonly used, and for a good reason, as it is powerful and accurate, not to mention having one of the clearest ironsights in the game. Be aware though, that even though the fire rate for this gun is somwhat slow, you might find yourself running out of ammo more often than you'd expect, therefore it's best when fired controllably and/or coupled with the Scavenger perk. Good for all distances, but note that the recoil (although not that significant) will make long distance shots a little bit harder to land than other assault rifles, so be sure to fire in bursts when sniping with this gun. Very powerful and when coupled with stopping power it is 2 hit kill at a good range. Extended Mags also help big time. Overall the Scar is very useful and can fit many roles in your specific classes, but be ready to make compromises if you're using one. Summary: Powerful automatic AR that is short on ammo and fire rate, but extremely useful for all engagements. Notes: Shows off Camo very well and has relatively no sway. Name: Tar-21 Lvl: 20 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 750 RPM Damage: 40-30 Kill Time: .16 - .24 SP: .08 - .16 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Average Info: A powerful, multi-purpose killing machine. 40-30 damage plus 750 RPM ensures excellent kill rates. Best close quarters AR and clear ironsights. Recoil, however, is very noticable, but easily mastered. This gun when fired in controlled bursts can pick targets off at surprisingly long distances. However, when trying to snipe, you might find yourself at a disadvantage because this gun does have a kick to it. Overall a devastating weapon, and one of my personal favorites. Summary: Strong, fast, at the cost of some managable recoil. Notes: Fastest killing automatic AR in the game, gorgeous with camos, little to no sway. Red Dot is a Mars Sight. Although it may be psychological, silencer to some seems to reduce recoil. Name: FN FAL Lvl: 28 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Single Shot Damage: 55-35 Ammo: 20 @ 40 (120) Reload Speed: Pretty fast Info: The lone replacement for the G3 and M14, good single shot rifle that kills relatively quickly. Keep in mind that this gun is NOT stopping power optimal. Small ironsights make using this gun without a scope fairly difficult to use, however, in the right hands this gun is absolutely lethal as it kills in the least bullets of any AR and can be fired quite rapidly with twitchy trigger fingers. The learning curve for this gun, however, is longer than other beginner friendly guns such as ACR and Scar, but this is indeed a unique weapon capable of bringing destruction to your enemies. Decent clip size, reserve and fast reload. Not CQB material. Summary: Semi-Auto 2 hit kill, very deadly, big learning curve. Notes: Again, Stopping Power perk is not optimal for this gun as it only helps with 1 hit kill headshots (if that's your thing, go for it). I recommend another red perk. Also note that Red Dot sight on a FAL is slightly off centered, and equiping a holographic sight changes the minimum damage to 40 instead of 35. Also has a cool reload animation. This one however, shows almost no camo. Upon close examination, if you use holographic sight on a FAL, Stopping Power actually becomes quite beneficial seeing as it will 2 hit kill at any range due to the 40 minimum damage change (1.4x 40 = 56, 2 hit kill). Thanks to everyone who sent me an email pointing this out for me! Your help is greatly appreciated! Name: M16A4 Lvl: 40 Fire Type: 3 round burst RoF: 460 RPM Damage: 40-30 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Relatively Fast Info: Classic M16 from Cod4. 3 shot burst deals the same damage as FAMAS, regardless of what the stat bar says. Almost identical in comparison, with key features such as different ironsights and faster reload, however M16 feels a little bit more spray friendly and jumps around a bit more when shot. Decent clip size and reserves coupled with low sway makes this gun a lethal piece of equipment. Oh, did I mention its also easy for beginners to pick up? Summary: Classic 3 round burst killing machine. Notes: I personally like the ironsights very much. Holographic sight tightens up the bullet spread. Thanks to Justin Evans for pointing that out. Name: Adaptable Combat Rifle (ACR) Lvl: 48 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 750 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .24 - .32 SP: .16 - .24 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Average Info: Absolutely recoil-less. This gun is essentially an automatic sniper, which explains its popularity with the public. Easy to use ironsights, good ammo and reserve, this weapon is extremely effective at mid-long ranges. Low damage can be compromised with headshots or stopping power. Close quarters encounters can be fought with secondaries. This weapon is extremely versatile in all circumstances. Summary: On paper it's not very powerful, but extremely accurate and pretty much recoil-less. Notes: Good ironsights and good camouflage. I personally don't like this weapon but it is without a doubt one of the top-tier guns in this game. Name: F2000 Lvl: 60 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 900 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .2 - .267 SP: .13 - .2 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Average Info: Extremely fast fire rate results in really high recoil. Very hard to control and manage in general, definitely not a beginner's gun and considered by many to be the worst AR in the game. Decent when fired in controlled bursts, and fun to use, but high recoil and low damage makes this weapon a shadow of other high-powered ARs in the game. Do keep in mind though that because of the high RoF, in the hands of a seasoned professional, the F2000 perhaps might have the potential to become a devastating killing machine, but in general a weaker gun. Summary: High RoF and high recoil. Notes: Still a fun weapon to use nonetheless and fits well as the role of a SMG. Red Dot is a Mars Sight and stays active during an EMP. Name: AK-47 Lvl: 70 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 700 RPM Damage: 40-30 Kill Time: .171 - .257 SP: .086 - .171 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload Speed: Relatively Fast Info: Classic Kalashinikov rifle is a high-powered, close-mid range rifle with mostly visual recoil and an awesome sense of satisfaction that comes with every kill. Crisp and smooth, but even the largely visual recoil will hinder long distance shots. Good when fired in bursts and good when firing on full-auto. The ironsights for this gun is a love-hate situation. Shots should be used conservingly as you might sometimes find youself out of ammo. Couple with Stopping Power for a 2 hit kill. Excellent CQB and a versatile weapon for all purposes. Summary: High-powered close-mid range weapon that has a kick to it. Notes: Adding any attachments to the AK-47 will also add some sway to it, the only exception being the ACOG scope. Also looks good with Camos. ====================== ---Sub Machine Guns--- [SubMG] ====================== Introduction: Sub Machine Guns (SMGs) are iconic close quarters weapons that combine high rate of fire with high mobility and good damage. Because of their range limitations however, they are less versatile than ARs. It should be noted that SMGs have excellent hip-fire and should be used cautiously as most maps in this game are wrapped around long distance gun fights. Although less-versatile, SMGs are far from useless and can find a way into anyone's arsenal. Note that Akimbo greatly reduces the hip fire accuracy of any SMG. Attachments: ACOG Rapid Fire Akimbo Red Dot Sight Holographic Sight Silencer Thermal Sight Extended Mags Name: MP5K Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 850 RPM Damage: 40-20 Kill Time: .14 - .282 SP: .071 - .212 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload: Average Info: Just like the MP5 from Cod4, the MP5K feels almost exactly like its cousin, with a tad bit more recoil, which inevitably lowers its effectiveness. Still great at hip fire, the MP5K should not be used at any ranges except close, and if long distance engagements are inevitable, then short controlled bursts are the only way to go (still not recommended). Solid kill time and excellent hip fire, the MP5K is a good SMG in all aspects. Summary: A lot of recoil but high powered and good hipfire. Notes: Looks beastly with Camos and is generally disliked by the public, but is not a bad weapon at all. Low to no sway. Name: UMP 45 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 630 RPM Damage: 40-35 Kill Time: .19 - .19 SP: .095 - .19 Ammo: 32 @ 64 (192) Reload: Slightly Slow Info: 3 hit kill at any range without stopping power, UMP is one of the few SMGs that can consistently compete with ARs in all aspects. Extremely effective when silenced, UMP offers max mobility, great damage, excellent hip fire and clip size. As with all SMGs and weapons in general, fire in bursts when shooting ranged targets. Extremely versatile and can fit all kinds of roles, just be sure not to spray too much as you'll find yourself running out of lead. Summary: Powerful, 3 hit kill SMG that performs extremely well close - mid distances. Notes: 1 hit kills in hardcore at all ranges with max mobility. Looks bland with camos. No sway. Name: TDI Vector Lvl: 12 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 1000 RPM Damage: 25-20 Kill Time: .18 - .24 SP: .12 - .18 Ammo: 30 @ 60 (180) Reload: Fast Info: Fastest firing weapon in the game actually has the weakest damage, however, 25-20 is almost identical to 30-20 damages seeing as it requires 4 shot to kill at close and 5 at range. Stopping power also reduces number of bullets to kill by 1. Vector is fast firing and fairly accurate, with the lowest recoil of any SMG. 1000 RPM however, causes you to burn through your magazine like hot knife through butter. Reserve ammo does not meet up with your needs so Scavenger is recommended because even careful players will find themselves running out of ammo more often than not. Learn to control the recoil seeing as it is actually helpful to get headshots in some cases. Although Vector has good hipfire, spraying too much is not recommended as clip size is small and you're certainly not doing yourself a favor by eating away your already limited ammunition. Use bursts and try to control your fire when shooting at someone because you only need 5 bullets at MAX range to kill, and Vector fires 5 bullets in approximately .24 seconds. I do NOT recommend Akimbo'ing this weapon because it'll run out of ammo too fast, if you're going for fast-firing akimbos, I'd go with P90. Summary: Low recoil, fast firing SMG that eats ammo like a mad man. Notes: 25-20 only really has an impact in Hardcore, so don't let the 'lowest damage in the whole game' bias you too much when you're playing regular/core. No sway. My favorite SMG Name: P90 Lvl: 24 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 850 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .212 - .282 SP: .141 - .212 Ammo: 50 @ 100 (300) Reload: Somewhat Slow Info: Fast firing, giant magazine and excellent spraying potential makes the P90 a formidable close quarters giant. Plenty of ammo to fuel your devilish needs and decent stopping power for a weapon fired so fast, P90 is great for ambushes or multi-kills. Big recoil limits engagement distances to close quarters only, and firing at targets at anything past medium distances is definitely not recommended. Once again, burst fire is the way to go for ranged targets. Summary: High RoF, big magazine, and great CQB potential at the cost of recoil. Notes: One of the Akimbo favorites. Easy to use ironsights. Extended mags are redundant. Name: Mini-Uzi Lvl: 44 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 888 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .2 - .27 SP: .135 - .2 Ammo: 32 @ 64 (192) Reload: A bit faster than average Info: An absolute chainsaw, this thing pumps out lead at an alarming rate and is greatly improved from Cod4. Very similar to P90 but has slightly less recoil when bursted. Ammo is precious so use Scavenger or pick your shots. Great when used for groups of people and can pick people off at close- medium distances with bursts. Hip fire spraying is effective, but make sure to check your ammunition supply constantly. Summary: High RoF and great CQB potential. Kills faster than P90 at the cost of less ammo. ======================== ---Light Machine Guns--- [LightMG] ======================== Introduction: Light Machine Guns are exactly what they sound like, miniature versions of mounted machine guns. They pack good fire rate with large magazines, at the cost of slower movement and bad hip-fire. Reload and ADS (aim down sights) time are also longer than other guns, but these tools are vital team weapons that can lay down a lot of fire and offer continuous cover without stopping to reload. LMGs do the same damage at all ranges, so they suffer a damage reduction when equiped with a silencer. Grip is a universally recommended attachment for all LMGs. *Quick note that extended mags on a 100 round LMG will give it an additional 100 rounds. Since you only have 100 spare ammo (unless using Scavenger) this basically puts all your available ammo in your magazine so you'll never ever have to reload. E. Mags, however, is really tedious to get, and most of the time 100 rounds in a mag is plenty but the option is there in case you do want to pursue it. Thanks to Dave for pointing that out. Attachments: Grip Red Dot Sight Holographic Sight FMJ ACOG Extended Mags Silencer Heartbeat Sensor Thermal Sight *note: damage reductions due to silencers will be written in brackets. Kill times with silencers are also written in brackets. Name: L86 LSW Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 750 RPM Damage: 40 (30) Kill Time: .16 (.24) SP: .08 (.16) Ammo: 100 @ 100 (300) Reload: Fast for a LMG Info: High damage with easy to use ironsights and good overall feel. Recoil is fairly managable when fired in bursts and very easy to overcome when used with a Grip. Decent ammo capacity and reloads very fast when compared to other LMGs. Full auto fire will have a big kick to it as the recoil is fairly noticable. Good for all ranges, just don't try to run and gun and you'll be ok. Summary: Good reload and damage, all purpose LMG. Notes: ACOG scope is a SUSAT scope, unique and fun to use. Name: RPD Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 666 RPM Damage: 40 (30) Kill Time: .18 (.27) SP: .09 (.18) Ammo: 100 @ 100 (300) Reload: Slow Info: Powerful, low recoil weapon that has a large magazine to burn. Grip significantly lowers recoil on this weapon and makes it extremely accurate. Easy to use irons also ensure accurate shots over long distances. Excellent all around LMG, just make sure you don't reload compulsively. Bad hipfire and mobility so try not to rush head first into heated CQB fights. Summary: All purpose, powerful, accurate, and one of the best LMGs in general. Notes: Devil's fire rate. Good Camo looks, a deadly weapon just like it was in Cod4. Name: MG4 Lvl: 16 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 800 RPM Damage: 30 (20) Kill Time: .225 (.3) SP: .15 (.225) Ammo: 100 @ 100 (300) Reload: Slow Info: MG4 has great accuracy and fire rate. Easily able to pull off long distance kills. Grip just reduces the already low recoil. Moderate damage means that it's best to use this weapon at medium to long distances only. Not recommended for CQB but easy to pick off targets at any other range. Be aware that silencer makes the gun 5 hit kill without stopping power, which is the most amount of bullets needed to kill in the entire game. Summary: Accurate with low recoil, avoid CQB. Notes: FMJ attachments are called explosive rounds. MG4 is very rarely used. Name: AUG HBAR Lvl: 32 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 666 RPM Damage: 40 (30) Kill Time: .18 (.27) SP: .09 (.18) Ammo: 42 @ 84 (252) Reload: Fast for an LMG Info: Essentially an assault rifle, the AUG has great fire rate and managable recoil, especially with a grip. Fast reload is offset by small magazine, but you'll rarely find yourself running out of ammo. Useful for a variety of purposes and excels with all sorts of attachments, the HBAR is similar to the RPD in many ways. The only performance difference is the different ironsight, less recoil, and smaller magazine. Summary: Powerful, low recoil, and fast reload at the cost of a small magazine. Notes: Looks good with Camos and is one of my favorites. Name: M240 Lvl: 52 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 850 RPM Damage: 30 (20) Kill Time: .212 (.282) SP: .14 (.212) Ammo: 100 @ 100 (300) Reload: Slow Info: Almost recoil-less, this is a great sniping tool and provides ample cover for your team. Avoid enemies with shotguns and SMGs seeing as M240 does not perform at its potential in CQB. Big magazine size ensure you'll lay down plenty of fire before having to cool off. Silencers reduces the damage to an unfavorable 5 hit kill so aim for headshots or use Stopping Power. Summary: Low recoil, good RoF and magazine size. Don't compulsively reload. Notes: None ============== ---Shotguns--- [Shtgn] ============== Introduction: Shotguns are unrivaled in close quarters, and offer little use at a distance. Crosshairs do not enlarge when moving and aiming down the sight actually increases spread (bad). Slow switch time compared to other secondaries (not as slow as launchers though) but packs a powerful punch. Good mobility and great 1 hit kill potential. It is redundant to use any sort of scope on a shotgun so avoid wasting an attachment option. Silencers also reduce range on the shotguns greatly, so generally shoot closer than you normally would if your shotgun is suppressed. Grip usually doesn't make any notable changes except to the AA-12. Damage listed are individual shells with a multiplier to show the number of shells discharged with each shot. Attachments: Red Dot Sight Holographic Sight Grip Akimbo (some) Silencer FMJ Silencer *note: in case your wondering about shotgun ranges in comparison, here they are: from most ranged to least -Masterkey -Single 1887 -Spas 12 -Striker -M1014 -Akimbo 1887 -AA12 -Ranger Name: Spas-12 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Pump action Damage: 40-20 x 8 Ammo: 8 @ 24 (64) Reload: Fast for each shell but collectively slow Info: Spas-12 is a pump action shotgun with great range and damage. Needs to pump after every shot so shoot accurately as a missed shot will spell your doom in a gun fight. High 1 hit kill potential at a big range, Spas-12 is a lethal close quarters weapon. Equip steady aim for increased 1 hit kill range. Ammo supply is bountiful and overall performance is excellent. Silencer roughly cuts range by 1/3. Summary: Powerful, high 1 hit kill potential shotgun with a big range. Pumps after every shot. Notes: A reminder, sights and grip on shotguns are redundant. Name: AA-12 Lvl: 18 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 400 RPM Damage: 20-15 x 8 Ammo: 8 @ 8 (32) Reload: Fast for shotgun but slow compared to other guns. Info: AA-12 is a fully automatic, 8 gauge shotgun. Does exactly what it sounds like; shreds people at close range, but doesn't even peck them at anything past around 5-6 meters. Although the reload is quite fast for a shotgun, it is still very slow compared to other guns. Ammo capacity and magazine sizes are extremely low. The trick to using AA-12 is not to unload at the first sign of movement, but in fact control your firing and fire 3 shots max for one person. Each shot is generally powerful enough to kill an individual at close distances, shoot 2 to make sure you get the kill, and 3 if you are at max range. Firing conservingly will not only help you save ammo but also make a follow up shot easier, and if your enemy had a follower, then it'll be easy to nab that double kill. Learning to shoot carefully and conservingly will easily double the AA-12's usefulness. Despite flaws, the AA-12 is extremely dangerous and the most dominant weapon in close quarters. Silencer cuts the already short range by almost half, making the AA-12 a big knife, which is definitely not recommnded. Extended mags add 8 more shells for 16, greatly improving the weapon in all aspects and is universally recommended. Grip also reduces recoil during automatic fire. Summary: Unmatchably lethal in close quarters and close quarters only. Very, very low ammo and small magazine size. Notes: One of my favorites and extremely hard to counter in CQB. Avoid direct confrontation with one because it is almost impossible to miss and the killing power is simply ridiculous. Holographic sight, despite rumors, does not seem to have any effect on the range. Name: Striker Lvl: 34 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 25-15 x 6 Ammo: 12 @ 24 (60) Reload: Single shell reload is fast but collectively slow Info: Semi-auto shotgun with good stopping power and excellent chamber size. 6 pellets though will yield less 1 hit kills than other shotguns but easy to follow up with more shots. Good range, abundant ammo, and serves a variety of purposes ranging from sniper defense to run & gun backup. Truly the all-purpose shotgun. Silencer cuts range by almost half. Summary: Convenient, all-purpose shotgun that can fitted into any role. Notes: Extended Mags are fun to use but redundant. Name: Ranger Lvl: 42 Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: N/A Double Barrel Damage: 75-25 Ammo: 2 @ 18 (40) Reload: Really fast for shotgun, average compared to other guns Info: Double barrel rangers are strictly close quarters weapons, having a range thats even shorter than the AA-12. They serve much more of a run and gun purpose. Only available attachments for Rangers are Akimbo and FMJ. Left trigger discharges the left barrel and right trigger discharges the right barrel. Otherwise use akimbo and discharge both guns simultaneously. High power, low range. Be careful of direct CQB confrontations if an enemy is spotted using one. Summary: Close quarters run & gun shotguns. Notes: No ironsight Name: M1014 Lvl: 54 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 40-20 x 8 Ammo: 4 @ 16 (40) Reload: Fast for individual shells but collectively slow Info: M1014 is a good ranged semi-automatic shotgun that excel in stopping power and fire rate. Note though, that it can only contain 4 shells at a time which means you need to place your shots carefully. Ammo is usually not a concern. Fires 8 pellets at a time with great 1 hit kill potential. Summary: Good range and powerful but only 4 shells chamberedat a time. Notes: Thanks to Djayrod213: If you unlock extended mags, then you can carry 6 shells in the chamber and can be used as a more powerful, longer ranged striker. Couple it with sleight of hand for an extremely versatile secondary. Name: Model 1887 Lvl: 67 Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Lever action Damage: 35 x 8 Ammo: 7 @ 21 (56) Reload: Fast for individual shells but collectively slow Info: The infamous Model 1887's are a force to be reckoned with. Excellent stopping power with big range, no damage drop-off and the ability to be akimbo'd, they are indeed overused for a reason. Akimbo 1887s though, have been nerfed and received a range cut off, roughly 2/3 of their former glory. Even blinged 1887s have been nerfed due to the recent patch. Single 1887s are still as powerful as they were before. Abundant ammo and clip size. Fire accurately as there is a pump after every shot. Summary: Strong, ranged shotguns, pick your shots because you'll need to pump (not really, more like a lever twist) after every shot. Notes: Extremely over-used and abused. I personally don't like them but feel free to use them because its your game and you shouldn't let anonymous internet folks tell you what to do. Name: Masterkey (Shotgun Attachment) Lvl: Get 20 kills with grenade launcher to unlock Fire Type: Pump Action RoF: Pump Action Damage: 25 x 6 Ammo: 4 @ 12 Reload: Fast for individual shells but collectively slow Info: Weaker than other shotguns with 25 damage and only 6 pellets. But, being an attachment it has quicker switch rate and no damage drop off, not to mention the longest range of any shotgun. Weak 1 hit kill potential but easy to spam over long distances and effective with headshots. Definitely recommended for ARs with limited CQB capabilities such as FAL and burst fires. Needs to pump after every shot so don't expose yourself too much when firing continuously, pump is quite quick, though. Decent ammo and small clip size. Summary: Weak 1 hit kill shotgun but long range and spammable. Notes: Absolutely lethal in hardcore, definitely recommended for all AR in hardcore. Coupled with stopping power these are pretty much sniper rifles. =================== ---Sniper Rifles--- [SniperFrog] =================== Introduction: Snipers are 1 shot, 1 kill long range weapons that are limited in CQB but extremely dangerous at any other range. No damage drop-off, high 1 hit kill potential, snipers are great weapons, do note however, they have a learning curve that's a bit steeper than other guns. ACOG adds a lot of sway and silencer cuts damage instead of range. Damage is always 70 and different snipers have different body part multipliers. Silencers cut damage to 50. Snipers, surprisingly, have high mobility that rival even SMGs, but huge crosshairs limit their CQB. Being able to effectively quick-scope with snipers is the hardest thing to do in the game, but extremely devastating if mastered. Attachments: Silencer Heartbeat Sensor FMJ Thermal Scope ACOG Extended mags Name: Intervention Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Bolt Action Multipliers: Headx1.5 Neckx1.5 Chestx1.5 Stomachx1.1 Limbx1 Ammo: 5 @ 15 (40) Reload: Pretty fast Info: Solid multipliers and sexy bolt action makes this a fan favorite. However, it's the only non semi-auto sniper in the game, and the Barrett is a semi-automatic version of this weapon with the same multipliers, making the Intervention somewhat outclassed. However, it is very accurate and with stopping power can kill when you hit the enemy in any of the torso area. Good ammo and reload. Summary: Powerful bolt action sniper, extremely accurate. Notes: Looks beautiful with Camos. Feels good to get a kill with and just plain cool. Lots of sway and takes a little more time to steady your aim when you hold your breath than other snipers. Seems to have a lot of aim assist. Name: Barrett .50 Calibur Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Multipliers: Headx1.5 Neckx1.5 Chestx1.5 Stomachx1.1 Limbx1 Ammo: 10 @ 20 (60) Reload: Slow Info: Almost exactly like the Intervention, but semi-automatic. Although it can be fire rapidly, continuously pulling the trigger while scoped in will have massive recoil and inevitably give away your position. Solid multipliers and 1 hit kill to torso with stopping power. Good ammo and reserve, but try not to compulsively reload this one seeing as magazine size is big and reload is slow. Good for all sniper purposes and can actually pull some miracle CQB saves by spamming, but don't rely on it too often as hipfire is terribad. Has A LOT of recoil. Summary: Semi-auto, high powered, best CQB sniper and abundant ammo. Notes: Makes the Intervention somewhat obsolete seeing as Barrett is everything the Intervention is and more, except a slight accuracy decrease and longer reload. Also has less sway than an Intervention. Name: WA2000 Lvl: 36 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Multipliers: Headx1.5 Neckx1.5 Chestx1.5 Stomachx1.0 Limbx1.0 Ammo: 6 @ 18 (48) Reload: Average Info: Extremely similar to the Dragonuv in Cod4, WA2000 is a semi-low recoil sniper with great modifiers. Note that stopping power does nothing for this weapon (when unsilenced). Easy to pull off consecutive shots with and good magazine size & ammo. Switch time, however, is long and accuracy is a bit low compared to other snipers. Summary: Recoil isn't too big, 1 hit kill to chest and up. Good ammo, fire rate, at the cost of a small accuracy deduction. Notes: Nice smiley sticker on the back of the cap. One of the rarest guns in real life since only 176 WA2000s were ever made. Name: M21 EBR Lvl: 56 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Multipliers: Headx1.5 Neckx1.5 Chestx1.1 Stomachx1.0 Limbx1.0 Ammo: 10 @ 20 (60) Reload: Pretty Fast Info: This thing is almost recoil-less, at the cost of poor multipliers of course. Stopping power adds 1 hit kill to chest and easily the best sniper to use with a silencer. Extremely easy to pull off consecutive shots and fairly accurate. Aim for headshots because only a neck shot or above will 1 hit kill. Good ammo reserve but carelessly spamming shots will leave you empty handed. Summary: Recoil-less, low multiplier sniper. Good ammo & reload. Notes: Feels like the M14 from Cod4. Passable run & gun weapon with an ACOG. ==================== ---Machine Pistol--- [MPIS] ==================== Introduction: Second fastest switch rate next to handguns, machine pistols combine good fire-rate and damage. Best used in close-medium distances seeing as range is small. Excellent hipfire and great akimbo weapons, machine pistols are all purpose side-arms that can be fitted into any role. Most machine pistols have low ammo. Attachments: Red Dot Sight Holographic Sight Silencer FMJ Extended Mags Akimbo Name: PP2000 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Auto RoF: 700 RPM Damage: 40-20 Kill Time: .17 - .343 SP: .086 - .257 Ammo: 20 @ 40 (120) Reload: Fast Info: The most powerful automatic machine pistol there is. Excellent fire rate, hip-fire accuracy, and damage. Bad factors include slow switch speed and small magazine & ammo. Ironsights are straight forward and although range is low, this gun can actually shoot pretty far. Good for all classes. The best overall machine pistol in terms of damage, range, and usability, but swap speed is also the slowest. Summary: Powerful and accurate at the cost of low ammo & long swap time. Notes: One of the most peculiar guns I have ever seen, but nonetheless powerful. Name: Glock 18 (G18) Lvl: 22 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 1100 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .164 - .218 SP: .11 - .164 Ammo: 33 @ 66 (198) Reload: Pretty Fast Info: Wow, I take back saying the Vector was the fastest firing gun in the game, the G18 takes that title by being a pure bullet hose. Excellent hip-fire, switch speed and great akimbo weapons. Substantial recoil (even when bursted) advocates close range only, and the insane fire-rate is offset by small magazine and ammo reserve. Scavenger is recommended. Summary: High RoF close quarters machine pistol with good switch speed. Notes: The only gun that people hold with one hand only, which is stupid because the recoil is so high. Name: M93 Raffica Lvl: 38 Fire Type: 3 round burst RoF: 450 RPM Damage: 40-30 Ammo: 20 @ 40 (120) Reload: Pretty Fast Info: A unique 3 round burst machine pistol that is 1 hit kill at all ranges with stopping power. Good switch speed and abundant ammo, the M93 is essentially a pocket M16 (or FAMAS if you prefer that). I don't advise using akimbo because the burst fire will often be beat by other powerful automatics and shotguns, but single M93 is very accurate and can dish out kills at quite a long distance. Loses some CQB capabilities because of the burst. Summary: Accurate 3 round burst with abundant ammo, average CQB weapon. Fastest switch speed of any machine pistol. Notes: You can actually pull out a M93 in last stand! It's the only machine pistol that can do that. Big thanks to Matthieu Bourgeois for pointing that out! Name: Tactical Machine Pistol (TMP) Lvl: 58 Fire Type: Auto RoF: 900 RPM Damage: 30-20 Kill Time: .2 - .267 SP: .133 - .2 Ammo: 15 @ 30 (90) Reload: Pretty Fast Info: Deadly accurate and has extremely low recoil, the TMP is practically a miniature assault rifle. The magazine capacity is a let down however, seeing as you only have 15 shots. Therefore aim carefully and shoot conveservingly because your ammo reserve is pathetically small too. Machine pistol version of the ACR. Summary: Almost no recoil offset by small magazine and low ammo. Notes: Extended mags makes this an accurate assault rifle. ============== ---Handguns--- [HNDG] ============== Introduction: Many players tend to avoid handguns now that they have access to shotguns and machine pistols for secondaries, however, handguns have extremely fast switch speeds and are often just as useful as other secondaries. You will be overwhelmed with an immense sense of satisfaction everytime you outgun a shotgun/machine pistol user with a pistol. Akimbo pistols have small crosshairs and are excellent room clearing tools (no joke, try them out). Attachments: FMJ Silencer Akimbo Tactical Knife Extended Mags Name: USP .45 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 40-25 Ammo: 12 @ 24 (72) Reload: Fast Info: Quick draw and 2 hit kill at close range with Stopping Power. Decent magazine size and great when akimbo'd (due to 2 hit kill). Recoil is mostly visual and hipfire is pretty accurate. Don't underestimate the CQB potential of this weapon when akimbo'd! Magazine and ammo size is average. Summary: Quick fire, 2 hit kill with stopping power, and mostly visual recoil. Notes: My favorite side arm. Lots of sway but that doesn't matter at close range. Name: .44 Magnum Lvl: 26 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 50-35 Ammo: 6 @ 12 (36) Reload: Pretty Fast Info: The magnum is a high powered revolver that kills in 2 hits (with or without Stopping Power). Note that this is NOT a stopping power optimal gun, seeing as the 1.4 multiplier does not make the Magnum kill in any less bullets than it already does. Very powerful and high recoil, this gun is a fan favorite and especially common with tactical knife. Great semi-auto fire but 6 rounds in a chamber and only 12 reserve rounds advises careful shooting. Excellent akimbo weapons. Very big recoil. Attachments are limited to FMJ, Akimbo and Tactical knife. Summary: High powered 2 hit kill that has a small 6 round chamber and low ammo. Notes: Cool concept and a bad-ass weapon. 1 hit kill at any range in hardcore. Name: M9 Lvl: 46 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 40-25 Ammo: 15 @ 30 (90) Reload: Fast Info: Very similar to USP with a bigger magazine size. Recoil seems less but is actually more prevalent and jumps around more when fired non-stop, which is the trade-off for some extra bullets. Also has less range than an USP Summary: A USP with a little more recoil and ammo, but less range. Notes: None Name: Desert Eagle Lvl: 62 Fire Type: Semi-Auto RoF: Semi-Auto Damage: 50-30 Ammo: 7 @ 14 (42) Reload: Fast Info: Desert Eagle is a powerful 2 hit kill handgun with an atrocious recoil. Big firing cap for a semi-auto and in truth there isn't anything the Desert Eagle can do that the Magnum can't. The fire cap limits the akimbo fire power and the extra 1 bullet in the clip doesn't really make up for the loss. Even the Magnum is 3 hit kill at range (DE isn't). And as a slap to the face, the DE is also limited to only FMJ, Akimbo and Tactical Knife. Fun to use, but overall a lackluster weapon. Summary: Magnum does everything better, even kills in less bullets at range. Notes: Decent when akimbo'd but the fire cap can ruin your edge. ================= ----Launchers---- [LNCH] ================= Introduction: Launchers are mainly for clearing large areas and taking down aerial threats. Very slow switch speed and reload, but has a wide radius and essential if you want to survive in a game where there's almost always a flying helicopter above you. Launchers have no attachments and have limited ammo sizes. Also keep in mind that launchers force you to ADS everytime you shoot. Higher-end killstreak air vehicles usually come armed with flares (white flashes that send your launcher missles off-course) so be prepared. Name: AT4 Lvl: Beginning Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Fire 1 and reload Damage: Radius is around 3.5-4 meters Ammo: 1 @ 0 (1) Reload: Slow Info: A mix of a RPG and a Stinger, lock on and homing capabilities are subpar but blast radius for anti-infantry is big. Most of the time will not 1 hit kill any sort of aerial vehicle except UAVs and counter-UAVs. If you hit a aerial vehicle with a AT4 and it lives then fire a few more bullets into it because the AT4 is likely to have weakened it to the point where a few more bullets should seal the deal. Flares will send an AT4 missle off-course. Summary: All purpose launcher that excels more in an anti-infantry role. Note: None Name: Thumper Lvl: 14 Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Fire 1 and reload Damage: Radius is around 1-1.5 meters Ammo: 1 @ 1 (2) Reload: Pretty fast Info: Purely anti-infantry, Thumper is almost a carbon copy of the grenade launcher attachment known as the Noob Tube. In comparison the Thumper has a slightly smaller blast radius. Grenades launched curves in an arc and will not detonate unless launched over 2 meters. Hitting someone directly with a launched grenade will kill them, regardless of whether the grenade blows up or not. Summary: Noob Tube as a secondary weapon. Notes: Fastest reload of all launchers Name: Stinger Lvl: 30 Fire Type: Lock-On Single Shot RoF: Fire 1 and reload Damage: 1 hit kills all aerial vehicles Ammo: 1 @ 1 (2) Reload: Slow Info: Purely anti-air, but an excellent weapon for that very purpose. Stinger is powerful enough to 1 hit kill all aerial vehicles and starts out with 2 missles instead of 1. Flares will send a Stinger missle off course but the fact that you start with 2 missles will usually gurantee death for all aerial vehicles except an AC130. Lock on is accurate and almost never misses. I recommend at least 1 class where you have this weapon equiped so you can take out kill-streaks when they get on your nerves. *Update*: If you time it right, you can actually kill an AC130 with just 2 Stingers. It requires you shooting the second missile at the right time before the AC130 can deplore its second set of flares. Best done on open maps. Takes a little practice but it's definitely possible if you're ambitious enough. Big thanks to st_midgetman for pointing that out. Summary: Anti-air beast. Notes: None Name: Javelin Lvl: 50 Fire Type: Lock-on Single Shot RoF: Fire 1 and reload Damage: Blast radius of around 6-7 meters, 1 hit kills aerials. Ammo: 1 @ 0 (1) Reload: Slow Info: Javelin can lock onto anything, vehicles or otherwise. Travels high into the air and drops down like a predator missle. Decent for anti-air seeing as it ignores flares but takes a long time to get the job done and misses a lot. Good for a pre-emptive air-strike against infanty seeing as blast radius is very, very big. Summary: Either an airstrike missle or a less-efficient aircraft killer. Notes: Javelins are extremely expensive to make in real life. Notes: RPG-7 Lvl: 65 Fire Type: Single Shot RoF: Fire 1 and reload Damage: Blast radius of around 3.5-4 meters Ammo: 1 @ 1 (2) Reload: Average Info: Purely for infantry, RPG-7 has a big blast radius and average reload speed. Accuracy is terribad seeing as it wavers around A LOT after fired. Ignores flares when shot at helicopters but most of the time will not kill them in 1 hit, however, it'll usually weaken them to the point where a few more AR bullets will kill them (thanks to Gael Shaor for pointing that out). Absolutely lethal when coupled with Danger Close. Great explosive weapons and a lot of fun to use. Summary: Anti-infantry rocket with a bad accuracy and good radius. Notes: None =============== --Riot Shield-- =============== Introduction: Riot shield is a bullet-proof shield that takes up your primary weapon slot. You cannot shoot while holding it and it takes 2 melee hits to kill an enemy (1 in hardcore). Here's some info and strategies to tie you over. Info: Riot shield is NOT an offensive weapon, as it takes 2 melee hits to kill and makes you move atrociously slow (80% of normal speed, which is slower than LMGs). They are team weapons that work best when a teammate is close behind you, using your shield as cover. A common misconception is that if you crouch you will be completely covered. THIS IS NOT TRUE! While you may be safe from the front, you are absolutely exposed on your sides and back. Not only that, but the slightest angle issue, and your enemy will kill you by shooting your elbow that slightly edged out of the riot shield because you weren't looking straight at him. Although your shield can sustain infinite bullet fire, you are still vulnerable from explosives and flash/stun grenades. That being said, Riot Shielders attract a lot of attention and are extremely beneficial in objective games such as Domination and CTF. Play together as an organized team, and Riot Shields will become an invaluable resource. An enemy can take you down with by sticking your shield with a Semtex, but if you swap your shield for another weapon on the ground the sticked Semtex will disappear. You can generally be granted resistance against explosives only if they are in front of you. Anything tossed to your back is fair game. Riot Shields will still block bullets on your back, but don't expect it to save you because your feet are widely exposed. It does however, protect you from backstabbing knifers. *Notes and Strategies - Crouch when you can because this gives you more coverage. - Look straight at your enemy because the slightest angle off and you will be pecked to death - You can't go prone when you have a riot shield out. - Riot shield block bullets even when they are on your back. But your feet are exposed. - Bullets blocked will actually richochet and might injure or kill another person. Really rare occurance and probably happens the most in hardcore. - Some people will run up and jump knife you, which sometimes works, and sometimes doesn't. Melee them before they get too close to prevent this. - Explosives will generally not kill you ONLY IF they are in front of you. Sticked Semtex will always kill you. - Enemies will be stunned for a brief second after a melee. - Flashes will make your character lower his shield for a few seconds. - Your shield will sustain damage when shot at, but will never break (damage is for aesthetics only). - The only effective way to kill enemies with Riot Shield is to use your secondaries. Pick an effective weapon (Machine Pistol and Shotgun never hurts, go for Handguns if you want quick swap). - Throwing Knife can quickly turn the situation around. Use them, they are tossed extremely fast so you can catch a shooter off guard. - Don't bother hiding your position on the map. As in, don't bother being stealthy because to effectively use Riot Shield you're going to be seen anyway. - Don't stay in one spot. You'll be flanked due to your slow speed. - You are an explosive magnet, sometimes it's smart to couple a blast shield with your Riot Shield if you're playing a mode like Headquarters. *List of things that Riot Shield can/cannot protect you from: - Sentry Gun: yes - Harrier: yes, face it though, it won't stop firing until you're dead. - Atk Chopper: yes, face towards it. - Predator Missile: no *Update*: apparently, a direct impact on your riot shield (hitting your back while you're prone) will survive you the explosion. I wouldn't try it though, it's too unlikely. Thanks to st_midgetman for pointing that out. - Care Package: no - Fall Damage: no - Melee/Throwing Knife: yes - Semtex: If it sticks you'll die, but if it's in front of you then you have a chance of surviving. Having a blast shield out will survive the semtex even if it sticks. - Frag: If it's infront of you, then you'll probably survive, but if it's behind you, then all bets are off. - Claymore: no - C4: no - FMJ bullets: yes - Chopper Gunner: no, explosive bullets will kill you - AC130: obviously not - Grenade Launcher: yes if it hits the shield, no if it's launched past you and hits the ground. - RPG/AT4: Same as grenade launcher. - Javelin: no, yes if it hits you directly while you are looking up with the riot shield, but it's so unlikely that your best bet is to run away. Thanks to Brian Arter for pointing that out. - Flash: doesn't kill you but make you lower shield. - Stun: does not make you lower shield, just moves slower. Let me know if I missed anything! *Possible Setups: These are just suggestions, not be all end all setups. Adjust and change to suit your style. Riot Shield .44 Magnum FMJ or Akimbo Throwing Knife Stun Marathon Lightweight Commando The more aggressive Riot shield class. Keep up with your enemies and bash them unless they are far, in which pop a quick throwing knife. In case you miss or lost your throwing knife, toss a quick stun and kill them with your quick-swapping magnums (2 hit kill w/o stopping power). This is just about as aggressive as you can get. Riot Shield Any Machine Pistol Throwing Knife Stun Scavenger Cold Blooded Commando A little more conservative, but still able to pop some quick kills by yourself. Scavenger allows for more leniency when using your throwing knives and Cold Blooded protects you from air vehicles and sentries. Commando for the melee kills, and stuns for a quick throw. Machine Pistols generally offer more range than regular pistols but take a bit longer to pull out. You also have alittle bit more firepower because they are automatic. Riot Shield PP2000 Blast Shield Stun Marathon Cold Blooded Commando An even more defensive game. PP2000's swap time is very slow but its firepower is potent and easily the most heavy duty/versatile machine pistol in the game. Best used when traveling with a teammate seeing as you have no immediate way of taking down a target except for melee (PP2k will not swap in time). Blast shield makes you a little less punishable by explosives, but a sticked semtex will actually not kill you. If you find yourself in a difficult 1 v 1, then try stunning and pulling out your side arm behind cover. Don't always have blast shield on, use it when you know an explosive is coming. Riot Shield RPG-7 Semtex Stun Scavenger Danger Close Commando Explosive riot. Use RPG-7 to clear out rooms and groups of bad guys while enjoying full coverage of a riot shield while navigating the map. Danger Close makes the RPG-7/Semtex have a really big radius. Stun/Semtex for sticky (pun intended) situations. Refill with Scavenger and bash them if they get too close. Be careful because you don't actually have a gun. Experiment with Semtex/Throwing Knife to see which suits you best. Big thanks to Gaara for this setup! Email me if you want to post your setups! I'll be sure to credit you! ================= ----Equipment---- [EQPM] ================= Introduction: In addition to your special grenades, you can carry a piece of equipment. You have your trusty frag, you also have a sticky grenade, then you venture into the more obsecure ones like tactical insertion and throwing knife. Equipment aid you in your overall success and should be considered carefully when creating your role specific classes. Name: Frag Info: No background history needed. The Frag grenade is familiar to players from far and wide. Has a 5 second, cookable fuse (cooking a grenade means holding it in until it is about to explode, then tossing it to make it explode almost immediately upon delivery, a very effective method to using frags). Best cooked to 3 seconds (4 if you're confident), you can see the amount of time cooked by watching your crosshairs pulse; it'll pulse after every second. Throwing distance is far and can be tossed into windows and through cracks. Great for group clearing or simply to flush out that camper. Do note though, that frags have a lot of physics to them. It will bounce off of a player if impacted (dealing damage) and roll downhill when it is on a slanted surface. Blast radius is approximately 2-3 meters. Frag is an all purpose equipment that you can never go wrong with. Tossing a grenade, to my knowledge, does not make you appear on enemy radar and is relatively quiet (slight bouncing noises) until explosion. Recommended: Anything and everything. Name: Semtex Info: Sticky version of grenade with less throwing distance. Sticks to the first thing it impacts, whether it be the floor, the window, or that unfortunate enemy. Explosive radius is on par with Frag and just a tad bit bigger. Semtex can not be cooked and detonates 3 seconds after tossed, making loud, noticable beeping noises. Does not bounce or roll downhill. Also an all purpose equipment that you can't go wrong with. You do not show up on enemy radar when throwing one, but it can be easily noticed due to loud noises. Recommended: Anything and everything. Name: Throwing Knife Info: Hold right bumper to pull up a vertical crosshair that aims your throwing knife. The little contraption will 1 hit kill anyone that gets hit by it, but is awfully hard to land an accurate shot. Throwing curves in an arc significantly, so when aiming for targets a little far away be sure to throw it a little above them. The throwing animation is extremely quick so this is ideal for riot shield classes and quick sniper reaction to an ambush. Tap the bumper for a quick knife toss that can save you in a quick situation. After your toss, you can walk over to your knife and hold X to pick up back up to use again. Can not clear rooms like the frag/semtex does and generally less versatile than a frag or semtex, but still a lot of fun to use and absolutely epic when used in a final game killcam. Does not make you appear on enemy radar and makes no noise when tossed, however, if you miss, it will make a big noise upon impacting the wall/floor. Tap the throw button for a lightning quick toss. Throwing knives can be used while reloading and is very hard to use effectively, consistantly. Recommended: Riot shield, SnD (re-usable), any time you want to mess around this is an excellent equipment to have some fun. Name: Tactical Insertion Info: After scratching a flare your character sets the tactical insertion on the ground. It is there where you will spawn next life. Setting it approximately takes 3 seconds and you can pick it back up after setting it. Emits a glow and can be seen by friends and enemies alike. Notorious for being used by boosters, the Tactical Insertion is actually a very effective tool when used in objective games like demolition and CTF. Be aware though, that enemies can stomp out your Tactical Insertion and/or plant a claymore beside it, or worse, spawn camp you. Do not plant a tactical insertion somewhere near you if you are sniping or in general standing in one area because if someone kills you then they can nab another easy kill just by waiting for you to respawn. Absolutely useless in Search and Destroy except maybing for baiting tactics. Most people reflexively stomp out insertions when they see it, and therefore, setting an insertion somewhere while playing Search may alert you to the location of another player when he/she destroys it (you get a message when your insertion is destroyed). However, seasoned Search players will know to ignore it (if you see one in Search, leave it alone). Sitrep will reveal Tactical Insertions, so if you suspect someone is boosting/using tactical insertions too well then just pull out a Sitrep class and stomp them. Recommended: Demolition, CTF, Domination. Maybe SnD baiting if you think you can pull it off. Use Sitrep to counter boosters. Name: Blast Shield Info: Right bumper to equip, while having blast shield on your vision is limited but explosive damage is multiplied by x0.65, therefore, you'll be much more likely to survive an explosion. Very useful in combination with Riot Shield because they are explosives magnets. Otherwise there are generally more versatile equipment available. Semtex will still kill a blast shielded player if it sticks, and you most likely won't escape an airstrike if you are bombarded in an open area. Good for countering grenade launcher spammers. Recommended: Riot Shield, Countering grenade launchers. General explosive resistance. Name: Claymore Info: Motion triggered mine that explodes in ONE DIRECTION ONLY. Once you lay it down it can no longer be picked back up and will set off red lines in the direction it senses things. Place Claymores around corners and behind doors because it is easily avoided when put out in the open. Good for all game-modes and can effectively block off areas. Up to 2 Claymores can be placed if you use Scavenger/OMA. Can be seen with Sitrep and is delayed by Scrambler pro to a full 3 seconds. Normal explosion time is .65 seconds after the click. Radius is 3-4 meters in the direction of the red lines only. Place them very carefully in the correct direction because Claymores are easily ran past. A lot of fun to use and very effective in blocking areas. Flashbangs and Stun grenades disables Claymores briefly. Recommended: Ground War, Snipers Classes, any objective game and in fact, anything in general. Name: C4 Info: Press right bumper to toss a C4, then press right bumper or double tap X to detonate it. Explosive radius is approximately 3-4 meters and tossing distance is around 2 meters, needless to say, they are generally not run and gun room clearing tools (those roles are reserved for grenades), rather, C4 is more of a bomb/boobytrapping tool. C4 sticks to anything it touches so plant it somewhere hard to notice like the ceiling or a secluded wall. Throw in in/near a bomb/flag site for easy sabotaging and into a car for a lethal car bomb (a lot of fun to use). Up to 2 C4s can be placed at one time and double tapping X is the most efficient way to detonate them. C4s can be destroyed by shooting at them and temporarily disabled by flash bangs and stun grenades. Be careful when setting these up because they're pretty noticable. *UPDATE*: C4 DOES stick to players, humiliate that camping sniper or stick it onto your friend (friendly fire off) for a suicide bomber! Also with a little practice, they can actually be decent room clearing tools due to big radius and the fact that your opponent does not have a icon to alert them to the C4's presence (like grenades do). Do keep in mind though that the throwing distance is pretty small but you can toss it into more obsecure places with the correct tossing angle. Takes a little practice to get use to, but can be used as a grenade subsitute if you get the hang of it. Big thanks to Tristan D. Kindig for the helpful advice. Recommended: Any objective game especially SnD, generally not as useful in deathmatches. ================= ---Attachments--- [ATCH] ================= Introduction: There are a lot more attachments in this game than any previous Cod game, so therefore I prepared a nifty section on the duds and gimmicks of all of the game's attachments, and some tips to using them appropriately. Name: Grenade Launcher Guns: Assault Rifles Info: Commonly known as 'noob tube', the grenade launcher fires a small grenade in an arc, detonating when impacted on a surface. Explosive radius is approximately 1.5-2 meters. Devastating when coupled with danger close, and extremely spammable when paired with Scavenger or One man army. Learn the arc of the grenade for maximum accuracy. Grenades will NOT explode unless it is launched at a minimum distance of 3 meters, direct impact however, will kill a player regardless of whether the grenade detonates. Not recommended for close quarters. Start with 2 grenades and needs to reload after every shot. Sleight of hand boosts reload speed. Launching a grenade will cause you to show up on enemy radar briefly. Name: Red Dot Sight Guns: Everything except handguns and snipers Info: Precision sight that facilitates quick aiming and reflexive shooting. Always a nice attachment to have. Realistically speaking, if a user with RDS and a user with ironsights duke it out at an extreme distance, the user with RDS will usually have an advantage due to the uncluttered vision and the simplicity of the sight. But with that said, skilled ironsight users will usually not be affected either way so to maximize your weapon efficiency I suggest another attachment. RDS is a tool to help you aim when you're either new to the game or the ironsights on the gun you're using doesn't cut it for you. RDS looks like a flat screen with a small red dot in the middle, which disappears during an EMP. Name: Silencer Guns: Everything except Magnum, Desert Eagle, Ranger and Models Info: Silencer is an extremely useful attachment that not only hides your muzzle flash but also cause you to NOT show up on enemy radar when firing. This is incredibly useful because red dots on enemy radar is like a dinner bell and will attract enemy players like honey attracts bees. You might have not noticed it, but the muzzle flash on your guns (the bright flare of bullets coming out) is also extremely easy to notice from a far distance. Silencer takes care of all that for you, but at a price of reduced range, meaning, the effective range of your weapon will drop at a much smaller distance. So a M4 will start dropping to 20 damage more quickly than if you didn't have silencers. It does NOT reduce damage dealt, just the range. For shotguns, pellets will disappear much sooner (I don't recommend silencing shotguns), LMGs and Snipers are the only guns that receive a damage cut since they have a fixed damage at all ranges. Silencing your weapons is extremely important in modes such as FFA and Search and Destroy. Name: ACOG Guns: Snipers, LMGs, SMGs, and ARs Info: ACOG is a telescopic sight that combines RDS with a big magnifier. However, at this magnification recoil becomes extremely noticable and if you're shooting ranged targets then be prepared to burst fire. Works great with ARs, LMGs, and Snipers, but be extremely careful when used with SMGs because it'll kick around A LOT. ADS comes up a bit slow compared to other reflexive sights but also has the most magnification. During an EMP the center red specks shut off but the black lining of the scope is still there and easily usable. Excellent sight and much improved from COD4. Name: FMJ Guns: Everything Info: To make a long story short, the FMJ is a carbon copy of COD4's deep impact in attachment form. It does NOT add damage, but it does add penetration levels and cuts damage penalty when shooting through objects. If you're kind of unclear on the whole bullet penetration concept, then allow me to draw it out for you: You can shoot through most thin objects in this game, such as wood, plastic, sheet metal, and certain walls. Bullets that does make it past the walls, however, receive a damage reduction anywhere from 50-70% (approximately). The order of penetration of guns are listed below from greatest penetration to least. -Snipers and LMGs -Assault Rifles -Everything else. The angle of penetration DOES matter, as a perpendicular 90 degrees shot will penetrate much better than a shot fired at 45 degrees relative to the surface. FMJ roughly increases penetration by twice as much and also cuts damage loss through walls by half. Therefore, a gun with FMJ is more likely to hit/kill a target behind an obstacle. Do remember though that only certain things are penetrable, so be careful when trying to wallbang someone. Name: Heartbeat Sensor Guns: ARs, LMGs, Snipers Info: Heartbeat sensor is a monitor on the side of your gun that shows the heartbeats of your friends/enemies and therefore their relative location. Basically a mini-UAV just for you. When using one, however, do NOT constantly stare at the monitor, it'll make you much less aware of your surroundings and will cause you to rely on the sensor, which is bad. That being said, don't rely too heavily on it's readings seeing as plenty of people use Ninja and the refresh rate is extremely slow. Be aware of your situation and take quick peaks at the monitor when it refreshes, getting a general idea of people and their locations, before pursuing them while focusing on your surroundings. Bad points aside, the HBS is extremely useful as you'll almost be fully aware or your surroundings and give you the element of surprise when you turn the corner, knowing there will be a guy there. Just don't feel TOO comfortable with it. HBS cannot sense elevation or height and will be fully disabled after an EMP. One last quick tip, the monitor still refreshes when you have your secondary out, so on occasion if you're running around with your secondary you can pull out your sensor and get a quick sweep of the area before proceeding. Name: Holographic Sight Guns: Everything except handguns and snipers Info: Much like the RDS, the difference is the red dot on the holographic is slightly bigger. Other subtle differences are: Holographic sight comes up a little slower than RDS and Holographic has a slight magnification to it. Other than that, it's pure preference on which one you should use. There is some more glare in the lens of a holographic sight which can obsecure some long distance shots. Thanks to WWWilliam for pointing that out. Name: Thermal Sight Guns: ARs, SMGs, LMGs, and Snipers Info: A telescopic scope that detects heat. Basically hands you other players' location to you on a silver platter. Players will be completely white as compared to the surroundings. Friendlies will have a flashing strobe on them. Due to the magnification any recoil on the gun you're using will be amplified greatly. Excellent when used with snipers, but make sure to burst fire when used with anything else. Thermal scope actually does not measure heat for anything other than the players because snow on Derail is also white, making using a Thermal scope there, ironically, not effective. Be wary when used with SMGs. All in all a very useful attachment, but best used with low recoil guns. You can hold your breath when scoped in thermal. Cold blooded players will not show up as white hot, but will appear black (still very noticable). Name: Extended Mags Guns: Everything except Rangers, Models, Magnum and DE Info: Gives you more ammo in one magazine. For example, the M4 with a 30 round mag will have 45 rounds in a mag when you have Extended Mags equiped. It does NOT give you more ammo overall! You still start with the same ammo count. Therefore, M4 with a 45 round mag will have only 45 reserve rounds. Extended mags is extremely tedious to unlock (40 penetration kills for primaries) and usually not that important (except for certain weapons like Scar and Vector). However, it's an universally useful attachment (you can't go wrong with more ammo in your mag) and can be used for any and all situations. Name: Akimbo Guns: Handguns, Machine Pistols, SMGs, Rangers, and Models Info: Dual wield the selected weapon with twice the ammo. A lot of CQB firepower but your ability to ADS is gone and crosshairs will be much larger than just using one gun. Best used with machine pistols and handguns (yes you read that right, Akimbo handguns), as for SMGs, the crosshairs become unmanagably big so you'll have a harder time laying down accurate fire as compared to weapons like G18 which do decent damage and has great hipfire. I advocate close range ONLY when using Akimbo. Name: Rapid Fire Guns: SMGs Info: Double Tap from Cod4, basically increases your fire rate. You'll empty your magazine between 30-35% faster. One might think this is a useful attachment, but in reality it is really redundant. UMP and MP5K will have unbearable recoil, P90 fires fast enough, and as for the Vector, do you really want to eat ammo any faster than you already do? Not to mention the huge redundancy because Vector already fires at 1000 RPM. Since Rapid Fire is only limited to SMGs, its usefulness is greatly diminished. It does have one selling point though, which is greater firepower when hipfired. You can try bling'ing it out with akimbo for massive firepower in CQB situations. All in all, Rapid Fire is not versatile and another attachment is recommended. Name: Grip Guns: Shotguns, LMGs Info: Redudant on all shotguns except AA12, and almost universally recommended for all LMGs. Grip greatly reduces recoil on automatics, making LMGs much more useful in all circumstances. RPD receives a significant recoil reduction and AUG, M240, and MG4 become capable of full, accurate, automatic fire. Very, very useful (and conveniently the first thing you unlock). Grip is a top-tier attachment for LMGs and should always be considered when you're using one. Name: Tactical Knife Guns: Handguns Info: I'm sure we've all seen marathon/lightweight/commando knifers before, and sure enough they are more often than not using the Tactical Knife attachment (unless they're care-package running). Basically speeds up your melee, in terms of execution speed and recovery speed. To my knowledge, hitbox is the same. A nifty attachment for pistols and always useful to have. Lunging capabilities from Commando is slightly less than a normal stab, but the speed at which the melee is carried out is more than enough to cover that fault. *note: there has been some debate on the hitbox of tactical knife and the regular knife, and it seems that the tactical knife has a slightly smaller hitbox than the normal swinging knife. ============= ----Perks---- [PKS] ============= Introduction: Perks are little abilities that your character possesses, that range from all sorts of extra effects ranging from faster reload to unlimited sprint. In case you are confused on which perks are most suited for what situation, I compiled a quick guide on basic effects and uses of each perk. Tier 1 (Blue) [Marathon] - Unlimited sprint. Good for objective games and can save you from aerial vehicles if you run inside fast enough. There's a delay between stopping from sprinting and pulling up your weapon so avoid sprinting around busy corners and open spots where you know there will be guys. Great for rushing flags and bomb plants for objective games. Not at its maximum potential in general deathmatch (but still useful to have). [Marathon Pro] - Climb obstacles faster. Not much of a boost, but can help you climb ladders faster (rarely saves you though). [Sleight of Hand] - Reload at twice the normal speed. Very useful if you reflexively reload your guns and more lenient toward spraying players since reloading for most weapons are extremely quick. Always good to have, and helps majorly with LMG builds as the pro version of the perk just adds more usefulness. [Sleight of Hand Pro] - Aim down sight at twice the normal speed, both in and out. Obviously helps LMGs seeing as they have longer ADS times and extremely helpful for quick-scoping snipers. Quicker ADS is an universally useful effect for every gun. [Scavenger] - Resupply from blue packages dropped by dead enemies. Refills one magazine for your weapon and 1 grenade/equipment in each slot per blue package. Also refills noob tubes and missle launchers. An excellent perk to have since it basically gurantees you infinite ammo. [Scavenger Pro] - Start off with max ammo for your weapons. As stated before, this basically gurantees you with unlimited ammo, grenades, and equipment. If you are not sure what blue perk to pick, always remember that Scavenger is always a good bet because having a ton of ammo never hurts your chances at big streaks. [Bling] - 2 Primary weapon attachments. Useful if you have a specific gun to use 2 attachments on, but generally if you're unsure just remember that one attachment is usually plenty for most guns and the use of 2 attachments isn't SIGNIFICANTLY raising your chances at winning your encounters. Therefore, you might want to consider using another more beneficial perk. Regardless, Bling is a great perk and can greatly specify your classes, just be sure you have an idea of what to use. Remember that there are limitations because you can't put 2 of the same type of attachments on a gun (I.E 2 sights or 2 underbarrel weapons). [Bling Pro] - 2 attachments on secondary weapons. Great pro effect, but most secondaries don't offer many great attachments (I.E shotguns). Best when worked with machine pistols and some handguns. [One Man Army] - Swap classes anytime. OMA replaces your secondary weapon but grants you an unlimited supply of grenade launchers, ammo, and equipment. This perk can be horribly abused by spamming as you can change to the SAME class with full ammo. Infamous with nube toob spamming, OMA is rarely used for its real purpose, which is to switch your class depending on the situation (I.E switching to a stinger class when a killstreak is up). [One Man Army Pro] - Swap classes in 3 seconds, compared to the regular 5. Tier 2 (Red) [Stopping Power] - 1.4x all bullet damage delivered to enemies. Generally makes most guns kill in one less bullet than it normally does. Doesn't sound like a lot on paper, but in a game where lag and split seconds makes the difference, this perk will save you on more occasions than you can count. You can never go wrong with this perk, but do note that there are a few guns that don't receive notable benefits from this (check the FAQ section). If you are not sure of which red perk to use, then pick Stopping Power. [Stopping Power Pro] - 1.4x all bullet damage against aircraft and sentries. Quite a useless pro effect as shooting at a helicopter without cold-blooded on will usually spell death in an instant. Does not really benefit against sentries because they still takes a considerable amount of bullets to kill and are eliminated quicker by knifing. You can, however, take down UAVs quite quick when you have this perk equiped. [Lightweight] - 8% movement increase. Useful for LMG and SMG classes for boosted mobility. Great for knife classes and can save you by helping you strafe faster during an encounter. Not that useful for snipers or assault rifles though. [Lightweight Pro] - The time it takes for you to pull out your weapon after a sprint is halved. Perfect if you like to rush your enemies and can save you in a pinch if you sprinted around a corner etc. Once again helps LMG and SMG builds. [Hardline] - Killstreaks require 1 less kill to get. Great for easy killstreaks like UAV and carepackage as it will greatly increase the speed at which you get them, however, for the more extreme killstreaks such as Pavelow and AC-130 the effectiveness of this perk is diminished. Use with 3-4-5 streak for a ridiculous 2-3-4 streak. [Hardline Pro] - Deathstreaks require 1 less death to activate. Not that useful at all since most deathstreaks does not help you that much. Besides, you really don't want to encourage dying. [Cold Blooded] - Undetectable by UAV, air support, sentries, and thermal. Another fantastic perk that combines multiple useful effects. Air vehicles won't shoot you, so you're free to roam the fields when that Harrier is up. Recommended for anti-killstreak and stealth classes. You won't show up on enemy radar during an UAV either (if you shoot an unsilenced weapon then you will show up, you're only protected from enemy UAV scans). Sentries will ignore you (take them out as a favor to your team). Do note though, that although you don't show up as white on thermal scopes, its still extremely easy to spot you on one of those sights so do not rush out into the field thinking you are inpervious to thermal snipers. Also keep in mind, that enemy controlled killstreaks such as predator missle and AC-130 can still kill you (even though they can't see you) because you might be in the blast radius of the explosion. [Cold Blooded Pro] - Your name does not come up in red when an enemy spots you and his/her crosshairs will not turn red when highlighting you. Useful for stealth action and enemy mind tricks but pretty much limited to that. [Danger Close] - Explosives not only have a much bigger radius, they also do 1.4x the regular damage. Absolutely brutal when used with noob tubes and RPGs, and makes them spammable to an unbelievable degree. Also increase the explosions of claymores and semtex/frags. Don't use this unless you're making a dedicated explosives class. [Danger Close Pro] - Killstreaks have bigger explosions and power. Predator missle has almost double its original radius and harriers/choppers will kill in less bullets. AC-130 and Chopper Gunners also has increased radius for all their shots. Ridiculous spawn-trapping potential when paired with AC-130 or Chopper Gunner. Tier 3 (Yellow & Green) [Commando] - Crazy long knife range. This perk can basically cover all your CQB needs if you lack a good weapon for that purpose and is extremely effective when used with knife classes. Beware of the teleporting lunge knife. [Commando Pro] - No fall damage. Feel free to jump off the cliff on Afghan or pop roofs to roofs on Favela without any consequences. You still make a loud cracking sound when you land. Good for surprising enemies from above. [Steady Aim] - Reduced hipfire spread. Great for ARs and SMGs for powerful CQB weapons but generally not recommended for anything else. Makes shotguns have less spread, and Machine pistol/handguns have better hipfire. Recommended for run & gun weapons and great with Akimbos. [Steady Aim Pro] - Snipers can hold their breath for 4.5 seconds longer before letting go. Useful for long-ranged, hard-scoping snipers but that's it. [Scrambler] - Snows in your enemy's radar when you're nearby. Extremely counterproductive because this signals the enemy that you are close by, and will cause them to be more alert and more on their toes to kill you. The extent to which the enemy's radar is disoriented varies with how close you are to the enemy. Therefore they have an accurate idea of your approximate distance. Useful only when used as a team effort and/or as an enemy lure. Be extremely cautious when using this. Considered by many to be the worst perk in the game. [Scrambler Pro] - Delays Claymore explosions to 3 seconds as compared to the regular .75 seconds. [Ninja] - Invisible on Heartbeat Monitors. Extremely useful seeing as HBS are like personal UAVs and you not showing up gives you the element of surprise. Always a useful tier 3 perk to have and a definite counter to those pesky HBS users. [Ninja Pro] - IMO, the best pro ability of any perk. Ninja Pro multiplies your footsteps by x0.25 (or something around that number), making them almost completely silent. This is CRITICAL in games such as Search and Destroy and FFA. For those of you that are unaware, footsteps is often a DEAD give-away to your position and will almost always be picked up by headphone users (like me). Silencing your own footsteps also makes it easier to focus on enemy footsteps and will greatly boost your stealth game. Usefull all around and universally recommended. [SitRep] - Enemy Claymores, C4, Semtex, Frag and Tactical Insertions will be revealed to you in the form of red objects. Generally not that useful unless you play an objective game. Good for hunting Nuke boosters in FFA. It's the pro version of this perk that really shines. [SitRep Pro] - Makes enemy footsteps 4x louder. Your own footstep is at normal volume but appears silent (your teammate's footsteps also appear quieter) to help you concentrate better on enemy ones. Very, very useful in all game-modes as the extremely audible footsteps acts as your personal UAV. Incredible in Search and Destroy and FFA. This pro version is one of the hardest to get, and one of the most useful. [Last Stand] - Pull out a pistol after taking lethal damage and pop some quick shots in an attempt to kill your assailant. You have 1 unit of health and can crawl for 10 seconds if you don't get shot first. Extremely annoying as the enemy basically will have to shoot you one more time to kill you, but generally will not score you any kills if you're caught in a firefight. If you don't have a pistol, a M9 will be provided. You can actually pull out a M93 Raffica in Last Stand, even though its a Machine Pistol. Be aware that you have 1 unit of health and even a flashbang/stun grenade will kill you. Last Stand will not activate if you are killed by an explosion or headshot. [Last Stand Pro] - Use equipment in Last Stand, such as Flash/Stun or Frag/Semtex. Usually you will not have enough time to throw a grenade, but this is a useful ability regardless. *Update: Using a flash/stun in last stand will kill yourself, while this still results in your death, the enemy that put you in that stance will not earn the kill (assist instead). You can use this to smite your enemies, but this is generally considered very unsportsmanlike and usually looked down upon. Use with caution. ================================ ---Frequently Asked Questions--- [FAQS] ================================ Here I attempt to answer some common questions Q: What guns are not Stopping Power optimal? A: WA2000, Magnum and Desert Eagle. Every other gun receives noticable benefits. Fal normally wouldn't receive any special benefits from Stopping Power but if you use a holographic sight on it then it gains the ability to 2 hit kill at any range. Q: You're Wrong! Ironsights on *insert gun here* are awesome/crap! A: Ironsights are pure preference and I simply stated mine, use whatever you like and slap on a scope if you can't cope with a certain ironsight. Q: What's better? *gun 1* or *gun 2* A: There isn't really a superior weapon that's better than the rest, read each weapon's specifics and decide for yourself which one is better. Also, comparing weapons in different categories is like comparing apples and oranges. Q: Difference between a Red Dot Sight and Holographic Sight? A: Preference really, but down to the tiny details the RDS comes up a little faster and the holographic has a slight magnification to it. I personally prefer RDS because I think it looks more aesthetically pleasing. Q: What's the difference between M16 and FAMAS? A: It's discussed in the notes section of the FAMAS, but to shorten things up they're extremely similar and just use the one you like more. Q: What exactly does a silencer do? A: Shooting a weapon with a silencer on it will not only hide your muzzle flash but also make you NOT appear on enemy radar when you fire. Obselete when the enemy has UAV (unless you're cold-blooded). You receive a penalty when you use a silencer though (reduced range or damage). Q: The *insert gun here* sucks! A: I like all guns, you can say they suck and/or stupid, but I like variety so I try out everything. Most of the time I'm aware if a gun is 'subpar'. Q: Does FMJ really add damage? A: No, it does not, unless you're shooting through a wall, in which case yes, it reduces the damage loss due to penetration. Q: Will having a launcher/pistol make me move slower/faster? A: Only primaries affect your moving speed, that being said, having a launcher will NOT make you move slower. Another few tips: the weapon you have out doesn't affect your speed either (switching to your pistol will not make you run any faster or further than if you had your LMG out). Also if you pick up another weapon, you still keep the movement speed you spawned with. Q: You're wrong! The in-game stat bars contradicts your weapon statistics! A: In game stat bars are nothing but filthy lies made to deceive people. It's been proven again and again, stat bars are false. The statistics in this guide have been proven and accepted. Test them yourself if you're not convinced. Q: I have a Riot Shield Setup/Strategy, can I send it in? A: Sure! If it's any good I'll include it in a future update and give you full credit. Q: Where's the Shotgun attachment? A: The shotgun attachment is covered in the shotgun section. It's called the Masterkey. Q: You suck. A: Kthnxbai Q: Your guide sucks. A: I think I'm gonna cry /sarcasm. Q: Your grammar sucks! A: Sorry but I used an application without a spellcheck so it's easy to make mistakes, point them out and I'll fix them as soon as I can. Q: I found an error in your FAQ, can I help you fix it? A: Of course, just email me with the error and I'll fix it in a later update. Q: I have a question you havn't covered, can I email you? A: If it's not covered in the FAQ, then I'll gladly accept your question and answer it to the best of my abilities. Q: Can I add you as a friend on Xbox? A: Although I'm sure you are a great guy, I made a rule about not adding strangers to my friend's list. =============== ----Closing---- =============== Email me at: awinnerissometimesme@gmail.com You can email me for errors in this guide or simply to give me a shout. Feel free to give me a heads-up on anything really. I read all my emails and check them quite frequently. If you enjoyed this guide and found it helpful, then please take a second to recommend it (link on top), it'll help the guide grow! Thanks for your support! In recognition of this guide I would like to thank a few people: -Infinity Ward for making a great game. -Gamefaqs for posting it. -Jacob Lijewski for the level unlocks, you rock! -DenKirson for testing all weapon damages and RoFs. -All of my friends for helping me test some weapon statistics. -The jolly folks of the internet who gave me tips and helped me correct mistakes, there's too many to name you all, but remember that I appreciate every one of you. You guys are the backbone of this guide! -God for creating all of us (disregard if you're an atheist) -You, the reader, for reading ;D Copyright: This guide is copyrighted to me, [go_monkey897] (c) 2010. That being said, posting my FAQ on any website without permission is strictly prohibited and a direct violation of copyright laws. If you do want to use it however, you can simply email me and I'll make the decision. GameFaqs, Neoseeker, Supercheats, Gamershell and Gamesradar (dang, that's quite a handful of sites eh?) are the only websites currently authorized to host this FAQ. This FAQ may not be reproduced for any reason except for personal use. All trademarks and copyrights held in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. Bye guys, have a good one. (Skyler, if you are reading this, BUY this game! It's great!) ~ go_monkey897