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Modern Warfare 3 beginner tips you need to know: 8 MW3 tips and tricksPlaying Modern Warfare 3 for the first time? Here are some essential tips and tricks
Playing Modern Warfare 3 for the first time? Here are some essential tips and tricks
Image credit:Activision
Image credit:Activision
Looking for Modern Warfare 3 tips and tricks?Another year brings another Call of Duty, andCall Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is the latest in the franchise to reign strong with a robust multiplayer mode that’s sure to keep gunplay enthusiasts engaged for months to come. With fan-favourite maps returning and a wide variety of game modes available, Modern Warfare 3 also boasts the Carry Forward system, which lets players use all the guns from last year’s Modern Warfare game. The result is a mindblowing array of 100+ weapons that can easily overwhelm a newbie.
If you’ve never touched the Modern Warfare games before and are struggling to make sense of it all, here are 8 tips that can help ease you into multiplayer. Veterans of the franchise or returning players may also want to give these a readthrough, especially since Modern Warfare 3 is familiar but different in a number of subtle ways.
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Pick a gun and quickly get to level 4
When you first hop into Modern Warfare 3’smultiplayer, you won’t have many options available, and you’ll probably notice that the vast majority of equipment is locked. Your first goal should be getting to level 4 as soon as possible, since that’s the level that gives you access to great guns such as theSVA 545 Assault Rifle, thePulemyot 762 LMG, and theStriker SMG. Any of these is worth leveling up extensively, and we recommend taking a look at ourbest guns guideto see how all of MW3’s weapons compare with each other.
At level 25, complete armory unlock challenges
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Activision
Give Zombies mode a go
Blasting zombies is a great break from regular matches, and if you don’t have a squad that can gun the undead down alongside you, we’ve penned a guide onhow to play Modern Warfare 3 Zombies mode solo.
Playing Zombies mode is also an excellent way to get your hands on new weapons if you’re struggling to complete challenges. Currently, if you play Zombies with a friend who has access to a weapon you haven’t unlocked yet, they can drop the weapon for you. Pick it up, complete a successful extraction, and boom - you’ll have access to it in other game modes as well. Keep in mind that only weapons equipped in your main inventory will be unlocked via this workaround, and all weapons in your backpack will be ignored. It’s also possible that an update might change this sly workaround, so enjoy it while you can!
Try tweaking MW3’s Gameplay Settings
If you’ve never gone into Modern Warfare 3’s Gameplay Settings menu and fiddled with the options there, you should. There are extensive tweaks you can make to just about everything, including vital combat behaviours such as how to activate aim down sight, how to mount your weapon, and so on. Going into Combat Advanced Settings and switching Manual Fire Behaviour from Press to Hold, for instance, can make a major difference when wielding burst guns like theDG-58, letting you simply hold down the fire button to unleash a steady bulletstream.
At the very least, it’s worth bumping up MW3’s relatively low default Field Of View to give yourself a wider range of vision. See ourbest FOV settings guidefor advice on the sweet spot to see more.
Familiarise yourself with Tactical Stance
Our guide tousing Tactical Stance in Modern Warfare 3has the complete rundown with everything you need to know, including a detailed explanation of each of the three aiming styles. It’s also worth knowing that Tac Stance technically activates while sliding, which leads us into our next tip…
Learn how to slide cancel
Essentially a rapid transition between three movements - sprinting, sliding, and jumping - a successful slide cancel requires you to begin a Tactical Sprint, press Crouch, and then quickly press Jump to cancel your slide. This lets you move at a faster clip than you would otherwise, and can be a great asset when it comes to navigating tight corridors and disorientating enemies. Our guide tohow to slide cancel in Modern Warfare 3has more intel, including the best items and settings for sliding across the map.
Image credit:Activision
Choose good loadout options
Modern Warfare 3 boasts an increased health pool of 150 for every Operator in multiplayer, as opposed to 100, which was the norm in previous games. The Carry Forward system also brings more guns into the mix than any other Call of Duty, which means there are a ton of combinations when it comes to customisation.
Choosing the right loadout is a time-consuming process of mixing and matching, but ultimately it comes down to your playstyle and what you want out of your weapon. Want to maximise yourFJX Imperiumfor quickscoping? Choose attachments that bump up the ADS speed. Interested in turning theRenettiinto a great supplementary gun? Stick a JAK Ferocity Carbine Kit on it and convert it into the equivalent of a full-auto SMG. There are hundreds of combinations, so don’t worry if it takes time to figure out what works for you. Take a peek at ourbest loadouts guidefor a few starting combinations to get you going.
Always stay moving
Finally, we’ve got some basic but vital advice: whether you’re sprinting across rooftops on Favela or scaling the central tower in Rust, don’t dally. Aggressively use your slide cancel, weave under cover to avoid incoming bullets, familiarise yourself with the various spawn points on every map, and practice, practice, practice. Oh, and don’t be so quick to skip your death cam footage when an enemy tags you. Keeping an eye on how you were killed can give you an idea of where your foes are hiding on the map, letting you get sweet revenge once you’re back in the game.
That’s a wrap on our basic tips for Modern Warfare 3. If you’re ready for more in-depth intel, head over to ourweapon stats guideto see some hard numbers on which guns are the best for wrecking the opposition. Good luck on there, and may your killstreaks be plentiful.
