How to Dominate Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer

I know this article might sound a little odd coming from a girl, but hey, I’ve probably tea-bagged just as many opponents as you, buddy. Anyhow, you’re probably here because you were picked off one too many times by that guy with 34 kills and 2 deaths, and while he was calling in his 4^th Pave Low, you were chucking the controller across the room in a fit of rage. I know. We’ve all been there.

The one thing you have to accept about this game (or any game as a matter of fact) is that you aren’t going to win every single match you play. It sounds simple enough, yet it’s hard to acknowledge. You can do every single thing right, but there will sometimes still be that one person that seems to out-do you in every game that you play with them. But if you’re finding yourself to be in the middle of the rankings or lower at the end of the game, there are probably some things that you aren’t doing strategically enough. I’m not going to sit here and spoon-feed you specific instructions for every single map, but what I can give you are tips that I use myself to obtain a 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd ranking as well as a nice kill/death spread.

Perks/Killstreaks – The way you have these settings configured has a huge influence on the results of the match. I’m sorry, but Perks like Sleight of Hand and Stopping Power are not as important compared to other Perks you could be using. Weapons perform well without adjustments such as those. The Perks that you should pay the most attention to are:

1. Bling

2. Cold-Blooded

3. Commando

4. Ninja

5. Last Stand

6. Marathon

For example, my current Perk setup is Cold-Blooded Pro, Ninja Pro,and Marathon Pro. (Note: Just to clear up any confusion, you may or may not know that Pro is not immediately available to you. You have to complete an in-game challenge to unlock it for a particular Perk.)

Your Killstreak Rewards also greatly affect the outcome of your performance in the game. I’m going to start out by telling you that the UAV Killstreak is basically pointless, and the first thing you should do when you get back on MW2 is take it off your Killstreak Rewards. The Killstreak Rewards that you should definitely check out are:

1. Care Package

2. Sentry Gun

3. Harrier Strike/Attack Helicopter

4. Anything below this point is worth checking out (that is if you are good enough).

I’m going to assume that you are not the best player in the world (that's why you’re reading this, right?). A good Killstreak setup for your standing is Care Package, Sentry Gun, and Attack Helicopter. These Rewards are easy to achieve, and they also get you a lot of kills if done correctly.

Sentry Guns: Location, Location, Location – When placing your sentry gun, it’s not a good idea to quickly place it somewhere like the edge of the map or in a place that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. I don’t really like the idea of placing it on ground level either. This only makes it easier for people who are passing through to run up from behind and take that baby out. You want to place it either on top of a building or in a corner so it’s not easy to destroy it head-on. Just think of places where it wouldn’t be easily accessible. If you decide to place it on top of a building, it would be an awesome idea to try to position it in front of any ladders leading up to that level of the building. This isn’t something that you can usually do, but if it’s possible, that’s excellent.

To Camp or Not to Camp – I have mixed emotions about camping because I’ve caught myself doing it before, yet it’s pretty frustrating when I get taken out by a camper. I wouldn’t recommend doing it a lot, but if the situation begs of it, I guess it wouldn’t hurt. If camping is your plan in every single game, you’ll find that you get less kills than if you were to run and gun.

Don’t Run Out Unless the Coast is Clear – Seriously. How are you going to get mad about being sniped when you were the one that came running out like a bat out of you-know-where? You should always check your corners and take a peek outside before gunning it. This might even be the solitary answer to all of your multiplayer problems. Loads of people make the mistake of being careless about their movements on all sorts of online multiplayers, and I’m here to point it out. Be aware of your surroundings so that you can be one step ahead of that guy positioned up in that window.

Less Movement is Better – This is particularly important when you are posted up on top of a building or in a window. You want to keep "your spot" so don't make it easy for the opponent to see you out of the corner of their eye.

Use Flashbangs – These babies are not only great for disorienting your target, but they really come in handy if you want to know if there’s anybody in the area you want to enter. As you may or may not know, when the Flashbang explodes near a target, there will be a little X-shaped symbol that flashes in the middle of your screen. You can probably see how this would benefit you in those hairy situations where you are hesitant about running into an area.

Aim for the Gold (Head) – This is easier said than done, and it’s also just plain easier to fire a few good shots into the chest and it’s done with. But it’s easiest when you can aim quickly at your target’s head and take them out in one shot. This takes a lot of time and practice, but once you get the hang of it, you reap the rewards greatly. This is sort of off subject as well, but aim down your sights as much as possible. Firing from the hip in this game will practically get you nowhere as opposed to earlier Call of Duty games.

Stay Crouched When Possible – This is so very important. The first reason it’s crucial is because it’s harder for enemies to see you. Not only that, but it gives them less to shoot at making it harder for them to kill you. Being crouched also increases your accuracy, so like I said, try to do it as much as possible. Being prone is extremely helpful in some situations as well (retrieving flags on Domination comes to mind).

Use Claymores – I use Claymores a lot because they simply get me an extra 2 or 3 kills a game. Place them in or on the sides of doorways, in stairwells, in front of ladders, etc. Be creative with it!

Use Smoke Grenades – Smoke grenades can prove useful in Deathmatch modes but they usually come through for me on objective based games like Domination. When it seems just about impossible to obtain a flag, consider turning to smoke grenades to throw out on flag bases. Throwing them out as you’re approaching a flag is about the right time to do it, and being prone while obtaining the flag is even more helpful.

Don’t Try To Be the Hero in Team Play – This is probably a no-brainer, but people still tend to make this mistake a lot. You’re asking for trouble the moment you stray from your team and try to go out on a solo killing spree. You will probably end up with an ugly kill/death spread by doing this and ticking a lot of people off in the process.