Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

The best field upgrades for Modern Warfare 3 Zombies

Jesse Lennox
By

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3‘s Zombies mode puts a slight twist on the mechanics you are already familiar with. It now plays much more like a souped-up DMZ mode rather than its old round-based format. And Field Upgrades have been modified in terms of both their effects and how you get them just for this game type. There are six different Field Upgrades you can bring into the map and use on a cooldown timer to help improve your chances of survival, but you can only pick one at a time. You will begin the game with only one option, but steadily unlock the rest as you level up. Once you have them all, the question then becomes which is the best Field Upgrade? We’ve managed to exfiltrate with the answer.

A layout of field upgrades for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
Activision

Healing Aura

Regardless of whether or not you’re playing with a team or running solo, Healing Aura is no doubt the best Field Upgrade to bring on any Zombie run. When activated, you and any teammates in the area will not only gain immediate healing, but it will also instantly revive any downed teammates. The downside to all this power is that this upgrade has the slowest recharge time and is unlocked at level 19.

Recommended Videos

Aether Shroud

This is another upgrade that you will be glad to have. Aether Shroud makes you you temporary invisibile to all Zombies. This won’t make you invincible, mind you, and PMCs can still take shots, but if you’re getting swarmed and have no way to escape, becoming instantly invisible to a bloodthirsty pack of zombies can save your skin more often than you think. This upgrade has a medium recharge rate and is unlocked when you hit level 39.

Related

Frenzied Guard

Just past the halfway mark, Frenzied Guard has a massive upside, but not without some risk. When you pop this Field Upgrade, you instantly repair all your armor, but also draw all the aggression of any enemy nearby for 10 seconds. However, another perk is that anything you kill during this time also repairs your armor, so situationally, it can be great or detrimental. This one recharges slowly, unlocking at level 9.

Frost Blast

Frost Blast does exactly what you expect: it fires a freezing blast that will slow down any enemy you hit with it and deal a bit of damage. It’s decent in a pinch, but not a game-changer. You can get it when you hit level 29.

Tesla Storm

An odd ability on paper, Tesla Storm is only good if you have a team working together. Activating it will create a lightning chain between you and your team that will damage and stun enemies that get close to any one of you. It lasts for 10 seconds and can be great in the final moments while holding out for an extraction, but not in other situations. It recharges slowly and is the last upgrade you unlock at level 50.

Energy Mine

This is your default Field Upgrade, so it makes sense that it’s the “worst” on the list. Energy Mine isn’t exactly bad; you simply lay down a mine that does what a mine does — explodes. It’s just that setting up traps like this in Zombies isn’t all that applicable except when kiting a boss around or waiting for the helicopter. It has a medium recharge speed.

Editors' Recommendations

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
Modern Warfare 3 Zombies: tips and tricks for MWZ
A soldier with a Pack-A-Punch weapon fires at zombies from behind cover.

The mega-popular Zombies mode has never undergone as massive of a restructuring as it has for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. What was originally a round-based, co-op survival mode where you and a team of four gradually powered up, expanded the map, and maybe tried to complete a challenging Easter egg story has become something more of a mix of Zombies and the new DMZ mode from last year's entry.

While there will be plenty that is familiar to Zombies veterans, such as Perk-a-Colas and mystery boxes, you won't be able to rely on your old tactics anymore. Surviving the new Zombies mode is a completely new ballgame in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, but these tips and tricks will help you and your squad survive threats both old and new.
How is Modern Warfare 3 Zombies different than previous entries?

Read more
How to rank up fast in Modern Warfare 3: best ways to farm XP
A soldier with a shotgun in Modern Warfare 3.

Every year when the new Call of Duty title drops, the playing field is once again reset as everyone needs to start grinding back up the ranks. Fully embracing the RPG elements, Modern Warfare 3 once again allows you to earn XP as you play match after match to rank up your character, with each rank not only bringing you closer to hitting prestige but also unlocking new options for your chosen operator. Your player rank is unique from your weapon levels and can take a lot longer to grind if you don't know the most efficient methods. If you want to fast-track your career through the ranks, here are the fastest ways to earn XP in Modern Warfare 3.
How to earn XP fast in Modern Warfare 3
There's basically no way you can play Modern Warfare 3 without earning XP, but some modes and methods can earn you double (or more) what you could if you were just playing without a plan.
Play the objective

We all love playing team deathmatch or any other mode where all you need to worry about is being the one to shoot first. However, if you want to earn that sweet XP fast, you need to choose one of the objective modes like Domination, Hardpoint, Ground War, or even Kill Confirmed. Not only do you get XP for killing enemies, but the amount you get on top of that for playing the objective can make up the bulk of your XP gain. This is especially true if you're not at the top of your game and end up dying more than you kill since you have another method to contribute. Also, objective modes grant you an XP bonus just for finishing the match.
Always work towards daily and weapon challenges

Read more
Modern Warfare 3 preload guide: release time, file size, and preorder
Soliders take cover behind a riot shield in a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 promo image.

Load your mags and get ready to go weapons hot because Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is so close you can nearly smell the gunpowder. The Call of Duty franchise has yet to miss a year since the original Modern Warfare, and even though this is the second Modern Warfare 3 we've had, this is obviously a completely new battlefield. Not only will the campaign wrap up the globe-trotting plotline set up in the prior two games, but you can expect the usual suite of modes, including multiplayer, zombies, and tie-ins with the hit Warzone 2. With the betas all concluded, fans are left with nothing to look forward to except the full release, but there is still a way to get ready. Here's all the intel you need on preloading Modern Warfare 3.
Modern Warfare 3 release time
https://twitter.com/CallofDuty/status/1715005040677568818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1715005040677568818%7Ctwgr%5Ee3166103d9a3ec65e2124b036447326577ab0ccd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dbltap.com%2Fposts%2Fhow-to-pre-load-mw3-campaign-01he0egksgx8

If you have preordered Modern Warfare 3, you will get a full week of early access to the campaign starting at 10 a.m. PT on November 2 or your local equivalent. For everyone else, the game will launch on November 10. Preloading will begin starting at 10 a.m. PT on November 1.
Modern Warfare 3 file size
https://twitter.com/PlaystationSize/status/1718897781488673100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1718897781488673100%7Ctwgr%5E3ff4d90277f3de167421839b0778535ae6502da9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ginx.tv%2Fen%2Fcall-of-duty-modern-warfare-3%2Fcampaign-early-access-preload-times-download-size

Read more