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

The best Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II killstreaks

By

Killstreaks have been a prominent feature in Call of Duty for years now, and they return in the latest release: Modern Warfare II. These are bonuses that can be earned over the course of a match, typically providing additional offense or recon for you and your team. Killstreaks have evolved a lot since their inception, offering a wide variety of options for many play styles. Modern Warfare II features a list of usual suspects in terms of killstreaks, from the UAV, to the Cluster Strike, and even the return of the Juggernaut.

But with so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, especially if you’re a new player. In this guide, we’ll show you everything you need to know about picking the best killstreaks in Modern Warfare II.

Recommended reading:

Recommended Videos

The best killstreaks

List of killstreaks in Modern Warfare II.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

UAV

UAV recon ship that reveals enemy locations on the minimap.

Related

Since the minimap functions differently in Modern Warfare II than in most other Call of Duty games, it’s practically essential for everyone to run with UAVs. The main difference is that players do not appear on the minimap when firing weapons — even if they’re suppressed. This is far different from many other games in the series, as firing an unsuppressed weapon would cause you to appear as a red dot on the minimap.

In Modern Warfare II, the exception is that, if a UAV is in the air, your foes will appear on the minimap when firing an unsuppressed weapon. So, if everyone on a team is using UAVs, it’s easier to know where opponents are throughout the duration of a match. This is especially true since UAVs are easy to earn, meaning you and your team will likely have one frequently.

Counter UAV

A drone that scrambles all enemy minimaps.

Since so many players use UAVs in Modern Warfare II, it makes sense to have something to counter them. The Counter UAV basically makes your opponent’s map unusable for a limited time. It scrambles the minimap, removing your opponents’ awareness while the killstreak is in the air. The catch is that the Counter UAV can be shot down with ease, but it seems like most players tend to ignore taking down this killstreak, likely because it’s fast and easy to miss. The other important factor is that the Counter UAV works well against the Advanced UAV (which cannot be shot down). So, the Counter UAV’s benefits are twofold in this game allowing you to fight back against regular UAVs and Advanced UAVs. Just like the UAV, the Counter UAV is relatively easy to earn at only five kills or 625 score.

VTOL Jet

The VTOL Jet killstreak in Modern Warfare II.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Releases a pair of precision bombs before circling back and guarding a location of the player’s choice.

For a more offensive approach, try using the VTOL Jet. This one is a little harder to earn — at eight kills or 1,000 points — but once you do acquire it, you’ll likely rack up a few more eliminations. This one is especially useful for team-based modes, as you can target a specific location (like a Domination capture point) to wipe out enemies who approach. It’s also great for holding down an area, allowing you to either step in and secure an objective or funnel your attention elsewhere.

Chopper Gunner

Control an assault chopper armed with a turret and air-to-land missiles.

The Chopper Gunner is an iconic killstreak, allowing you to manually control a helicopter to attack anyone on the ground. This is similar to the VTOL Jet in that it can be used to hold down a specific area, but it has the potential to rack up far more eliminations if you’re skilled. Keep in mind, this can be shot down, so you’ll want to prioritize taking down enemies as quickly as possible while using flares to avoid incoming missiles. It’s quite difficult to earn the Chopper Gunner, as it requires 10 kills or 1,250 score, but if you play your cards right, you’ll have an easier time earning it.

Advanced UAV

An untargetable orbital UAV that reveals the enemy’s direction on the minimap in real time.

This is probably the most useful killstreak for the entire team, as everyone benefits from it. It’s a more passive killstreak, but you’ll almost always have the upper hand against your opponents during its duration. The key here is that the Advanced UAV works in real-time, allowing you to always know where your foes are. Plus, since this killstreak cannot be shot down, it’s hard for your opponents to counter it, making it much more useful. At 12 kills or 1,500 score, this one is not easy to earn, but it can be a gamechanger, especially for moderately skilled players.

Editors' Recommendations

Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden
Joseph Yaden is a freelance journalist who covers Nintendo, shooters, and horror games. He mostly covers game guides for…
The best field upgrades for Modern Warfare 3 Zombies
A man holding a mysterious glowing vial.

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.

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.
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.
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.

Read more
How to fix packet burst in Modern Warfare 3
A soldier shields themself from an underwater explosion.

The last thing anyone wants to see when booting up a game like Modern Warfare 3 to head online with your friends is to be stopped by an error. Online games are susceptible to all types of problems beyond the player's control, leading to plenty of frustration and disappointment in a possibly ruined experience. While there are more substantial issues that can completely prevent you from playing, seeing the packet burst issue is almost worse because, while it does let you play, you will experience a ton of lag that makes the game essentially unplayable. If you've been struck by a packet burst error in Modern Warfare 3, here are some possible solutions so you can get back to fragging.
How to fix packet burst errors

If you spot a symbol of three squares on the left of your screen while playing Modern Warfare 3, it means you're suffering from a packet burst. This is essentially an error where something is messed up in the communication between your system and the game's servers, resulting in terrible performance. While it could be simply an issue on the server side and not related to you at all, which you can check by looking at the Modern Warfare 3 server status here, there are a few things you can do to potentially fix the issue on your end.

Read more
Modern Warfare 3 Zombies: Mercenary Convoy guide
Soldiers in a car driving and shooting zombies.

The old format of Zombies has been left behind in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in favor of a more open-world, objective-based take on the undead survival game type. This time, you will squad up and drop into a map with specific objectives you can choose to complete to earn tons of XP, while also pushing the narrative forward and unlocking new, more difficult tasks to take on. The early-tier missions are generally very simple, but in Act 1, you will be given the objective to find and destroy a Mercenary Convoy somewhere on the map. This sounds easy enough on paper until you realize you have no idea where this convey is or how to find it. Every run in Zombies risks losing all your hard-earned progress, so we'll lead you to the Mercenary Convoy to take it out before the zombies even know you were there.
How to find the Mercenary Convoy

Your first challenge will be to find this Mercenary Convoy. The problem here is twofold: first is that it isn't marked on your map in any way, and second is that, being a convoy, it is mobile. Once you land, you and your team should find the nearest vehicle and head toward the center of the map. Depending on how the threat levels are on your particular map, you are looking for roads and highways that are around the medium-threat level zone. You will have to patrol these roads until you come across the convoy, which only consists of three vehicles. Once you are in range, it does appear on your map to let you know you've found it.

Read more