Modern Warfare 2 Online Weapons Guide: Equipment

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The Frag Grenade is unlocked at level 4 and were very popular in the previous Call Of Duty 4, but not so much in Modern Warfare 2. Frag Grenades do not explode immediately so a lot of players 'cook' them first – they hold them for a certain amount of time so they will immediately explode as the reach the intended target. In Modern Warfare 2 Frag Grenades also roll if they are on a slope and bounce off objects so throwing them effectively requires practise. You only receive one Frag when you spawn.

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Semtex are used online must more often than Frags. They are also unlocked at level 4 and you also only receive one Semtex when you spawn. Semtex are sticky and stick to literally anything, which can be a problem if your aim is slightly off. They can't be cooked and explode much faster than Frags. Unlike Frags Semtex have a blinking red light and beep when they are about to detonate allowing the target a brief moment to escape. Semtex are very useful if you can stick it to a player as when a lot of players hear the beeping the tend to run to safety which often means they unwittingly run into other team-mates getting you a multi-kill. Semtex are also very useful against players using riot shields – stuck to the front of a riot shield a Semtex should end their rampage but be careful in case they have blast shield on because then they will more than likely survive the explosion.

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Unlocked at level 7, you either love or hate the throwing knife. It is hard to aim, simply because other players tend to move around pretty fast, but if you can aim fast you should try it. The Knife's main advantage is that it is one-hit-one-kill if it does hit your target. The Knife can also be picked up and reused so take note of where it lands if you miss, and if you get a kill make sure to pull it back out of the corpse afterwards.

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Tactical Insertions are unlocked at level 11 and, if used properly can be a godsend. The biggest disadvantage of the Tactical Insertion is the fact that they glow vividly so the enemy can't miss them. Enemy Tactical Insertions are red and friendly ones are green. If you are clever enough to find a well hidden spot to plant your Tactical Insertion you can pop out behind your enemies and surprise them. Another huge disadvantage is that a lot of players tend to camp beside a Tactical Insertion rather than destroy it so that when you respawn they get an easy kill.

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The Blast Shield is unlocked at level 19 and has some very strong pros and cons. The riot shield only increases your resistance to explosions when it is equipped and when its equipped it reduces your visibility and takes out your HUD (radar, weapon and ammo indicators). If you are using the riot shield, however, it is a huge advantage to have the blast shield equipped as well. Most players tend to use Semtex in a bid to kill riot-shielders but if you have the blast shield on you will survive almost anything they can throw at you.

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Claymores are unlocked at level 31 and can be used in two ways – defence and attack. Claymores can be used for defence by planting them so that they can warn you of an approaching enemy – this tactic is generally used by campers and snipers. Using Claymores for offensive purposes means placing them in an area that you know players are likely to run through or at flags in domination matches etc. Claymores usually detonate almost instantly but they delay by up to 3 seconds if the player who triggered it has the Scrambler Pro Perk on – this may not sound like a very long time but it is usually long enough for the player to get away unharmed. You only get one Claymore when you spawn which should be enough for defensive purposes, if you're using Claymores as an offensive weapon then I would advise having scavenger on so you can resupply.

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C4 is unlocked at level 43 and is a fairly straight forward piece of equipment – you throw it on the ground and then pull the trigger to detonate. Unfortunately having to detonate the C4 yourself means you will need to be watching so you can make sure your target is close enough to the C4. The best way to use C4 is as a trap where you can become aware of the targets proximity to the C4 without having to be there yourself e.g. in Domination when a flag is being captured you will be alerted “we are losing A” so if you have a C4 planted there you can detonate it and kill the target.

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When you spawn you get two Flash Grenades. Flash-bangs blind and deafen your target for a few seconds depending on how close they were to the point where it detonated. If you throw the flash-bang too close you could end up flashing yourself also. If you are the target of a flash grenade and know your surroundings well enough try to manoeuvre yourself out of sight or at best crouch or lie down until you can see again.

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In my opinion these are much more effective than flash grenades as they also slow the target down for a few seconds – this is very helpful if your find yourself surrounded. If you find yourself on the receiving end of a stun grenade, as with a flash-bang try to move away from your attacker, crouch or lie down. When you spawn you receive two stun grenades.

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Smoke Grenades are generally not very useful in a normal team death-match situation. Their main objective is to conceal you, but this also means you can't see. They are best used if you are trying to cover yourself as you capture a flag or detonate a bomb. Thermal Scopes can see through smoke – Sniping through smoke can be a good ides in certain maps.