[GUIDE] Killstreaks / Deathstreaks

Killsteaks

3 kills

Shows enemies on the minimap

This killstreak takes up you 3 killstreaks spot, however if using the Hardline perk it will only take 2 kills to achieve. It will show all enemies that aren't using "cold-blooded" perk as red dots on your radar located in the top left hand corner of your screen. The UAV will update the enemies position every 3 seconds and will last for 30 seconds. The player will receive 100XP for calling it in, but unlike Call of Duty 4 the UAV is physically flying in the air as a drone and can be shot down, which will reward the person shooting it down with 50XP. The UAV is most effective in team based game-modes as it's useful to find camping enemies trying to gain a large killstreak. If two team members call in a UAV it will refresh in a faster pace (1.5 seconds instead of 3), but that it is advised to wait and use your UAV once the other one flies away. That way you'll have 60 seconds of UAV, opposed to 30 second.
If both teams have a UAV/Counter UAV it doesn't matter which one you shoot at, as it will always be the opposing teams that will finish or be destroyed.

Strategy
The UAV is most helpful on Search and Destroy as this game-type is all down to stealth and moving slowly and checking your corners, a UAV which shows the enemy position is great in these kind of situations. It's also more useful on larger maps such as: Derail, Wasteland and Afghan this make sure when planting the bomb you will be safe unless the players are using "Cold-Blooded". The UAV is not only useful for yourself, but also your teammates. Especially if they're using higher killstreaks such as a Stealth Bomber or Harrier Strike as it reveals the enemies position and makes these killstreaks that more effective.

4 kills

Airdrop a random killstreak or ammo

Unlocked after getting 4 kills or 3 with "Hardline" you will be rewarded with a care package. This is small box dropped from a helicopter at a position marked by your flare. It can contain any type of killstreak ranging from the UAV to EMP (with the expection of a Tactical Nuke). The care-package will be shown green to friendly players but will glow red to the enemy, but both can capture it. The probability's of getting the certain killstreaks as follow:

• 14.78% - UAV
• 14.78% - Ammo
• 13.04% - Counter-UAV
• 10.43% - Sentry Gun
• 10.43% - Predator Missile
• 9.57% - Precision Airstrike
• 6.09% - Harrier Airstrike
• 6.09% - Attack Helicopter
• 4.35% - Pave Low
• 4.35% - Stealth Bomber
• 2.61% - Chopper Gunner
• 2.61% - AC-130
• 0.87% - EMP

The care package is great for new players that can't quite get a 11 killstreak and it gives them a flavour of what to expect when they improve as a players, however I would not use this killstreak on Free-for-All or 3rd person cage-match as it's basically a red-beacon showing were you are, which can result in a free kill and in some cases a free killstreak for your opponents.

Strategy
The care package is great for lower level players (levels 1-30) as you will only have unlock a few killstreaks. The care package can turn a game around especially if you are rewarded with an AC-130 or Chopper Gunner, these can turn Team Deathmathes around in a matter of seconds. However, these killstreaks are very rare and you will normally receive an resupply, UAV or a Counter-UAV.

4 kills

Temporarily disables enemy radar

Counter UAV is unlocked after getting 4 kills in a row or 3 with "Hardline", this killstreak will jam the enemy radar for 30 seconds. The enemy radar will be filled with static, but similar to the UAV it is again a drone so it can be shot down. Shooting down an enemy drone will gain you 50XP for shooting it down. This killstreak is more efficient on Search and Destroy or Demolition were a bomb has to be planted, it make the players less reliant on there radar making them a lot slower to move positions making planting the bomb a little easier.
If both teams have a UAV/Counter UAV it doesn't matter which one you shoot at, as it will always be the opposing teams that will finish or be destroyed.

Strategy
The Counter UAV similar to the UAV is great on Search and Destroy this is because it blocks out the enemies mini-map and radar this means they will be very cautious when advancing. So if you surprise them with a Shotgun or Machine Pistol you will more that likely get a quick kills. It can be useful on most objective based game such as Domination and Demolition too as you can capture the flag quickly or plant the bomb without the enemy realizing.

5 kills

Airdrop a placeable automated Sentry gun

The sentry gun will be unlocked after getting 5 kills in a row or 4 with "Hardline". The sentry gun is dropped through an airdrop similar to the care-package. The player will have to retrieve it from the package which can be tricky if the spawns have changed and you have been killed before capturing your own Sentry Gun airdrop.
The sentry gun is an unmanned weapon capable of automatically acquiring and defeating enemy targets. The Sentry Gun is most effective when placed in a bunker or next to a door, as any enemy trying to escape or enter the tunnel will be killed instantly. The Sentry Gun can easily be destroyed by someone running behind it and knifing it so it's advised that you plant a claymore behind it so it's defend from both angles. The number one weakness of the Sentry Gun is that is can't detect enemy's using "Cold-Blooded", so they can easily walk up to the turret and knife it giving themselves 100XP.

Strategy
The Sentry Gun is a great killstreak for either guarding you back whilst sniping or watching an objective based game such as in Capture the Flag or Domination. The Sentry gun will stick around for a while and there is an added advantage of being able to move it. If one spot has more enemies than the current spot you can simply pick it up and move it. It's very good as guarding the tunnel on for example Wasteland and also general doorways of the maps on Modern Warfare 2 however it is suspect to being knifed.

5 kills

Remote controlled missile

The Predator missile is unlocked after getting 5 kills in a row or 4 with Hardline. Basically the Predator missile allows the player to remotely control one Hellfire AGM (Air-to-Ground Missile) that is deployed via an UAV. He can now guide it towards enemy players and the missile will explode upon impact. You will get out a laptop when calling in your Predator missile so you can be killed whilst using the killsteak, which makes getting into a corner a good idea when calling it in. You will be able to see the enemies clearly as a red square will highlight them being in control of the missile. However, if they are using "Cold-Blooded" you won't be able to see them. You can speed up the missile by holding the "fire" button. This will send down the missile at almost double it's speed, but it will be much harder to control and steer.

Strategy
The Predator missile is one of the most used killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2 and for good reason, when attached with "Danger Close" perk the blast radius of the hell-fire missile is increased to a massive amount, allowing you to get triple and quad kills. It's best on small to maps if you are aiming to get multiple kills. You can especially get easy kills when the players are running out of spawn. If used on large maps such as Derail it's a lot harder to get multiple kills as not many enemies will be running next to each other. This killstreak is normally used by players you will use the "Harrier Strike", so be on guard if some calls in their Predator missile and try to get your "Stinger" out as more often than not a Harrier will be in the sky in the next minute of so.

6 kills

Call in a directional airstrike

The Precision Airstrike is unlocked after getting 6 kills in a row or 5 with "Hardline" perk equipped. The Precision Airstike allows the player to call in three F-15 fighter jets on a bombing run at the location of your choice. You can highlight your target location with a small "target" for both position and direction of the bombing run. Bombs dropped by Precision Airstrikes are effective at taking out groups of players, especially near spawn points. It's also useful on Search and Destroy when clearing the bombsight just before planting the bomb. In general, it's most useful on objective based games because you can easily retain an objective by calling in your airstrike, which will kill any enemies trying to capture your objective.

Strategy
This killstreak isn't being used by many players any more due to it being over-shadowed by many of the new killstreaks, however it's still effective on large and small maps. It works well on large maps such as Wasteland too, because it will bomb a specific area. If you bomb the spawn of the enemy team then you can get easily kills. Rust or Scrapyard are both great examples of smaller maps on which the Precision Airstrike will rip the enemy a new one.

7 kills

Airstrike with a hovering Harrier

The killstreak is unlocked after getting 7 kills in a row or 6 with "Hardline". The Harrier Strike in theory calls in three harrier jets: two to bomb the target location, and the third hovers in place over the selected area. This third plane will attempt to kill enemy targets with its undermounted gun. In most cases the initial airstike is quite poor and the third Harrier can easily be shot down before even entering it's designated area. Once the Harrier is deployed (without being shot down), it can be devastating. Players with the "Cold-Blooded" perk will not be spotted and can run around the map regardless and easily take down the Harrier. The Harrier will fire missiles at any Helicopter that enters the battlefield, even the "Chopper Gunner". This makes a Harrier a firm favorite for most players. Whilst this killstreak is very effective, the sound it makes will most likely deafen most of the players making it easier for you to move round without being noticed.

Strategy
The Harrier Strike is one of the most popular killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2. It's equipped with an airstrike before hand that can clear a small area before the Harrier enters the battlefield. However, the airstrike isn't the priority, it's the Harrier that hovers that does most damage. I have learned from experience not to place the harrier directly over the enemy spawn but put it so it's looking directly at it the spawn this way you will get more kills. The Killstreak is deadly on large maps such as: Wasteland and Derail as it can kill all enemies regardless of what part of the map they are at.

7 kills

Call in a support helicopter

The killstreak is unlocked after getting 7 kills in a row or 6 with "Hardline" attached. The attack helicopter seems to have been over-shadowed by the "Harrier Strike" for many reasons; the Attack Helicopter's main weakness is its lack of flares. A single direct RPG shot will take the Helicopter out the sky, as well 2 AT-4's can be used, or even the Predator Missile. It's advantages are that it circles the whole map instead of one specific spot and it apparently fires "FMJ" rounds, making its penetration through walls more effective.

Strategy
The Attack Helicopter is returned from Call of Duty 4 but this time it's been shoved to the corner by the more powerful killstreaks. This killstreaks is still extremely useful. On the larger and medium sized maps the Attack Helicopter will circle the map raining fire on the ground enemies. The Attack Helicopter is vulnerable to the Harrier's missile barrage, so this is why more players are going for the Harrier. But the Attack Helicopter is best suited on Free-for-All or Search and Destroy game where not my other players will have killstreaks in the air.

8 kills

Airdrop 4 random killstreaks or ammo

This killstreak is unlocked after getting 8 kills in a row or 7 kills with "Hard-line" perk equipped. The Emergency Airdrop will drop 4 care packages instead of just one. The Emergency Airdrop has a higher probability of it dropping a higher killstreak award than a normal Care Package, but it does take longer to reach the smoke designator and it often overshoots. The probability of each of the four crates follows:

• Ammo: 12.0%
• UAV: 12.0%
• Counter-UAV: 16.0%
• Sentry Gun: 16.0%
• Predator Missile: 14.0%
• Precision Airstrike: 10.0%
• Harrier: 5.0%
• Attack Helicopter: 5.0%
• Pave Low: 3.0%
• Stealth Bomber: 3.0%
• Chopper Gunner: 2.0%
• AC-130: 2.0%

Unlike the Care Package you cannot receive a "EMP" in your emergency airdrop. The Emergency Airdrop is useful when trying to get a high kill death ratio as you get a number of Helicopters of higher ranking killstreaks you K/D ratio will rise dramatically. But do watch out when using this killstreak because unlike the care-package the Emergency air drop tends to overshoot the flare. So be prepared to run a little to retrieve your rewards.

Strategy
The Emergency Airdrop one of my favourite killsteaks on Modern Warfare 2, it's great on team based gamemodes such as: Team Deathmatch, 3rd person team-tactical and Ground War. This is because you can get 4 high ranging killstreaks. These can destroy games if you are given a  Harrier Strike, Attack Helicopter, Pave-Low and Predator missile. These will easily rack up 20 kills between them making a Team Death match pretty much one sided after this point. On small maps however, this killstreak is pointless as more than likely you will be killed and the enemy will "vulture" your care packages. I would refrain from using this killstreak on small maps.
You will also be awarded massive points by calling in an Emergency Airdrop and letting your teammates pick them up.

9 kills

Heavy armored assault helicopter

The Pavelow is unlocked after getting 9 kills or 8 with "Hardline". The Pavlow is basically a heavily armed attack helicopter with two attached gun turrets. It's also harder to destroy as it does deploy flares. But as it is a lot slower and bigger it gives the enemy an easier target for their "Stinger/Javelin" missiles to lock on to. The Pavelow will sometimes take more than 1 missile to take down but more time out of 10 it will take 1 well directed missile to the rotary blades to take the helicopter down. When taken down you will be rewarded with 400XP or 4,000XP in Search and Destroy. If the Pave Low isn't shot down, it can cause havoc when circling a large map like Wasteland as there is little cover to hide from it.

Strategy
The Pave-low is a great addition to a Harrier Strike if you are using these two killstreak you can rack up around 15-20 kills if they aren't shot down. The Pave-low will slowly circle the map spraying down fire on enemies this killstreak is great on Domination, Hardcore playlists and Headquarters. It works best on Large maps, this is because it's hard for enemies to find cover in time. If a player can get underneath the Pave Low it will only take one "Stinger" rocket to destroy the Pave-low.

9 kills

Airstrike undetectable on enemy maps

The Stealth bomber is unlocked after getting 9 kills in a row or 8 kills with "Hardline" equipped. The Stealth Bomber is in fact a B-2 spirit bomber and it will carpet-bomb a very large area of the map. The bomber does not show up on enemy radar and is not announced to the opposing team, but it is easily heard as it's very loud. This will allow most players to get indoors in the smaller maps and stay there until it has passed. The stealth bomber seems to have an infinite amount of bombs so it can bomb most of the map, this makes it great for maps like: Wasteland, Afghan, Rust and Estate. It's effectiveness is increased if a UAV is in there air.

Strategy
The Stealth Bomber is hard killstreak to use as you will normally only get around 2-3 kills with it. I suggest getting a teammate to call in a UAV beforehand as this will be advantageous being able to the pin-point the enemies before calling in the Stealth Bomber. If you haven't got a UAV, wait until some of the enemy players start shooting and make sure you call it across the map and not towards a building. You are more likely to get a kill with the Stealth Bomber if you don't call if directly on top of a building. This killstreak works wonders on small maps as more times than not the Stealth Bomber will drop bombs across the whole map, this means easy kills for you.

11 kills

Be the gunner of a chopper

The Chopper gunners is unlocked after getting a killstreak of 11 or 10 with "Hardline". You are placed as the gunner into an Apache or Mi-28 helicopter gunship and you control the mounted machine gun. Hostile targets appear surrounded by red boxes on the screen (unless they are using Cold-Blooded.) You appear as a green dot so as you don't kill yourself and also give you the option to defend yourself whilst in the gunship. You can change how you view the enemies either through Thermal Optics (Glowing White) or just a normal view of the battlefield (Glowing Black). This allows you to spot the enemies using Cold Blooded a little bit better. The Chopper Gunner has 1 set of flares that are deployed when a guided missile is fired at it, once this has been deployed it can be shot down easily. The pilot of the Chopper Gunner will normally hover over the spawn of will go to the place where a lot of the enemies are. Sometimes if you are shooting at a target for a while the pilot will fly over the player exposing them making it easy for you to shoot them, the Chopper Gunner works best of open maps such as: Afghan, Wasteland and Highrise. It's near on useless on Skidrow because of all the buildings and cover.

Strategy
The Chopper Gunner is one of the most deadly killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2 this is because it can destroy teams that are coming out of spawn it can easily get 15 kills, it's especially useful on Wasteland and Derail this because you will be able to find enemies easily due to the lack of cover when caught out in the open on these maps, The AI pilot will normally fly over the enemy spawn and will hover here for around a minute of two. The Chopper Gunner can be shot down quite easily though as once if first flare has been deployed it has not other protection and 1 "Stinger" missile will take it down. This killstreak isn't as good on small maps as many players will dart for cover and the the Chopper Gunner is unable to penetrate some metals making it a sitting target.

11 kills

Be the gunner of an AC-130

The AC-130 in again unlocked after a 11 or 10 killstreak depending if you using "Hardline". The AC-130 will last 40 seconds once you have deployed it. You best find a good hiding spot as this again makes the player vulnerable from knifing and the enemy players. Once engaged the player will be placed in the gunner seat of the AC-130. Here they are in control of a 105mm cannon, 40mm and 25mm weapons. When using the AC-130, the whole map will be shown in black and white and enemies shown as red squares unless using "Cold-Blooded".You can cycle through Thermal Optics or the normal view of the battlefield by hitting the "switch weapon" button. If the player is killed while in control of the AC-130, they still get to finish using the AC-130 before respawning back on the ground. Other enemy killstreaks such as "Pave Lows and Harriers" can easily be taken down by the 40mm canon. As it takes 3 Stinger Missiles to take down, it's will stay in the air longer than its counterpart the "Chopper Gunner" (which takes only 2).

Strategy
The AC-130 is possibly the best killstreak as far as "fun" goes, but this killstreak is great on small maps such as: Scrapyard, Karachi and Rust this is because the 105mm cannon destroys any enemies in it's path and on smaller maps enemies will be in large groups making getting multi-kills a breeze, an added advantages of the AC-130 is the amount of flares it has, it will take 2 Stinger missiles (in quick succession) to take an AC-130 out but not many teams will try this as no one will bother. The AC-130 works will on Large maps a well as it works as a great spawn camping device the 40mm cannon will normally dispatch any enemies trying to take you down making the AC-130 having the deserved title of "Death from Above".

The strategy when using the AC-130 is to start off with the 105mm and rain hell down onto the enemy, then switch to the 40mm to wipe out any stragglers that didn't die from the 105mm, then switch to the 25mm which is used to kill the last of the surviving enemies, rinse and repeat by the time you have finished this cycle the 105mm cannon will be back online.

15 kills

Temporarily disables enemy electronics.

The Electro Magnetic Pulse or EMP is unlocked after getting a 15 or 14 killstreaks depending on if you using "Hardline". The EMP disables all enemy electronics. Players will have no HUD, and all electronic scopes (Red Dot Sight, Holographic Sight, ACOG and the Thermal Scope) will be disabled. Their vision will also be slightly fuzzy, but some scopes such as the Red Dot on the TAR-21 and F2000 will not be affected by the EMP and will remain there Red Dot (no electronic dots). None of the enemy killstreaks during the time of 60 seconds, although the Emergency Airdrop is not affected and will drop it's care packages), so it's useful if your team is losing as you can gain kills whilst the enemy is confused. Most equipment will be affected, for example claymores will not set off if someone runs past them and C4 will not trigger if you pull the detonator. All current air support by the enemy will also be taken out the sky, so no more AC-130's and Helicopters. Just for clarification the EMP DOES NOT cancel out the Nuke.

Strategy
The EMP is one of the most underused killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2, although for good reason... It will only knock out enemy electronics for 60 seconds which is pretty pathetic as you have worked hard for 15 kills without dying. But to achieve this killstreak you will need to camp until you unlock you Harrier Strike let this do it's business and once you have a Chopper Gunner it's easily sailing. But there are certain maps this is easier to get on, for example: Wasteland, Afghan, Sub-base, Derail and Estate there are plenty of camping spots to get this killstreak but I'll say again it's a poor 15 killstreak (although you do get a bad-ass emblem!).

One further tip, it's often used by Nuke Boosters in Free-for-All because it disables everyone's UAV and random air support. So you best hurry finding the boosters once an EMP is fired in FFA before they get that Nuke. Side note, it can also be a "lucky" Care Package, so check the scoreboard if someone is either up 4 kills or the full 15...

25 kills

End the game with a bang.

This is the final killstreak you can achieve in Modern Warfare 2, you will need a 25 or 24 killstreak depending if you using "Hardline" or not. Once activated a 10 second countdown will appear in the bottom right hand corner of your screen and a siren will sound. Once the 10 seconds are up the whole battlefield will be engulfed by white and the nuke will explode, all killstreaks are destroyed all players are killed and the game automatically ends and the players team who deployed the Nuke will win. However this killstreak has gotten a bad name because of players "Nuke Boosting" in playlist like Free-for-All where one player will use a Tactical Insertion to spawn and the other player will kill him and once they get 25 kills they will release the Nuke. So the this killstreak has now been given a bad name, unfortunately for those getting Nukes the legit way.

Strategy
The infamous "Nuke" many people have achieved this killstreak legit (me included), it's one of the best feeling of the games once you see that "25 kills streak Tactical Nuke" message pop onto your screen. To get this killstreak i would use the following killstreaks:

• Harrier Strike
• Chopper Gunner
• Tactical Nuke

With these killstreak set-up the Nuke becomes less of a task to achieve, however you will end up camping extremely hard to get this killstreak. Remember to pick a spot away from the main fire-fights, maybe even pick a spot as the back of the map. The best way to get a Nuke is on a playlist such as: Headquarters, Domination, Sabotage and Demolition this is because these game types have long rounds/time-limits this makes getting the Nuke a little less stressful as you know that you have plenty of time to do it.

Deathstreaks

3 deaths

Steal your killer's class in killcam.

Copycat is a perk which is unlocked at level 4, Private First Class. This perk allows players to copy the enemy's class, this is useful for newer players i would say ranking between 1-15 as they won't have any attachments, higher level guns and equipment. To deploy copycat you will need to press Y (On Xbox) when watching the Killcam and then when you spawn you will have your "Killers" class. If you kill the enemy, who's class you copied you will receive a title and emblem.

Strategy
Copy-cat is the first of all the deathstreaks you unlock, it allows you to steal the enemies class which has just killed you, it's most beneficial to new players as it gives them a chance to try out weapon they will unlock at the higher levels. It works well on small maps when you are getting spawned camped so you can try out a new class and get out of this sticky situation

4 deaths

Big health boost when you spawn.

Painkiller is a death streak unlocked at level 6, it gives you a health boost for 10 seconds after you respawn, you will have to die 3 times in a row to receive this deathstreak. This deathstreak has replace "Juggernaut" from Call of Duty 4, in effect it's the same however it only last's 10 seconds. How can tell if a players is using "Painkiller" as when you shoot them a small pill will appear just below your cross-hairs so you know more bullets will be needed to take down this target. Painkiller makes most weapons less powerful and it will require more rounds to kill the target, however this doesn't affect Shotguns as it's still 1 shot kill.

Strategy
Painkiller is the most annoying of all the 4 deathstreaks it will give the player a 10 second health boost when they spawn, this is most annoying when you are sniping as it will take around 3 or so bullets to take them down. This is most useful on small maps such as: Rust,Scrapyard and Quarry this is because some spawns will over-lap each other making 10 second health boost a must.

4 deaths

Drop a live grenade just after dying.

Martyrdom is a death perk unlocked at level 27, this perk is unlocked after dying 4 times in a row. The players once killed will drop a live Frag grenade. This deathstreak is useful in Headquarters or in Domination where several players will all be in one location. Most players will once they here the "clunk" of the grenade hitting the floor however it is possible to throw it and in some cases get multiple kills.

Strategy
This deathstreak is most affective on the small maps such as: Rust, Scrapyard and Karachi and also objective based game-modes, as there will be a lot of enemies gathered in one place, so this makes martyrdom a must on these sorts of maps, it also despatches spawn camping enemies of people watching your tactical insertion.

4 deaths

Get back up after being wounded.

Final Stand is the final deathstreak you will unlock at level 39. Once shot you will be drop into "Last Stand" stance. Big difference with the perk "Last Stand" is your health (50 instead of 3) and the ability to get back up after you have been shot. Plus, you will have your primary weapon equipped instead of your secondary. If you crawl to safety and stay out of the fire-fight for a long enough period of time they will stand up again and your free to start fighting again, so it won't count as a death. However Final Stand won't activate if your shot in the head. This is the most useful deathstreak due to the fact you can regain health and continue to fight.

Strategy
Final stand is possibly the most useful of the deathstreaks, it's very useful if you have racked up a large killstreaks after you were on a 4 deathstreak, it will allow the player to get back up after getting "downed" and they can continue to gain on there killstreak. It's most efficient of large maps when you are hit by a sniper as they will lose sight of you when you go down.