It can be a real toss up when deciding which Killstreaks are best to use in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, so in this list we’ll be ranking MW3’s Killstreaks from worst to best to help you figure out which will work best with your loadouts!
Best Killstreaks in MW3 Ranked
23 – Mosquito Drone
The Mosquito Drone is a cheap 4 killstreak that you toss up into the air. It will circle around and then dive bomb any unfortunate enemies who run by underneath. It’s nice that it’s a cheap streak, but it’s pretty unreliable on most maps in MW3. There is a ton of cover and obstacles it can crash into which makes it inconsistent. There are a few really open maps where it can shine, but outside of those maps it’s not the best Killstreak to be running when it will only net you a kill every now and then, making it the lowest ranked entry on this list of the abilities in MW3.
22 – Bomb Drone
Having to stop what you’re doing, lie down and pilot this 4-killstreak Drone into an enemy or two isn’t worth it most of the time. It can be quite effective in certain game modes like Hardpoint where you know where a lot of enemies will be at any given time. Most of the time, you’ll be spending a while flying around looking for a target that you could have spent capturing objectives or shooting enemies. It makes it hard to recommend using this streak overall.
21 – Guardian-SC
This microwave on a stand requires a 5-killstreak and unlike previous versions of it, simply hinders enemies as if they were hit with a stun grenade when they run through it’s radius. It’s not a damage dealing, simply utility focused. It can still be quite useful on objective based maps though. If you set it up in a common entry point, you can disable enemies as they run in for some easy kills. You’ll also earn extra XP when it disables enemies and your team mates kill them. It’s honestly not bad, especially on something like Hardpoint or Domination.
20 – SAM Turret
This is actually a pretty decent Killstreak if you can set it up in a good spot. For a 4 Killstreak it’ll shoot down any air based Killstreaks and rack up some nice XP for you while helping rid enemy air presence. It’s not the most exciting Killstreak but it’s utility is rather excellent, especially early on in MW3.
19 – Care Package
The high-risk, high-reward Killstreak will cost you a 5-Killstreak. You can get any Killstreak from calling this in which is always exciting. It could be a simple UAV or it could be a Juggernaut which would be insane value. The problem is that a lot of maps and modes in MW3 have some pretty dodgy spawns at the moment. You need quite a bit of time to call in the care package, guard it while you wait for it to drop and then run over to collect it.
This takes up time you could have spent earning more kills and also leaves you exposed and a target on the map. If you get a good Killstreak but get killed before you can claim it, chances are an enemy will get it and use it against your team which is just devastating. It’s great when you pull off using it well and rough when you don’t
Related: The Old Call of Duty Maps Are the Only Part of Modern Warfare 3 That’s Good
18 – SAE
The SAE is a pretty good Killstreak. It can net you a good kill or two with each use but there are other cheaper Killstreaks that can generally net you the same result. For a 7-Killstreak it’s not the most rewarding to use.
17 – Cluster Mine
This 6-cost Killstreak can be set up where ever you want to place it around the map. It gives you good control of objectives when you’re holding down a location like a Hardpoint or a Capture Point in Domination. Simply place it in a inconspicuous spot in an entrance to an objective and chances are you’ll rack up a kill or two every time. It’s actually quite effective!
16 – Mortar Strike
For a 7-Killstreak Mortar Strike is decent. It will repeatedly fire shells at a location you select. It can certainly rack up a good few kills when you’re shelling an objective. Whether you get more than a couple depends if your enemies are dumb enough to run back to the spot that’s getting bombarded. Sometimes you’ll just get a kill or two, other times you can end up getting up to four out of this Killstreak.
15 – Juggernaut Recon
You’ll have to call this 8-Killstreak in via a care package. That automatically makes it a high risk Killstreak as you’ll need to wait, protect it and claim it when it lands without being killed. It can also easily be stolen by enemies if they take you out and claim it for themselves. It is pretty cool if you can get to use it though. It’s a utility focused version of the Juggernaut that comes with a radar that pings nearby enemies. You get to use a big ‘ol riot shield along with a Haymaker and smoke grenade so you can get quite a good amount of use out of it with the extra utility. You’ll be able to get plenty of extra XP from your scans pinging enemies and from running down unsuspecting enemies with your shield.
14 – Remote Sentry Turret
The Sentry turret is often underestimated but it’s actually an incredibly good Killstreak. You just need to have good placement with it and you can let it do it’s thing and it will generally rack up 3+ kills for you easily. It has a remote control mode where you can control it yourself to get even more kills. Generally it’s better to leave it on auto and run around getting gun kills while it gets it’s own kills though. The main downside is that you need to place this really well to get the best use out of it and that can be tough on certain maps making it not as reliable for a lot of players.
13 – Precision Airstrike
This 6-cost Killstreak is basically a cheaper version of the SAE. You’ll be able to call in a bombing run along a path and it’ll often net you a kill or two easily. It’s a solid, cost effective Killstreak to run.
12 – Cruise Missile
This Missile requires a 6-Killstreak and gives you an excellent amount of control over where it hits. With a bit of skill you can almost guarantee a kill or two with every use. This makes it a very cost effective Killstreak to use that will help you rack up a ton of extra kills throughout a match.
11 – Overwatch Helo
This 8-Killstreak will call in a Helicopter that will follow you around and ping nearby enemies before it tries to shoot at them. It’s not bad in that it will generally net you a couple of kills per use, but it’s certainly not the best of the 8-Killstreak choices. As such, Overwatch Helo holds a relatively middle-of-the-road place on this ranked list of Killstreaks in MW3 from worst to best.
10 – Counter UAV
The handy Counter UAV really gives you good value for as a 5-Killstreak. It interferes with enemy radars making their mini maps useless for the duration. This can allow you to move around undetected much easier, score some flank kills and earn XP for the Counter UAV bocking things like enemy UAVs. It’s an excellent Utility Killstreak to you can just pop when ever you have it.
9 – UAV
The trusty UAV is a Killstreak you start out with. We all know and love this Killstreak that helps us track down enemies as it scans the map and pops red dots up on the mini map indicating last known locations. With a cost of 4 kills to earn this Killstreak it’s much more achievable than most of the other Killstreaks and you’ll be able to activate it frequently. Enemies killed while your UAV is active will earn you extra XP which is always nice early on for leveling up.
Currently there aren’t many players running anti air weapons at all, which means your UAVs are likely to last their full durations. Usually the Ghost Perk is a real bummer when using UAV’s but currently not many people are using the Ghost Camo Gear yet so you’ll reliably scan most players with the UAV right now. With this in mind it’s an amazing Killstreak to be using all the time right now!
8 – Emergency Airdrop
This is the juiced up version of the Care Package. Instead of one, you get for the cost of a 10-Killstreak. It carries the same downsides if not more than the single Care Package though. You’ll be a big target for enemies when you call this in. You’ll also get your teammates trying to pinch one or two of your Care Packages plenty of the time which is a pain. Just make sure you claim the most valuable drop first! It can be an insanely good value Killstreak depending on what drops and how well you protect your drops.
7 – Carpet Bomb
This 10-cost Killstreak sends out a rolling carpet bomber to unleash hell across a linear path of your choosing. Depending on the map you can easily kill half the enemy team with this Killstreak. It has quite a good radius and with a bit of strategic positioning you can really get some good use out of this Killstreak.
6 – Wheelson-HS
I personally love the Wheelson as a Killstreak. It’s by far the best in its 8-kill cost category. You’ll be able to drive around this mini turret and shoot and run down enemy after enemy. On objective based modes this thing is a beast of a Killstreak able to lock down locations with ease. On closer ranged maps it’s easy to rack up 5+ kills with it. The main downside is that you have to manually control it which leaves you vulnerable and takes you out of the action yourself while you’re controlling it. It’s certainly worth it though.
5 – Juggernaut
This giant set of powerful assault gear is the most expensive Killstreak in the game requiring 15 kills without dying. It’s incredibly powerful with the awesome minigun that it gets able to shred enemies in an instant. It is however a risky Killstreak. It’s a Care Package style Killstreak that means as soon as you call it in, enemies will be scrambling to find the drop location and fight you for it.
The last thing you want is a powerful 15-Killstreak being scooped up by the enemy team so that does make it very risky. It’s also slow moving to use so you’ll be targeted easily by grenades and launchers. It’s a high risk and high reward Killstreak that can be really effective if you pull it off well.
4 – VTOL Jet
This 10-Killstreak is incredibly reliable at racking up kills from the air. Simply call it in where you want it positioned and it will mow down any enemies that run by very quickly. It’s a nice set and forget Killstreak that can net you a ton of kills very reliably each time that you use it.
3 – Advanced UAV
This bad bad boy is best utility Killstreak in MW3, and as such one of the highest ranked on this list. It will literally highlight every enemy on your mini map with pinpoint accuracy and indicate even the direction their facing and moving. This makes chasing them down one by one incredibly easy and you can rack up so many kills during the duration. It’s just a shame it’s not a tier below the Chopper Gunner or Gunship in Killstreak cost or it would be even better.
2 – Chopper Gunner
The Chopper Gunner requires a 12-Killstreak, but it’s an absolute beast. You’ll take control of this Helicopter and fly it around the map. It an amazing Killstreak to use in MW3 and you can very quickly kill the entire enemy team with it before you start getting targeted with launchers. That’s the biggest downside really, it’s vulnerable to being shot down with launchers rather quickly. With some good flying and positioning, you can take out enemies quickly and from angles they won’t expect allowing you to last longer in the Streak.
1 – Gunship
The Gunship is the ultimate Killstreak in MW3. It’s armed to the teeth with tracking missiles that can kill groups of enemies in one shot. It’s also got hard hitting 40MM cannons that can easily spray down a couple of enemies in one burst. While that’s recharging you can swap to the 20MM cannon to gun down another enemy or two. The Gunship circles the map from up high giving you amazing visibility of the enemies below and it makes it tough for them to keep up with your positioning as you rain down death from above. While it does take a 12 Killstreak to earn, it’s worth every bit of the effort for the huge amount of kills this thing can generate, especially on smaller maps or maps with less cover to hide in! AS such, the Gunship is the highest ranked Killstreak on this list ranking them all in MW3 from worst to best.
Those are all the Killstreaks ranked in MW3. There are plenty to choose from but hopefully this list helps you figure out which Killstreaks are more worthwhile running for you!
If you’re looking for more, check out how Tactical Stance works in MW3.
And if you’re ready to get bloody, don’t forget to check out our Zombie Camo Challenges MW3 Maps List for a gory good time blasting zombies.
