I’ve been playing Call of Duty games for years now, I’ve had every title from the original Modern Warfare to Black Ops and now MW3. Every game has had new additions which can give you the edge over your competitors (eg. motion sensors and cameras in Black Ops).

Well now, one of the main features to be released with MW3 are the all-new Weapon Proficiencies. I’ve noticed that most people seriously underestimate these, not realising how important they can be and how much of a difference they can make when in a game. The truth is, Weapon Proficiencies WILL win you the game if you choose the right ones to counter your enemy. Below I will list my 5 favourite weapon proficiencies that help me dominate my games.

1. Kick

Kick reduces the recoil of your gun when firing bullets. This means, when you’re spraying away at your enemies, your gun will remain much more stable resulting in you hitting your enemy with more bullets and thus increasing the likelihood of killing them.

Now, this is a very good weapon proficiency but most people overuse it far too much. The only time you should use Kick is when you find your gun far too hard to control. The first step to take is to shoot in bursts, then if you’re still struggling to keep your gun stable you should consider using Kick as a last measure (remember, there are other proficiencies out there that can be much more useful).

Remember – DO NOT use Kick with Sniper Rifles, Shotguns or any other single-shot weapons. This is a waste! I would only recommend you use Kick with high fire-rate weapons like the P90.

2. Impact

Impact strongly increases the bullet penetration power of your guns. So imagine, if you’re shooting an enemy and they quickly get past a thin wall, if you keep firing at their likely path your bullets will pass through the wall and kill them.

This weapon proficiency can be extremely useful in maps where there are a lot of windows, as the enemy will often peak their head out, then move back to cover behind their wall. They won’t realise you can still kill them until it’s too late.

Impact can only be equipped on Assault Rifles, Light Machine Guns and Sniper Rifles (they wouldn’t really benefit any other guns anyway). But which guns should you use them with? Well, that’s up to preference really.. they can work with any of them. But I would recommend using Impact with guns that are either very accurate or/and have a low rate of fire. Once the enemy starts getting hit through a wall they will quickly move, leaving you clueless of their location so you need to ensure you can fire a concentrated wave of bullets to kill them in one swift burst of fire.

3. Damage

This one’s simple enough to understand. Damage will increase the damage (oh really?) of the weapon it is attached to. Don’t get too excited though as there is one problem. You can only equip it to shotguns. So don’t expect to suddenly be able to equip it to your SMGs and be able to get a massive power bonus.

Anyway, so should you equip this to your shotgun? Simple answer.. yes! Your shotguns will prove to be much more lethal, making it possible to kill your enemy before he has any time to react.

4. Speed.

Speed allows you to move quicker when you have your weapon equipped, so it is very similar to the lightweight perk. It can however, only be equipped to Sniper Rifles and SMGs. Personally though, I wouldn’t bother using it with Sniper Rifles, there is just no need to move quickly if you want to snipe, it kind of defies the point of sniping.

SMGs on the other hand, it can work extremely well with. If you are one of those players who like to move around the map quickly so you can take your enemies by surprise, the Speed proficiency is absolutely essential. Something I always make sure to have equipped on one of my custom classes.

5. Focus

Focus works by reducing the amount of flinch you get while being on the receiving end of enemy fire. Generally, if the enemy hits you first then the amount of flinch you get makes it virtually impossible to return fire and beat your enemy. Focus though completely changes this.

But, will Focus help enough to use it instead of the other great proficiencies out there? It always depends on you’re playing style and the gun you are using. If you are someone who likes to stay way back and shoot your enemies from range Focus is pretty pointless as you shouldn’t ever be getting fired at. On the other hand, if you like running around and killing people from close-combat Focus can make the difference between living and dying.

My main tip though, try out the different weapon proficiencies. Don’t just stick with one, try them all and test which one makes you play the best. There is never a simple best.. it all depends on YOU!

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