Best Modern Warfare 2 Killstreaks and Scorestreaks
All the Killstreaks available in Modern Warfare 2
Want to pick the best killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2? Killstreaks and scorestreaks are a staple of Call Of Duty's frenetic, explosion-happy FPS matches, offering players a loud and powerful reward for racking up kills and score over the course of a game.
In Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 players can choose between 19 killstreak rewards, and whether or not to unlock them with kills or score. That's a whole lot of decision-making to do, particularly when you can only bring 3 killstreaks into each battle.
Below we'll walk you through the very best killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2, no matter what stage of the game you're at, covering both utility and offensive capabilities. We've also listed the cost and effect of all 19 killstreaks currently in the game, and we talk a bit about whether it's better to pick killstreaks or scorestreaks for a match.
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Modern Warfare 2 Killstreaks list
There is a total of 19 Killstreak rewards available in Modern Warfare 2, and each one can be earned over the course of a match by accruing either kills or score. Here's every killstreak in the game, its cost, and what each one does:
| Killstreak | Kills | Score | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAV | 4 | 500 | UAV recon ship that reveals enemy locations on the minimap. |
| Bomb Drone | 4 | 500 | A remote-controlled drone with an attached C4 charge. |
| Counter UAV | 5 | 625 | A drone that scrambles all enemy minimaps. Has a limited range for larger maps. |
| Cluster Mine | 5 | 625 | Throw a device that launches a cluster of smaller mines within the immediate area. |
| Care Package | 5 | 625 | Call in a random killstreak care package to your location. |
| Precision Airstrike | 6 | 750 | Call in twin jets for a precision strike along the best available path. |
| Cruise Missile | 6 | 750 | Control a long range cruise missile with boost capabilities. |
| Mortar Strike | 6 | 750 | Signal several waves of mortars to attack a location. |
| Sentry Gun | 7 | 875 | Automated turret that scans for nearby enemies, and fires incendiary based rounds. |
| S.A.E. | 7 | 875 | Call in a trio of jets to release aerial explosives onto specified targets. |
| VTOL Jet | 8 | 1000 | Releases a pair of precision bombs before circling back and guarding a location of the player's choice. |
| Overwatch Helo | 8 | 1000 | An escort helo that will watch over your position, and ping nearby enemy locations before engaging them. |
| Wheelson-HS | 8 | 1000 | Remote controlled amphibious vehicle, with auto sentry capabilities. |
| Stealth Bomber | 10 | 1250 | Call in a bomber that releases a large line of explosives along its path. |
| Chopper Gunner | 10 | 1250 | Control an assault chopper armed with a turret and air-to-land missiles. |
| Emergency Airdrop | 10 | 1250 | Call in 3 random killstreak care packages to your location. |
| Gunship | 12 | 1500 | A heavy assault gunship equipped with a laser tracking missile, along with the standard 40mm and 25mm cannons. |
| Advanced UAV | 12 | 1500 | An untargetable orbital UAV that reveals the enemy's direction on the minimap in real time. |
| Juggernaut | 15 | 1875 | Juggernaut assault gear delivered by care package. The minigun will drop when the Juggernaut dies. |
If you want to learn the rank at which you'll unlock each of these Killstreaks, then be sure to check out our Modern Warfare 2 progression rewards list.
Best Killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2
You can only pick a total of 3 killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2, and all 3 of your chosen killstreaks must require different numbers of kills or score. For example, you couldn't take both Gunship and Advanced UAV into a match, because both require 12 kills or 1500 score.
To help you decide which to bring into a match, here is our list of the overall best killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2:
- UAV - This ubiquitous ability gives your entire team some fantastic situational awareness by pinging the locations of enemies on all allied minimaps. It's by far the best value for money out of any killstreak in the game, only requiring 4 kills. However, it's likely that other members of your team will already be using the UAV to benefit the whole squad, so you may wish to look elsewhere for your early-game killstreak reward.
- Bomb Drone - Another 4-kill reward, the Bomb Drone is a manually-piloted drone with a small C4 payload which can be detonated to kill nearby enemies. It's quick to obtain, easy to use, and particularly powerful when dislodging a group of entrenched enemies around a corner.
- Care Package - The Care Package shouldn't be sniffed at - it's got a degree of randomness in that you're just as likely to receive a UAV as a Gunship, but even the chance to unlock a high-level killstreak reward with just 5 kills is worth taking a lot of the time. The most destructive killstreaks can really dismantle an enemy team and snowball you right to the top of the scoreboard.
- Precision Airstrike - The mid-tier 6-kill killstreaks are all explosive in nature, but the Precision Airstrike gives you the best chance of killing multiple enemies at once. You pick the target by pointing a laser at the location you wish to become rubble, which makes it a very easy way to clear an entire lane of a map in a short space of time.
- Chopper Gunner - The Chopper Gunner is one of the most dangerous late-game killstreaks in Modern Warfare 2, offering the firepower of a gunship with a player's handling and insight. If you manage to hit the 10 kills required for this killstreak, it's a laughably easy way of doubling your K/D ratio.
- Juggernaut - The Juggernaut is obviously a fan favourite. As the most expensive killstreak in the game at 15 kills, you'd sure hope it can do some damage. Thanks to its heavy armour it's difficult even for a full team to kill a Juggernaut, and the minigun not only mows down enemies with ease, but it also drops to the ground even after the Juggernaut player dies, allowing other members of the team to make use of it.
Killstreaks or Scorestreaks?
In Modern Warfare 2, you can choose whether to activate your killstreaks with kills as normal, or turn them into scorestreaks which activate at certain score thresholds during a match. The cost is pretty uniform between the two types, with each kill equivalent to 150 score.
If you're wondering whether to choose killstreaks or scorestreaks, the answer depends on the type of game mode you're playing. If you're playing an objective-based mode then fulfilling your objectives is a great way to build up your score without moving into the firing line of your enemies. In this case, scorestreaks are the best way to go.
On the other hand, if you're playing a straightforward TDM or free-for-all match, then kills are far quicker to accrue than score, which makes killstreaks the better option.
Put simply: if you're playing an objective-based mode, pick scorestreaks. Otherwise, pick killstreaks.
Hopefully this guide has helped you settle on your top 3 killstreaks or scorestreaks to take into your next Modern Warfare 2 match. If you want some help rounding out the rest of your class setup, then check out our guides on the best Modern Warfare 2 guns, and the best perks in Modern Warfare 2. For a closer look at specific aspects of the gun meta, check out our guides on the best SMG and best Assault Rifle in Modern Warfare 2.
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