Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 shaked up in-game progression by adding guns, killstreaks, aftermarket parts, and equipment that can't be unlocked just by leveling up normally. Instead of simply grinding for XP or farming weapon kills, players will need to deal with the new Armory Unlock system.

Armory Unlocks in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 gate gear progression by limiting how quickly players get their desired weapons and attachments. Some of the best gear in the game is locked behind this new system, and players will need all the help they can get if they want to get their hands on meta equipment.

How Do Armory Unlocks Work in MW3?

Unlocking the Striker 9 in MW3 — Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 Striker 9 armory unlock

Simply enough, once players reach Level 25, they can unlock more items from the armory by completing Daily Challenges. These range from getting kills with certain weapons, taking down Operators without dying, or getting kills while using Tac Stance. The challenges are simple enough that anyone can finish them in one sitting without worrying too much about their in-game performance.

Once players exhaust their three Daily Challenges, they can earn bonus unlock points by winning multiplayer matches. It doesn't matter which game mode players pick so long as they win. With that being said, short team-based modes like TDM, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint are often the best for farming Armory Unlock points. Point requirements for Armory Unlocks range from 2 to 8. Attachments often need only two points to be unlocked, while some guns require up to eight.

Armory Unlock aftermarket part in MW3 — Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 armory unlock attachment

Since players need to win to get points, Modern Warfare 3 lobbies tend to get more competitive than usual. Players who want to get some extra unlock points without the hassle of competition can go to Zombies mode instead. The Daily Challenges there count towards the player's currently selected Armory Unlock, and the objectives are fairly easy to complete as well.

Players who really don't want to bother with the Armory Unlock system can instead load into a Zombies match, find the weapon they want, and exfil with it. This requires a lot of luck on the player's part. Hunting for specific weapons can be difficult, but this can be circumvented completely by loading in with a friend and having them drop the weapon players want to get.

Not every unlockable item shows up in the Armory Unlocks window. While the vast majority of new MW3 weapons are listed there, the attachments for said weapons can be found in the Gunsmith. In this context, the Armory Unlock system can be used as a shortcut to unlock high-level attachments without leveling a weapon all the way up.

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