Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – Should You Use Killstreaks or Scorestreaks?

Killstreaks have been a hallmark of the Call of Duty series for decades. Like some previous titles, in Modern Warfare 3, you can choose between using this classic system or the Scorestreak mechanic that originated in Black Ops 2. Every action you take in MW3 rewards a set amount of points, and if you’re using Scorestreaks, some portion of those points will go toward earning your next UAV, SAE, or whatever else you have equipped. Which of the two mechanics should you use? That depends. Let’s discuss.

Why You Should Use Scorestreaks in Modern Warfare 3

Between the two systems, Scorestreaks are almost always a better choice. Even if you’re playing Team Deathmatch, you only need one additional kill for most streaks, and both assists and UAV/Counter-UAV points count toward your next streak. If you play literally any other mode in Modern Warfare 3, you’ll be even more rewarded for using Scorestreaks.

You don’t need to play the objective to benefit, either. I still have friends who play Call of Duty who work one of the cutoff points rather than hanging out on the objective. As long as you can predict spawns with relative efficiency, you’ll always have a good idea of where the enemy is coming from. The knowledge lets you funnel them right into your crosshairs. And, should one make it onto a Hardpoint or Domination flag, you’ll get the extra score for taking them off of it.

Dying in an objective game mode doesn’t have as much of an effect in that case. Especially in something like Domination, if there’s a free flag to capture, you can make an easy 150 points toward your next streak at no cost to you. Even playing Kill Confirmed is easier because you get the 100 points for a kill and the extra points for picking up the tag, denying kills, and having other players pick up tags you got with your streaks.

In other words, there are almost no downsides to running Scorestreaks in Modern Warfare 3. This is especially true on smaller maps where the action is fast and the objectives close. You’ll almost always know where enemies will be and can account for them. Therefore, the one extra required kill is a moot point.

Why You Should Use Killstreaks in Modern Warfare 3

The humble Killstreak remains the most straightforward way of getting the air support your team might need to win. There are no points to keep track of and no need to play any specific way. The system is simple: get kills, get streaks. If you’re a TDM-only player, I can’t recommend Killstreaks enough. They don’t take quite as many kills to activate as a Scorestreak. Plus, you can focus on slaying first, asking questions later. If kills are your only care, the answer is always Killstreaks.

Killstreaks also free you up in objective game modes. You don’t have to spend as much time thinking about sitting on a point or trying to get massive amounts of defense and offense medals. Instead, you can be that cutoff player or the flanker preventing the enemy from reaching the objective in the first place. You should still be near the objective, of course. Make the occasional capture as is convenient, but doing so doesn’t need to be your main goal.

I find that Ground War lends itself to Killstreak use, as while you get more points for taking a flag, it takes much longer to accomplish. There’s also a much larger number of enemies to fight. This means you can probably get your Killstreak much quicker and easier. You can even hang around a particular flag and be the annoying player who calls it their home, ensuring no one else can make it their own.

Ultimately, whether you use Scorestreaks or Killstreaks is up to your personal preference and how you like to play. If hopping on objectives is ingrained in your soul, then Scorestreaks are always the way to go.

That answers the question: should you use Killstreaks or Scorestreaks in MW3? Stick around for more MW3 guides leading up to and after full release, including the best PC settings for good FPS, all Mastery camos, and more.