Modern Warfare 3’s Ranked Play is here, and if you want to dominant enemies and move up the Skill Divisions, you’ll need the best MW3 Ranked Play loadouts, as used by the pro players.
Ranked Play is the ultimate test of your Call of Duty skills, placing you into the same competitive-style matches that the pros play every week in the Call of Duty League. Played across Hardpoint, Control, and Search and Destroy, you need to master all three modes if you hope to win matches and move up Skill Divisions.
One of the most important factors in this is your loadout. No matter how good you are, using a class that isn’t as strong as your enemies will put you at a major disadvantage. That’s why we’ve put together the best loadouts for the guns used by pro players.
MCW – Best Assault Rifle
- Barrel: 16.5″ MCW Cyclone Long Barrel
- Optic: MK. 3 Reflector
- Stock: RB Regal Heavy Stock
- Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop
- Muzzle: L4R Flash Hider
The MCW has been the CDL’s most dominant weapon, counting for over 70% of kills in the league’s respawn modes. It’s no surprise then that the MCW should be your go-to weapon in Ranked Play too.
While there is some room to experiment and try new attachments on this class, there are two attachments you need to use: The 16.5″ MCW Cyclone Long Barrel, and the RB Regal Heavy Stock. These two attachments are going to buff your damage and help with recoil control, so are must-haves.
After that, feel free to try some things out and see which you prefer. The optic especially is somewhere you can experiment, and will come down to personal preference.
Rival-9 – Best SMG
- Muzzle: Purifier Muzzle Break S
- Barrel: Rival-C Clearshot Barrel
- Stock: MTZ Marauder Stock
- Rear Grip: Rival Vice Assault Grip
- Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop
If there’s room for experimentation with the MCW, the opposite can be said for the Rival-9 as there is only one loadout that can be considered meta with this SMG.
This loadout is perfect for aggressive run-and-gunners, and can even do well at medium-to-long distances. Still, the usage doesn’t lie, and it simply doesn’t match up to the MCW.
Renetti – Best Secondary
- Barrel: MLX Short Competition
- Optic: Slimline Pro
- Rear Grip: EXF Eclipsor
Look, the Renetti isn’t good enough to be your primary weapon. If you’ve run out of bullets, and need something to finish off an enemy, then the Renetti is the go-to pistol among pro players.
There are only three attachments on this gun, and to be honest, you can even choose not to run the optic if you want. I’ve tried it with both, and prefer it without a sight, but the pros keep it on.
Best Vest, Perks, and Equipment for MW3 Ranked Play
Because respawn modes play so differently from Search and Destroy, I’ve divided this section up into two different sections. I would suggest having a loadout for each so you don’t have to keep making changes between maps.
Hardpoint and Control
- Vest: Infantry Vest
- Tactical: Stun Grenade
- Lethal: Semtex
- Gloves: Assault Gloves
- Boots: Covert Sneakers
- Gear: EOD Padding
- Field Upgrade: Trophy System
For respawn modes, this is the set-up you should consider running. The Infantry Vest’s improved Tac Sprint duration is key to getting you into hills quickly, while the Semtex can help break opposition holds.
With Covert Sneakers acting as the old Dead Silence perk, it’s a no-brainer to run it, while EOD Padding and the Trophy System will help protect you from explosives.
Search and Destroy
- Vest: Infantry Vest
- Tactical: Smoke Grenade
- Lethal: Frag Grenade
- Gloves: Assault Gloves
- Boots: Covert Sneakers
- Gear: EOD Padding
- Field Upgrade: Trophy System
The only real changes for S&D come in the Tactical and Lethal Grenades. Smokes will help you get the bomb down by covering the bomb, or blocking sightlines if you’re planting in the open.
Frag Grenades are also useful, as their delayed explosion means you can set up nades for enemies to run into at the start of rounds.
These weapons and perks should give you a good chance at getting wins in MW3’s Ranked Play, and help you move up the Skill Divisions.
