30 levels later: My journey refreshing my skills on MW2 multiplayer

I've finished campaign mode two days ago and had a blast getting into spec ops mode with a friend just yesterday. I'll get back into spec ops of course to beat every level, but MW2's infamous multiplayer was calling to me. Glory days long past of racking kills until my rare chance to call in helicopter support. Oh those unlucky days on Crossfire where my team got bogged down in the hangars and got carpet bombed mercilessly, but it was still loads of fun the first time through. Here is my complete experience from level 1 to level 30, from shell shocked newbness to competent kill streaker.

Level 1 is a harsh, harsh place, especially on your first time through. Prestiging back to level 1 probably won't hurt as bad since I know the load outs, but your forced to make friends with you weird default classes until level 5. I took a shining to the riot control class though because the secondary weapon was a pair of akimbo, dual wielded PP-2000s. It comes with the tier 1 Marathon perk, so getting around wasn't a problem. I didn't like the default assault class with the FAMAS too much, so I took my time experimenting with the characteristics of the riot shield. Luckily, no one else was used to it, so it was loads of fun bashing people's heads in.

After much grinding, level 5 came around, and the first thing I did was make my custom classes. I didn't like either the M4 or the FAMAS, so I decided to stick tier 2 Stopping Power onto the UMP .45 and go to town with some classic spray and pray (thanks to Steady Aim also being unlocked by default).

Then I hit level 7 and I get my grubby mits on everyone's favorite new item, the throwing knife. At first it's stupid fun chucking it people, but then I put two and two together and realize that throwing this with the riot shield out can be a real laugh riot, and an effective one to boot! It got even crazier when I stuck the riot shield with tier 3 perk, Commando. Now if I can't switch to my secondary, and don't have a good chance for a throwing knife, I can surprise my enemy with a sudden lunge with my shield thanks to Commando. My K/D ratio starts evening out. I get less kills, but I die less, and yet my score doesn't reflect my low K/D ratio. All the bullets I'd been reflecting is really adding up.

At level 12, I'd already unlocked the SCAR-H, a fairly accurate, low ammo capacity assault rifle. I can't really click with it though. I love it when the gun gives me ammo to spare in a firefight, and the SCAR lacks it. Instead, I shift gears over to the Vector and I find out it's like a P90-lite. Fast rate of fire, large ammo count, fairly accurate and an easy to hold SMG. This gun gets out of hand with akimbo equipped on it as on smaller maps, you can essentially play it like Halo 3 and run and gun through the map without needing to aim down the sights. As one person put it, you trade accuracy for the ability to shoot a wall of bullets at your target.

At 18, the AA-12 became unlocked and I was saddened a bit. This shotgun is fully automatic but is extremely inefficient at its job (of mowing down enemies). Because its on full auto, it's difficult to conserve ammo plus it has horrible range when compared to the spiritual successor to CoD4's pump action shotgun, the SPAS-12. At 24 total shells with a mag of 8 and full auto with bad range, you'll blow through 4 to 5 shells easy trying to kill enemies then waste time reloading as 3 shells is an unsafe number to rely on in a fire fight. The SPAS-12 on the other hand can kill at a surprising range, and you'll only ever need 1, 2 shells tops to kill a target before he kills you. Loading the SPAS-12 with the Barret .50 Cal and Tactical Insertion, I had a great game setting my spawn point with the TI at the top of the map, killing one enemy, getting killed, then taking my killer by surprise as I respawned nearby (behind him even) to get payback.

Finally at 20, I unlock an assault rifle I really click with: the TAR-21. The ammo count is fair, the iron sights are acceptable, the damage is good, and the RoF is it's real selling point. It probably helps that it resembles an SMG. I get to work actually using it often in order to unlock its attachments. At 21, I use the tier 1 perk, Bling, to use both the grenade launcher and red dot sight and become enthralled with the ability to have precision aim and a grenade launcher.

Then it finally came. Level 24 and I got my favorite gun ever, the P90. One of the better SMGs out there, with a huge ammo count, incredibly accuracy and a blindly fast RoF. I love nicknaming it the bullet laser because of it's combined speed and accuracy. Also, since it's an SMG, it can be used akimbo, leading to deadly clouds of bullets whizzing by, perforating enemies everywhere.

Lastly on 30, I finally unlock a rocket launcher to put those damn aerial killstreaks in their place. The Stinger missile launcher becomes the go to answer it the enemy team has too much skill and amasses too many killstreaks in the air. Best of all, the new UAV Jammer perk, Cold Blooded, lets you go by completely unnoticed by all killstreaks (due to them relying on thermal vision). Enemy helicopter patrol? Cold Blooded and Sting'em! Enemy UAV up? Sting it! Harrier? Sting it too!

And so we're at where I am now in my journey. I'm now at 32 and just unlocked the AUG HBAR. I've equipped the TAR-21 with a silencer and heartbeat sensor for the ultimate in stealth flanking. And I'm actively trying to finish grinding some achievements for my perks and gun. Marathon pro (run 26 miles with Marathon equipped) Lightweight pro (30 miles with this) and extended mags for the AA-12 (roughly 400 kills with it).

My new goal is level 56 to unlock the M21 EBR. Resembling the old M21 sniper rifle from CoD4, I hope it has the least amount of recoil of all the rifles, equip a silencer, Cold Blooded, and camp with it long and hard.