Trying to find a Crossbow loadout in Modern Warfare 3 that doesn't plain suck? You're in the right place; we've got all the best attachments and perks that you should equip alongside the Crossbow. Also, we'll be passing our judgment on whether the Crossbow will ever break into Modern Warfare 3's meta.
The Crossbow is widely regarded as a bit of a meme weapon in Modern Warfare 3. Present in many previous Call of Duty titles, the crossbow fires slow projectiles with a considerably high amount of drop-off, making it one of the toughest weapons to use in the game. However, with a bit of skill, you can find success with the Crossbow.
Before we take a look at the best Crossbow loadout, check out our guides on how to perform finishing moves or our walkthrough on the PC system requirements for Modern Warfare 3. You can find these and many more guides in our dedicated Modern Warfare 3 walkthrough hub.
What is the best Modern Warfare 3 Crossbow loadout?
- Perks: Overkill / Marksman / Covert Sneakers / Bone Conduction Headset
- Grenades: Frag / Flash
Best Modern Warfare 3 Crossbow attachments
By using the Gunsmith, players can significantly alter how their gun behaves and looks. By equipping different attachments that make major changes to the gun's stats, you're able to adapt the Crossbow to a huge variety of different playstyles. After testing different combinations, these are the best to use on the Crossbow:
- Arms: Thunder 200 LB
- Optic: Slate Reflector
- Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
- Wire: 28-Strand Cable
- Stock: FT Apex 1.5
The Thunder 200 LB arms enhance bolt accuracy in addition to some recoil control alongside the FT Apex 1.5 which also reduces kick when firing the powerful bolts of the Crossbow.
To minimise further drop-off, the 28-Strand Cable means you can deal huge amounts of damage even at the longest of distances. Fast reaction times are essential in Modern Warfare 3 which is where the XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop comes into its own. Lower aim-down sight and sprint-to-fire times give you the best possible chance to fire a bolt before your opponent has time to fire their weapon.
Best Modern Warfare 3 Crossbow perks and equipment
Below, we’ve got the best perks and equipment to help you get the most out of the Crossbow in Modern Warfare 3.
Perks
- Vest: Overkill
- Gloves: Marksman
- Boots: Covert Sneakers
- Gear: Bone Conduction Headset
Equipping the overkill vest with the Crossbow will greatly improve your mobility, by increasing your weapon swap speed and allowing you to reload while sprinting. Moreover, the marksman gloves will enable you to hit more shots with your Crossbow, thanks to their reduction to sway and flinch while you're ADS. This is exceptionally important given how slowly the Crossbow fires.
Meanwhile, the covert sneakers will allow you to run around the map silently, which will help you get an advantage over unsuspecting enemies. Pairing these boots with the Bone Conduction Headset will give you an optimal audio experience of Modern Warfare 3, allowing you to hear your opponents more clearly.
Equipment
- Lethal: Frag Grenade
- Tactical: Flash Grenade
Although all of the lethal types of equipment can be used to great effect, we feel that the frag grenade offers the most versatile, yet easy-to-use, option. You'll be able to master the timing and the range of your frag grenade throws with a bit of practice.
For your tactical equipment, the flashes are a dynamic and classic piece of utility to pair with the Crossbow. You can use your flashes to ambush enemies, making them extra susceptible to your slow weapon.
Is the Modern Warfare 3 Crossbow meta?
In all its Call of Duty history, the Crossbow has always been an off-meta pick for players. You'll generally be able to use the weapon to full effect against those not using a submachine gun or assault rifle, but with the majority of players wielding these types of weapons, the Crossbow will rarely have a chance to shine.
That’s all there is to know about the Crossbow and its best loadout. For more Modern Warfare 3 content like this, why not check out our guide on the best FOV settings for the game, or perhaps our tutorial on the optimal Modern Warfare 3 graphics settings? We’ve also got a complete list of all the perk locations in the Zombies game mode.