MW3 Improvement #5 Headquarters Pro

We're doing another installment of improvement guides and today we'll be talking about Headquarters Pro. This is by far the longest blog of this type that has been done, and will be done. There is a lot of information in here to be digested, but it is all neccesary for understanding how to win in this gametype.

I'm not a huge fan of this gametype because winning can often be determined by only one factor, but there are ways to help you improve your odds of winning a HQ match.

Once again we'll begin with the parameters of the game:

1.) time limit is 15 mins

2.) score to win is 500

3.) HQ activation delay is 30 seconds

4.) HQ Lifetime is 1 minute

5.) HQ first appears 5 seconds into the game

6.) HQ capture time is 20 seconds for 1 person

7.) HQ disarm time is 10 seconds for 1 person

8.) HQ appears 5 seconds after disarm.

9.) When defending team dies, they remain dead until HQ's is disarmed or the HQ time limit is reached.

10.) For defending team equipment stays on the map for duration of death.

All these parameters really don't mean much if you're not the first team to grab the very first headquarters. The team who gets the first one is almost always set up to get to the new HQs respawn first and has the advantage of defending it from fixed positions, so make sure you get the first one and you'll have the best shot at winning.

Getting to the HQs first isn't a guaranty that you're going to be able to secure it though...but it does help quite a bit. This is because of the reason stated above.

You have to always be aware that the capture time of the HQ's for one person is 20 seconds. That is forever in this gametype. Even 10 seconds is a long time to grab that area. You're going to need at least 2 people (10 seconds of capture time) and maybe have a third run through the area (doesn't have to stay, just needs to run through for a couple of seconds) to help that capture time decrease. The reason that third person doesn't need to stay is because just running through the HQ's area for 1 second with 2 people alreay on it makes that 1 second count as three. If it takes you 2 seconds to run through, that time multiplies to 6 for your 2. Having 3 guys sit in a clustered area is just asking for a grenade or a rocket to take you all out, so the guy who runs in and runs out helps lessen the chance of losing 3 defenders to only losing 2.

Once you have that HQ's point capped is when the real strategy comes into effect. You need to defend that area as long as possible, and since if you die while your team holds a HQ, you stay dead until the HQ's is destroyed or the HQ's time limit runs out, you need to be as prepared as possible to hold out as long as possible. You can do this by a few ways. You need to have people equipped with trophy systems (no more than 2) portable radars (at least 3, if portable radars are not an option, use scramblers or trophys) and for lethals you need to have people running with betties and claymores. The betties and claymores are what people in the military call force multipliers. They effectively increase your killing capacity by 1 more, making it seem as if you have 12 people defending that area as opposed to 6. The reason you use claymores (I personally prefer claymores) and betties as opposed to the more powerful C4 is because the claymores and betties remain active on the map after your death. Since C4 must be activated by a live person, if you are dead, the C4 becomes useless. Those claymore's and betties might be the difference between the other team disarming in 10 seconds or 20 seconds.

So you're saying, "This is helpful to me if I grab the HQ's right off the bat, but what if my team fails to grab it?" If your team fails to grab it, you need to be prepared to change your class. Initially you should have a defending class whenever you're trying to grab an available HQ's, but you need to abandon that class if you die while trying to disarm one. This is because those betties and claymores become useless when trying to force your way into a HQs. You now need to switch to a class that helps you attack the HQ's faster. You do this by using a class that has Tactical Insert and frag or sticky grenades. This set up is non-negotiable. Those tac inserts are instrumental in getting to that HQs faster than if you spawn on the other side of the map. You can effectively halve your approach time with a tac insert and keep up the pressure on those defenders. Always use your grenades first (you should never have one left on you when you die...never) and make sure the first thing you do after that first respawn away from the HQs you run halfway to the HQs and set up that tac insert.

A helpful tip to the attackers. Recognize how many dead the defenders have by looking at the gamescore by pressing select. If the whole other team is dead, and there is only ten seconds left on the HQs, leave it alone, don't try to disarm it. You'll never make it in time anyway, and if you do, the points you're denying the other team are insubstantial. Instead cut your losses and focus on attacking the new HQs. But if you see the other team is all dead relatively quickly, send 2 people (which would be a 5 second disarm) to disarm and send the other four out to find the new HQs. If you happen to be dead or on respawn when the HQs is disarmed, switch classes back to the defending class so you'll be ready if you guys win the new one.

Switching classes won't get rid of the highest killstreak you have earned. you'll still have it ready for use in the new class.

Other key set-ups for attacking HQ's are running Extreme conditioning, Quickdraw pro, and stalker pro or sit-rep. Don't use the perks I listed as pro if you don't have them though. This is because quick draw is useless without the recover from equipment usage addition, and stalker is useless without the delayed explosion addition. Why should you use these perks? Extreme conditioning helps you attack faster, quickdraw pro helps you throw grenades and be ready to fire as soon as possible, and stalker pro and sit-rep help you get rid of those force multipliers I was talking about earlier.

"So what do I run if I have succeeded and grabbed the HQs?" You will definetly need the blast shield or assassin perk, scavenger, blind eye or sleight of hand (I prefer this) and dead silence. The blast shield is for the inside defenders. You will be inundated with grenades and you will need to stay alive as long as possible to defend your area. Blast shield does this by allowing you to live through at least 1 extra grenade than normal. Assassin is good for staying off the radar and dead silence keeps your where-a-bouts unknown from the other team if you're moving around. First thing you need to do if you're inside defending the HQs is to put up those trophy systems. Then, if you have a doorway, put the claymores, FACING AWAY FROM THE DIRECTION YOU ARE HIDING IN next to the doorway (generally best placed facing towards the HQs just a tad, and toss your betties outside the doorways or approaching paths as far away from you as possible. The betties are almost as dangerous to you as they are the enemy. If you were to put one inside the same room as you and the eemy set one off by either shooting one, by grenade, or by running into it himself, you'll die too, and we don't want that. Not everyone on your team should be defending the HQs up close. You need at least 2 guys running around outside of the HQs. These guys need to have their portable radars or scramblers place near the HQs but not stick around them themselves. These radars are to help the guys inside, the last line of defense if you will.

"What killstreaks should I run if I'm playing the way you suggest?" You should not run anything higher than a 7 attack killstreak or a 5 support killstreak. If you're constantly changing classes, you'll almost never be able to get the higher killstreaks, so use what you can when you can. A good assault set up would be uav, care package and helicopter. No streaks that require you to stop shooting and aim like a predator or an air streak. If you're indisposed for even a couple of seconds, that could mean your death. For support classes I would run a uav and Counter UAVs. That's right, just the two. In mw3 you don't have to run 3 streaks. Since it is highly unlikely you will ever get those 18 kill streaks like emps or juggernaught constantly switching classes, there's no need to even try to do it. Just set it up so you can get what you can as many times as you possibly can. Getting a UAV every 3 kills (if you decide to only use UAVs) is infinitely easier, and more productive, than getting 3 killstreaks for 18 kills. If you got 18 kills and only ran one killstreak at 3, you could effectivey have 6 killstreaks to the 18's 3. What a deal!

All this strategy could very well mean nothing if you don't get that first HQs though. This gametype has always favored the team to win the first HQs. Inevitably, because the new HQs spawns where the least amount of people tend to be, and the previous HQs winner spawn together as far away from the attackers as posiible, the new HQs will almost always be closer to the winners than those who lost the first one...not to mention they'll be in force where the other team will be spread out a bit and easy pickins for the most part.

Hope this helps, and next time will be the last gametype strategy on Capture the Flag.After that we'll move into sucsessful weapon perks and proficiency combinations followed by good perk combinations.