Best Striker Loadout and Class Setup in MW3

Best Striker loadout and class setup, perks, and equipment for COD: Modern Warfare 3 Season 1.

Striker Submachine Gun in MW3

The Striker Submachine Gun during this Season 1 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is considered the best choice for those wanting to gun down enemies with speed, less recoil, and the highest accuracy. As one of the newest weapons to be included in the vast arsenal of weapons in MW3, the Striker SMG is one of the feared weapons in MW3’s pre-season and Season 1.

Compared to MW3’s SMG selections, such as the WSP Swarm and AMR9, the Striker offers the best time-to-kill (TTK) and recoil control; it’s also a great SMG for close to mid-range encounters. With all my matches in MW3, the Striker has recently been my go-to SMG weapon because it offers better mobility, excellent recoil control, and the best TTK when I go for a run-and-gun playstyle, especially in Team Deathmatch modes.

Here’s the best Striker loadout I’ve come up with in the time I spent in MW3’s multiplayer this Season 1 that will give you the advantage against other players.

Best MW3 Striker Loadout

  • Barrel: Striker Recon Long Barrel
  • Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor S
  • Underbarrel: XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop
  • Stock: Lachmann MK2 Light Stock
  • Rear Grip: Sakin ZX Grip

The range can be detrimental to most SMGs, mainly in mid-sized maps like Estate and Underpass, which is why the SMGs are the weapon of choice in smaller maps like Rust and those with tight corners like the Favela map. This Striker loadout aims to excel in both close and mid-range combat while retaining the best TTK in MW3.

Starting with the Striker Recon Long Barrel mod will allow the Striker to gain better range and velocity while improving the aiming idle sway. This will make your bullets travel much faster in mid-range; however, do note that this won’t entirely replace Assault Rifles (AR) at distances, which is why you’ll have to choose the MCW assault rifle if you want to opt for the best mid to long-range ARs.

For the Muzzle mod, it’s been a battle of choosing between the “Sonic Suppressor S” and the “Shadowstrike Suppressor S”. Some may go for the Shadowstrike Suppressor S for the fact that it doesn’t affect any stats while gaining the perk of being undetectable by the radar when you shoot. However, the Sonic Suppressor S can give me better Bullet Velocity and a slightly increased Damage Range, which enables me to be even more effective in shooting enemies at mid-range by sacrificing a bit of Aim Walking Steadiness, Sprint to Fire Speed, and a bit of Recoil Control.

Best Striker SMG Loadout in Call of Duty MW3
The Best Striker SMG Loadout in MW3.

The XRK Edge BW-4 Handstop underbarrel mod will give you better Aim Walking Speed so you can strafe left and right making it difficult for your enemies to hit you, this mod will also offer additional mobility, improves Aim Down Sight Speed and will also increase your Sprint to Fire Speed.

The Lachmann MK2 Light Stock mod will provide you with better movement and sprint speed; however, if you may want to opt for better Gun Kick Control, Aim Down Sitght Speed, and Sprint to Fire Speed while sacrificing your Hipfire and Tac Stance Spread, Recoil Control, and Movement Speed then your best option is to go for the RB Crotalus Assault Stock. I find the Lachmann MK2 Light Stock the best of the two as it will give me better mobility and it won’t affect any other stats aside from Aiming Idle Sway and Gun Kick Control since the Sakin ZX Grip mod will improve the Gun Kick Control stat significantly, while also offering better Firing Aim Stability and Recoil Control.

Overall, this Striker SMG loadout in MW3 will provide you with better mobility due to the increased movement speed and the best TTK, and it is also quite effective at mid-range combat.

Best Striker Class Setup in MW3

  • Vest: Assassin Vest
  • Tactical: Stun Grenade
  • Lethal: Semtex
  • Field Upgrade: N/A for the Assassin Vest
  • Gloves: Commando Gloves
  • Boots: Covert Sneakers
  • Gear: Tac Mask

The Assassin Vest is a new addition to Modern Warfare 3’s line of wearable vests for Season 1. This new vest will make players undetectable from UAV and enemy radar effects while keeping their kills hidden, as skull icons won’t be displayed. However, you won’t be granted a Field Upgrade when the Assassin Vest is equipped. In previous class setups, the Infantry Vest was the most common choice for the Striker SMG, but this all-new Assassin Vest replaces the Infantry Vest as the best choice for the Striker SMG loadout this MW3 Season 1.

For Tactical and Lethal, it’s entirely up to you if you would instead go for a combination of Stun and Frag grenade or a Flashbang and a Semtex. I usually go for a Stun Grenade as my Tactical to keep myself safe in corners if I sense enemies are coming from a specific direction where I’m going while opting with a Frag Grenade for my Lethal as I prefer throwing it at walls that will make the grenade bounce to a particular area. In the end, both Tactical and Lethal are up to your preference.

As for the Gloves, you can choose between the Commando and Scavenger gloves, as both offer great perks. I prefer equipping the Commando Gloves as it gives me better mobility since it will allow me to reload my weapons while sprinting, especially with the Covert Sneakers boots, which enable me to run without making any footstep noise, making this Striker loadout much more dangerous.

Assassin Vest for Striker SMG Loadout in MW3
The new Assassin Vest in MW3.

The Tac Mask gear will protect you from enemy flash, stun, and gas grenades by reducing its effects when you hit. You can either go for EOD Padding to reduce any non-killstreak explosives, or the Bone Conduction Headset to increase the combat noise and enemy footsteps, but to make this Striker loadout the best out there, the Tac Mask is the recommended choice for Gear.

Lastly, if you’re looking for the best secondary weapon for the Striker, again, it’s up to preference; however, the Renetti pistol proves to be the best secondary weapon you’ll have for this loadout, especially when it has the following mod: Bruen Express (Trigger Action), 50 Round Drum (Magazine), FT Steel Fire (Muzzle), MK2 Renetti Long Barrel (Barrel), and the FJX Diod-70 (Laser).


That’s everything for the best Striker loadout in MW3. This guide will be updated when future updates happen for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.