Warzone has replaced the Gear system from MW3 multiplayer in favor of a more traditional perks system. There are a ton of Perks, which is excellent as it adds more build flexibility. The downside is it can be quite overwhelming, so let me show you the best Perks in MW3 Warzone.
How to use Perks in Warzone
If you’re new to Warzone, let me quickly explain how to equip and use Perks. Move over to the Weapons tab in the Warzone menu to bring up your Loadouts. These packages will drop into the map if you survive long enough and can also be purchased from Buy Stations. You can pick 4 Perks in this menu, which you’ll gain when you grab your Loadout. If you get two load-outs in a match, you’ll overwrite your previous perks instead of adding to them.
Related: Best One-Shot Sniper build in MW3 Warzone
What are the best Perks in Warzone?
Perks have designated slots, so you can’t just pick the four best ones. Slots 1 and 2 share the same Perk Pool, while Slots 3 and 4 have their own curated options. The Warzone meta has shifted to favor more aggressive playstyles, so we’ve updated this guide to reflect those trends. Here are my picks for the best Perks in each pool:
Best Perks for Slots 1 and 2
- Battle Hardened – Reduce the effects of Tacticals
- Scavenger – Resupply off Dead Players
- Sleight of Hand – Reload Faster
- Double Time – Increases Tac Sprint duration and reduces refresh time
Battle Hardened: Tactical Grenades like Flashes and Stuns are incredibly strong in Warzone and can easily win you a gunfight. Battle Hardened doesn’t make you completely immune but will keep you alive more than the other Slot 1 Perks.
Scavenger: Scavenger is an excellent quality-of-life Perk and helps you to manage your ammo and plate economy. Going into a fight without full armor is a death sentence, which should happen far less with this Perk. Although I think Battle Hardened is slightly better, Scavenger is a close second.
Sleight of Hand: Reloading in a gunfight will get you killed, and although you should swap weapons in this instance, it’s not always possible. Sleight of Hand makes you reload faster, which is a godsend on chunky weapons like LMGs. If you’ve got a gun that fills quickly or a reliable secondary, you may have less need for this Perk.
Double Time: Speed and Mobility are essential for avoiding gunfire in Battle Royales, and Warzone is no different. While Double Time doesn’t make you move any faster, it does mean your Tac Sprint is always live and ready to use.
If you combine Double Time with Slide Canceling, you can evade fire even if you’re caught out in the open.
Best Perks for Slot 3
There are a ton of powerful, impactful Perks in Slot 3. The trickiest part is picking one that suits your playstyle the best:
- Tracker – Enemies leave behind a trail of footprints — kill markers are hidden from the enemy team
- Stalker – Increased Strafe and ADS movement speed
- Tempered – Full Armor at 2 plates instead of 3
- Survivor – Faster Revives, less cash loss on death, and enemies that down you are pinged
Tracker: Tracker allows you to hunt targets that try to break a ‘line of sight’ and reset the fight. This Perk enables a very aggressive playstyle and lets you finish battles quickly. Tracker may become less valuable as players get used to the map, but until then, it’s a superb Perk that will win you gunfights.
Stalker: The person who lands more of their shots in close-range fights will usually win. Stalker makes you harder to hit in those situations and pairs nicely with SMGs.
While not as beneficial overall as something like Tracker, Stalker is incredible if you enjoy using your speed and movement to overwhelm your opponents.
Tempered: As players have become more aggressive in Warzone, I’ve noticed more players adopting perks that enable that playstyle. With this in mind, I’ve encountered many players running Tempered, which makes you refill your armor with two plates instead of three.
This perk may sound like a minor buff, but you can recover in combat much faster. Tempered also does wonders for your plate economy. As players die in Warzone so fast, full armor is essential if you take fights head-on. The Tempered Perk ticks so many boxes, it should be no surprise that many players swear by it.
Survivor: Survivor is only helpful with a squad but may be worth considering if you play with friends. The faster revives can come in handy if your buddies go down often in fights, and the reduced cash loss makes dying less punishing.Â
Survivor is a niche perk, but it can have uses if you play in a group with a vastly different skill level.
Best Perks for Slot 4
Your Perk choices for Slot 4 are the most impactful, offering game-changing abilities. These Perks can decide the winner in the final circle or offer fantastic advantages in combat. These are my picks for the best of the bunch:
- Ghost – Become invisible to UAVs and equipment when moving
- Birdseye – Improves UAV scans and detects Ghosted players
- Resolute – Gain a burst of speed when under fire
- High Alert – Vision pulses when spotted by an enemy player outside of view
Ghost: In the wrong situation, UAVs are a death sentence, and Ghost is the most potent counter. UAVs win games in multiplayer, and that’s doubly true in Warzone, where you can only afford to die once.Â
While incredibly powerful, Ghost has a counter in MW3 Warzone, which may be a viable option depending on your playstyle.
Birdseye: Birdseye is a dangerous counter to Ghosted players as it grants improved UAVs that reveal them. If that wasn’t enough, Birdseye also shows where your enemies are going, giving valuable intel you can use to win fights.
There’s a strong case for Birdseye being the best Perk in Warzone. The only downside is you need UAVs to reap the benefits. If you don’t have Cash or a steady flow of UAVs, Birdseye is a dead ability but is game-changing in squad play.
Resolute: I’ve already harped on about the importance of movement, and Resolute gives exactly that when you need it the most. Resolute grants a burst of speed when you’re under attack, allowing for swift repositioning.
Any Apex players will draw similarities to Bangalore’s passive ability, and it’s just as strong in Warzone as it is in there. If you don’t care about your radar presence, Resolute is a superb, combat-oriented ability that’s well worth the slot.
High Alert: High Alert is another Perk I see a ton, and with good reason. This powerful Perk lets you know if an enemy player is aiming at you. If that wasn’t strong enough, the direction of your opponent is highlighted in orange at the side of your screen.
Sniping is an ever-present threat in Warzone, and High Alert is one of the few available tools to counter that. Even if you’re not fighting snipers, so many hard-hitting weapons can delete you within a couple of seconds. High Alert allows you to reset fights before they’ve even started and is a strong candidate for the best Perk in the game.
Best Perk Packages in MW3 Warzone
There are a ton of powerful Perks in Warzone, but if you’re looking for combinations with decent synergy, here are a couple you can try out:
Full Aggression
- Sleight of Hand
- Battle Hardened
- Tempered
- High Alert
This combo is perfect for aggressive players. Sleight of Hand means you reload faster, which can come into play during extended fights. Battle Hardened lets you shake off stuns and flashes more quickly, although you’re not invincible.
Finally, Tempered is excellent for your plate economy, and High Alert means you’re far less likely to be snuck up on. We trade out powerful Perks like Ghost for a loadout that demands your opponents fight on your terms. If you’re after high-octane games with tons of kills, you’ll love this combination.
Off the Grid
- Sleight of Hand
- Scavenger
- Tracker
- Ghost
If you prefer a playstyle less akin to a G-Fuel snorting maniac, try this combination on for size. Sleight of Hand is an exceptional perk I run in every class. Scavenger is great for replenishing your equipment, including Smoke Grenades, which are essential in Warzone at the time of writing.
Tracker and Ghost synergize perfectly, allowing you to sneak up on opponents and stay off the radar if they hear your footsteps. This perk package gives you all the tools to survive until the end of the match and take on your opponents with an intel advantage.
If you enjoy your fights up close and personal, why not use a shotgun? If you don’t know what to use, check out our guide on the best Shotgun builds in Warzone.
