The zombie horde is unrelenting in MW3, so make sure you start off each match with the best possible loadout.
Zombies works much differently in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 than it has in years past. There is no Round-Based mode, you can both permanently find and lose certain items, and you have a timer to beat in every match. Before you can truly take part in the new Zombies mode, though, you need to craft a specific loadout for your Operator.
In the “Gear” tab of the Zombies lobby, you will find that you can equip items in your Rucksack: two weapons, a lethal and tactical, and a Field Upgrade. All of this comprises your overall loadout to start with when you drop into a match. While your loadout needs depend on completing a certain mission, we have put together the best overall loadout that best serves your needs when going into a round of Zombies. This includes what the top weapon build is and what are the best pieces of equipment to equip.
Best MW3 Zombies Loadout
Let’s kick things off with your Rucksack, which will be able to carry a variety of items depending on the size of your Rucksack (Small, Medium, Large). What you include in your Rucksack will vary from game to game, as in one round you might need more items than another.
For example, if you’re just grinding for camos or going in to complete a simple mission, then you likely don’t want to bring in a bunch of Perks, Crystals, or Ammo Mods. Instead, you want to bring the bare essentials in case you die, so then you haven’t lost much. However, if you’re planning on going into the High Threat Zone or completing a difficult mission, then you want more appropriate items that will help you survive. It’s all based on your specific situation, but the general rule of thumb is to only bring items you need or are willing to lose in your Rucksack.
Moving on, we have the meat and potatoes of any Zombies loadout, which are the weapons and equipment. Starting with your weapons, this will once again vary depending on your situation. If you’re going for the Borealis or Bioluminscent Mastery Camo, then you want to equip specific weapons that will progress you further to unlocking those camos. However, if you simply want the best overall weapons to equip for Zombies, here’s a short list of the top guns:
- WSP Swarm
- MCW
- Haymaker
- TYR
- TAQ Eradicator
- Renetti
Your ability to equip these custom guns will depend on your Insured Slots. If you have completed Act 1, then you will have two Insured Slots, meaning you can equip two custom guns. Every time you die, though, your Insured Slots go on a cooldown, meaning you have to dip into your Contraband weapons.
When building a loadout for a gun in Zombies, there are a few elements you want to consider. First, you always want to equip a larger magazine on a weapon, as this allows you to kill more zombies and gives you an even bigger magazine when you Pack-A-Punch. Next, you want to focus more on mobility, as stats like damage range and bullet velocity don’t matter too much when you have the ability to upgrade your guns. As you can see below, I built the DG-58 LSW with a large magazine, mobility attachments, and a barrel that slightly boosted damage to make it more viable when not upgraded:
Finally, the last two parts of your loadout are the equipment and Field Upgrade. Below, you can see our recommendations for the Tactical, Lethal, and Field Upgrade in MW3 Zombies:
Tactical
- Cymbal Monkey (Only equipped by finding it in-game)
- LT53 Kazimir (Only equipped by finding it in-game)
- Experimental Gas
- Stim
Lethal
- Molotov
- Breacher Drone
- Semtex
Field Upgrade
- Aether Shroud
- Frenzied Guard
- Healing Aura (When playing in parties)
In the Tactical section, there are two pieces of equipment that you can’t equip by default from the Tactical menu in Zombies. Instead, you have to find both the Cymbal Monkey and LT53 Kazimir while in-game and then exfil with them to have them equipped on your loadout. These are the two best pieces of Tactical equipment, so you might want to consider picking them up if you happen to find them.
With the Lethals, the Molotov is the best option in our estimation, as it doesn’t outright kill zombies but it can deal damage to dozens of them if you throw it on the ground in the right spot. This makes zombies easier to kill and still allows you to kill them with your weapon.
Finally, there are only a few Field Upgrades to choose from, but Frenzied Guard and Aether Shroud are the best options, especially if you use Field Upgrades to get yourself out of a jam in Zombies.
And that does it for our best Zombies loadout in MW3. If you’re looking for a simple loadout that isn’t tailored for a specific mission or the camo grind, then our loadout will serve you extremely well. If you are on the camo grind, though, you might want to check out our previous guide on finding Hellhounds, as that’s a common camo challenge to see.