In March 2010, the Modern Warfare 2 online community eclipsed the 25 million unique visitor mark (across all platforms). People all over the world spend countless hours online; some enjoy objective-based games like Headquarters or Capture the Flag, where there is a final “objective”, while others play games based on deathmatches in which they try to achieve the highest number of kills for death rate. (“K / D”). The goal of this article is to help the latter group improve their K / D.

A player’s K / D is simply the number of kills he increased divided by the number of times he died. For example, if a player had a round of 20 kills and 10 kills, they would have a K / D of 2.0. Put another way, on average this player would get 2 kills before dying 1 time. While it is not a hard and fast rule, a player is considered “acceptable” if he has a K / D greater than 1.0. This means that you are having an overall positive impact on your team – you are contributing more deaths than deaths. Anything less than a K / D means you are having an overall negative impact on your team. “Good” players generally have a K / D ratio of 1.5, “Really good” over 2.0, “Great” over 2.5, “Awesome” over 3.0 and “Superstars” are 3.5+ Obviously these are not hard and fast rules, but you will find that most people agree with something close to these numbers (some people have K / D much higher than this; however, don’t believe that some of the people at the top of the leaderboards with K / D of 25.0 or more they are simply hacking the database and entering bogus K / D numbers).

Having a K / D of less than 1.0 can be a frustrating experience for a number of reasons. First, you are spending more time being killed than killing. This in itself is very annoying. Second, other players see you more as a drag than a contributing team member, and you often find them ridiculous. Lastly, it is very difficult to join a clan when you have a low K / D. On the flip side, there are numerous benefits to having a high K / D. These include bragging rights, clan invites, and an overall more positive experience (you spend more time playing than rebuilding). So how can you improve your K / D? Let’s look at some key factors that are critical to your success in Modern Warfare 2.

The most important factor in achieving a higher K / D is matching your class development with your play style. If you play a speed game, make sure you have a class that allows you to shoot and move fast. This means equipping a submachine gun as your primary weapon and using perks that increase your speed (marathon or light weight). If you are a camper, precision and stealth are imperative. Equip a sniper rifle or light machine gun and adapt your perks to avoid detection (silencer, ninja, cold blooded, etc.). If you play a hybrid style game, you will want to find a good compromise between a sprint style and a camp. To achieve this, use an assault rifle as your primary weapon. This allows you to attack from a variety of distances. To get benefits, you also want to find a balance between speed and power. The advantages are much more at the discretion of the player when using a hybrid class than a sprinter or camper. You really can’t go wrong, however stopping power is a must given that many assault rifles are very underpowered.

It is also imperative that you find out what type of player you are, not what type of construction you use now, but what really suits your strengths. For whatever reason, most players are drawn to sniper classes when they start out. However, mastering the sniper is very difficult. Unless you are a master marksman, you will have a hard time excelling as a sniper. Most new players would do well to start out as a hybrid and learn the mechanics of the game before specializing in a sprint or caravan class. Do not try to force yourself into a style of play that you are not comfortable with. The more you play, the faster you will realize where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Focus on your strengths and adapt your designs to complement your style. This will dramatically improve your K / D.

Another critical factor in increasing your K / D is to remember that Modern Warfare 2 is a TEAM game (not counting free-for-all games, of course). Try not to stray too far from your teammates, or at least always be aware of where they are. Don’t rush into a group of 3 backless enemies. It’s always easier to avoid getting killed if you’re in a group and have teammates to get away from the fire. While your teammates are shooting, this is an excellent opportunity to target your enemy.

Lastly, memorize the layouts for each map. As you play Modern Warfare 2 more, you will begin to realize that certain parts of certain maps tend to generate more action than others and players often follow common routes to find the action. You can use this enormously to your advantage. Find a well-covered area and take out players as they follow these common routes to action. Equipping a silencer will allow you to go unnoticed (at least for a while) while eliminating your enemies. Also, avoid wandering through these high-traffic areas on your own; it will be an unaided target practice.

While these tips will help your K / D dramatically, the only way to GUARANTEE an improved K / D is to practice, practice, and practice. Many of the best Modern Warfare 2 players have been playing the Call of Duty series for over 5 years. There’s no way that, as a total newbie, you can compete with them on Day 1. Don’t let this put you off though. Stick to it and follow these tips and little by little, but surely, you will start to see your K / D increase.