Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3/X360/PC) Indepth Shotgun guide:
how to win at online/multiplayer.

Version 1.0

Copyright 2010 Christopher Lane

Email: chrissilverdogs(at)yahoo(dot)com
(Just copy and paste the address and put the correct symbols in)

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1.0 Version history:
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1.0 - First and probably the last version.

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Contents: 
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Note - press ctrl and f together to enter the 'find' widow and 
just simple enter the code of what you want to read/visit first 
e.g. Say you wanted to know which is the best primary weapon to
use you'd go to section 2.1 easy right.

1.0 - Version History

1.1 - Introduction

1.2 - What this guides about?

2.0 - Vital Shotgunner tips

2.1 - What Primary weapon to use?

2.2 - What equipment to use?

2.3 - What Killstreaks to use?

3.0 - The Perks

3.1 - Perk 1/Blue

3.2 - Perk 2/Red

3.3 - Perk 3/Green

3.4 - Deathstreak Perks

4.0 - The Shotguns

4.1 - Spas-12

4.2 - AA-12

4.3 - Striker  

4.4 - Ranger

4.5 - M1014

4.6 - Model 1887

4.7 - Masterkey (Shotgun Attachment)

5.0 - Contact

5.1 - THANKS!

5.2 - Copyright/Legal info

5.3 - My other guides

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1.1 Introduction:  
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Hey up COD addicts, hows life? Like most FPS fans I got MW2 last
November, completed the 'beyond over the top' campaign the super
addictive and awesome Special Ops (they don't get the love they
deserve) and started with the online and guess what...I got 
hooked! But stopped playing afer a few weeks, got kinda bored.
Probably because I played MW1 soooooo much and I didn't like the
maps as much. Anyway some mates came over and we did some Split
screen and went online for a bit and guess what? I got hooked...
again! But this time I experimented with the weapons and perks
and found a new love, shotgunning! Its so satisfying to blow
an enemy to bits with a shotty, on par with the pleasure of
getting a headshot with a sniper. And if you get a headshot
with a shotgun you'll just cum...probably! Its defiantly a
welcome change to the same old Assault rifle/Submachine gun
and Stopping power style of play. Anyway enjoy the guide and
happy shotgunning.

Note: I have a PS3 so this guide is based on the PS3 version
however I know the 360 version is the same and it should also
apply to the PC version as well. PS3 RULZ and 360 DROOLZ!! 
Sorry, I had to do that just to annoy any 360 fanboys that
may be here 8*) .



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1.2 What this guides about?:  
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This guide is for anyone thats wants to master the use of the
shotguns available in the game. Whether its to try something
new or because you like the shotguns and could do with some 
help to get you started. Now the one thing that is better 
about MW2 compared to MW1 is its verstility in gameplay. 
By this I mean due to all the new perks and the new 'Create 
a Class' features you can play the game how you want and still 
be on a level playing field as everyone else in the match. 
This is a very good thing as it prevents the game getting 
stale and keeps things interesting.In MW1 a shotgunner was 
at a real dissadvantage against almost everyone else due to 
the available perks and variation of the weapons and equipment 
that you had. But thankfully shotgunners now are equal to a 
sniper or a machine gun user. This guide is designed to help 
you not only beat the above players but to actually win the 
match with using a shotgun as your primary weapon. I've won 
a match with every shotgun in the game at 'least' once and 
this guide will help you do that and much more. 

However this guide doesn't contain any actual damage
statistics or any other generic info like that as you can get 
that stuff anywhere on the net. This is an actual useful info/
tips guide, not a stats guide. I save you from the boring info
and just give ya the good stuff.

Please Note: I only play Free-For-All and on VERY rare occasions 
I'll play Team Death Match. I find objective based games are too 
slow and distract from the killing aspect of the game, which to 
me is the fun part. Plus no respawning sucks Tom Cruise, 
especially for us shotgunners. You should know this because 
if you play other game modes the info in this guide may have 
to be altered to whatever you're playing e.g. a Hardcore game 
mode. 

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2.0 Vital Shotgunner tips: 
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This is probably the most important part of this guide, if you only
take one thing away from this guide 'TAKE THIS PART'. Below I'll be
giving you the must 'know' and must 'do' things to be a succesful 
shotgunner throughout a match.

1.
Memory, memory and memory - First and foremost you gotta learn 
every map to the best of your ability. This will not only help 
you get around the map as quick as possible it'll also teach you 
the best routes to take. You'll also learn the most commonly 
populated areas (where the baddies spend most of their time) 
and the more quieter areas if you need to be left alone for 
awhile. And lastly you'll also learn all the common camping 
spots (thats usually easy kills for us shotgunner) and in 
what direction they tend to face which is important as most 
have long range weapons (well everything except a knife is 
long range to us now).

This is something that comes with experience of the game and 
if you're reading this then chances are you already know the 
maps well. If not and you're new to the game then shotgunning 
is probably not the best thing to do while you're learning the 
basics/how to play well. Just play how you want and enjoy the 
game. Come back when you've got more experience/know the maps 
better than your own street. 

2.
Don't fear the Reaper, go out smiling! - One thing you got to 
come to terms with if you're gonna shotgun is that you're gonna 
die, ALOT! I mean look at what you're doing, you're running around 
the map (with many open areas) with a boomstick while most players 
are using assault rifles, sub machine guns etc. You're outranged 9 
times out of 10 in all open areas so if someone wastes ya from a 
fare distance don't get mad or upset. Its far better to creep up 
on him and blow his ass off, much better! However on the flipside 
of the coin you're walking death at close range and a force to be 
reckoned with at mid(ish) range. If someone kills you at close 
range, still, don't get mad its easy to miss with a shotgun (and 
if you're using a pump/lever action shotgun and you miss at close 
range expect to die). The key here is to not let dieing bother you, 
just accept it, respawn and get revenge on the git(s). 

Oh and if your one of those players that actually thinks their 
Kill/Death ratio means anything (like the size of you're E-penis) 
then you probably don't want to be doing this, infact you should 
stop reading this guide right now. Go back to your camping spot 
and enjoy your 5 kills a match from a mile away, sounds like fun... 
Right, now that those players that care more about leaderboads than 
having fun have gone we can continue. As I'm trying to drill into you, 
dieing doesn't matter, its a learning experience not a failure. It 
doesn't matter if you die a million times a match (yes I know you 
can't die a million times but humour me) what matters is winning 
the match and winning it in style i.e. blowing everyone to mush 
with your shotty of choice. Now thats gaming fun at it finest!

3.
You're knife is still welcome to the party - Don't forget about 
you're knife, if you do, the players constantly stabbing you will 
remind you! Most people will try to stab a shotgunner at close 
range as its usually their best bet to kill you, expect it, or 
better yet stab him. Its very easy to forget about you're knife 
as you now have a much better weapon for close range, but there
are many times when your knife will trump a shotgun shell, 
learn those times ASAP or you'll end up with more pricks 
in you than Katie Price. Ket point, that sharp 'pointed' 
thing (I know, I should be on stage) is still a vital part 
of your equipment.

4.
Float like a Butterfly, sting like a shotgun blast to the 
nuts! - You need to keep moving as much as possible if your 
gonna be a succesfull shotgunner. Now I don't mean just keep 
running around the map, although you should defiantly do that, 
I mean be agile and ready to move in 'ANY' direction at 'ANY' 
moment. You need to be like a bouncing bunny on crack, without 
the bouncing as that would be just silly and get you spotted/killed. 
As you're moving around the map try to keep the running in a straight 
line to a minimum and use as much cover as possible. If you see someone 
in front of you and they see you there likley to stop moving and start 
shootin you. At this point you can either keep moving towards them which 
isn't as crazy as it sounds as long as you keep weaving and use all the 
available cover along the way (throw a Flash/Stun maybe), then when 
you're in range blow them in half. Your other option is to flank them 
from any available direction and do the same as the previous option
without them knowing you're there. Finally you could always ignore him 
completly and just get out of there and kill the other guy over there 
stupidly giving away his position trying to kill a sniper a mile away.

When you're actually attacking the enemy, as in shooting him, you still 
want to be moving incase they don't die in one shot or someone else 
enters the area and tries to kill you. Learn to hit accurately while 
still moving to some degree, its easier than it sounds once you get 
used to the rhythm of the shotgun you're using. If someone has spotted 
you from behind it may equal death but if you manage to run around a 
corner or some cover the shooter will most likely do one of two things. 
He'll either follow you straight away around the corner were you'll be 
waiting with a present for him while in a somewhat safe spot (beaware 
of grenades). Or he'll stand in the same spot with his sights aimed 
right on the corner waiting for you to peek you're head round the corner, 
DON'T DO THAT!. Instead wait for him to eventually follow your route as 
he'll think you've left the area and try to pick you off from the distance 
he thinks you've traveled. Get in cover and wait for the muppet 
to do just that and put him out of his misery. Of course you can 
leave the area completley and go kill the guy thats 'still' trying 
to kill the sniper. Key point here is whether its offensive or defensive 
tactics you're performing, keep on the move as fast and unpredictable 
as possible.

5.
Get the coffee flowing - You need to be as alert as you can be. 
Everyone has different reflex speeds so don't worry about that, 
it'll improve naturally over time/play. I mean keep your ears and 
eyes open at all times. Although it seems not many people listen 
for enemy footsteps they really should. I use enemy footsteps as 
one of my main ways of finding kills and if I'm using Ninja pro this 
technique becomes about 5 times more effective due to your footsteps 
being silent. It's a great perk, offensive and defensive. You lose 
all worry of players like us that do listen to footsteps and can
concentrate on tracking the enemies footsteps. Seriously, keep 
your ears open, it'll pay off in the bucket loads...of dead enemies. 

Next we need to keep our eyes open as well. As you're whizzing around 
the map check all corners and well known camping spots for people to 
shoot, obviously not head on. Once I went into a room where two people
where camping and they hadn't spotted each other! Now thats funny but
it just emphasizes what I'm saying. Even if you're not planning of going 
to a certain area just have a peak in that direction as much as you can 
without swaying from you're desired destination, it'll save your life 
and maybe get you a kill or two. Always look in all directions that lead
into the area you're in as people can fly by without you even realising 
it and chances are they'll have a huge range advantage if there in the 
area, not spotting them makes the matter worse. Just check everywhere you 
can along the way to where ever you're going at the time and be 
cautious yet vigilant and aware of common players patterns/routines. And 
make a habbit of doing 180's just to check that no smart arse is creeping 
up behind you etc. Finally if you're unsure if someone is around throw
a Stun Grenade and see if the hit reaction cross appears. If you're
using Flash Grenades throw one and see if someone runs out spraying and
praying, by the way if this happens to you just get down on the floor
(lie down), don't run out blind as thats more likely to get you killed 
than staying put will.

6.
Patience 'IS' a Virtue - Being a successful shotgunner isn't just
about running around like a headless chicken shooting everything that
moves. Be swift yet efficient at the same time, its no good running 
around and getting ripped apart by SMG/LMG users every time you spawn.
Be smart, patient AND fast. Thats not as much of a contradiction as it
sounds. Move around the map as fast as possible but around high traffic
areas or were you suspect a camper be smart and patient as you approach
them, throw a Flash/Stun, flank from the least populated entry point etc.
Also if you spot someone and there ahead of you (as in running in the
same direction as you but ahead) follow him but DON'T shoot him yet.
Try and get as close as you can before you go shooting and giving away
your position. If you shoot someone from behind and don't kill them then
chances are they'll turn around and kill you, this is even more likley 
if the shotty you're using needs pumping after every shot. 

7.
You don't have much of it, but learn it - Every shotgun has a different
max effective range, learn it as quick as possible as this factor can
dominate the way you play with that particular shotty. Its no good
trying to use the Ranger at the 1887's range, get closer. Its a
simple point but remember to adapt from shotgun to shotgun.

8.
Laugh in the face of Rambo - We've all seen and been killed by the
players that run around with a tatical knife and try to kill everyone
with it Rambo style. Now these may be a pain if you're playing with other
guns but a shotgun makes them a walking, or in this case, running joke.
They tend to have Marathon, Lightweight and Cammando for their perks
and come speeding in for the kill, and get it with most players. However
as soon as us shotgunners see them an evil grin will always appear on
our faces as our shotgun will demolish this dipstick before he gets close 
enough to even press the R3 button. However don't take the massive 
advantage we have for granted because if you miss or don't get a good
hit on them they can still kill ya, so be careful with your aim and 
timing. Still these are the only players in the game that shotgunners
actually have better range than and with similar perk choices it 
kinda makes the 'Rambo-Knifing' method redundent. Its a shame for
players who actually like 'Rambo-Knifing' really. 

9.
Why wait when you can have it now?! - Whether you're aware of it
or not there is a little glitch(ish) method to speed up your 
reload and when shotgunning thats very useful. I noticed it
in MW1 and it still remains in MW2, its more effective with some
guns than others. To perform the glitch just reload your gun as
you normally would and pay close attention to the ammo blocks
that fill up/light up after the gun has been reloaded. Now you'll
notice that the ammo blocks will fill up/light up before the reload
animation has actually finished, so according to the game the gun is
fully reloaded even though the animation hasn't finished. All you have
to do is start sprinting for just a second the moment the blocks have
filled up/lit up and it'll cancel out the rest of the animation and
the gun will still be fully reloaded, stop sprinting when you like 
as it has no effect on the reload once the blocks have filled up. 
Just make sure you start sprinting ASAP after the blocks have filled 
up. You may want to get out of the way/get down while reloading and
as soon as the blocks fill up start sprinting/moving again.

Now like I said this works better on some guns better than others. 
The best example I've seen is the Intervention sniper, empty the
whole magazine (5 rounds) and pay attention to the bullet blocks
and you'll notice that the gun is actually fully reloaded before
you've even put the new mag in it. Thats the point you start the 
quick sprint to cancel the animation. Try it with different guns
and you'll get the hang of it. The best shotgun for doing this is
the Rangers (Akimbo) as that reload animation is very long yet the 
guns are fully reloaded before the animation is close to finished. 
This nifty technique is a 'must' when using the Akimbo Rangers. 

As for the other shotguns they seem to reload in time with the 
animation so its harder to do, although you can cancel out the 
final pump on the Spas and the 1887 once the shells are in. As 
a final note for reloading, only reload the number of shells you 
need. What I mean is if you have 5 shells loaded into the gun
do you really need any more until after your next kill or two?
No you don't, you're just wasting time. Just keep an eye on
the number of shells ready and keep at 'least' 3 available at
all times and you'll be fine. Oh and if you're using the
Striker don't wait until its completly empty til you do reload, 
the same rule applies to all shotties but the Striker especially.
Try for the kill-reload-kill-reload etc etc pattern if possible.    

10.
Camping is not only boring but its anti productive - You may think
waiting for some poor fella to run past you with a shotty aimed at 
the doorway is a good idea, its not. Even in the most popular places
camping can take ages to rack up kills, which is as boring as it
is a poor method to winning the game. Also most people who get killed
by a camper will come straight back to get revenge on the camper, don't 
be the camper, be the avenger. Note I'm not in the anti-camping camp 
(damn I'm on fire today!) because if you like camping then do it. Its a 
fair game plan, its known as stealth I suppose. The people who cry down 
the mic about campers are just crap players, ignore them if you like 
camping. Its your game after all. But camping is not a good method when 
using a shotgun. 

The only time any kind of camping is a good idea is at the
begining of a match when everyone is running around desperate for the
1st kill. Lie down in a good spot (or even better, if you know all
the spawning points, like I do, then go lie by the closest spawn point 
that isn't your own) and wait for the poor sod to run past you and bang!
You got the 1st kill. The other time its a good idea to lie down is
if the area you're in is 'too' quiet and you think someones around, lie
in a hidden/out of the way spot. Sooner or later they'll move or someone
will come by (if they start duking it out either kill them both or kill
the surviver), but again don't waste too much time for one kill as its
not worth it.

11.
Don't let the babies ruin your fun, laugh at them! - Like I mentioned
above you get alot of players crying down the mic about being killed by
campers, Grenades Launcher users etc etc. Do not, I repeat do not let
what these titheads say bother you one bit, just ignore them or better
yet wind them up. About 99% of the people that wine are just bad at the
game and will shout about anything that killed them (I'm still waiting
for someone to scream "He just killed me with his f**kin gun!" followed 
by more moans. So sooner or later someone 'WILL' comment on you constantly
killing them with a shotgun, ignore them and just kill them again with
your shotgun. Last night while I was playing two different people commented 
on me killing them with shotties. 1st one cried about me using the 1887's 
akimbo (even after Infinity Ward has royaly messed them up) and the 2nd and 
best was on Rust where I kept killing this sniper every time he spawned. 
Naturally I was laughing my head off at his moans, wish I had my mic on.
Ironically what these big babies don't realise is that winning with a
shotty is actually harder and takes more skill/patience than whatever 
there using, usually anyway. So like I said just ignore it or laugh at it.

12.
Prestidge is not your friend - Unless MW2 is the only game you play
going Prestidge is generally a waste of time especially with MW2 as
unlike MW1 most of the best weapons aren't unlocked at/near the 
beginning. The 1st shotty you get is very good but the later ones
are much better overall, of course this is just my opinion. Never
the less if you play more games other than MW2 its not worth the
few titles, emblems etc that you get for prestidging at the cost
of all your weapons, attachments and camo's (unless you boost 
camo's can be a nightmare). You'll also lose some usefull perks, 
Ninja Pro and the 'takes miles to get' Pros's bein the main loss.
Finally don't think you need to prestidge to let other players
know you're good, let your skills show them that. I've beaten
several prestidge 10 level 70's, all that high level means is 
he/she plays a lot/boosts.

13.
Have one Killstreak killer 'Class' ready at all times - 
If someone gets some serious killstreaks going on and starts 
dominating the air their gonna get tons of kills from players
that are too retarded to stay in the building till it goes or
try to blow it up. As soon as a helichopter, harrier etc appears
either kill yourself or get killed and swap to your Explosive
Class (or whatever you've named it) and take it out before it gets
too many kills. Below is an example of a effective and reliable
killstreak killer class:

UMP.45 - Quality killer and helps you move quicker.
Stinger - 2 rockets to take out anything that shows up.
Semtex - To kill yourself if you need more rockets or want your
shotgun class back.
Marathon - You need to get around as quick as possible.
Cold-Blooded - You don't want the heli killing you.
Ninja - To prevent any fear of being heard or seen with heartbeat 
sensors.

14.
Iron sights shouldn't exist - Looking down your iron sight with a
shotgun will make the gun less accurate so just stick with free
aim. It also obstructs the screen, not good.



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2.1 - What Primary weapon to use?:
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Well seeing as your shotgun is your real primary weapon this
isn't gonna be used too much. I'd highly recommend picking
a Sub Machine gun due to the high mobility it offers you. I 
use the UMP.45 due to it being an overall quality weapon that
doesn't require Stopping Power to be effective. I only use 
it in emergencies or when a player far away is annyoing me
or getting loads of kills due to idiot players. A sniper or
LMG isn't a great idea due to their specific uses that are 
both useless to shotgunners. Assault rifles are debatable 
due to the attachments you could use to help you e.g. Grenade
Launcher, Heartbeat Sensor. Still the mobility of a Sub machine
gun trumps the attachments in my mind and most Assault rifles
need Stopping Power, Sub machine guns don't. Finally the Riot
Sheild lowers you're movement too much and the extra protection
it offers your back isn't worth it.

So just use a Sub machine gun, whatever one you prefer and
stick a silencer on it so when you do use it you won't
give away your position.



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2.2 - What equipment to use?:
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This is a matter of preference really but I'd recommend either
Semtex or the Throwing Knife. The Throwing Knife is great if you
hit the enemy but don't quite kill them and you're using a shotgun
thats needs pumping after every shot (or even worse your gun has ran 
out of shells and needs the full reload). Throwing the knife is quicker 
than waiting for the pump or reload and it'll kill them. Same rule 
applies if the enemy is in Last Stand. Semtex is just the standard pick 
for equipment as its so versatile and if a chopper appears you can kill
yourself and you can change class and get your rocket laucher quicker.

You could pick a Claymore and place it as soon as you spawn in the
hope someone will walk into it, just don't forget that you have a 
Claymore or its a waste. Blast Sheild is a waste, Frags are just
poor Semtex to me, you may feel different, I find they roll too much
in MW2. Tatical Insertion depends on you personally, but usually
not very good for shotgunners. C4 is like Claymores but takes 
more time and effort, not worth it really.

As for Flash, Smoke or Stun, pick whatever you prefer. Smoke 
would help you run past or through a heavily populated area
without enemies spotting you. Stun will tell you if someone
is in an area that your not too sure about and will slow down
anyone your following, helping you get the kill oh and they
won't be able to turn around quick enough to kill you. Flash
is somewhere in the middle of them two, it can blind enemies
so you could run past them (expect spray and praying) or kill
them. You can also look at the radar to see where the panick 
fire is coming from to find them if you threw it into a quiet/
camping area.  



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2.3 - What Killstreaks to use?:
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Chances are that you're gonna die before you can get more than 5
kills in a row so don't pick anything above 5 as its a waste.
I'd pick UAV (great for shotgunners), Care Package as standard 
and either the Pedator Missile or the Turret. I'd got for Predator
due to not having to call it in like a care package, less fuss
and it'll let you wipe out any enemy killstreaks like Harriers.
If you don't mind losing the Predator pick a Harrier as you may get
a lucky run of 7 kills, don't count on it though.


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3.0 - The Perks:
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Everyone knows what Perks are, there one of the reasons MW1 & 2
are so much fun and interesting to play. The Perks in MW2 are far
more versatile than MW1 and enable different styles of play 
including Shotgunning. I'm only gonna be really talking about
and recommending Perks that are helpful to a shotgunner. 

  

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3.1 - Perk 1/Blue:
******************

This perk is something you'd get from preperation
before going into battle i.e. Training or Extra
storage space. Heres each one outlined and whether
its good or not for shotgunning:

Marathon - Lets not beat around the bush, this is the tier 1
perk you're gonna want to be using as no other tier 1 perk's
benefit out weighs the benefit of unlimited sprint. As a
shotgunner we need to get around as quick as we can and
this is just the ticket. A must have. Being able to climb
obstacles quicker is more useful than you'd think aswell.

Sleight of Hand - You may think this is nessesary with
the slow reload of shotties but if you follow my tips
in the above section then this is a waste of a perk.
You really shouldn't look down your sights with a shotty
as it makes it less accurate so the Pro version is 
useless.

Scavenger - Theres only one shotgun that doesn't come
with enough shells to last you before you'll die and 
thats the AA-12, so unless you're using that this is
a waste, stick to Marathon. The Pro will help the AA-12
only, just like the normal version.

Bling - Shotguns rarely need an attachment so two 
is just a waste. 

One Man Army - You want to be able to change class in-game?
Pick Semtex and kill yourself, change class and there ya go,
you've also not wasted a tier 1 perk. This perk is a joke 
'whatever' your doing so its a real no no for shotgunners.

Best pick: Marathon

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3.2 - Perk 2/Red:
*****************

This perk is like a naturally-born talent/skill your player has.
Ever met someone good at something even though they have
little practice at it? This is similar. 

Stopping Power - This is the most common perk in the game
and for good reason. But its not very good for shotgunners
becasue shotties already pack a punch so this is a bit of
a waste. 

Lightweight - This is probably the tier 2 perk you're gonna want
to pick. The extra movement not only lets you get around the map
quicker and be more agile (its the perfect partner to Marathon)
it'll also help you get closer to the enemy making your shotty
even more deadly. The Pro bonus is also perfect for shotgunners.

Hardline - Not a bad choice but not great either. As I said in
the Killstreak section, you're gonna die before you can get high
killstreaks and one less kill for lesser killstreaks ain't worth the 
loss of Lightweight. The Pro bonus may be of more use but still not
good enough.

Cold Blooded - Of little use with a shotgun so its another no.

Danger Close - Just, no...

Best Pick: Lightweight



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3.3 - Perk 3/Green:
*******************

This perk is a learned skill that will help your character survive
longer and kill better. Its also the hardest pick for us shotgunners.

Cammando - You may want to use this but seeing as your shotgun has 
better range and still a 1-hit killing device its a bit redundent.
The Pro bonus may be of some use aswell.

Steady Aim - This is contender number one for best tier 3 perk
for us shotty users. Seeing as we fire from the hip this is
of instant use but the perk also concentrates the pellets
from the shotgun shell by reducing the spread of the pellets 
so it technically increases damage and range of the shotgun. 
A fab perk!

Scrambler - Just forget it, almost as bad as One Man Army.

Ninja - This is contender number 2 for best tier 3 perk. 
This is also one of the perks were the Pro bonus is more important
than the main ability of the perk. Being invisible on
heartbeat sensors is a nice perk but being completley silent
when you run is far more suitable for shotgun users. Its both
deffensive and offensive, no one can hear 'you' including yourself
so you can listen out for enemy footsteps and track and follow 
enemies to their exact location without them even knowing it. This 
perk gives you great confidence when moving around the map due to 
the reasons outlined above. Another fab perk. 

Sitrep - The basic perk of this is a waste but the Pro bonus
is rather good. Still not as good as Ninja so still a waste
and a pain to unlock the Pro.

Last Stand - This is a quality perk in general but not as good
as Steady Aim or Ninja for shotgunning so don't bother.

Best Pick: Steady Aim or Ninja, your prefernce. If I had to 
pick 'THE' best one I'd give Steady Aim the edge. Improved
accuracy/reduced spread is so useful for shotgunning as it
increases range and power so it increases your chance of
one hit kills which is the point of shotgunning. And I'd
say only about 20-30% of players don't even notice footsteps
so theres little worry of people hearing you but you lose
the cool ability to track enemies down with ease. As I said
its your choice really, change it up and see which one you
perform better with. 



************************
3.4 - Deathstreak Perks:
************************

Pick either Painkiller (better option) or Martyrdom. I 
personally find Martyrdom's a waste as most people 
are smart enough to avoid it whereas Painkiller is
just gonna benefit our shotgun style of play with
more health. Copycat and Final stand are both
poor choices, especially Copycat.

Best pick: Painkiller

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*******************
4.0 - The Shotguns:
*******************

This is the 'meat' of the guide where I'll be outlining every
shotgun in the game and explaining their pros and cons. There
isn't really a 'best' or 'worst' shotgun as they all have their
good points and bad points, one shotgun is better at one job
than another etc. Experiment with them all and find your 
favourite to use.

Note: Never use a silencer on a shotgun, its not worth the
loss of range for the silence on and off the radar. With
Marathon and Lightweight you will have moved before someone
could get to your dot on the radar anyway.



**************
4.1 - Spas-12:
**************

This is the 1st Shotgun you get to play with online. Its 
a replacement of the awesome W1200 from MW1 and although
its not quite up to that shotguns standard its still good
to use especially as your 1st shotgun. Along with the 1887 
is has the best range of all the shotguns but requires a
pump after every shot and this is were the problem comes
in, it doesn't always kill in one hit. It will kill often
in one hit due to the high power/range of the weapon but
if it doesn't the pump can feel like an age between each
shot, it'll usually equal your death. This is the only
pump in the online part of the game (the W1200 is
available in the Museum Easter Egg level) and like I
said I found the W1200 to be better in MW1, but that
could be because I got so used to it with MW1 having 
poor choice for shotgunners.

As for perks/attachments I'd recommend Extended Mags
and Steady Aim with this one. I find Grips on shotguns
are a waste too unless theres no better option as the
effect is hardly noticable, sometimes they make them
less accurate in my experience. 

Overall if you can get used to the pump between each 
shot, which isn't that slow by the way, then this is a 
great choice but be ready to fire off another shot at 
all times incase someone survives the 1st hit.



************
4.2 - AA-12:
************

This shotgun is amazing on paper but unfortunately 
its not as good to actaully use. The problem comes
from its spak-tarded combination of rapid fire, 
awful range, small magazine and low ammo. Its a 
fully automatic shotgun that reloads with magazines
not individual shells so the overall reload is actually
faster. But as you know when reloading single shells the
gun rarely needs fully reloading but you have no choice
with the AA-12 so it works out the reload is longer.
Next its fully automatic so it goes through it 8 shell
magazine in seconds and you only start with 2 magazines,
including the one already in the gun. So you need
Scavenger as your tier 1 perk if you want to use this
as a shotgunner, you have to sacrafice marathon,
screw that! Its also worth mentioning that you may
want to use Sleight of Hand due to the rapid fire rate
and that 'ONE' long reload! Oh yeah and you have to get
close to the enemy due to the bad range, without Marathon
thats gonna be a pain.

Overall your better of using this shotgun as a secondary
weapon in a non-shotgunner class. I was wrong before, 
there is a worst shotgun to shotgun with, its this. 
Extended Mags would put all of your 16 shells in one
magazine which would help somewhat with the reloading
but you'd still need Scavenger. I'm not complaining
about the above faults of the gun because if it didn't
have them it'd be too good a weapon. Its just shit for
our style of play.



**************
4.3 - Striker:
**************

If you liked the AA-12 or thought it was a good idea but
hindered too much by its faults then this is the perfect
compromise. Its got better range, a much bigger capacity
and each shell can be reloaded individually. Its slightly
slower and weaker but both of those factors don't matter
due to the huge capacity and ability to reload on the fly.
Speaking of reloading you 'HAVE' to keep ontop of this 
weapons reloading because if you wait til the gun is 
completely empty it'll take ages to reload it and you'll
almost defiantly die. Its best to reload after every kill
or two as that way the reload is quite swift. You also have
loads of ammo in reserve.

As for perks just follow the perk guide above but its 
worth mentioning that this shotgun may be worth using
Stopping Power with due to it having the lowest shotgun 
damage in the game. Extended Mags are great, as standard,
but not really needed. Maybe consider a grip for this.



*************
4.4 - Ranger:
*************

These were the shotguns that I first did a shotgunning
run with and they made me realise how effective a 
shotgun can be. And even though I'm now level 70 these
are still awesome to use especially Akimbo. Infact only
use these Akimbo, theres no reason not to. Don't worry
about using all 4 shells to get one kill as you start
with a load of ammo and if you use the quick reload
I detailed above then there reload speed isn't bad
at all. The range isn't that good which is why you may
have to use 4 shells to get the kill, if you don't need
all 4 then great but still reload constantly with these.

For perks just follow the above guide and always use Akimbo.



************
4.5 - M1014:
************

This is arguably the best shotgun to use as a shotgunner.
Its very powerful, fast, accurate and has good range for
a shotgun. The only dissadvantage it has is its capacity
as it only holds 4 shells, although it has a stack of 
spare ammo. If you add Extended Mags which brings your 
shell count to 6 per reload it makes this almost godly.
If you can keep ontop of your capacity i.e. reload after 
every kill or two, then you'll probably use nothing
other than this and your personal favourite shotty. If 
this is your favourite then I feel sorry for your enemies. 

Use the recommended perks and Extended Mags, nothing else! 



*****************
4.6 - Model 1887:
*****************

As the great man (err...I mean Cyborg) said "Get Down!". 
This shotgun is a monster and easily my favourite, hell
even the Terminator thinks it rocks. And even after
Infinity Ward messed these up (DICKHEADS!!! Yes, I
just called Infinity Ward Dickheads. Becuase they are
for patching these) because too many babies i.e. crap
players, were crying about being killed by them, its still 
great to use. Usually the cryers and moaners don't bother
me, like I said laugh at them! But when it makes the game
developer change the game, that bothers me! What made the
matter worse was that you don't even unlock them til level 
67 and seeing as most people Prestidge (bad idea by the way)
they hardly get used. I personally think you deserve something
as awesome as this gun if you reach level 67, thats alot of
time and effort you've put into the game. And why include 
something if you don't want it in there?? Like I said,
muppets! And its not like theres no other easy kill 
weapons, M16, Famas or RPD anyone?! The main reason I
find it annoying is that I never got to use them pre-patch
but I've seen the videos of people using them and god
they looked gooooood. Hell I love them the way they are now
so I can only imagine how good it would be to use them the
way they were.

Anyway on to the gun itself, how many different words are
there for amazing hmm...awesome, cool, groovy etc etc. Its
similar to the Spas-12 yet has far better range if your 
only using one, not Akimbo. Infact from what I've heard
the silly patch only effected the Akimbo not if you only
have one so it could of been worse I guess. It has a good
capacity and spare shells so you wont run out of ammo. The
reload isn't slow or fast so just stay ontop of it like you
would with the striker and you'll be fine. Its also powerful
which works very well with its high range. Finally as everyone
who's seen terminator 2 will know, the gun just oozes style.
You cock it via the handle reload mechanism, which takes the
same amount of time as the Spas-12's pump action except the 
1887's looks so much better. It also uses a different type 
of shell hence the blue instead of the red color. Easily my
favourite shotgun/weapon in the game, mainly because I loved 
it in T2 but the shotty itself is a brilliant weapon to use
regardless of infinity Ward's genius attempts to mess it up.

As for attachments if your using one you might as well use
FMJ as its better on than off and theres nothing else to
pick. If you pick Akimbo it will have lower range than the
single one so you'll have to get closer to the enemy. 
But in return you can fire 2 shells before any reload or 
fire both shells at once for double the firepower, which
you'll probably have to do to get the kill thanks to, yep
you guessed it, the cry babies and Infinity Ward. Oh and
Akimbo has the orgasmic reload that the Terminator used
in T2 during the chase scene at the beggining of the film.
Getting a game winning kill with these is awesome,
getting to see that reload in slow-mo is so cool!

As for perks your gonna need Steady Aim with Akimbo to
try and improve the range, Stopping power may be worth
considering for the same reason. I'd stick to Lightweight
though as you need to get as close as possible to the enemy.
As for none Akimbo just follow the above perk guide, as 
on its own its just a far better Spas-12.



*************************************
4.7 - Masterkey (Shotgun Attachment):
*************************************

This is probably worse than the AA-12 for a shotgunner,
if thats possible. First of its attached to a Assault
Rifle which makes you move slower than an SMG would, not
good. It has to pump after each shot and only holds 4
shells with little in reserve, again not good. Oh and it
takes ages to fill it up considering its only 4 shells.
Apparently this has the best range of all shotguns but
I don't think that advatage (which I didn't notice by the
way!) is worth all the drawbacks of using this. Your better
of just using this with another class if you want a shotgun
as a backup and want a Machine Pistol or whatever for your
secondary.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

**************
5.0 - Contact:
**************

Any questions about the guide or if you need help, tips with
shotgunning just get in touch through either email or PSN.
I'm more than happy to help people (hence the guide) so don't
be shy drop me a line. As for friend requests feel free to add
me, I'm always happy to meet new people however dickheads need 
not apply! Just make sure you tell me how you know me because
that'll be the 1st thing I ask you if you don't.

Email is at the top of the guide.

My PSN is - xoChrisiskingox

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**************
5.1 - THANKS!:
**************

I'm guessing you guessed what this section is about! Just a
thanks to everyone who helped me with the guide. Actually,
no one helped me, I did it all myself. So I guess thanks 
me/brain, we're s0 snrt ant w£!

Thanks to my family for putting up with me pretty much ignoring 
them while I was typing all this.

Thanks to Infinity Ward for making MW1 and MW2 and stealing
hours of my life. Yet I still don't forgive you for messing
up the 1887's, BASTARDS! 

Thanks to Notepad for showing the world how bad my spelling is!

And more importantly thanks to you for reading my guide, otherwise
it makes all this almost pointless. Hope its helped. 

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***************************
5.2 - Copyright/Legal info:
***************************

I know this guide is so awesome that people are actually gonna 
want to copy it all and pretend its theres...yeah, sure?!? If you 
do actually want to use this guide thats fine with me but just 
remember credit where credit is due. Of course Gamefaqs has my 
permission to host it.

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**********************
5.3 - My other guides:
**********************

You may be interested in my other guides, I wrote (actually typed) 
a Resident Evil 5 Weapon and Combat guide, easily my best guide,
and a Weapon and Extras guide for Uncharted: Drakes Fortune
although thats under my old username that I don't use anymore.
If you like my style of guide writing why not suggest a game to
write a guide for, I might actually do it.

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