What is the Best Secondary in COD MW2 Ranked Play?

Speed or power?

Best Secondary
Image via Activision.

Everyone is focused on which primary weapon they need to take into Ranked Play, but there aren’t enough people worried about the secondary that they have as a backup. While your secondary isn’t going to get you 30 kills in a COD: Modern Warfare 2, it’s still integral to winning matches.

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Ranked Play has restrictions on the secondary weapon slot, so there isn’t a lot of diversity. However, there are reasons that you would want different secondaries depending on your build. In our guide, we’ll cover whether you should be running the X12 or the knife and the reasons why both can be good options.

COD MW2 Ranked Play – What is the Best Secondary Weapon?

By default, everyone in Ranked Play should be using the combat knife. You’ve probably seen plenty of people using it in Search and Destroy, but it’s also necessary for Hardpoint and Control. The reason we use a melee instead of a pistol is for the added speed to movement. Whether you want fast routes in Search and Destroy, or you need to reach the Hardpoint first, the combat knife is important to have.

Without the knife, you’ll notice that you’re slower to reach objectives which can be devastating. You need to be able to switch quickly between a speed boost and your primary weapon. With that said, there are still cases where the X12 can be a great secondary option.

Related: Best ISO Hemlock Loadout in COD MW2 Ranked Play

Players who are running snipers should almost always have the X12 with a quickdraw grip as a secondary in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. You don’t need to focus on fast routes and the backup weapon can save your life in a pinch. On other weapons though, the pistol has too many negatives.

And that’s all. For more on the Call of Duty title, head over to our dedicated Modern Warfare 2 section full of guides, news, updates, and more.

About the Author

Daniel Wenerowicz

Dan has been writing gaming guides, news, and features for three years after graduating with a BA in writing . You can find him covering Call of Duty for eternity, action-adventure games, and nearly any other major release.