If you want to dominate lobbies and top the scoreboards in MW2 multiplayer, mastering aim down sights (ADS) mechanics is absolutely essential. Simply put, ADS is a vital FPS skill that separates novices from advanced players. But there’s a lot more nuance and depth to ADS in MW2 than just "pressing the aim button"!
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about weapon sights in MW2. You’ll learn how ADS interacts with recoil, damage range, idle sway, and more. We’ll also provide weapon build tips to enhance your ADS speed, compare ADS vs. hip fire, break down scoping techniques, and tons more. Let’s dive in!
ADS Basics: Improved Accuracy Over Hip Fire
First, a quick ADS overview for newcomers. Aiming down sight essentially means looking through your weapon‘s scope or iron sights. This greatly improves accuracy compared to firing from the hip in MW2.
When hip firing, your bullets will spray out in a wide cone shaped area. ADS tightens this cone drastically, reducing bullet spread and keeping shots closer together. This precision is critical beyond point blank range.
[Image comparing hip fire bullet spread vs ADS]Stats wise, ADS reduces idle sway by up to 93% over hip fire when stationary. It also extends damage range by up to 46% depending on the gun. Combined, these effects make hitting targets easier and improve damage output.
ADS is important for all weapons, but especially necessary for precise fire with assault rifles, marksmen rifles, and sniper rifles in MW2. Always aim down sights when firing at enemies past close quarters. SMGs and shotguns have some leeway thanks to wider hip fire cones, but should still ADS whenever feasible.
The Need for Speed: Optimizing ADS Time
An essential stat to consider in MW2 loadout building is ADS time. This measures how quickly your weapon is ready and aimed down sights after you tap the aim button. Faster ADS can make a world of difference in close quarters engagements.
For example, the Fennec 45 SMG has an extremely fast ADS time of just 128ms when built for speed. Comparatively, an unmodified SP-R 208 sniper rifle aims down sights in a sluggish 467ms. That 339ms difference is enough for most guns to empty a full clip!
Here are some tips to reduce ADS time based on Infinity Ward‘s own stats:
- Use reflex optics like the Schlager PEQ Box (just +17ms) over heavy scopes (+92ms on average)
- Equip lasers like the VLK LZR 7mW (-33ms) or stippled grip tape (-8ms)
- Lightweight barrels like the -141ms XRK Obelisk Pro greatly speed up ADS
- SAS Combat Stock reduces ADS by up to -50ms with some mobility tradeoff
- Perks like Quick Hands (-100ms) also stack to maximize ADS speed
Piece together the right attachments and you can build extremely quick handling loadouts perfect for close quarters or aggressive rushing. A meta MP5 setup achieves a blazing fast 100ms ADS time for example! More on building fast ADS loadouts below.
ADS Kill Challenges Demystified
When pursuing camo unlocks and weapon mastery challenges like "Get 50 kills while ADS", it simply requires scoring kills while aiming down your sights. Kills while hip firing won‘t count!
I suggest building your weapon for faster ADS to complete these quicker. Reflex sights, lasers, and stocks that reduce ADS time are ideal. Perks like Quick Hands also stack to great effect.
Play smaller maps like Shipment or Dome to get into lots of close quarter skirmishes. Move actively and aim down sights whenever engaging enemies. With practice, you’ll breeze through ADS challenges.
Finding Your Optimal ADS Sensitivity
One of MW2’s great innovations is separating your ADS sensitivity from your normal look speed. This allows precise aim down sights control, without sacrificing mobility when not aiming.
Under Advanced Settings, you can set an ADS sensitivity multiplier between 1.00x and 0.50x your regular sensitivity. Most players find a multiplier between 0.80x and 0.85x works best.
Higher ADS multipliers allow easier tracking of targets and reactive flick shots while aimed in. But too high and you may overcorrect your aim. Lower multipliers provide more control for long range tap firing.
My advice is to start at 0.85x and fine tune from there. If you overaim targets, lower the multiplier until you find your accuracy sweet spot. This balance takes some tinkering, so practice in private matches to dial it in!
Advanced Techniques: Quick Scoping and Drag Scoping
Once you’ve mastered basic ADS, it’s time to unlock its full potential. Quick scoping and drag scoping are high skill techniques that dominate MW2 sniping when mastered.
Quick scoping involves rapidly aiming down sights then firing precisely in one smooth motion. This lets snipers take quick aimed shots on target versus slowly sighting in. Reaction speed and centering are vital to land these difficult shots consistently.
Drag scoping takes advantage of aim assist. You quickly ADS while sweeping your aim across a target, then fire once aim assist kicks in and “drags” your crosshair onto them. This expands your effective area while using ADS precision.
Both techniques rely on fast, flawless ADS ability. I suggest enabling settings like focus aim assist and precision aim assist to help land drag shots. Snapshot grenades also briefly show enemy positions to line up quick scopes. Keep practicing in private matches to drill down your timing and centering skills.
Drills to Practice and Improve ADS Skills
Speaking of practice, these are some of my favorite solo ADS training drills to sharpen reflexes and mouse/thumbstick coordination:
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Tracking drill – Have a friend strafe left and right while you track them aiming down sights. Go slow then build up speed.
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Flick drill – Quickly alternate aiming down sights between two targets placed apart, flicking between them. Again start slow.
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Centering drill – Practice constantly keeping crosshairs at head level when moving and aiming down sights right before enemies appear.
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Reflex shot – Set up situations where targets pop up and you snap ADS to hit reflex shots before they disappear. Use MW2’s customizable bot options.
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Scoped transition – Quickly unscope then immediately re-scope and find targets. Builds reaction time and centering.
Drilling your ADS fundamentals through structured practice is key to developing razor sharp sniper-like reflexes. Don’t forget to also train your hip fire skills too!
Mounting and Other ADS Enhancements
Mounting is a new addition to MW2 that integrates with ADS for even more accuracy. Mounting braces your weapon providing up to 93% idle sway reduction and less overall recoil. This is huge for long range engagement stability.
The ability to mount nearly any solid object adds a new tactical dimension to MW2’s gameplay. Consider mounting to control dangerous lanes on maps like Grand Prix or Taraq, granting you a deadly field of fire. Just watch for flanking enemies!
Other mechanics that enhance ADS include:
- Leaning – Further reduces idle sway and gives stability bonuses
- ADS Around Corners – Edges out to gain the element of surprise
- Sentry Gun – Up to 60% recoil reduction while manually ADS controlling the sentry gun
Use all the tools at your disposal in MW2 to get the maximum ADS effectiveness your loadout is capable of. Small tweaks add up!
Mastering ADS Within Broader FPS Fundamentals
While we’ve focused on ADS technique, it’s important to view it within the broader context of core FPS skills like:
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Crosshair placement – Keeping crosshairs at head level when moving and anticipating target locations
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Centering – Positioning your aim on common areas enemies appear before they do
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Prefiring – Firing as you ADS where you anticipate opponents to be
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Pre-aiming – ADS aimed at chokepoints before enemies walk into your sights
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Map knowledge – Learning layouts, callouts and common angles to track enemies
Improving general skills like these will pay massive dividends for your K/D ratio and performance. But mastering ADS takes each one to the next level.
For example, perfect crosshair placement centers your aim precisely on targets allowing nearly instant ADS kills. Combine crosshair placement with pre-aiming and centering approaches for lightning fast reaction times.
Closing Thoughts from an FPS Expert
As someone who’s played Call of Duty extensively since the original Modern Warfare, I can’t stress enough how important honing your ADS skills are for multiplayer success. Mastering ADS aims you on target faster, extends your damage range, and enables advanced techniques like quick scoping.
My key piece of advice? Practice ADS deliberately and frequently. Drill your reflexes and centering at the beginning of each play session. Try out the sensitivity tips in this guide. And complement ADS with broader fundamentals like crosshair placement.
ADS is a journey requiring continued refinement, not a simple checkbox. But with time and dedication, you will eliminate reaction delays between seeing a target and placing accurate fire on it. That split second difference tilts gunfights in your favor.
I hope this deep dive dispelled some common ADS misconceptions and provided actionable tips you can take into your next MP match. See you on the maps, and may your K/D forever climb!
