Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Guide

Challenges

In Modern Warfare 2 (just like past games) there are challenges in the barracks section of multiplayer. The full list can be viewed and downloaded at the top of this guide. The majority of challenges that people tend to go for are challenges for guns that unlock attachments. There are also challenges for special camouflage on guns too. The other challenges give callsign titles and emblems plus XP. All of these can only be unlocked once per prestige.

Some of the challenges don’t give the full set until a later level or when more things become available. For instance you unlock the Equipment Challenges and Perk Challenges but not all challenges in those sections are available until you unlock the other equipments and perks.

Basic Training is Start to Backdraft (2 sets)
Operations is Start to Sabotage Victor (2 sets)
Killstreak is Start to 21 Ton Giant (2 sets)
Precision is start to Perfectionist (2 sets)
Finishing Moves is start to OG (2 Sets)
Humiliation is start to Cruelty (2 Sets)
Payback is one set from start (1 Set)
Elite is start to Counter-C4: I (2 sets)
Intimidation is start to Carpet Bomb (2 Sets)

Once you prestige they reset and you can unlock them again when they become available. If you do the challenge before it becomes available then you will not get the XP bonus, title, emblem, attachments, or camo. Once you prestige the first time you get special “Prestige Challenges” which never reset and roll over through the prestiges. I talk about this in the prestige section.

Unmarked Challenges
There are many challenges that don’t appear in the barracks which you can get titles for and XP. Like most challenges you can only do them once per prestige. Most of these you can do once you unlock the challenges section. Some you have to wait a little later in the levels. I’m not sure of all hidden challenges available. Some include:

Radiation Sickness – Get nuked by an enemy +1500 XP
Identity Thief – Get a payback with the class you copied from them with the copycat death streak. This challenge is actually shown in the barracks, however you can complete it before you unlock the challenge. +3500 XP.
The Numb – Once painkiller is activated, get hurt so badly that you would normally die if you didn’t have painkillers. You do not have to survive. +1000XP
Martyr – Kill someone with the grenade you dropped with the martyrdom deathstreak. +1000XP
Living Dead – Stand back up after being put into Final Stand by not taking damage for long enough. +1000XP
The Loner – Get a 10 killstreak with no killstreaks selected +2500XP
Martyr-Doh – Kill someone cooking a frag grenade. +1000XP
Never Forget – Kill someone with a backstab after they wounded you and you survive. +3500XP
Renaissance Man – Get three kills with three different weapons (including killstreaks) in one life. +1000XP
Sidekick – Get three kills with your secondary weapon in one life. +1000XP
The Edge – Get the last kill in a match. There are three levels to this challenge. Get the final kill 5, 10, and 20 times for 2500XP, 5000XP, and 10000XP
6 Fears 7 – Get a 7, 8, and 9 killstreak rewards in the same match. +1500XP
…With A Vengeance – Avenge a fallen team mate. +1000XP
Infected – Get Killed by an Infected. You must be knifed by someone who is using the infected title. +1000XP
STD – Transmission Complete. Knife someone who is using the STD title. +1000XP
Hijacker! – Hijack X amount of crates. There are three levels to this challenge. 10, 50 and 200 times for 2500XP, 5000XP, 10000XP
Charity Case – Take 5 team mate care packages. +1000XP
Click Click Boom – Kill an enemy with C4 while in last/final stand +1000XP
Hard to kill – Get two kills while in last/final stand +1000XP

XP Bonuses

In Modern Warfare 2 there are many different XP Bonuses you earn during matches which give you extra XP added to the regular kill and challenge XP, but sometimes they only give you extra XP up to a certain point OR they don’t give any XP at all but pop up the same as the other XP Bonuses. During gameplay a message pops up giving the title and a little description of what you just did. I believe I have listed all in the game:

Payback! – You’ve taken revenge. Kill the person that killed you. Money will fly from the enemy when killed. +50XP
Buzzkill! – Stopped enemy short of a kill streak. +100XP
Bulls-eye! – Kill an enemy with a throwing knife. +50 XP Stops showing up after awhile but you still get the XP
Stuck! – Stick Semtex on an enemy. +50XP Stops showing up after awhile but you still get the XP.
Rescuer! – Save a wounded teammate (kill the person attacking him). +50XP
Hijacker! – Steal enemy care package. +100XP
First Blood! – Get the first kill in a match or round (search and destroy, and demolitions have rounds) +100XP
Comeback! – You’ve recovered from a streak of deaths. +50XP multiplied by the numbers of deaths in your deathstreak
Position Secure! – You’ve taken an objective. +150XP (Domination)
Offense! – You killed a defender. +50XP
Defense! – Killed an enemy when defending a position. +50XP
Double Kill! – Kill two enemies within 2 seconds. +50XP
Triple Kill! – Kill three enemies within 2 seconds. +75XP
Multi Kill! – Kill four or more enemies within 2 seconds. +100XP
Longshot! – Nice kill from a distance. +50XP
Share Package! – “A team-mate saved your Care Package from the enemy!” Multiples of +50XP Depending on what was in the care package. Your team mate takes your package.
One Shot Kill – Kill someone with one bullet of a sniper rifle +100XP Stops showing up after awhile, but you still get the XP supposedly. If you hit them with one bullet and they go into last stand and die later then you don’t get the XP Bonus. If someone hurts the enemy and you take them out with one shot you will not get the XP Bonus.
Headshot – Get a headshot +50XP (+500XP on Search and Destroy)
Flag Runner! – Picked up the flag in a Capture the Flag match. +50XP
Flag Return – You return the flag to it’s “base” +50XP
Flag Captured – Capture an enemy flag and return it to base +250XP
Crowd Control – Make an excellent distraction. (use your riot shield to get attention and have a team mate kill the person shooting you) Multiples of +10XP Depending on damage taken.
Afterlife – Kill an enemy while you are dead. +25XP
Assisted Suicide – Kill a downed enemy or injure an enemy before he kills himself (usually due to fall damage). +100XP
Avenger – Kill an enemy that just killed your team mate. +50XP
Denied – Destroy an enemy tactical insertion before they spawn through it. No XP Awarded.
Execution – Headshot someone who went into last/final stand. +100XP
Time Extension – Bomb Site Destroyed, Time Extended. No XP (Demolitions)
Saboteur – Plant a bomb. 100 XP (Demolitions), 200XP (Sabotage), 1000XP (Search & Destroy)
Hero – You Defused a bomb. 100XP (Demolitions), 150XP (Sabotage), 1000XP (Search & Destroy)
Ninja Defuse – “Sneaky, Sneaky…” Defuse a bomb within seconds of the bomb being planted 100XP(Demolitions), 150XP (Sabotage), 1000XP (Search & Destroy) Meaning No Extra XP Bonus.
Heroic – Capture a domination point while in Last Stand. +150XP for capturing, No Extra XP Bonus.

Match Bonuses – After every round or match you get a bonus. Depending on the amount of kills you got, the points you earned in objective matches, the length of the match, winning the match (seems to multiply by 2), and your rank the points can be low as 100 XP in the lower ranks to as high as 5000+ XP in the later ranks. If you leave the match before the end of the game then you will lose your match bonus.

Accolades

A new edition to Modern Warfare 2 are the “accolades” which can be earned various times by playing a certain way. They are given after a private or online match. You can earn more than three per match but at the end it shows you your top three during the match.

Unstoppable – Longest kill streak
Sharpshooter – Most headshots
Wingman – Most assists
Devastation – Highest Multikill
Clutch Player – Match winning kill
The Geared – Most kills
MVP – Most kills/Fewest deaths
Overkill – Most kills/Most headshots
Steamroller – Most kills/Longest kill streak
The Show – 10 Kills/No deaths
Supernatural – Kill/Death ratio over 10.
Decimator – Killed entire enemy team without dying
Immortal – Highest kill/death ratio
Juggernaut – Fewest deaths
Pathfinder – Most UAVs
Top Gun – Most air strikes
Air Ops – Most helicopters
Flanker – Most kills from behind
Blind fire – Most bullet penetration kills
Vengeful – Most paybacks
Avenger – Most avenger kills
Upriser – Most kills of higher rank
Marksman – Most longshots
Rescuer – Most rescues
Revenge – Most last stand kills
Executioner – Most execution kills
Genocidal – Most multi kills
Statuesque – Most stationary kills
Lifer – Longest life
Rally – Most comebacks
Lights Out – Most tactical insertions prevented
Shell Shocked – Most explosions survived
Unbreakable – Most bullets deflected
Hot Potato – Most grenades thrown back
Stunner – Most stun grenade hits
Blinder – Most flash bang hits
None Spared – Killed entire enemy team
6th Sense – No deaths from behind
Switchblade – Most knife kills
Fragger – Most frag grenade kills
Grenadier – Most grenade kills
Hard Boiled – Most pistol kills
C4 Killer – Most C4 Kills
Semtex Pro – Most semtex kills
Ambusher – Most claymore kills
AR Specialist – Most assault rifle kills
CQB – Most SMG Kills
Butcher – Most Throwing knife kills
Explosivo – Most Rocket kills
Buckshot – Most shotgun kills
7.62mm – Most LMG kills
SMG Expert – Most SMG headshots
Smoking Gun – Most pistol headshots
Sniper – Most sniper kills
AR Expert – Most Assault rifle headshots
Boomstick – Most shotgun headshots
LMG Expert – Most LMG headshots
Magnifier – Most scoped kills
Survivalist – Most equipment kills
Dead Aim – Most sniper headshots
White Hot – Most thermal kills
Exterminator – Most thumper kills
Crowd Control – Most riot shield kills
Alpha Male – Most kills of lower rank
Sprayer – Most hip fire kills
Hairtrigger – Most ADS kills
Loaner – Most kills with enemy weapons
Nomad – Longest distance traveled
Runner – Most time spent sprinting
Spy Game – Most time watching kill cams
Grassy Knoll – Most time spent prone
Sneaker – Most time spent couched
Lock & Load – Most reloads
Weapon Rack – Most weapon swaps
Trigger Happy – Most shots fired
Low Profile – Lowest average altitude
High Command – Highest average altitude
Lockdown – Most time spent in one place
Nearsighted – Most friendlies shot
Grudge Match – Most kills of same player
Arsenal – Most weapons used
Starter – Most kill cams skipped
Evolver – Most classes changed
Undercover – Most time near enemies
Participant – No kills/At least 1 death
Accident Prone – Most suicides
Blindsided – Most deaths from behind
Deathrow – Longest death streak
Terminal – Shortest life
Clay Pigeon – Most deaths by shotgun
Hijacker – Most stolen kills
AFK – No kills/No deaths
Protester – Most deaths by riot shield
Defuser – Most bombs defused
Bomb Expert – Most bombs planted
Warming Up – Just getting started. (You get this accolade by not getting any other accolades in a private match)
Destroyer – Most targets destroyed
Bomb Blocker – Most bomb carrier kills
Bomb Threat – Most kills as bomb carrier
Bomb Runner – Most bombs carried
Dominator – Most points captured
HQ Capturer – Most HQs Captured
HQ Destroyer – Most HQs destroyed
Flag Capturer – Most flags captured
Flag Returner – Most flags returned
Flag Runner – Most flags carried
Flag Blocker – Most flag carrier kills
Double Threat – Most kills as flag carrier