Time-to-Kill or TTK measures how long it takes for you to kill an enemy player in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (MW3). Read on to learn more about how TTK works in MW3 and how to improve your TTK, including info on how weapon hitboxes and distance damage drop offs work in-game.

How Does TTK (Time-To-Kill) Work in MW3?

Unique Weapon Hitboxes Affect Damage Registration

One of the biggest factors that affects TTK in MW3 is the unique weapon hitbox for each of its 113 guns. After testing, the team has confirmed that not all guns obey a uniform damage hitbox in MW3 (see above) and that this affected their shots-to-kill (STK) when playing.

Shots-to-Kill Test for the MCW and MTZ-762

For comparison, we shot the MCW and MTZ-762 at 47 meters to measure their STK for each of the 6 body parts (shown above). Test results indicated that compared to the MCW which had 3, the MTZ-762 had 4 distinct regions which all had different STK values.

This meant that the MCW gave you a "bigger target" compared to the MTZ-762. Lower Torso and Leg Shots resulted in equal damage for the MCW, while Lower Torso and Leg Shots for the MTZ-762 might leave you one bullet short of a kill if your aim wasn't consistent.

Some Guns Also Have Different Hitbox Sizes

Not only do hitbox groupings vary between certain guns, the size of the hitbox also changes depending on the weapon you have equipped. For example, when shooting an M4, neck damage is also registered as headshot damage, meaning this particular weapon forgives less accurate shooting compared to other ARs that register smaller headshot hitboxes.

Overwall Weapon Damage

KATT-AMR: One of the only Snipers that can one shot, one kill enemies at all ranges.

Aside from the wonky hitboxes, Damage is naturally one of the biggest factors that affect your TTK in MW3. After all, you can have the best attachment setup for your gun, but if someone who can kill you with in 3 bullets shows up, all you can really do is pray you shoot first.

While there are a few standout guns in MW3 when it comes to damage advantage, many players will quickly find out that even with a heavy-hitting gun, positioning and movement will always muddy the waters when it comes to choosing the "best gun" in the current meta.

Distance Damage Drop-Off of Each Gun

Shooting an MCW at 47.0m with a 6-Headshot STK.

Each gun in MW3 has its own Effective and Minimum Damage Ranges. Your effective damage range indicates the max range of your gun where it does the most damage, while your minimum damage range indicates the max range of your gun where it deals regular damage before the damage drop-off kicks in.

Essentially, this means you deal max damage so long as you are hitting the enemy within the effective range of your weapon, and you deal slightly less when hitting them between your effective and minimum damage ranges (MCW stats shown above). Shooting targets beyond the minimum range will result in a damage drop-off that affects your STK and TTK accordingly.

Rate of Fire and Recoil Stability

In close quarters combat (CQC) scenarios, two of the biggest factors that ultimately affect your TTK will be the Rate of Fire (RoF) and Recoil Stability of your chosen weapon. A weapon that fires rapidly and accurately at close range will usually beat the slower weapon given the fast-paced nature of combat in MW3.

How to Improve Weapon TTK

Adjust Attachment Setups Based on Playstyle

Ultimately, you'll want to create loadouts and attachment setups that fit the playstyle you're going for in MW3 multiplayer. Play to the strengths of your weapon and compensate for its weaknesses via your chosen attachments.

For example, if you're looking to take distance fights using an AR, then maybe improving recoil control will be better than focusing on mobility enhancing attachments. If you're an SMG run-and-gun player, then maybe improving mobility and sprint to fire speeds would be your top priority.

Pay Attention to the Meta Weapons

Unfortunately, with the amount of guns in MW3, it does become inevitable that a few will stand out as meta weapons in-game. Make sure you pay attention to some of the more powerful guns that pop-up in your matches since they could very well dictate future Ranked metas once the mode is released.

Some examples of meta guns are the pre-nerf FR 5.56 and DG-58. Before the November 21 Update, they were 1-burst, 1-kill weapons that melted any player who so much as looked at them funny.

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