The Longbow is a new weapon added in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 that sits right between sniper and marksman rifles. It doesn't pack the same punch as its higher-caliber cousins, but it's capable of establishing dominance even in close quarters if players are skilled enough to use it.

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Though difficult to use at first, the Longbow can quickly become a reliable rifle in the hands of an effective Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sniper. Here are two builds catering to both of its primary strengths.

Updated June 4, 2024 by Marc Santos: The Longbow received a number of changes that hampered its dominance within close quarters, not to mention there have been new sniper rifles added to Modern Warfare 3 that rival the Longbow's quickscoping prowess. While the long-range build in this game remains intact, the quickscope setup has been updated to be a little deadlier at range and more stable when moving while aiming. Additionally, a new segment for the Longbow's JAK Tyrant kit has been created to help players make a Tac Stance build that's fast and deadly, especially within the 10-meter mark.

MW Longbow Build: Long Range Duelist

The first main strength of the Longbow is the combination of its high damage and fast fire rate that lets compete even with the many SMGs of MW3. It won't be able to one-tap most enemies beyond close range without a headshot, but it can definitely out-duel most other players with a well-placed chest shot if they're close enough.

This attachment and class setup cranks the Longbow's upfront dueling potential up significantly without sacrificing too much mobility:

• Barrel: Pro-99 Long Barrel
• Ammo: High Grain
• Rear Grip: Chorus GEN4
• Bolt: SA-M Quickbolt
• Stock: KV Factory Stock
• Vest: Infantry
• Gloves: Marksman
• Boots: Running Sneakers
• Gear: Ghost T/V Camo
• Lethal: Claymore/Proximity Mine

Players are expected to adopt a traditional sniper playstyle with this build. Pick a lane or a long sight line, then take out anything that moves. With the flinch resistance given by the Chorus GEN4 grip and Marksman gloves, players should be able to outgun anyone who tries to fight back. Keep in mind that even with range-boosting attachments, the Longbow's one-shot-kill range on body hits remains very short (around 20 meters) compared to other sniper rifles.

MW3 Longbow Quickscope Build

The Longbow used to be the king of close-range quickscoping back when the game first launched, but with many other options now available, the old quickscope setup for this weapon has gotten overshadowed by other weapons that are deadlier and easier to use at range. The following attempts to bring Longbow in closer parity to the likes of the XRK Stalker and MORS without completely abandoning its identity as a fast skirmishing weapon.

• Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop
• Magazine: 10-Round Mag
• Ammo: High Grain
• Stock: No Stock
• Laser: SL Razorhawk Laser Light
• Vest: Infantry
• Gloves: Assault
• Boots: Stalker
• Gear: Any

This build has been changed to focus more on maintaining user comfort and the gun's lethality at ~20m while still making it feel snappier than most of MW3's other sniper rifles. The SL Razorhawk Laser Light greatly improves the weapon's ADS speed, Aim Walking Steadiness, and Sprint-To-Fire Speed, which is great for fans of the classic run-and-gun sniper playstyle.

JAK Tyrant Tac Stance Build

The JAK Tyrant conversion kit allows the use of MW3's Tac Stance mechanic for the Longbow. Performance-wise, it's still going to feel like a regular Longbow in terms of damage range and handling, but keep in mind that using Tac Stance means you'll be moving faster than when you're aiming down sights (though slower than regular movement).

• Laser: 1MW Laser
• Barrel: Tru-Tac Short Barrel
• Underbarrel: FTAC RS-9 Stealth Angled Grip
• Stock: No Stock
• Conversion Kit: JAK Tyrant
• Vest: Infantry
• Gloves: Assault
• Boots: Stalker
• Gear: Any

The setup above is all about improving your speed and accuracy while using Tac Stance. Instead of holding down lanes or quickscoping targets, this one lets you sweep one room after the other without ever bringing your weapon down from Tac Stance, giving you superior mobility and accuracy.

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

Franchise

Call of Duty , Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PS4 , Xbox One

Released

November 10, 2023

Developer(s)

Sledgehammer Games