All Altered Strain Augments in Modern Warfare 3: How to unlock, best to worst, and more

Modern Warfare 3 Season 4’s Mutation Mode adds a new spin to the traditional MW3 multiplayer. The issue is things can get complicated when modifiers come into effect. Here are all the Altered Strain Augments in Modern Warfare 3’s Altered Strain Event, ranked so you can stay ahead of the pack.

How to unlock Augmentations in Mutation Mode MW3

Mutation is a limited-time mode, and there’s a little more to it than meets the eye. You can unlock Augments for your Mutant form by collecting Mutated DNA Samples from fallen opponents.

The samples are color-coded and at the time of writing, you cannot earn Yellow or Red DNA. You need Yellow and Red Samples to unlock Augmentations, and you can view progress for these unlocks in the Altered Strain section of the Events page.

We will update this guide if we find any cheeky strategies for earning samples quickly.

What do all the Altered Strain Augments do in Modern Warfare 3?

Augments in Altered Strain apply to the Mutant classes. You’ll unlock Altered Strain Augmentations as the Mutant Mode event progresses. There are five Augmentations to look out for, and they function as follows:

• First Strike – The first ability used after respawning has a rapid cooldown.
• Flop Shot – Diving from elevated surfaces causes a small explosion.
• Repocket – Kills with abilities have a chance to replenish your Tactical Ability instantly.
• Attuned – Reduced cost to acquire the Mutant Juggernaut.
• Galvanized – Temporary damage reduction against explosives.

As you can see, these augments aren’t created equally. Some are always useful, while others have niche value. With this in mind, let’s see how they stack up against each other.

If the Mutations and Augments have brought you back into Call of Duty, make sure you memorize the Bunker locations in Warzone to stay ahead of the competition.

Best Altered Strain event Augments in Modern Warfare 3, ranked worst to best.

There will likely be situations where all of the Augmentations can shine. That said, some are better than others, so here’s every Augmentation from worst to best and why:

Galvanized

Nothing is more annoying than dying to a well-placed Claymore or a Hail Mary Grenade. The issue is Galvanized relies heavily on your opponents using explosives in the first place.

This Augment’s value depends on your enemies relying on specific equipment, so it takes the bottom spot for me. There will be times when it shines, but it won’t be in every game.

Repocket

I’m not a fan of abilities that only have a chance to activate, hence Repocket’s lower placement. Repocket might replenish your tactical ability upon a regular ability kill.

If the replenishment were guaranteed, Repocket would be chilling out at the top of the list, as the effect is pretty good. As it stands, it’s not worth the hassle.

Attuned

Juggernauts of any form are always crowd-pleasers in Call of Duty, but they also occupy a weird spot in gameplay. If a team calls in a Juggernaut, they are usually winning by a massive margin already. Juggernaut is also fairly easy to unlock by default, as it only takes five kills.

After some testing, I may rank Attuned higher, but it seems more of a “fun” Augment than a powerful one.

First Strike

Decent players can outplay their opponents by knowing when they’ve exhausted their resources. First Strike allows you to rapidly replenish your first ability used after a respawn, which can catch people off guard.

You’ve also got some flexibility, as you can choose which ability First Strike will affect.

Flop Shot

Zombie-mode veterans will immediately feel comfortable with Flop Shot. It may take some work to force a situation where you can dive, but Flop Shot is free damage if you’re on uneven terrain.

You can use this Augment in any situation, and it doesn’t rely on chance to activate. If you already have cracked movement skills, Flop Shot is a devastating power-up.

If you’re a new or returning player and are wondering what weapons pack a punch, don’t sleep on the Superi 46. This SMG is a close-range monster and can delete operators ridiculously fast in regular multiplayer and Warzone.