Call of Duty MW3: How to Upgrade Weapon Rarity in Zombies Mode?

The new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 brings players an exhilarating zombie game mode which was co-created with the help of devs from Treyarch, known for the Black Ops Series. In this mode, players are put into an open-world PvE setting emphasizing co-op and extraction-style gameplay along with completing faction quests.

Players deploy into the terrifying infected zone of Urzikstan where they are given an hour to progress through their objectives and get extracted. Even though you will spawn with an initial loadout, you need to find ways to upgrade your weapons as you reach critical zones where you must deal with brutally difficult zombies. If you are wondering how to improve your weapon’s rarity in MW3, you have stumbled upon the right article. Let’s go ahead and take a look.

How Does Weapon Rarity Work in Modern Warfare 3 Zombies?

In order to upgrade your arsenal, you must first know how weapon rarity works in the game. To gain access to powerful weapons, you will have to upgrade them through multiple levels of rarity. Progressing through each level will grant you increasingly stronger weapons which will help you deal more damage to these undead creatures. Similar to the zombie modes in the Black Ops series, MW3 also has six levels of rarity. 

Here’s the list in ascending order:

• Common: This is the level you start your match with and it is indicated by a gray banner. They do not get any damage bonuses and more of these can be found in tier-1 zones where it is easier to deal with zombies.

• Uncommon: Indicated by a green banner, these weapons provide you with a slight boost to damage by 50%. Similar to common weapons, they are prevalent in the tier-1 zone.

• Rare: Accessing rare weapons requires you to traverse through tier-2 zones. These are indicated by their blue banner and provide a significant damage boost of 100%.

• Epic: You will run into weapons with epic rarity mostly in the tier-3 zones but you might also find them, sparsely in tier-2 zones as well. They are identified by their purple banner and will grant you a massive 200% damage bonus.

• Legendary: Finding these weapons out in the wild is incredibly rare even when you are in the most challenging zone. If you are lucky enough, you might find them in mystery boxes at the late-game stage. They contain an orange banner and will do colossal amounts of damage as they have now increased by 300%.

• Ultra: These are the most coveted weapons in the game and are also called Wonder Weapons due to their exclusivity. There are currently just three of these in-game; the Wunderwaffle DG-2, the Scorcher, and the Ray Gun. Due to their uniqueness, they do not contain any damage bonuses, although you still dish out quite a bit of damage.

How to Upgrade Weapon Rarity in MW3 Zombies?

Modern Warfare 3 provides you with an item called Aetherium Tools which replaces the Work Bench from previous tiles. You will find these tools by finishing several contracts spread across the map or even if you simply shoot down those pesky purple orbs that are flying around.

Keep in mind that Aetherium Tools also have their own levels of rarity and they can only upgrade weapons that are lower than their current tier. For example, a rare Aether Tool will upgrade a weapon from uncommon to rare but it will have no effect on Epic weapons. You can also stash these tools for later use As long as you have the necessary inventory space. This means you can start your next deployment into Urzikstan with an Aether Tool already in your hand. 

Furthermore, players can attempt to scavenge for schematics that will allow them to craft a legendary Aether Tool which will instantly upgrade a weapon to purple rarity at the very beginning of a match. However, once you reach the walls in Tier-3 zones you can directly purchase Legendary weapons.