Claymore

The Claymore is an Anti-Personnel Mine featured in both the single player and multiplayer in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as a player set explosive. In the multiplayer, it is unlocked at Level 23 in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Level 31 in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
The Claymore is used in both the Single and multiplayer modes. In single player, the Claymore can be used to prepare an area for enemy assault or to cover a vulnerable flank, as it only causes damage directly in front of the mine as opposed to a bubble-effect like grenades or C4.

In single player, claymores will usually be in the players inventory at the start of the level, and the player will often start with two of them. Many players will rarely use them as they have no real tactical purpose except in "One Shot, One Kill". The only claymore preset in the game is in "One Shot, One Kill". After sniping Zakhaev, look to the left before roping down. There is a claymore in front of the door (in case an enemy came upstairs to ambush the sniper team).

In multiplayer, the Claymore is unlocked at level 23 and can be used to defend a position from enemy assault. This is mostly used by snipers who want to defend their position from an enemy bent on killing them. The player is given only two at a time, however, as a perk in the first slot; thus, other possible choices such as an RPG-7 or extra Special Grenades are forfeited. The player can also increase the amount of damage delivered by the claymore by using it with the Sonic Boom perk, which increases the damage of all explosive weapons damage. When activated, the Claymore will make a single clicking sound, before detonating (.83 sec. delay). A Claymore can be spotted by the red lasers it produces or with the Bomb Squad perk. Defeating a Claymore can be done by throwing a grenade at its position or shooting the mine. Although not harmful to the person setting it down when detonated if said person is standing behind it, it will kill or seriously injure a player if it is detonated with them in front of it.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The Claymore returns in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, but this time it uses the Equipment slot instead of being given via a perk. Also, the player only receives one instead of two. It takes 3/4 of a second to activate once tripped. The actual blast radius has been increased. A suspecting or fast-reacting enemy can hear it tripped as soon as it is first flipped and back off just before it explodes. However, even the most skilled of players will find it difficult to evade a well-placed Claymore that they didn't know was there. It is useful if the player places it on the side of a door facing at a angle away from the door, so the opposing player can not avoid it.

Not just for kills, Claymores are often also used as an early-warning system that enemies are coming. They are now also temporarily disabled by enemy Stun Grenades and Flash Grenades detonating nearby (and grenades thrown by the person who planted the Claymore). Deactivated Claymores will spark and smoke a little. After about 5 seconds the Claymore will reactivate and will explode as normal when triggered. Additionally, Claymores are immediately placed when the equipment button is pressed and released, instead of being drawn with one button press and placed with the primary fire button, as in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. This means Claymores can be placed as a last-ditch reaction when the enemy is rushing, which can be a good way to get a kill from beyond the grave. If the player have a Claymore placed and the player will die, it will disappear once the player respawns, so if the player died from an enemy that is near the player's Claymore, the player may want to wait a little bit before the player spawns; the player may just get a kill. One more interesting change is that if the player holds down the equipment button, they can now walk around while planting claymores. In Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, pressing the fire button with the claymore selected would stop the player in place until they finished planting.

It is useful to have the perks Scavenger and Danger Close equipped. These will allow the player to pick up extra Claymores from dead enemies and will make them more powerful. One Man Army can also be used for more Claymores. By switching to any class with Claymores equipped (including the players current class), the player will have another Claymore ready for use. In multiplayer one can only place two Claymores at a time; if a third is placed, the first will explode. If two Claymores are placed so that the laser detectors cross, both will explode. It should be noted that the player should plant the Claymore immediately after switching to it, unless the player hold down the equipment button in which the player will then be holding the Claymore in a position ready to deploy it.

A few perks can easily counter Claymores. Scrambler Pro delays Claymores about 9 seconds longer than usual when they are tripped, rendering the players Claymores almost useless. Using Lightweight and/or Marathon also allows players to run right by a Claymore before it explodes. Players using the SitRep perk can easily detect claymores and can find a way to destroy, disable or evade them, and some tactically-aware players can pinpoint enemy camping locations using the equipment locations. A well-placed Claymore will still often kill or damage these players, however. Depending on the players playing style and how well the player can place Claymores depends on how well they will work for the player.

Some of the more effective methods of claymore placement are to put them inside "non-colliding" debris on the ground, inside cardboard boxes (such as the ones on Highrise), facing almost completely the other direction from an entry point where an enemy will attempt to run past the claymore but really be blown up from behind, and sometimes even placed out in the open in a high traffic area right in the middle of the road. Facing completely forward, they will trigger from a distance that will kill anyone without speed or scrambler perks, regardless of their reaction time, particularly if they are being led to concentrate on something else, such as weapons fire or what may appear to them to be a camper to easily be knifed from behind. Claymores also prove themselves effective in no respawn gamemodes, such as Search and Destroy, because Claymores will only disappear after the person who has planted them respawns. This means that kills may be achieved a long time after the player who planted the mine has died. Placing a Claymore near destructive environmental objects or C4 can increase the lethality of the blast.

Tips

 * A Claymore cannot be detonated or disabled by teammates, even if they shoot it. In Hardcore mode though, it is possible to destroy friendly claymores.
 * In Afghan, Claymores can easily look like rocks or debris, making them highly beneficial. On the other hand they do not camouflage well in snowy, arctic levels, such as Derail.
 * The trigger lasers for the claymore are actually misleading, as the real trigger range appears to be slightly wider than the actual lasers.
 * Claymores can be placed while planting the bomb in such game modes as Search and Destroy and Demolition.
 * A Claymore can be placed facing a thin wall as a way to find enemy players as the lasers will stick out through the wall and will still detonate, but will cause no damage.
 * A Claymore explosion/triggering can be heard going off by the planter no matter how far away they are from where they set it in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
 * Claymores do not have a ceiling on their explosions - they can kill a player who is floors above them if the surfaces allow it. For this reason, be careful trying to flank a claymore while walking over catwalks and openings.
 * Claymores can be placed facing enemy Tactical Insertions in order to kill the spawning enemy.
 * Claymores show on the user's back, so they may not be the best candidate for a sniper, if the player plans on trying to hide in their Ghillie Suit, as the claymore will show.

Trivia

 * The sound of the Claymore clicking before it detonates uses the same audio as the mines that would click before detonating as the player walked over them in Call of Duty and Call of Duty 2.
 * When planting a Claymore, it says on the back "BACK M18 A1 APERS MINE" and on the front is says, "FRONT TOWARD ENEMY"
 * In Modern Warfare 2, after the player plants a bomb, setting a Claymore will bring back up the yellow "briefcase" used to plant the bomb after the Claymore is deployed. This is a glitch.
 * Call of Duty: World at War's Bouncing Betty is similar to The Claymore.
 * If the player puts a claymore in front of an enemy player standing still, it will not explode. The player can spin, reload, or even throw a grenade without the claymore detonating. The only thing that detonates claymores is attempting to move and jumping.
 * In the Special Ops level Armor Piercing, the player can refill their Claymore mines after getting out of the map. The Claymores are located next to the M14 EBR.