- For the mission in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, see Takedown (mission).
Takedown is a Stealth Perk introduced in Call of Duty: Ghosts. When a player kills an enemy, other enemy players will not see the skull above their fallen teammate.
Takedown is an excellent complement to any stealth-based class build. Experienced players often pay attention to the skull-marks (especially in Hardcore modes due to the lack of the minimap), as it indicates that the player is potentially close to enemy fire or an enemy player, and gives them time to seek cover. Takedown eliminates such advantages from enemies, and allows the player to dispatch an enemy without alerting his/her teammates, especially so when used with a Silencer and the Off The Grid perk.
The perk is most useful when flanking enemy positions, as it allows the player to pick off enemies one by one before they notice that their perimeter has been breached. It's usefulness with Sniper Rifles, however, depends on the player's style. When using a suppressed sniper, it can be used to lure enemies into open areas, as the lack of skull-marks may lead them to believe that the area is clear. When using an unsuppressed sniper, it may not be as useful as you will show up on the minimap anyway, and enemy players will correspondingly avoid areas where they may be picked off by a sniper.
It should be noted that Takedown is completely useless in Free For All gamemodes due to the absence of teams, meaning that skull-marks will not appear whether or not the perk is used.
