Trip Wire, Smoke Wall, Razor Wire and the reworked Riot Shield - every new tactical, lethal and field upgrade in Modern Warfare 4.
MW4 Equipment and Field Upgrades List
Modern Warfare 4 launches with 9 Tacticals, 11 Lethals and 11 Field Upgrades. Four new or reworked items have been detailed so far: Trip Wire as a Lethal, Smoke Wall and Razor Wire as Field Upgrades, and the Riot Shield, which moves from a permanent loadout choice to a timed, destructible Field Upgrade.
The confirmed details:
- Trip Wire is a Lethal that auto-links with nearby Trip Wires, including your squad mates', to build explosive webs.
- Smoke Wall is a forward-deployed rocket that leaves a navigable volumetric smoke trail, disrupted by gunfire and dispersed by explosives.
- Razor Wire deploys on enemy contact and stops anyone who slides or runs into it.
- The Riot Shield now has durability and can be destroyed, and it can be planted as cover.
The equipment counts
| Category | At launch | Available in the Open Beta |
|---|---|---|
| Tacticals | 9 | 7 |
| Lethals | 11 | 8 |
| Field Upgrades | 11 | 9 |
Every loadout carries exactly one Tactical, one Lethal and one Field Upgrade, so each of these is a single-slot decision. Infinity Ward frames the category as existing to keep players in the fight longer while expanding tactical flexibility, which is why the new entries lean toward area control rather than raw damage. The full feature set is summarised on the official Modern Warfare 4 product page.
Official source: Modern Warfare 4: NEXT Highlights - Multiplayer Gameplay Systems
Trip Wire (Lethal)
Trip Wire is a throwable mine built around surface placement and an auto-linking system. When deployed, it creates an explosive tether that adapts to its environment, forming a ground trap, a wall-to-wall trap or a vertical trap depending on where it lands. The system responds to the surface automatically and constructs the triggered connection without requiring precise setup.
The interesting part is the linking. Multiple Trip Wires, including ones placed by squad mates, combine when placed near each other to form larger connected traps. Those explosive webs let a squad control space, block routes or set layered defenses across a contested area.
In practice this turns a single Lethal slot into a team tool. Four players running Trip Wire can fence off an entire flank of an objective rather than each defending one doorway independently. The counter is that the tether is visible once deployed, so it works best where the enemy is moving fast and has no time to read the room.
Doorways with a wall opposite are ideal. The auto-linking handles the geometry, so you only need to pick a chokepoint, not a precise angle.
Smoke Wall (Field Upgrade)
Smoke Wall deploys a compact rocket that travels forward and leaves a dense trail of smoke in its path. It navigates over obstacles, which lets it function across a range of environments and engagement spaces rather than only on flat ground.
At range it obscures long sightlines, limiting visibility for overwatch positions and enabling safer movement across exposed areas. Up close it creates a direct path forward so you can reposition and advance under cover. That dual use is what separates it from a thrown smoke grenade, which only creates a fixed cloud.
The smoke uses Infinity Ward's new volumetric tech and fully interacts with world geometry. It also responds to combat: it can be disrupted by gunfire and dispersed by explosives. That means a Smoke Wall is a soft barrier, not a hard one, and an enemy who knows the counter can shoot a hole through your cover or blow it away.
Razor Wire (Field Upgrade)
Razor Wire is a deployable trap that creates a dense coil of barbed wire on contact, halting movement and controlling chokepoints. Once placed, it deploys when an enemy makes contact rather than sitting visibly armed, which makes it effective along advantageous routes and chokepoints that opponents expect to run through.
The reaction window is the point. Enemies who slide or run into the wire are momentarily stopped, which gives you time to react and counter. The official description stresses that the effect is clear and readable, so the trapped player understands what caught them.
It can be forced through, but at a cost to speed and health. Melee attacks or gunfire can clear a path, though doing so exposes your position. Used well, Razor Wire controls chokepoints, slows advances and protects vulnerable angles, which makes it the natural partner for an objective-holding class.
Riot Shield (Field Upgrade, reworked)
The Riot Shield returns, but not as the permanent loadout choice it used to be. It is now a Field Upgrade and a timed tactical tool that you deploy when needed, letting you switch from offense to defense without giving up your primary weapon.
Three things changed. In use, it provides frontal protection while advancing or holding a position. It also has a new heavy melee attack that knocks enemies down and creates space in close quarters. And when planted, it becomes deployable cover that you can mount behind to hold an angle or secure an objective.
The balance lever is durability. The shield is now destructible: durable enough to support a push or cover a retreat, but not something you can rely on indefinitely. That pushes the item toward timing and positioning instead of sustained turtling, and it means an enemy team can simply shoot the shield down if you hold it too long.
The Riot Shield also shows up in the official Collateral buy list as purchasable equipment, alongside items such as Flash, Molotov, Frag and Stim. That is a mode-specific shop rather than a statement about the standard equipment slots, but it confirms the item is used across more than one context.
If you are used to holding the shield for a whole match, the durability change will catch you out. Plan the push, plant the shield, then move. It is a tool with a lifespan, not a permanent state.
What is not confirmed yet
Only these four items have been detailed by name. The remaining Tacticals, Lethals and Field Upgrades exist in the official counts of 9, 11 and 11, but Infinity Ward has not published their names, so any complete list you find before launch is guesswork. The official maps and modes guide describes how the Beta put these items to work without naming the rest of the pool. The Beta exposed 7 Tacticals, 8 Lethals and 9 Field Upgrades without naming them individually.
Two related facts are worth keeping straight. In DMZ, Field Upgrades do not recharge their charge, so the deployable items work differently there than in multiplayer. And Apex Attachments can interact with equipment directly: the Kastov ARC emits an RF pulse capable of disrupting enemy Killstreaks and equipment, which is covered in the Apex Attachments guide.
To see how these slots sit inside a full build, read the MW4 Create-a-Class guide for the slot order, and the perks and Killstreaks list for what fills the rest of the class. The MW4 modes list explains where each item type matters most, including Collateral, where equipment is bought mid-round instead.
FAQ
How many Tacticals, Lethals and Field Upgrades does MW4 have?
At launch: 9 Tacticals, 11 Lethals and 11 Field Upgrades. The Open Beta made 7 Tacticals, 8 Lethals and 9 Field Upgrades available.
What is Trip Wire in Modern Warfare 4?
A new Lethal that places an explosive tether adapting to the surface, forming ground, wall-to-wall or vertical traps. Nearby Trip Wires, including your squad mates', link together into larger connected traps.
What does Smoke Wall do in MW4?
It is a Field Upgrade that fires a forward-traveling rocket leaving a navigable volumetric smoke trail. It blocks long sightlines at range and creates a path forward up close. Gunfire can disrupt it and explosives can disperse it.
What is Razor Wire in MW4?
A Field Upgrade that deploys a dense coil of barbed wire on enemy contact, stopping anyone who slides or runs into it. Enemies can force through at a cost to speed and health, or clear it with melee or gunfire.
Is the Riot Shield still in MW4?
Yes, but as a Field Upgrade rather than a permanent loadout choice. It provides frontal protection, has a new heavy melee knock-down attack, can be planted as cover, and now has destructible durability.
Can Smoke Wall smoke be destroyed?
Yes. The smoke can be disrupted by gunfire and dispersed by explosives, so it is a soft barrier rather than permanent cover.
How many equipment slots does a loadout have?
One Tactical, one Lethal and one Field Upgrade. Each category is a single slot, so choosing between a Trip Wire and a grenade is a real trade rather than a stacking decision.
Related Guides
- MW4 Create-a-Class guide - where the Tactical, Lethal and Field Upgrade slots sit in a loadout.
- MW4 perks and Killstreaks list - the Pick 3 system and the confirmed Killstreaks that pair with your equipment.
- MW4 multiplayer modes list - which modes reward area control and which replace equipment with a cash shop.
More Modern Warfare 4 Guides
The Modern Warfare story so far - Urzikstan, Task Force 141, Shepherd's betrayal and Makarov - recapped before you start MW4.
Operators and Killstreaks are now part of every loadout. How to build a Modern Warfare 4 class slot by slot, and what changed.
How DMZ works in Modern Warfare 4: deploying into Hajin, what to loot first, how the threat system escalates and making your first extraction.
Printer resources, ingredients and recipes in MW4 DMZ, the known first recipes with their exact costs, and what each FOB upgrade does.
DMZ early access opens October 20 for digital pre-orders. What you can do in the three days before launch and what carries into the full game.
Every Forward Operating Base station in MW4 DMZ, the level each one unlocks at, and how the Stash, Gunsmith and Vendor actually work.
Every Hajin point of interest in the Modern Warfare 4 DMZ map, with the expected threat level and the loot each type of building holds.
How to hunt Lieutenants and Commanders in MW4 DMZ, what Boss Board intel costs, and why picking up Dog Tags broadcasts your position.