This game is also available on Xbox 360.
Retro Game Walkthroughs for Battlefield 2 (PC Games)
Submitted By: Game
Ah, Life on the Battlefield. It can be a daunting thing, but with these tips, after all the war, tears and bloodshed, you might just end up with a decent points total!
Commander Stuff
Battlefield is a First Person Shooter, and as such, you have a limited view of what is going on. For this reason, you really need to keep an eye on what’s going on. If you’re team has a good Commander, you’ll have a near-continual series of UAVs, Scans and Supply Drops. Your Commander should also point out any glaringly dangerous situations like the impending arrival of enemy tanks/vehicles. If you happen to be the commander, bear this in mind. Even through you might have ‘mad skillz’ on the Battlefield, your support and direction as a Commander is far more valuable to a good team.
Squad Stuff
Another way to heighten your visibility – while indirectly - is to join a squad. While you may have a limited view, 4-5 squad members all watching each-others backs are a great and powerful thing. You and your squad members should continually report sightings of enemies (by holding down Q and clicking ‘Spotted’ over the target, or selecting the appropriate enemy force by right-clicking the spotted circle. You can also communicate some preset vocabularies to your squad or in fact anyone on your team. This is something you’d be good to get used to. Even if you’re not in a squad, and have no Commander, an ally in a plane, tank or APC might not be far away, and their aid might be the difference between dying, or living and capturing/defending a base!
If you’re a squad leader, your Request Menu is boosted with the option to ask for a lot more than plain infantry. As well as being able to ask for UAV scans, you can also request other helpful aids from a Commander who can accept and action (or reject) your request in second. As a squad leader, you’ll do well to lead by example. While everyone likes a high-score, winning or losing a battle can be a difference of just one ticket. If you can do your squad a favour by offering cover (while they’re capturing a base) do so – if you win, your score is doubled at the end of a round!
Weapon Selection
Picking the right tool for the job is paramount. The great thing about BF2 is that you can change your weapons kit whenever you die, and whenever you come across another kit left by some unfortunate sod that’s just been killed! Reloading after every altercation is a must. Some weapons have as little as 7 rounds per magazine – and running out is not handy if you’re in a fire-fight. Play around with the classes, if you haven’t already – you never know which kit you might need to switch to on the spur of them moment!
Classes
Spec ops
To start with, the Spec-Ops class is quite special. It’s all in the name. Armed with a compact rifle, a pistol, grenades, C4 and your trust knife you’re fully kitted out for the covert stuff while your other team-mates break out the ownage on the frontline. Your C4 is a great tool for both attack and defence – detonated remotely, you can slap down 5 packs of C4 and detonate them in your own time. C4 sticks to almost anything, so hiding it behind walls, at the base of the flag and in between foliage is a real winner. Unlike AT-Mines, your C4 will disappear when you die, so don’t waste it. It has a decent blast radius, too... so make sure you and your buddies aren’t anywhere near it when the fireworks start!
Sniper
The Sniper in BF2 is a textbook example. Armed with a sniper rifle, a silenced pistol, grenades, claymores and a knife, you’re the ultimate stealth soldier. Fire fights aren’t your thing, but from a distance you can be deadly, especially as support for a squad capturing or defending a base. Patience is the name of the game, here – you might find yourself waiting minutes for your next target, but you have to be ready for when he comes. Your out-of-the-box sniper (for any army) won’t be too hot, but the unlockables – such as the M95 - are a real treat; two shots anywhere on the body and your tango will drop. Of course, it’s not all singing and dancing for our mobile bush. You’ll need to defend yourself from close attacks, and your silenced pistol is just the ticket. Pacey and powerful, it’s not to be underestimated at close quarters. If someone comes at you, put your rifle away, your pistol will do the job.
Assault
Ah, the Assault class - the workhorse of the classes and definitely the backbone of your team. While the Assault class doesn’t have a specific function, their powerful guns do all the talking. With the ability to neutralise enemies with 2-3 bullets from close-mid range, you’ll find your kills racking in no time. But beware; while killing is a big part of the game, you’ll need support in a few situations. You won’t be able to do anything against vehicles, helicopters, buildings or commander toys. You’ll need a Medic, Anti-Tank and Engineer with you where possible, so if you pick a squad – get some with some range! Typically you’ll have a knife, a pistol, an assault rifle, grenades or a grenade-launch, and a smoke grenade. You’ve got enough there to tide you over for smaller maps, but as I said, don’t be afraid to call for back-up on larger maps – you can’t do everything!
Medic
The walking hospital of the group is the medic. With the ability to heal both yourself and others, Medics have the potential to score big. Reviving a team-mate will earn you a couple of points, as will healing them. Aside from your shock-pads, you’re armed with health-packs, an assault rifle, a pistol, grenades and a knife. With such powerful weapons AND the ability to heal anyone on your team, there’s no reason why an effective Medic can’t take a decent position in the top ten. Almost as solid as an Assault class, the Medic class’ added ability make them first choice for a lot of gamers.
Anti-Tank
Armed with a massive Anti-Tank launcher, the Anti-Tank is a force that even the most efficient armour driver is wary of. With a speedy RPG-like round, the anti-tank class can take out vehicles, aircraft and soldiers in a second. Reloading is slower than usual and you’re limited to just four items (AT Launcher, Pistol, Knife, Shotgun/SMG). The great thing about the AT class, is that you really can change the tide of battle in an instant. If there’s a tank holding your squad back, and death seems imminent, you taking the tank out will be a massive rush for your team. Ammo quantities are low, and if you come across an enemy at mid-range you’re in trouble, but in a well-balanced squad, you’re sure to shine. It’s hard to get a big-total as an AT class soldier, but there’s few things in life as good as exploding and enemy tank.
Support
As a support class soldier, you’ll be equipped with a VERY powerful machine gun. You’ll be tasked with providing cover for your team-mates as they cross a vulnerable stretch of terrain. Although your machine gun isn’t overly accurate while you’re in anything less then a prone position (lying down) it’s as powerful as 10 Great Whites with lasers attached. Anyone who gets in your way and close to mid-range is sure to feel the heat and even double-tapping at long range should get you a few points per round. Other than providing cover, you’re also tasked with replenishing your team-mates ammo stocks. As with the Medics, the Support class can throw their supply bags down, or simply equip them and fill the ammo of all who are around. You also get a pistol, grenades and a trusty knife for good measure. Close quarters battles work in your favour, but get to ground to improve accuracy!
Engineer
Often overlooked as a ‘boring’ class, the job of an Engineer class soldier is quite an important one, if not overly gratifying. Your special tools are a spanner and AT-Mines. The former is to fix up anything that’s broken; tanks, commander toys, fixed-place machine guns, surface-to-air missile launchers. Anything that’s broken – including bridges – are for you to fix. Your AT Mines can be used for both offence and defence. A slow engineer might drop his mines evenly spaced across a road, or track, but a quick thinking engineer might put them round corners, or even under a vehicle undetected! You have all the usual weaponry to complement your mines – including a pistol. You might not get very many points as an engineer, but if you fix your Commanders assets, he’ll love you forever – isn’t that all that matters?!
Vehicles
Tanks are considered the main warmongering vehicle, but there are plenty of rides on show that are useful for all different reasons. If one of your bases 200 meters away is being captured, only a Jeep or a Car might get you there in time, but if you do get there only to find you’re facing their tank in your jeep, the speed at which you got there will only speed you further towards death! So it’s up to you to try get the right vehicle for the job. A lot of the time, gamers will get in anything that will get them to the frontline quicker, but a good team will use the vehicles with purpose. Having a gunner on a jeep can make or break your chances of capturing a base if you come across the enemy.
Tanks
The backbone of your vehicular arsenal is the tank. Slow, but strong and powerful, the Tank is a good way to rack up kills if you know what you’re doing. Stealthy Anti-Tank soldiers (especially 2-3 together) can make scrap-metal out of you in no time, so an efficient tank driver will be on the move and quick to spot sneaky bad guys. Coming across other tanks isn’t pretty. The general rule of thumb is that whoever get the first shot in will win, but this isn’t always the case! Keep moving, hide behind obstacles where you can, and you might find that if one of your opposite numbers’ shells flies past you, you’ve got the upper hand and victory is yours! Never give up! Two blocks of C4, four AT Missiles or just one AT Mine can ruin your fun; keep your eyes on the road has never been more relevant. Also, hit F10 to see what’s around you – don’t be afraid to reverse over Spec Ops who are trying to tag you with C4 – that’ll learn them good!
APCs
APCs provide a good balance of speed and power. While not as powerful as a tank, they do pack a hell of a punch and can get you places as quick as some of the slower jeeps. With the added ability to navigate through water, the APCs are useful for getting to almost any point on the map without worry. As susceptible to Mines as Tanks are, they put up even less of a fight against AT Missiles and C4 – so watch where you’re going. Bullet rounds are fired off very quickly, but your missile – while guidable – is fairly slow and a nightmare to reload. Handling is decent and your ability to take your squad around with you is a definite plus both for awareness, support and base-capturing!
Jeeps and Cars
Cars and Jeeps, to most people, are more about getting around than anything else. But if you and your squad use a jeep to its full potential, you’ll find yourself racking up points like nobody’s business! A driver and gunner alone can capture a base in seconds and the advantage you have over other soldiers because you’re in a jeep is nothing to jeer at. Mounted machine guns heat up after 10-or-so seconds of continuous fire, so don’t waste your bullets. Covering fire is always appreciated by your squad, but if you over heat you leave yourself, your driver and whoever else has tagged along for the ride, open to a missile, grenades or accurate gunfire.
Anti-Air
Anti-Air vehicles are also great all-rounders. Your missiles are fast and powerful enough to take down any plane/helicopter and your gun-fire can destroy cars and soldiers like they were made out of polystyrene. Speed is generally decent, but you’re not very sturdy. A couple of rounds from a missile placement or At Missile will do you in, and just on AT mine will end your run. Be aware of what’s around you. You’ll have to juggle between looking at the sky and the road, but if you do this successfully, your point total should skyrocket and there’s less chance of your friends being gunned down by enemy aircraft. AA vehicles are great if used well. They’re great for attack and solid in defence – just don’t go toe-to-toe with a tank, and you’ll be fine!
Boats
Other than the APCs, boats are the only water-going vehicles in the game. All boats come with a mounted machine gun and can carry 4-5 soldiers. Vulnerable against missiles, gun-fire and grenade launchers, boats aren’t overly fast, but provide alternative routes on a number of maps. Use them well, and you can turn a battle by stealthily reaching a CP.
Aircraft
Flying in aircraft can be so much fun that it’ll distract you from your job. Having an aerial view of the battlefield is of a great advantage for both spotting enemies and helping your commander plan out the match. Some aircraft have only one position, others have up to 6. Using your aircraft to it’s full potential – as with any vehicle in the game – can make the difference between life and death, and therefore winning and losing. As long as you’re competent as a pilot and are wary of AA vehicles and AA placements, you’ll rack up points in no time.
Planes
Planes are ace. They’re fast, they look cool and as soon as you fly between the chimney columns on the Oilfields level, you know you’re the man. But they’re very hard to master. Bombing a base is an art-form, and getting the timing right can mean the difference between saving your last CP or finishing off the bad guys for the win. Practise makes perfect is true here, so get in an empty server and do some target practice. You may well need to invert your controls and change the sensitivity, so look into that under Options > Control. Flying is great fun, but as an aeroplane pilot, you have a job to do. Taking out other planes, helicopters and pretty much everything else is on your to-do list. Flying at low altitude over your air-strip will refill your ammo and fix up your wings if you took a missile to the behind, but don’t go too fast, or you won’t benefit as much!
Attack Helicopters
The bain of existence for many foot-soldiers, the helicopter is a versatile, air-borne killing machine. When piloted by two, it’s power and agility is undeniable. Recently ‘nerfed’ (made less powerful) by the 1.2 patch, the helicopter is still capable of capturing a base, taking out a tank and raising your score by 20 in around 60 seconds. The pilot has 4 lots of 7 missiles to work with, while his co-pilot has an unlimited amount of what seem like exploding-bullets or mini-grenades and a few guide-by-wire missiles should you need something special to take out a tank. Controlling the ‘chopper’ can be tricky; again, it’s a case of tweaking your settings and practising. Even BF2 icons like me (hehehe) struggle at times, but the amount of points you and a friend can rack up by being in a heli is unbelievable... if you get the chance, get in there!
Transport Helicopters
Transport Helicopters, like the Black Hawk are great mobile weapons when filled with team-mates. Fairly slow, but quite sturdy, they’re great for getting around bigger maps and excellent (when full) for quick base-captures. Manoeuvrability isn’t the best, so make sure you know what you’re doing before you send all your team-mates to their graves but crashing into the ground! Mini-gunner placements are on either side with spaces for 3 (or so) more at the back. Having an engineer on board is a great help as in positions F4 onwards, he can repair your bird while you’re in flight! If you’re in a good squad and know what you’re doing, your effectiveness in a Transport Helicopter is immeasurable.
Well, that should get you off the ground. The maps are something that you should learn for yourself, as each person’s tactics will vary; what works for me may not work for you. Exploration is fun, and finding your own sniping spot or Commander Hidey-hole is a good feeling. BF2 is an arcadey war game that doesn’t always play out as you might think it should. There’ll be times where you’ll swear you should have killed a guy but he killed you. You never know if someone else was shooting you at the same time he was or whether he shot you in the face. It happens to other people, too!
Figuring the game out may have been something your struggled with initially, but hopefully this guide has given you a bit of a jump-start into the world of Battlefield 2. As with all areas of the game, using the vehicles, weapons, commander toys and squad members to their strengths should ensure victory. The only way you’ll get better is by practicing, so get playing! Be nice to other gamers and play fair. You play to win, but ‘spawn-raping’ is dishonourable and you’re likely to get kicked. If you have any questions, or would like me to recommend a server to you, see me most days in the Games and Consoles Forum, or drop me a note on [email protected].
Have fun,
Over and Out!
Commander Stuff
Battlefield is a First Person Shooter, and as such, you have a limited view of what is going on. For this reason, you really need to keep an eye on what’s going on. If you’re team has a good Commander, you’ll have a near-continual series of UAVs, Scans and Supply Drops. Your Commander should also point out any glaringly dangerous situations like the impending arrival of enemy tanks/vehicles. If you happen to be the commander, bear this in mind. Even through you might have ‘mad skillz’ on the Battlefield, your support and direction as a Commander is far more valuable to a good team.
Squad Stuff
Another way to heighten your visibility – while indirectly - is to join a squad. While you may have a limited view, 4-5 squad members all watching each-others backs are a great and powerful thing. You and your squad members should continually report sightings of enemies (by holding down Q and clicking ‘Spotted’ over the target, or selecting the appropriate enemy force by right-clicking the spotted circle. You can also communicate some preset vocabularies to your squad or in fact anyone on your team. This is something you’d be good to get used to. Even if you’re not in a squad, and have no Commander, an ally in a plane, tank or APC might not be far away, and their aid might be the difference between dying, or living and capturing/defending a base!
If you’re a squad leader, your Request Menu is boosted with the option to ask for a lot more than plain infantry. As well as being able to ask for UAV scans, you can also request other helpful aids from a Commander who can accept and action (or reject) your request in second. As a squad leader, you’ll do well to lead by example. While everyone likes a high-score, winning or losing a battle can be a difference of just one ticket. If you can do your squad a favour by offering cover (while they’re capturing a base) do so – if you win, your score is doubled at the end of a round!
Weapon Selection
Picking the right tool for the job is paramount. The great thing about BF2 is that you can change your weapons kit whenever you die, and whenever you come across another kit left by some unfortunate sod that’s just been killed! Reloading after every altercation is a must. Some weapons have as little as 7 rounds per magazine – and running out is not handy if you’re in a fire-fight. Play around with the classes, if you haven’t already – you never know which kit you might need to switch to on the spur of them moment!
Classes
Spec ops
To start with, the Spec-Ops class is quite special. It’s all in the name. Armed with a compact rifle, a pistol, grenades, C4 and your trust knife you’re fully kitted out for the covert stuff while your other team-mates break out the ownage on the frontline. Your C4 is a great tool for both attack and defence – detonated remotely, you can slap down 5 packs of C4 and detonate them in your own time. C4 sticks to almost anything, so hiding it behind walls, at the base of the flag and in between foliage is a real winner. Unlike AT-Mines, your C4 will disappear when you die, so don’t waste it. It has a decent blast radius, too... so make sure you and your buddies aren’t anywhere near it when the fireworks start!
Sniper
The Sniper in BF2 is a textbook example. Armed with a sniper rifle, a silenced pistol, grenades, claymores and a knife, you’re the ultimate stealth soldier. Fire fights aren’t your thing, but from a distance you can be deadly, especially as support for a squad capturing or defending a base. Patience is the name of the game, here – you might find yourself waiting minutes for your next target, but you have to be ready for when he comes. Your out-of-the-box sniper (for any army) won’t be too hot, but the unlockables – such as the M95 - are a real treat; two shots anywhere on the body and your tango will drop. Of course, it’s not all singing and dancing for our mobile bush. You’ll need to defend yourself from close attacks, and your silenced pistol is just the ticket. Pacey and powerful, it’s not to be underestimated at close quarters. If someone comes at you, put your rifle away, your pistol will do the job.
Assault
Ah, the Assault class - the workhorse of the classes and definitely the backbone of your team. While the Assault class doesn’t have a specific function, their powerful guns do all the talking. With the ability to neutralise enemies with 2-3 bullets from close-mid range, you’ll find your kills racking in no time. But beware; while killing is a big part of the game, you’ll need support in a few situations. You won’t be able to do anything against vehicles, helicopters, buildings or commander toys. You’ll need a Medic, Anti-Tank and Engineer with you where possible, so if you pick a squad – get some with some range! Typically you’ll have a knife, a pistol, an assault rifle, grenades or a grenade-launch, and a smoke grenade. You’ve got enough there to tide you over for smaller maps, but as I said, don’t be afraid to call for back-up on larger maps – you can’t do everything!
Medic
The walking hospital of the group is the medic. With the ability to heal both yourself and others, Medics have the potential to score big. Reviving a team-mate will earn you a couple of points, as will healing them. Aside from your shock-pads, you’re armed with health-packs, an assault rifle, a pistol, grenades and a knife. With such powerful weapons AND the ability to heal anyone on your team, there’s no reason why an effective Medic can’t take a decent position in the top ten. Almost as solid as an Assault class, the Medic class’ added ability make them first choice for a lot of gamers.
Anti-Tank
Armed with a massive Anti-Tank launcher, the Anti-Tank is a force that even the most efficient armour driver is wary of. With a speedy RPG-like round, the anti-tank class can take out vehicles, aircraft and soldiers in a second. Reloading is slower than usual and you’re limited to just four items (AT Launcher, Pistol, Knife, Shotgun/SMG). The great thing about the AT class, is that you really can change the tide of battle in an instant. If there’s a tank holding your squad back, and death seems imminent, you taking the tank out will be a massive rush for your team. Ammo quantities are low, and if you come across an enemy at mid-range you’re in trouble, but in a well-balanced squad, you’re sure to shine. It’s hard to get a big-total as an AT class soldier, but there’s few things in life as good as exploding and enemy tank.
Support
As a support class soldier, you’ll be equipped with a VERY powerful machine gun. You’ll be tasked with providing cover for your team-mates as they cross a vulnerable stretch of terrain. Although your machine gun isn’t overly accurate while you’re in anything less then a prone position (lying down) it’s as powerful as 10 Great Whites with lasers attached. Anyone who gets in your way and close to mid-range is sure to feel the heat and even double-tapping at long range should get you a few points per round. Other than providing cover, you’re also tasked with replenishing your team-mates ammo stocks. As with the Medics, the Support class can throw their supply bags down, or simply equip them and fill the ammo of all who are around. You also get a pistol, grenades and a trusty knife for good measure. Close quarters battles work in your favour, but get to ground to improve accuracy!
Engineer
Often overlooked as a ‘boring’ class, the job of an Engineer class soldier is quite an important one, if not overly gratifying. Your special tools are a spanner and AT-Mines. The former is to fix up anything that’s broken; tanks, commander toys, fixed-place machine guns, surface-to-air missile launchers. Anything that’s broken – including bridges – are for you to fix. Your AT Mines can be used for both offence and defence. A slow engineer might drop his mines evenly spaced across a road, or track, but a quick thinking engineer might put them round corners, or even under a vehicle undetected! You have all the usual weaponry to complement your mines – including a pistol. You might not get very many points as an engineer, but if you fix your Commanders assets, he’ll love you forever – isn’t that all that matters?!
Vehicles
Tanks are considered the main warmongering vehicle, but there are plenty of rides on show that are useful for all different reasons. If one of your bases 200 meters away is being captured, only a Jeep or a Car might get you there in time, but if you do get there only to find you’re facing their tank in your jeep, the speed at which you got there will only speed you further towards death! So it’s up to you to try get the right vehicle for the job. A lot of the time, gamers will get in anything that will get them to the frontline quicker, but a good team will use the vehicles with purpose. Having a gunner on a jeep can make or break your chances of capturing a base if you come across the enemy.
Tanks
The backbone of your vehicular arsenal is the tank. Slow, but strong and powerful, the Tank is a good way to rack up kills if you know what you’re doing. Stealthy Anti-Tank soldiers (especially 2-3 together) can make scrap-metal out of you in no time, so an efficient tank driver will be on the move and quick to spot sneaky bad guys. Coming across other tanks isn’t pretty. The general rule of thumb is that whoever get the first shot in will win, but this isn’t always the case! Keep moving, hide behind obstacles where you can, and you might find that if one of your opposite numbers’ shells flies past you, you’ve got the upper hand and victory is yours! Never give up! Two blocks of C4, four AT Missiles or just one AT Mine can ruin your fun; keep your eyes on the road has never been more relevant. Also, hit F10 to see what’s around you – don’t be afraid to reverse over Spec Ops who are trying to tag you with C4 – that’ll learn them good!
APCs
APCs provide a good balance of speed and power. While not as powerful as a tank, they do pack a hell of a punch and can get you places as quick as some of the slower jeeps. With the added ability to navigate through water, the APCs are useful for getting to almost any point on the map without worry. As susceptible to Mines as Tanks are, they put up even less of a fight against AT Missiles and C4 – so watch where you’re going. Bullet rounds are fired off very quickly, but your missile – while guidable – is fairly slow and a nightmare to reload. Handling is decent and your ability to take your squad around with you is a definite plus both for awareness, support and base-capturing!
Jeeps and Cars
Cars and Jeeps, to most people, are more about getting around than anything else. But if you and your squad use a jeep to its full potential, you’ll find yourself racking up points like nobody’s business! A driver and gunner alone can capture a base in seconds and the advantage you have over other soldiers because you’re in a jeep is nothing to jeer at. Mounted machine guns heat up after 10-or-so seconds of continuous fire, so don’t waste your bullets. Covering fire is always appreciated by your squad, but if you over heat you leave yourself, your driver and whoever else has tagged along for the ride, open to a missile, grenades or accurate gunfire.
Anti-Air
Anti-Air vehicles are also great all-rounders. Your missiles are fast and powerful enough to take down any plane/helicopter and your gun-fire can destroy cars and soldiers like they were made out of polystyrene. Speed is generally decent, but you’re not very sturdy. A couple of rounds from a missile placement or At Missile will do you in, and just on AT mine will end your run. Be aware of what’s around you. You’ll have to juggle between looking at the sky and the road, but if you do this successfully, your point total should skyrocket and there’s less chance of your friends being gunned down by enemy aircraft. AA vehicles are great if used well. They’re great for attack and solid in defence – just don’t go toe-to-toe with a tank, and you’ll be fine!
Boats
Other than the APCs, boats are the only water-going vehicles in the game. All boats come with a mounted machine gun and can carry 4-5 soldiers. Vulnerable against missiles, gun-fire and grenade launchers, boats aren’t overly fast, but provide alternative routes on a number of maps. Use them well, and you can turn a battle by stealthily reaching a CP.
Aircraft
Flying in aircraft can be so much fun that it’ll distract you from your job. Having an aerial view of the battlefield is of a great advantage for both spotting enemies and helping your commander plan out the match. Some aircraft have only one position, others have up to 6. Using your aircraft to it’s full potential – as with any vehicle in the game – can make the difference between life and death, and therefore winning and losing. As long as you’re competent as a pilot and are wary of AA vehicles and AA placements, you’ll rack up points in no time.
Planes
Planes are ace. They’re fast, they look cool and as soon as you fly between the chimney columns on the Oilfields level, you know you’re the man. But they’re very hard to master. Bombing a base is an art-form, and getting the timing right can mean the difference between saving your last CP or finishing off the bad guys for the win. Practise makes perfect is true here, so get in an empty server and do some target practice. You may well need to invert your controls and change the sensitivity, so look into that under Options > Control. Flying is great fun, but as an aeroplane pilot, you have a job to do. Taking out other planes, helicopters and pretty much everything else is on your to-do list. Flying at low altitude over your air-strip will refill your ammo and fix up your wings if you took a missile to the behind, but don’t go too fast, or you won’t benefit as much!
Attack Helicopters
The bain of existence for many foot-soldiers, the helicopter is a versatile, air-borne killing machine. When piloted by two, it’s power and agility is undeniable. Recently ‘nerfed’ (made less powerful) by the 1.2 patch, the helicopter is still capable of capturing a base, taking out a tank and raising your score by 20 in around 60 seconds. The pilot has 4 lots of 7 missiles to work with, while his co-pilot has an unlimited amount of what seem like exploding-bullets or mini-grenades and a few guide-by-wire missiles should you need something special to take out a tank. Controlling the ‘chopper’ can be tricky; again, it’s a case of tweaking your settings and practising. Even BF2 icons like me (hehehe) struggle at times, but the amount of points you and a friend can rack up by being in a heli is unbelievable... if you get the chance, get in there!
Transport Helicopters
Transport Helicopters, like the Black Hawk are great mobile weapons when filled with team-mates. Fairly slow, but quite sturdy, they’re great for getting around bigger maps and excellent (when full) for quick base-captures. Manoeuvrability isn’t the best, so make sure you know what you’re doing before you send all your team-mates to their graves but crashing into the ground! Mini-gunner placements are on either side with spaces for 3 (or so) more at the back. Having an engineer on board is a great help as in positions F4 onwards, he can repair your bird while you’re in flight! If you’re in a good squad and know what you’re doing, your effectiveness in a Transport Helicopter is immeasurable.
Well, that should get you off the ground. The maps are something that you should learn for yourself, as each person’s tactics will vary; what works for me may not work for you. Exploration is fun, and finding your own sniping spot or Commander Hidey-hole is a good feeling. BF2 is an arcadey war game that doesn’t always play out as you might think it should. There’ll be times where you’ll swear you should have killed a guy but he killed you. You never know if someone else was shooting you at the same time he was or whether he shot you in the face. It happens to other people, too!
Figuring the game out may have been something your struggled with initially, but hopefully this guide has given you a bit of a jump-start into the world of Battlefield 2. As with all areas of the game, using the vehicles, weapons, commander toys and squad members to their strengths should ensure victory. The only way you’ll get better is by practicing, so get playing! Be nice to other gamers and play fair. You play to win, but ‘spawn-raping’ is dishonourable and you’re likely to get kicked. If you have any questions, or would like me to recommend a server to you, see me most days in the Games and Consoles Forum, or drop me a note on [email protected].
Have fun,
Over and Out!