Battlefield 1 has finally arrived on PC and consoles this week, bringing the glorious 64-player matches the franchise is known for with it. Like every new Battlefield title, DICE’s World War I installment introduces some new mechanics and makes plenty of changes to the old ones while giving players a whole new arsenal of weaponry to play with as well. New weapons and equipment require new strategies though, and we’re here to help.
Here’s a few things you should know in order to master Battlefield 1s multiplayer.
Play the Objective
Battlefield 1, like those before it, is a game based on capturing and holding objectives. With nearly every match you play, you’re going to have to capture and hold most of the objectives scattered about the map in question — which is much more important than killing enemy players. This time around, you’re rewarded more points for killing enemies on objectives too. So, if you’re going to kill enemies to buff up your kill/death ratio or rank up your classes, make sure to do it on an objective for those bonus points. And you know, to keep your teammates happy.
Play the Class Your Team Needs
Regardless of which class you’re best with out of Assault, Medic, Support, or Scout, you’ll want to get used to playing whichever of the classes your current squad needs. Since each of the four classes have unique equipment like medical kits and ammo crates, your squad is going to want a good mix to successfully push objectives and control necessary parts of the map. You may be great at using a bolt action rifle, but your team probably doesn’t need an extra Scout when the enemy is pushing your lines with armored vehicles.
Don’t Leave Enemy Tanks Alone
For the first time in a long time, tanks are powerful adversaries in Battlefield thanks to the introduction of the dedicated tank class. Aptly named the Tanker, these players can repair tanks from within without leaving the protection of their vehicle. Since tank drivers no longer need step out into the open, it means that they are much harder to kill unless focused on until their tank has been destroyed.
Assault is typically the best class for this, although there are plenty of stationary gun emplacements around each map designed to deal with enemy armor. Unless put down, a tank can turn the tide of a battle, so make sure to destroy them quickly.
Learn to Use Gas Grenades
DICE introduces gas grenades in Battlefield 1. They release a sizable cloud of mustard gas over a few minutes that will slowly eat away the health of anyone standing within. To counteract the mustard gas, players must equip gas masks, but there’s a catch: They can’t aim down sights while wearing one.
Because of this, gas grenades are an absolute must for every squad when capturing objectives. Have one member of your squad carry a few around to throw into objectives to suppress your enemies, allowing you to pick them off from a distance or take them by surprise up close. A few good gas grenades can easily turn the tide of a battle.
Use Ammo and Health Pouches, Not the Larger Crates
In previous Battlefield titles, both Medic and Support classes had access to crates of health and ammunition they could use to assist teammates. Both are once again present in Battlefield 1, but instead of unlocking them you might want to consider sticking with the basic bandage and ammo pouches you start with.
Ammo pouches instantly give you all your explosives back along with a sizable chunk of ammunition for your weapons compared to the ammo box, which has a much slower ammo regeneration rate. Health pouches function in a similar way, restoring 10 HP a second while the crate only restores 5 HP a second. You can only toss a handful of the pouches, but, because you can throw them while running, they’re invaluable.
Focus On Behemoths
These massive vehicles are a new addition in Battlefield 1 and are designed to give an advantage to the losing team. The idea is to help the losing team close the ticket gap between them and their enemies with the Behemoth as their trump card. Instead of being on-rails, these new vehicles are completely operated by players, meaning they can go wherever they please. If the enemy team gets one of the three Behemoths in a match, make sure to focus all your fire on it to bring it down. These massive beasts are designed specifically to absolutely decimate your team if left alone.
