Battlefield V: 10 Tips For Beginners

Battlefield V is the latest entry into the long-running Battlefield franchise, bringing the series to World War II. Battlefield V does a lot of things differently than it's predecessors, and you'd be forgiven for being a little bit lost when keeping track of all the changes. There are a ton of new mechanics that drastically change the way the game is played, there's an entirely new progression and unlock system to learn, and at long last, we finally have character customization options.

Let's take a look at some of the things beginners might not know about Battlefield V, so that if you are a new player, you won't be starting from scratch:

10. SPOTTING

The first thing that a new player is probably going to notice upon entering a match in Battlefield V is that spotting has been given an overhaul. Gone are the days where you can point at somebody and they'll magically be tracked despite their movements. While there are rare cases in Battlefield V where somebody will be spotted through their movements, in general, spotting now places a stationary yellow or red arrow on the screens of both you and your squad-mates. This is much more in line with games like Rainbow Six Siege, and in my opinion, is a much more immersive and useful system. Usually spotting somebody is accompanied by an audio call-out from a squad-mate, and so the tracking mark wasn't usually all that useful anyway. Plus, now you can spot locations where you know enemies are, even if you can't quite see them.

9. FORTIFICATIONS

There's another new mechanic in Battlefield V, and it's a pretty cool one. Every player can now build fortifications in pre-determined positions on the map, with the Support class being able to build them the fastest. These fortifications are anything from stacks of sandbags, to huge road-blocking caltrops, to barbed wire fences. While none of these fortifications are indestructible, they aren't anything to scoff at, either. They can make all the difference in a gunfight, and it's well-worth setting these up before a fight breaks out. If you're hunkering down at an objective, this is a fantastic way to limit attackers' opportunities to enter, drastically reducing the number of sight-lines that you need to keep track of.

8. BALANCED SQUADS

Battlefield has always put a strong emphasis on squad-play, but that emphasis has been amplified in Battlefield V. With the new attrition system limiting resources for every player, there's more reason than ever to have a balanced squad. Having a Medic around to dish out bandages is imperative, since you can only carry one bandage at a time as any other class, and you don't automatically heal to full health if you've been badly injured (more on that later). While ammo isn't quite as limited as it was in beta, you'll still find yourself pretty low if you've had a longer life, so having a Support around is just as important. The argument can be made that neither Assault or Recon are absolutely necessary, but there are definitely some perks to including them in your squad.

7. SQUAD POINTS

Take pride in your squad always being one of the top three in the match? Now there's more than just bragging rights on the line. Your squad points all go into a pool that the squad leader has access to, and with them, they can call in a supply drop of health and ammo, a couple different kinds of vehicles, or drop a bomb out of the sky that does devastating damage to everything (and everyone) in the vicinity; not to mention it looks awesome. The better your squad does, the more options will be available to you; this is definitely one of the better additions to the Battlefield franchise.

6. AMMO

The aforementioned attrition system makes longer lives a difficult thing to achieve. Sooner or later you're going to be out of ammo, and your fate might seem sealed if you don't happen to have a Support buddy with you.

Well, it turns out your life is more in your own hands than you might think. Anytime an enemy dies, you can run over to their body and grab a little bit of ammo. It's not much, but it might just be what you need to stay alive long enough to make it to an objective and the ammo crate there.

5. HEALTH

One of the new things about Battlefield V that it took a second for me to realize is that, when you get badly wounded, your health probably isn't going to fully regenerate without a little bit of help. If you don't happen to have a Medic buddy with you, then you'll definitely want to make sure you know where to find the medical crates in objectives. You can always grab a bandage out of those, and applying it will get you back on your feet in no time. You can only carry one bandage though (unless you're a Medic), so use it wisely.

4. REVIVING

Another new thing to Battlefield V is the change to the revival mechanics. Reviving isn't limited to just Medics now. You can be revived by any squad-mate regardless of their class. It certainly takes a little while, and the kind soul doing the reviving is an easy target during it, but it's definitely a welcome addition to the Battlefield franchise.

However, Medics are the only ones capable of reviving people outside of the squad, and they can revive people a lot faster. Medics also come with the option of having smoke grenades, giving you a much better opportunity of actually reviving successfully.

3. COMBAT ROLE

No longer is every class the same. Now each of the four classes has two Combat Roles to choose from that can drastically change the way you'll play.

Recon, for example, has the Sniper Combat Role and the Pathfinder Combat Role. The Sniper role allows you to spot enemies when you shoot them and allows you to hold your breath longer when down scope. The Pathfinder Combat Role, on the other hand, gives you additional Requisition when someone spawns on your beacon and allows you to spawn on beacons outside of your own squad. These Combat Roles give fun and fresh options to classes we've had for quite a while, and are definitely a welcome addition.

2. WEAPON PROGRESSION

While Battlefield 1 was a definite step backward for the franchise in terms of weapon customization, Battlefield V takes steps in the right direction. Not only are there much more in-depth weapon cosmetics, but there are meaningful upgrades you'll unlock for each weapon the more you use it. From allowing you to aim down sights faster, to granting faster movement while down scope and plenty of other bonuses, using a weapon for an extended period of time will reap rewards. Each bonus might not seem like a big deal on its own, but when you have multiple bonuses on the same gun, you'll certainly appreciate it.

1. CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION

One of the features that I was most excited about in Battlefield V was the character customization. There are quite a few options where clothing and face paint is concerned, not to mention quite a few different characters to choose from. You can have different characters for different classes, and Allies and Axis variations, as well. Most of the coolest cosmetic items can be unlocked by completing assignments after hitting rank 20 with the respective class. These make for fun things to work towards, and DICE has said that there are plenty more unlockable cosmetics to come.

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