User blog:Heatedpete/How to beat Onslaught

Each time I play Bad Company 2 i see different ways that users think vehicles should be used, from Attack Helicopters being crashed by flanking "lone wolfs" to cause a distraction, to Main Battle Tanks trying to flush out mobile snipers with Quad Bikes. Vehicles are often wasted as such, and so, being a vehicle lover, I created a short guide on how to use each class of vehicle in Bad Company 2

NOTE: Some of the stuff in the guide is to help newer players is they read it!

Vehicles in class:

 * Quad Bike
 * Cav (Onslaught only)
 * HMMVW
 * Vodnik
 * Cobra

How to use them
Light vehicles, as the name suggests, are lightly armoured, fast and moderately armed vehicles used for the transportation of infantry units, and not for induvidual soldiers. The LAVs in-game were designed to transport, hence there being 4 seats (driver, gunner, rear passenger/gunner, front passenger) available for players to use.

A sensible driver will always wait for at least 2 more players to embark his/her LAV, filling the gunner and rear gunner spots before moving out towards the team's objective, such as a flag or M-Com, not a player's personal objective. The driver should be keeping an eye out for hostile vehicles and ambushers, as running into a kill zone isn't particurlarly nice for the guys in the vehicle, nor the team's ticket count. Preferably the driver should be an open-minded, selfless player who can listen to his/her teammates and take advice without being ignorant/selfish.

The Gunner's job is not just to kill the enemy, but to protect the vehicle. If the driver is driving towards a set of mines/C4, then the gunner, being able to see them, should shoot/spot the mines and alert the driver to the threat. The same should also be said for enemy RPG soldiers and tanks. The gunner has a .50cal Heavy machine gun, which, when used correctly, can kill enemy players with ease. However, the HMG isn't a "spray and pray" weapon. Such a use burns out the barrel and overheats the weapon. The gunner should fire in bursts, to prolong the use of the weapon and save the limited firing time for when it is needed. Under no circumstances should a gunner use an LAV as a mobile emplacement. Such a use may get a few personal kills but is not helpful to the team.

The rear passenger has access to his/her weapons, and so can fire away at hostiles, but however this can prove to be a hinderance, as if the team needs some ground suport, then wasted bullets when firing at shadows will hurt. The front passenger's job, while unable to drive/shoot, is to spot routes through the battlefield, taking the occupants away from danger yet towards the combat. A squad mate of the driver should be in this position, as he/she can use the microhone headset to communicate with the driver and ease communications.

Do's and Don'ts:
DO: DON'T:
 * Wait for other players to board an LAV before driving off.
 * Avoid combat where nescessary. LAVs aren't indestructible.
 * Communicate with your team
 * Avoid overheating the gunner's .50cal
 * Drive off an leave teammates behind
 * Spray wildly with the HMG
 * Go off on personal quests when there are teammates in the back.
 * Take risks.
 * Use an LAV as a mobile emplacement

Useful specialisations/gear

 * Armour spec. - Give the LAV an extra lump of health for sticky situations
 * Smoke countermeasures - Useful for avoiding RPGs and tanks
 * M249 SAW/PKM (rear passenger) - Reasonable fire rates plus large magazines allow a rear gunner to engage hostiles without the need for worrying about ammo
 * Ammo spec. (rear gunner) - Gives a rear gunner more time to shoot
 * Repair tool (rear gunner) - Self explanatory)

Vehicles on class:

 * BMD-3
 * M3A3

Useage
IFVs are designed to fight infantry alongside infantry, hence the name. While some players may see them as a killing tool, the skilled will see them as a protector for the ground units that don't have the protection of the IFV.

The driver is the key to using the IFV correctly. Responsible for driving the tank and engaging enemy forces, having the right driver can change the way an IFV works. The driver should keep his/her tank moving, shifting positions to avoid being destroyed by hostile tanks or anti-tank soldiers. The driver's 25mm autocannon is very useful against infantry and light vehicles, so they should be the driver's main target, alongside enemy MGs and TOW launchers. Using the Alternate weapon spec. gives the driver a guideable missile, which is useful against MBTs and buildings, but detracts the driver from his/her main purpose.

The Gunner has a .50cal HMG that is operated from inside the tank, so there is no need to worry about enemy snipers taking out the gunner from above. The gunner's task is to engage enemy soldiers that pose a threat to the infantry on the ground, and to engage threats to the IFV's front. The gunner should also provide suppressive fire on enemy machine gunners, allowing the infantry on the ground to advance to tank objectives. The two side gunners should do a similar job but for their areas of the tank.

Do's and Don'ts
DO: DON'T
 * Keep moving
 * Provide support for infantry
 * Engage hostiles
 * Engage tanks when infantry need help
 * Go off on wild goose chases

Main Battle Tanks
Will complete