AH-64 Apache

The AH-64 'Apache' is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter used in Battlefield 2: Special Forces, Battlefield: Bad Company, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.

Battlefield 2: Special Forces
The AH-64 Apache appears in Battlefield 2: Special Forces as the U.S Navy SEALS and SAS troops main attack helicopter. The AH-64's Russian counterpart is the Mil Mi-24 Hind, this is constant throughout the series.

Battlefield: Bad Company


The AH-64 Apache in Battlefield: Bad Company is different from Battlefield 2: Special Forces. Now, only it's rocket pods and 30 mm Chain gun are usable and there is infinite ammunition for both weapons.

Singleplayer
Apaches appear several times in the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield: Bad Company, but is never available to the player. They are usually seen as close air support or attacking enemy tanks.

Multiplayer
Apaches are usually depicted against Russian Mil Mi-28 Havocs or MEC Ka-52 Attack Helicopters

Gold Rush:

 * Oasis
 * End of The Line

Conquest:

 * End of The Line
 * Crossing Over
 * Par for The Course

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
The AH-64 Apache reappears in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and is the U.S. Army's main attack helicopter. It has two unique paintjobs, one being a desert colour and the other being a matte black colour.

Singleplayer
The Apache has a very insignificant role in the singleplayer campaign of Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It only appears in the mission Zero Dark Thirty in the ending cutscene.

Multiplayer
The Apache has appeared very few times in Battlefield: Bad Company 2 multiplayer.

Conquest

 * Atacama Desert
 * Port Valdez

Rush

 * Port Valdez

Onslaught

 * Atacama Desert

Armament
The standard armament on the Apache is very similar to other helicopters. It carries a rocket salvo which is inaccurate unless the pilot is able to line up and steady his crosshairs on target, however a direct hit on soft vehicles (ATV, GAZ-3937 Vodnik, etc.) will destroy it. An MBT will require more hits. The other main weapon is the under-mounted chaingun. It shoots a quick burst of 30mm shells that is extremely useful in taking out infantry and soft vehicles. With the Vehicle Alternate Weapon Specialization, the pilot gains a TOW Missile, while the gunner gains the ability to fire a Tracer Dart for said missile. Only the pilot needs to have the specialization.



Tactics
The Apache takes slightly more than a full load of rockets to take down a Main Battle Tank. So the best tactic is to press the trigger slowly so the player will not run out of ammo and not wast rockets.

Another tactic is to fly low-altitude and fly behind the enemy vehicle and slowly shoot rockets at the rear. However the helicopter is vulnerable this way and, if the player is not fast enough, an enemy rocket launcher could shoot the helicopter down or the tank could shoot the player with its main cannon.

It's wise to have a gunner in the helicopter as he can take down enemy infantry with ease and can help the player take down an enemy tank faster. Also, the gunner is more important than the pilot when it comes to engaging targets. The pilot's job is to maneuver the helicopter so that it will be a very hard target to hit. The gunner's job is to eliminate infantry, soft targets, and lightly armored enemy vehicles.

In a helicopter dogfight the player should always try to get above the enemy helicopter and get close for a kill as it only takes 2 helicopter rockets to shoot another one down.

If fighting a UAV, go straight to the source: the operator. Depending on what angle the player fire the missiles, it will take from 1 1/2 to 2 salvos of missiles to destroy the emplacement.

If the player has no use for the secondary Hellfire missile, try not equipping the secondary weapon package. Instead of a TOW missile, the player can release flares which is helpful in eliminating Tracer Darts.

Taking Down the Apache
Taking down the Apache can be taken down in a variety of ways. One of which, is simply using the Stationary AT/KORN turret. This is hard since the player needs to lead the target, and the pilot gets a warning siren when fired at. Doing this, will give the player an achievement or trophy called Careful Guidance for "taking down an enemy helicopter with a stationary RPG".

Another way is too shoot it with a RPG after a tracer dart plant. It only takes a single hit to take down.

Also, the player can take it down with an anti-air tank from the ground using the secondary positions AA gun. These hit the target's quickly and doesn't give the pilot a warning siren. However, the only problem is that the player has to hit it the helicopter many times for it to be destroyed, but this is a worthy sacrifice for the accuracy of using this method.

If the pilot is experienced and is doing the "circle strafing" or "circles of death" method, it can be extremely difficult to shoot the Apache down seeing as it will be flying around in a 360 degree spin. The best method is to anticipate the helicopter' flight path by aiming down your rocket launcher's sight and firing a rocket off just before the helicopter flys into your rocket launcher's sight redicle. In this way, the helicopter will most likely fly right into your rocket. It may not destroy it in one hit, however it will knock the helicopter off course and cause the pilot to panic and loose control, making it easier to finish it off.

Sniping the helicopter pilot is an effective, but very difficult method of taking down the Apache. It is best done with an M95 or GOL Sniper Magnum seeing as they fire high caliber rounds that have less bullet drop than other sniper rifles. If the cockpit comes into view, aim directly above it and fire. The bullet will gradually drop while in the air and hopefully hit the pilot or gunner. The only way to know if the pilot is dead is if a "killed an enemy +50" comes up on the screen or if the helicopter falls out of the sky.

The Heavy MG is very effective against helicopters, fire in front of the Apache so that the bullets will lead into its flight path and hit it with much greater accuracy.

Trivia

 * The 360 Degree Flying Method is very popular with AH-64s, as well as other Attack Helicopters, as it prevents their targets from shooting them down. This tactic is usually known as "the circles of death", "circle-strafing", and "funneling".