Attack Craft | Vehicles Battlefield 4 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Attack Crafts are inconspicuous but strong vehicles. They can of course only swim, but with their weaponry they can fight even with the helicopters and planes. They can also easily deal with infantry and armored vehicles, if only they are in range. The role of Attack Crafts will surely be greater after the upcoming DLC, "Naval Strike".
Available models
- DV-15 (CH, RU)
- RCB (US)
In the boat, besides the captain, you have two seats for gunners, who may use side miniguns. There is also one seat for a player who can repair the ship, fire with rocket launcher or rifle. So there are four seats in total. In case of need, you can run away with motorboats. You can use them by pressing F5.
Statistics
Health | 1000 |
Time to begin the regeneration (from the last received damage) | 14 seconds |
Heavy damage threshold (control is temporarily made more difficult) | Shot dealing more than 39% vehicle's health |
Light damage threshold (control is temporarily made more difficult) | Shot dealing more than 29% vehicle's health |
Disable threshold (you lose control over the vehicle, you can be saved only by the extinguisher or burner) | 10% of vehicle's health |
Maximum speed | 100 km/h |
Number of seats | 4 |
Default respawn time | 90 seconds |
Maximum tower slope | 70° |
Unlocks
Unlocking | Icon | Require points | Description |
Thermal camo |  | 4000 | This upgrade increases the time required for lock in your plane. |
Passive radar |  | 6500 | Ground-to-air missiles which require locking an enemy. When you lose the target, pilot may try to lock it again before the rocket fell on the ground. |
Smoke screen |  | 9000 | Spreads the cloud of thick smoke, masking your vehicle and making impossible to get a critical hit with rockets. |
Proximity Scan |  | 11000 | Detects enemies around the vehicle and marks them on the minimap. |
Thermal optics |  | 13000 | Upgrade which allows you to identify the thermal traces for small and medium distance. |
30 mm Cannon |  | 15000 | Fires 30 mm missiles with additional charge which is more effective against infantry and armored vehicles. |
Belt feeder |  | 17000 | Improved mechanism which speeds up reloading. |
Laser guided missiles |  | 19000 | Anti-tank, laser guided missiles - also remotely for locked targets out of the sight range of the shooter. It requires spotting an enemy. |
Air Radar |  | 20500 | Minimap is replaced by the radar with big range, where you can see all nearby flying machines. |
ZUNI rockets |  | 22500 | Not guided rockets, effective against infantry, light vehicles, armored vehicles and buildings. |
Extinguisher |  | 24000 | Extinguisher repairs the machine and allows it to begin the regeneration. You can activate it only when the plane is heavily damaged. |
Burts cannon |  | 25500 | Fires 8 missiles 25 mm Especially effective against air forces and other light armored vehicles. |
IRNV |  | 27000 | Black-white vision which show the thermal traces in full range. |
TV missile |  | 28500 | Missile guided by an operator with a usage of a camera. Good against armored targets. |
Active protection |  | 30000 | After activation, the system automatically detects the incoming anti-tank missiles and explodes them before they reach the vehicle. It goes to stand-by after eliminating the danger or after a long time without any danger. |
The best set:
Main weapon 30 mm cannon is the most effective against other boats, infantry and armored vehicles. It's weaker from burst missiles only against air forces.
Secondary weapon:
Passive radar missiles | Laser guided missiles | TOW missiles | TV missiles | ZUNI rockets | |
Type of guidance | Heat (only air vehicles) | Heat (only ground) or laser (all) | Player controls it (in-cockpit view) | Player controls it (view from the on-rocket camera) | Not guided |
Maximum range | - | - | 690 m | 1000 m | 1294 m |
Maximum targeting range | 500 m | 500 m | - | - | - |
Number of available rockets | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
Total amount of rockets | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 16 |
Time of supplying rockets | 30 s | 30 s | 15 s | 30 s | 20 s |
Reloading time: | 5 s | 5 s | 3.6 s | 0.2 s | 3.6 s |
Damage to boats | - | Medium | Medium | high* | medium* |
Damage to armored vehicles | - | medium | low/ medium (depending on the angle and place of hit) | high* | high* |
Damage to flying vehicles | high* | Very high | Very high | high | medium |
Damage to infantry | - | - | high | medium | low/ medium |
* - we assume that all missiles before reloading hit
The most effective are TV missiles. Using them requires a lot of practice, but it's worth it. After a short time you'll start also hitting other boats and after many hours of training you may even try attacking the air forces.
Countermeasure: Active protection is the best available countermeasure here. It can defend you not only against the guided missiles, but also not-guided and 30 mm cannon.
Optics: Sight 3x makes aiming easier. There is no sense in using the IRNV or Thermal vision on the open see. It only makes spotting enemies more difficult.
Upgrades: choose the one proper for the situation on the map. If you swim alone and there is no one to repair you, choose Maintenance. If you're targeted just after leaving the base, choose Thermal Camo. If you're keep getting destroyed by C4, grab Proximity Scan. If you're constantly attacked from the air, take Radar. If nothing from things listed above happens, you can take belt feeder which speeds up the reloading a bit.
Fighting other boats
Defensive
Staying on the map as long as possible, even when you're very passive, it's always better than being dead. The most important rule to make this happen: don't let them surprise you. You can't also swim to close to the enemy set up point. You should always have some hideout in your head also. It may be an island or abandoned aircraft carrier.
Remember also about wise use of Active Protection. It's an upgrade which makes your boat invulnerable for missiles and cannons for 5 seconds. The best moment to use it is when you spot a TV missile heading towards you, an assault jet coming at you, in direct fight between boats on a small distance or when you're being fired at with the guided missiles.
Offensive
The way you want to fight the enemy is closely connected with the gun you use. I'll show my plan based on TV missile, 30 mm cannon and Active Protection.
The big advantage of the TV missile is its range (1 km). What is more, it has the same accuracy on every distance. Don't save this missile. Fire when only you see an enemy boat. Do it until you succeed and don't shorten the distance without a need. The best way is to swim aggressively up after two direct hits. But if you have a support, don't run away.
So if the enemy boat is damaged, swim close to it. When it fires at you, turn on the Active Protection and fire at the enemy with all you've got. In this moment the Active Protection turns off, but it shouldn't matter - single series from the cannon should be enough to finish an enemy.
Don't use this tactic as a key to the win, but more like a useful hint. Your behavior must change depending on the map or situation. When you get experience, it'll be easier to achieve more on the battlefield.
Fighting the flying machines
Flying vehicles may be a real torment for the boat crew. But there are several things that may increase your ability to fight them back.
When it comes to the assault helicopters, which are trying to hit you with the TV missile, you can hide behind a cover and try to take down the enemy with the same type of weapon. Hitting a helicopter with a TV missile isn't simple, but practice makes a master. Remember also that the more unpredictable you are, the harder it is to hit you.
If helicopter wants to take you down in direct firing, it has already lost. Speed of 30 mm bullets isn't overwhelming, but on the short range you take down weakly armored vehicles, like helicopters, very quickly.
Stealth jets are a threat only with laser guided missiles. But information about missiles and Active Protection are already mentioned above. Cannons mounted on those vehicles are to weak to be a threat.
The most dangerous are assault jets. They have a powerful cannon and a good pilot may be a deciding factor in the battle. But to try to do something, he has to fly straight at you. That's why firing with TV missile at plane's nose is simple. Just aim at the nose and fire the missile. You won't destroy it but damage heavily. And if it's low over the water, it may fall into it.
Fighting the infantry and armored vehicles
Killing an infantry or destroying armored vehicles shouldn't be your priority. But when you finish cleaning the map from objects which are your direct threat, you can help the ground troops and pick up several kills.
Killing infantry is easy. It's enough to fire 3-4 times under the soldier's feet or one at his body to kill. But spare ammo, fire with short series, so you can kill more people before reloading.
Destroying vehicles in your range, which are on the shore, is also easy. 30 mm cannon pierces the armor easily. You can also use the TV missile if needed.
Hints
Minimap
Remember that the player who is first to spot the enemy, has an advantage over him. So use the minimap and observe it carefully. Remember also that spawn time of a boat is 90 seconds.
Important and more important points
Have you been ever wondering why sometimes one side has more vehicles than the other one? It depends on the map and current flag situation. Paracel Storm is one of the most popular maps for boats. There are two respawn points for vehicles. On E point you can find a scout helicopter, on A point an Attack Craft. This one additional vehicle gives you an advantage on the sea, what makes the battle easier. So, if you play in boat, consider flag A as the most important one and protect it.
Saving ammo
Killing infantry and flying vehicles is important, but not that much to waste ammo. Don't let to the situation, when you're out of bullets, because someone may attack you. It may be even a motorboat with C4. That's why you should always have at least 15 bullets left. Even if because of that you lose a kill.
Crew
As you know, there are four seats in the boat. Your lifetime may be increased thanks to the crew. Soldiers at the miniguns are very direct help at eliminating enemy vehicles. But the most helpful one is the soldier at the backs of boat. He can repair the boat without leaving it. It's enough to "aim" with a burner as on the screen below. It gives you a huge edge on the battlefield. In case of need, this soldier may also use a rocket launcher.
