Basic gameplay and add-ons | Vehicles Battlefield 4 Guide

Last update: 11 May 2016

In BF4 you play with each vehicle differently. Each of them has weapons specific to it. However, some rules apply to all vehicles, so there's no point in repeating them in every section. The same thing applies to weapons. Some of them are available for more than one vehicle, so they will be described below.

Settings

We use default controls for most vehicles. In terms of graphics, it is recommended to set "grid quality" to ultra. It doesn't really affect the computer's performance and makes seeing distant enemies easier. Resolution should be high, preferably fullHD, but lower it if your frame rate is too low.

Add-ons

Countermeasures

	Working time	Reloading time
Active Protection	5 s	25 s
Fire Extinguisher	N/A	25 s
IR Smoke	7,5 s	17,5 s
Smoke Screen	7 s	5 s
Flares	3 s	22 s
ECM	7 s	23 s

Description:

Active Protection - For 5 seconds our vehicle can't be hit with any anti-tank rockets, cannons or artillery. All projectiles explode before hitting the vehicle, without dealing any damage. While it's active, we see a green light on the vehicle, it turns red while reloading. If we see a red light on an enemy's vehicle, we can aggressively lower the distance to it before active protection is loaded. Red light means that the enemy is vulnerable. It's best to use active protection when you see a TV missile heading towards you, a fighter jet, guided missiles and in close combat.

Fire Extinguisher - If your vehicle's armor is below 37%, using the fire extinguisher repairs it to 37%. If its mobility is limited, then the extinguisher will repair it, but armor will stay the same.

IR Smoke - Works against guided missiles. Use it when the missile is already heading towards you. You can also interrupt being targeted before the rockets are shot.

Smoke Screen - Lowers damage dealt by projectiles which damage depends on angle (90° is the biggest damage, for example rocket launchers). It also covers the vehicle, so it's possible to repair it.

Flares (only aircraft) - Work against guided missile. Use it when the missile is already heading towards you. You can also interrupt being targeted before the rockets are shot.

ECM (only aircraft) - interrupts being targeted. It can also be used when the projectiles are on their way and they're close (less than 7 seconds from potential hit). It also have a visual effect - a cloud and we disappear from the radar while it's active.

Optics

3x scope - needless to describe. It improves aiming, which is important in case of limited ammo.

IRNV - it would be useful at night, however for now there's no map to use it.

Thermal - you can see all vehicles and soldiers very clearly, but it seems less useful than magnifying scope.

Upgrades

Proximity scanner - it marks all enemy objects within 30 m on the minimap.

Maintenance - Lowers the time you wait for an automatic repair by 30% and increases its speed by 20%.

Thermal camo - it reduces passive spotted time to 1/1000 and active spotting time to 1/3 (passive spotting - after shooting, active spotting - after being seen), it also increases tracking time by 60%.

Belt feeder - reduces reload time by 20%, increases time of automatic fire before overheating by 15%.

Air Radar - instead of a minimap (you can see only a big one after pressing M), it shows all aircraft within 700 m radius.

Stealth coating (only aircraft) - it reduces passive spotted time to 1/1000 and active spotting time to 1/3 (passive spotting - after shooting, active spotting - after being seen), it also increases tracking time by 35%.

Gyro Stabilizer (only aircraft) - while the vehicle has a limited mobility, it improves its handling by 53-54%.

Surface-to-air/air-to-air missiles

Heat seekers - Fire-and-forget missiles, you just aim and fire. If the enemy doesn't use countermeasures, the missile will hit them.

Passive radar - They work almost like heat seekers, but you have to keep aiming at the target. On short range they might work despite the countermeasures.

Active radar - You fire the missiles towards the target and they find it and head towards it. The error tolerance is around 5°.

	Heat seekers	Passive radar	Active radar
Maximum tracking range	500 m	500 m	-
Missiles available	2	2	2
Reload time	30 s	30 s	25 s
Damage dealt do aircraft*	21	21	21
Damage dealt to transport helicopters	13	13	13
Damage dealt to gunships	5	5	5

Guided missiles

TOW missile - a missile controlled by the player with the mouse, view from the vehicle's cockpit.

Laser guided - a missile guided towards laser designated target. Laser lock must be maintained until the weapon hits the target.

TV guided - a rocket controlled by moving the mouse, view from a camera on the nose of the missile. Learning to aim is really hard. You must not make any sudden movements, and while trying to hit a moving target, imagine that you want to hit a place in front of it. Remember that you can hide behind a cover, fire the missile upwards and then guide it towards the target. You can "abandon" a TV guided missile by pressing E. It will continue moving forward until it reaches the distance of 1 km from the place where it was fired.

	Laser guided	TOW	TV guided
Maximum range	-	690 m	1000 m
Maximum aiming range	500 m	-	-
Number of rockets	1/2 (depends on a vehicle)	1	2
Resupply time	30 s	15 s	30 s
Damage dealt to boats	medium/High*	medium*	High*
Damage dealt to armored vehicles	medium/High*	Low/ medium (depending on a place and angle of impact)	High*
Damage dealt to aircraft	Very high	Very high	High
Damage dealt to infantry	-	High	medium

* - hitting with all missiles, without reloading.

Reload time may vary depending on a vehicle.

Unguided rockets

ZUNI, HYDRA - unguided rockets.

DAGR - after being fired, they find their way towards the nearest target. Margin of error: 15°.

	ZUNI	HYDRA	DAGR
Maximum range	2250 m	2250 m	750 m
Velocity	High	High	Low
Rate of fire (RPM)	200	300	300
Rockets available	8	14	10
All rockets	16	28	20
Resupply time	20 s	20 s	20 s
Reload time	4 s	4 s	4 s
Damage dealt to boats	Very high	High	medium
Damage dealt to armored vehicles	High*/Very high**	Very high*	High
Damage dealt to aircraft	medium	Low	Low
Damage dealt to infantry	Low/ medium**	Low/medium**	Low/medium**

* - hitting with all rockets, without reloading.

** - depends on place and angle of impact.

Some of these values change according to a vehicle you're in!