Battlefield 1 becomes the newest game in DICE and EA’s flagship first person shooter franchise when it launches for the general public later this week. Unlike previous DICE games, such as Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4, and Star Wars: Battlefront, Battlefield 1 also gets to launch mostly feature and content complete, with no lack of polish, bugs, or glitches marring the experience. Unlike previous DICE games, Battlefield 1 runs as it is intended to with few exceptions.
This means that this time around, players can focus more on the game itself, than having to wrangle with the game’s numerous bugs and glitches- and Battlefield 1 comes off the better for that. There is so much content, all of it polished and high quality, and so much to do. If Battlefield 1 is kicking off a new craze of shooters set in the first World War, then the bar has been set very high indeed, and others will find it hard to clear it.
But you don’t care about any of that- if you are here, all you care about is getting help with anything and everything that Battlefield 1 includes. Well, we have you covered. From earning XP and leveling up quickly, to discussing the best classes and weapons, from earning War Bonds to multiplayer progression and unlocks, from tips and tricks to unlocking weapons, and to an explanation of all multiplayer modes, this guide covers everything. In excruciating detail. Let’s get to it.
How To Level Up Fast And Earn XP Quickly:
Battlefield 1‘s XP system is a bit of a departure from the norm- it features individual ranks for each class in the game, and an overall level that covers your performance across all the classes available. So your progress is effectively tracked separately for each class that you play as, while also being tracked overall across every class that you have ever played as. In plain and simple terms, you have two XP gains and levels to manage now.
The worst (or best, if you are interested in the nuance of game balance) part is, there is no truly easy method to earn XP or levels quickly. You need to slog it out the old fashioned way. With that said, there are still some things you can do to maximize your XP gain.
Capture objectives. As mentioned above, this nets you XP. Bonus points if you can clear these objectives with your squad.
Exploit the medals system. You can choose which medal you want to earn, and earning said medal nets you XP. As long as you pick a medal that is suited to your play style, you should be getting yourself a lot of additional XP.
More than killing: A war requires more than just soldiers shooting to kill, and Battlefield 1 requires more of its players than just killing in a spray of bullets, too. All actions in battle are rewarded with XP. Things like healing, reviving teammates, kill assists, suppressive fire, spotting enemies, throwing down ammo for allies, and completing or contributing to objectives all net you additional XP. So don’t just try to hunt down opposing team members single mindedly. Be a well rounded player, and you’ll get more XP.
Best Weapons Per Class:
Battlefield 1 has a highly nuanced and differentiated class system, one that fully utilizes the World War 1 setting to the maximum. Classes work differently than they have in previous games, and it is important for each class to perform its role, and for a team to work as one- remember, Battlefield is ultimately all about teamwork.
There are four classes in Battlefield 1:
- Assault
- Medic
- Support
- Scout
So, what are the best weapons to have on hand for each class?
Scouts are snipers, so accordingly, you’ll want long range weapons. Bolt and lever action rifles are your best bet, and to ensure that you’re not a sitting duck if caught in close quarters, having a short to mid range pistol on hand is always useful too
Assault class is your standard, attack everything, do damage class. As such, you have a whole lot of firepower on your hands. You get submachine guns, shotguns, and pistols- so you’re basically equipped to deal with any threat. of course, if you run out of ammo, or get hurt, you’re SoL That’s where you want Support and Medics to help.
Medics are a healing class, but don’t let that fool you- Medics get access to some deadly weaponry too. You get some soldier saving gadgets, yes, and you also get some semi automatic rifles with some great range. You also get some pistols that are passable, but try not to get yourself caught at close range
Support class may be more about, well, supporting your teammates, but they do have some offensive options. The main thing to do for a Support player is keeping other players restocked on ammunition and the like, but they also have some light machine guns, as well as some pistols. They can do the job in a pinch and buy you enough time for you to get out of whatever sticky situation you are in, but try not to get yourself in them in the first place, okay?
How To Earn War Bonds:
War Bonds are basically the central and primary currency of Battlefield 1– you use them to purchase weapons, gadgets, grenades, and melee weapons, all of which you can purchase in the class customization screen.
There isn’t any trick to earning War Bonds- it’s actually a simple matter of leveling up. Each time you level up, you get 90 War Bonds. You gain War Bonds each time you level up, which means that the more impressive and advanced weapons and abilities in the game are locked for players at higher levels. You earn more War Bonds the higher level you are so at early levels, be careful what you spend your Bonds on.
Multiplayer Progression And Class Unlocks:
Leveling up doesn’t just get you War Bonds- you also unlock weapons, which you can then equip and use in battles, the higher leveled you are. What you unlock as you level up depends entirely on which class you are playing as. This means, in turn, that your ability to purchase weapons is tied to your class level (whereas your ability to earn War Bonds, which you use to purchase the weapons you unlock, is tied to your profile level).
As for what each class unlocks upon leveling up, well we have the list below:
ASSAULT:
Level 1
- Automatico M1918 Trench
- US Trench Knife
- M97 Trench Gun Hunter
- Compact Trench Knife
Level 2
- M97 Trench Gun Sweeper
- Hatchet
- Pickaxe
- 12G Automatic Backbored
- Spiked Club
Level 3
- 12G Automatic Extended
- Model 10-A Slug
- Automatico M1918 Storm
Level 10
- C93
- No. 3 Revolver
SCOUT:
Level 1
- Trench Knife
- Compact Trench Knife
- Gewehr M.95 Carbine
- Russian 1895 Trench
- M1903 Experimental
- US Trench Knife
Level 2
- Hatchet
- Spiked Club
- Gewehr 98 Infantry
- Gewehr M.95 Marksman
- Pickaxe
- M1903 Marksman
- Trench Mace
Level 3
- Gewehr 98 Sniper
- SMLE MKIII Carbine
- Russian 1895 Infantry
- Gewehr 98 Marksman
- M1903 Sniper
Level 10
- No. 3 Revolver
- Martini-Henry Infantry
- C93
- Kolibri
MEDIC:
Level 1
- Mondragon Storm
- Compact Trench Knife
- US Trench Knife
- Trench Knife
- Autoloading 8 .35 Factory
- Cei-Rigotti Trench
- M1907 SL Factory
Level 2
- Hatchet
- Pickaxe
- M1907 SL Trench
- Autoloading 8 .25 Extended
- Selbstlader M1916 Marksman
- Spiked Club
- Trench Mace
Level 3
- Selbstlader M1916 Optical
- Mondragon Sniper
- Autoloading 8 .35 Marksman
- Mondragon Optical
Level 10
- Selbstlader 1906 Factory
- C93
- No. 3 Revolver
- Kolibri
- SUPPORT:
Level 1
- M1909 Benet-Mercie Telescopic
- Madsen MG Storm
- Compact Trench Knife
- Trench Knife
- US Trench Knife
- MG15 n.A. Low Weight
Level 2
- Madsen MG Trench
- Spiked Club
- Trench Mace
- Hatchet
- Pickaxe
Level 3
- Lewis Gun Optical
- MG15 n.A Suppressive
- BAR M1918 Storm
- BAR M1918 Telescopic
- M1909 Benet-Mercie Optical
Level 10
- Huot Automatic Low Weight
- C93
- No. 3 Revolver
- Kolibri
Multiplayer Tips And Tricks:
If you’re going to embark on playing Battlefield 1‘s multiplayer mode, it can’t hurt you to have some general and basic tips and tricks at hand so you don’t make a complete fool of yourself. You feel me?
Use the gas grenades wisely. They can’t kill your opponents, but they force them to put on gas masks, which restricts them to just shooting from the hip- a major advantage, if there ever was one.
Vehicles. There are tanks, planes, blimps, armored trains- a whole lot of weapons in Battlefield 1, some that you can ride, others which come in more to rain fire on the opposing team than anything. Learn which weapons are ridable, which are not, which work best for you, and how to counter and take them all out. Without understanding the vehicles, you’re going to find yourself frequently stumped.
Horses are amazing. You already knew that, but I mean specifically in context of Battlefield 1– they have extremely high HP, are very mobile, and riding one automatically gives you access to a shotgun and to a cavalry sword, both powerful and great weapons. Try and get your hands on a horse as quickly as you can (which also means that if you see someone else on one, try to shoo them off of the horse, instead of shooting the horse itself).
You can create multiple loadouts for each class. This means that you can be prepared for any situation without necessarily switching out from the class that suits your play style. Create multiple custom load-outs for each class and switch between them all from the Deployment Screen.
All Multiplayer Modes Explained:
Battlefield 1 has seven multiplayer modes- these are a mix of the old and the new, with sometimes a single mode being both. A lot of the modes have been modified or altered to fully utilize the World War 1 setting, so even Battlefield veterans may find themselves surprised by some of these:
Conquest: Classic Battlefield. Up to 64 players fighting on large scale maps for control of multiple objectives. With dynamic and destructible maps, and vehicles like Behemoths and armored trains joining the fray, this is Battlefield 1 at its finest, and is the mode all players should default to.
Domination: Smaller, faster, and infantry focused. Melee becomes more viable, and the fights for the control of strategic objectives become more cramped and close quarters.
Operations: A brand new mode, Operations offers a game based upon several maps modeled on real War battles. The focus is on teamwork and frontline combat, which adds a layer of depth. You play either in Offense or Defense- in Offense, attackers must claim and hold all defensive positions that are being fought over, making the enemy retreat sector after sector until there is no more retreat possible. In Defense, you kill the oncoming attackers and try to hold your ground. Operations games can frequently last over an hour or more of play time.
Rush: This mode is like a smaller scale Operations, with the added caveat of it being themed after the World War 1 era quandary of trying to disrupt enemy communications. Attacking forces are tasked with destroying telegraph posts, which the defenders can use to call in artillery strikes. Defenders need to disarm explosives planted at the posts, and if they fail, and communications in a sector are cut off, they need to retreat to a different sector. Attackers win if the Defenders have nowhere to retreat to, Defenders win if they’re able to run the Attackers out of reinforcements, or by having at least one Telegraph Position left intact when time runs out.
War Pigeons: But man made communications were still unreliable back in the days of the First World War. War Pigeons is like a smaller scale Rush– at the start of the game, a pigeon is hidden somewhere on the map. The team that manages to retrieve the pigeon and send it to a secure location to send off a message first wins.
Team Deathmatch: You know what Team Deathmatch is- kill or be killed, score the most points, come out victorious. Nothing has changed on that front.