Raise the Flag for Victory

Published Julu 15, 2009

The original Battlefield 1942, on which Battlefield™ 1943 is based, helped redefine the multiplayer first-person shooter landscape by taking the onus off of kills and placing it squarely on team-based strategy.

That's one gorgeous Xbox LIVE Arcade game.

Here, victory is earned not so much by kills, but by securing the majority of bases until, hopefully, the opposing team hemorrhages enough points to secure your victory.

Success in Battlefield 1943 requires a different mindset than something like standard Team Deathmatch. So, consider these tactics to help you raise the flag in victory.

Open Squad
The ability to spawn directly on a squad mate's location can be an enormously powerful tactical tool. If your buddy is hiding in the weeds outside a capture point and the rest of the squad spawns on their location, rushing and taking hold of the location becomes much, much easier.

Problem is, many people join Battlefield 1943 matches alone, not already part of a squad. However, you can bring up the Start menu and create or join "open" squads. Do so! This way, you have the choice between spawning on a base or with your squad.

Got tank problems? Call on the Infantry class.

Hit to Mark
Whenever you successfully hit an enemy, a red mark will appear over their heads. This is good for you, but great for teammates who might not have otherwise noticed the enemy was there. Even if the opponent is so far away you're unlikely to kill them, shoot anyway. If you can mark them, chances are a teammate will clean up what you've started.

Vehicle Travel
The maps on display are enormous, so there's a lot of open ground to cover, and very little reason to do so on foot. It's not uncommon to run for thirty seconds only to get sniped a few yards from your objective, then spawn and have to cover the same distance all over again.

If you use a jeep or tank, you could transport other team members, enjoy the comforts of a machinegun or cannon for defense, and cut your travel time drastically. Always, always look to see if there's a vehicle nearby you can use.

One Man Takeover
There are few things more inviting than seeing a tightly clustered group surrounding a capture point. One well-placed grenade could annihilate the whole lot. When you're taking over a base, try leaving just one teammate right near the flag. Then, place the other teammates at different points covering different sightlines around the base so they can scout for or fend off approaching enemies. Don't give the opposing team cheap kills.

A little fire doesn't scare me. Just makes for a great backdrop.

The Vice
Whenever possible, always try to separate enemy bases by taking over one base in front and one behind. If you can manage this, you'll earn spawn points on either side of an opponent's base, making it virtually impossible for them to effectively defend. Flanking works wonders in all multiplayer shoots and Battlefield 1943 is no exception.

Three's Enough
Each map contains five different bases, but frankly, there's really no need to hold them all. All you need for victory are three bases and a good defense. If you make an attempt on all the bases, your forces will be scattered, leaving what bases you do own vulnerable to enemy assaults. Once you've got three bases, dig in and defend them.

Class Choice
When deciding on your class, first consider what kind of battle you're entering. If your opponents are making constant use of tanks, the Infantry class with its RPG is a good bet. If you're defending a base, then a sniper perched atop a tower, picking off enemies at a distance after having planted a few bars of C4 around the flag, can work wonders. Likewise, the Riflemen can make quick work of any enemy at medium to long range, making them an ideal choice for approaching enemy bases.

Tank Path
Explosives set by Scouts are a tank driver's worst nightmare. However, unless you're dealing with a particularly shifty enemy, you can usually count on explosives being set on the main path. Try making your final approaches into an enemy base away from the road and you'll stand a much better chance of surviving.

Achieving victory in Battlefield 1943 takes combat moxie geared more toward team tactics than twitch shooting prowess (that helps too, of course). In short, when making your next decision, always ask yourself if it will help the team win. If yes, proceed. If no, think again my friend. Good luck, soldier!

Article by Ryan Treit