Battlefield: Bad Company 2/Walkthrough

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is divided into single player and multiplayer. In terms of storyline, the single player and multiplayer occur concurrently, with some multiplayer maps occurring after the single player. It is worthwhile, however, to practice on single player before proceeding onto multiplayer, even though some important elements are removed from multi (most notably the spotting of enemies).

Single Player
The single player storyline picks up where the first Bad Company left off. The story doesn't build on itself, however, so a new player won't find spoilers from Bad Company 1 in this game.

The story follows a squad of four characters in their quest to uncover a secret Japanese weapon the Russians have unearthed. They intend to use the weapon as a prelude to an invasion of the United States, and it's up to Bad Company to stop them.

Bad Company consists of four characters.

Private Preston Marlowe
Preston Marlowe is the player character of Bad Company 2. As a result he doesn't generally talk, though he does speak in cutscenes. As the point man of the squad, it's up to you to perform most of the dirty work for your squad. According to the manual, Preston was assigned to Bad Company after he attempted to take a helicopter for a joy ride and ended up crashing it into a limousine.

Official Description: Raised on two generations of war stories, Private Marlowe joined Bad Company to get some combat under his belt. Now, as Bad Company's latest "recruit," Marlowe's getting all the action he can handle. Maybe more.

Sergeant Samuel Redford
Sarge's gruff, serious demeanour acts as a foil to the loudmouthed Haggard and smart-alecky Sweetwater. He leads the group and is often one to issue orders on behalf of the squad. In this game, he carries an XM8 as a weapon. He is the only person who was assigned to the squad voluntarily, as he's looking for a shorter tour of duty.

Official Description: Sergeant Samuel D. Redford is the only soldier to actually request transfer to Bad Company. Some paint that decision as crazy or suicidal, but Sarge has his reasons. He used to buy into the whole military lifestyle, Mom and Apple Pie, all of it. Not anymore. Especially not after Sadiz.

Private Gordon Haggard
Loudmouthed and unorthodox, Haggard can appear a little dim at times, but his enthusiasm for explosions know few bounds. He is extremely proud to be a Texan. He is the only person in the squad who enjoys being in Bad Company. He carries an XM8 as his standard weapon.

Official Description: Private George Gordon Haggard, Jr. actually likes being in Bad Company. His better personality traits include low-impulse control, consistently poor hygiene, and an encyclopedic knowledge of explosives. The upside is that Haggard's a hell of a soldier. He's just a little … unorthodox. And loud.

Private Terence Sweetwater
The smart alecky Sweetwater acts as the computer and technical expert for the squad. A fan of special ops (though apparently not fond of "special ops douchebags"), Sweetwater also acts as the impromptu brawn of the team, fighting with the large M60 machine gun and even with the occasional physical brawl during the campaign.

Official Description: Private Terrence Sweetwater is too smart for his own good. He enlisted for the college scholarship his recruiter dangled in front of him, figuring his brains would keep him in the rear with the gear. And maybe they would have, if he hadn't "accidentally" uploaded a virus to a secure military network he wasn't supposed to access in the first place.

Collectables & M-COM Stations
Each and every weapon you can pick up through the campaign, including the default weapon, are considered collectables. Collectables are weapons that you, the player, have unlocked in the single player campaign. You may unlock a weapon by picking it up. Throughout the campaign you will locate a large green crate with a yellow parachute draped over it. This supply drop differs from ammo stashes in that these enable the player to switch their current weapon with any weapon that they've unlocked. Supply drops also resupply ammunition.

Most of the collectable weapons are multiplayer weapons with a few additions. The starting weapon, called the XM8-S in single player, is simply referred to as a scoped XM8 in multiplayer. The only exceptions to this is the TOZ-194, which is replaced by the Remington 870 in multiplayer, and two Japanese weapons: the Type 100 SMG and the Type 5 battle rifle, which are specific to the campaign's first mission.

Throughout the fight you'll also encounter M-COM stations. These desk-sized terminals are objectives hidden on various maps. Destroying them all simply yields prestige and a few achievements. M-COM stations do not respawn once destroyed, and destroying an M-COM station in one map will prevent it from appearing anytime afterward, even if you restart the mission.

Multiplayer Maps
As with all of the Battlefield games, the multiplayer gameplay is where the game truly shines. Due to the complexity of multiplayer, it is virtually impossible to create reliably winning strategies in public games. The best this guide can do, therefore, is provide what little information about each of the maps that remain constant.

There are four game modes - Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, and Squad Deathmatch. For further details of these modes, see the introduction to multiplayer page.

The following table outlines which maps are available in which game modes.

Multiplayer Classes
As with nearly every other first person shooter out there, players can choose to become one of several distinct classes. Each aids the team in a different way, though it's possible to change the strengths and weaknesses of each class considerably by changing weapons. For more details, see the weapon comparison.

Assault
For reliability at all ranges, look no further than the Assault class. Assault-class weapons consist of automatic or semiautomatic assault rifles. These weapons are highly effective at all but the longest of ranges. Assault weapons are best fired in bursts, and some weapons - like the AN-94 and the M16 - fire in bursts for you. That said, going all automatic can be quite effective in close quarters, as assault rifles are generally quite accurate unscoped, unlike the medic's machine guns or the recon's sniper rifles. All assault-specific weapons have an under-barrel munitions launcher. A new player will only have access to the 40mm grenade launcher, but the launcher is quite effective. Its most common use is to destroy buildings and other obstructions for various purposes; for example, to clear a sight line for a machine gun, or to remove a sniper's cover. It can also fire smoke grenades effective at providing cover for players tending to an objective and to remove tracer darts from friendly vehicles. The smoke grenade can also kill enemies on a direct hit. Finally, it can also be used as an under-barrel shotgun, providing a single dose of lethal close-range firepower.

When equipping a weapon unequipped with a 40mm attachment such as a shotgun, the G3, the M14, or the M1 Garand, the Assault class equips the same C4 charges as the recon class. This gives them additional anti-armour capability up close.

Official Description: The tip of the spear in any offensive, Assault grunts typically carry heavy combat rifles and grenade launchers to quickly clear a path.

Strengths: Well rounded kit; ammo resupply

Weaknesses: Limited anti-armour capability Players who have purchased the SPECACT DLC may choose to use the ordinary assault class, as seen above, or they may opt to use the SPECACT version of the kit, shown left. Although appearance is the only difference, the US SPECACT's darker tan sleeves and black vest make the player slightly less visible on desert maps. It does, however, make the player stand out on winter maps.

Russia's SPECACT green sleeves provide slightly better concealment on forest maps. The vest doesn't change much and the visor's colour remains the same.

Players who use the SPECACT version of the Assault class are not limited to the M16A2 SPECACT. Assault SPECACT players may select any weapon available to the ordinary Assault class. Similarly, the M16A2 SPECACT may be equipped by the standard Assault class as well.

Engineer
The Engineer class isn't the greatest in a fight, but they can definitely hold their own. Submachine guns are generally on the weaker side when compared to assault rifles and their high rate of fire precludes effectiveness at long range, but SMGs are about even with assault rifles in closer quarters. The Engineer class generally specializes with vehicles - either bringing them up to the fight or taking them down when they arrive. This class doesn't help the team directly as is the case with the recon's motion sensors or the health and ammo packs brought to the table by the medic and assault classes, but instead helps the team be secure against armoured and aerial threats. For taking down vehicles from a distance, look no further than the Engineer's RPG-7. The RPG-7 fires a rocket that can be dodged relatively easily by infantry, but it packs quite a wallop when it hits. To make aiming easier, it is compatible with tracer darts. Once a target (vehicle or a human) is hit with the tracer dart pistol, the RPG-7 can lock onto it. Once locked the launcher can be aimed in any direction and the rocket will loop around to acquire the painted target. The M2 Carl Gustav is similar in almost all aspects to the RPG-7, but its rocket flies faster, has a larger splash radius, and causes less damage. For times when tracer darts are unavailable, the M136 AT4's missile flies where the player is looking. It causes about as much damage as an RPG-7, but can't lock onto tracer darts since it uses its own homing system.

The engineer class can also equip landmines instead of the aforementioned rocket launchers. Mines are extremely powerful, and only one or two is enough to destroy a tank. Mines are also effective when placed at side entrances to destroy flanking quad bikes. Mines can be "defused" by either side by shooting them. Mines are capable of distinguishing friend from foe, and can therefore be placed on friendly vehicles without consequence.

The engineer is obviously also tasked at keeping friendly vehicles in good health. Repairing a friendly vehicle is possible with the repair tool. Using it on a vehicle gives it health for a good six seconds before overheating. On the other hand, however, it can also be used to damage and destroy enemy vehicles at close range. It can even be used on enemy infantry in place of the knife. The knife, however, is far more practical and the repair tool is often used for humiliation kills.

Official Description: Combat mechanics who are equally adept at repairing friendly vehicles and destroying enemy armor. Engineers pack SMGs for human targets.

Strengths: Anti-armour specialist; vehicle repair

Weaknesses: Limited anti-infantry capability Players who have purchased the SPECACT DLC may choose to use the ordinary Engineer class, as seen above, or they may opt to use the SPECACT version of the kit, shown left. Although appearance is the only difference, the US SPECACT's darker tan sleeves and black vest make the player slightly less visible on desert maps. It does, however, make the player stand out on winter maps.

Russia's SPECACT green sleeves provide slightly better concealment on forest maps. Neither the vest nor the balaclava change considerably from the standard kit.

Players who use the SPECACT version of the Engineer class are not limited to the UMP-45 SPECACT. Engineer SPECACT players may select any weapon available to the ordinary Engineer class. Similarly, the UMP-45 SPECACT may be equipped by the standard Engineer class as well.

Medic
Medics are similar in a few ways to the Medic class in that their weapons are best used at medium to long distances. Instead of carrying an assault rifle or a submachine gun, however, medics carry machine guns and squad assault weapons. A medic's machine gun is unique in that it is designed to be fired at full auto; it is said that the weapon gains accuracy the longer you shoot it. Firing a machine gun in close quarters, however, is not recommended; its accuracy is even worse than that of the assault class' assault rifles. The medic is best played as a mobile machine gun, always using the scope to engage enemies at longer ranges. As such, scopes are often a good idea. Aside from a few quirks the machine gun has, the medic plays rather similarly to the assault class. The similarities stop, however, at where the medic class obtains its name. Instead of throwing down ammunition for friendlies, the medic throws down health packs that heal 200 health before disappearing. These packs are often best thrown behind cover, where players are often heavily wounded and can take a break before fighting again. These health packs can easily turn the tide of a fight.

The defibrillator is the medic's primary gadget. By using it on a downed ally with a lightning bolt figure, a medic is able to bring a teammate back to life. Not only does this interrupt the respawn queue (having to wait considerably less time to get back in the fight) but it also gives back the team's reinforcement tickets. Reviving teammates brings in a lot of points; resurrecting a player who is on your squad is worth more points than killing an enemy.

Unfortunately, Medics are the least threatening player class to enemy armoured vehicles. Medics have no explosive weapons aside from their grenades and cannot equip the C4 charges the Assault and Recon classes have.

Official Description: The Hippocratic Oath takes a back seat to these field medics, who carry pills and defibrillators for friendlies and a light machine gun for all others.

Strengths: Solid anti-infantry kit; heal and revive

Weaknesses: Limited anti-armour capability Players who have purchased the SPECACT DLC may choose to use the ordinary assault class, as seen above, or they may opt to use the SPECACT version of the kit, shown left. Although appearance is the only difference, the US SPECACT's darker tan sleeves and black vest make the player slightly less visible on desert maps. It does, however, make the player stand out on winter maps.

Russia's SPECACT green sleeves provide slightly better concealment on forest maps. The vest doesn't change much and the visor's colour remains the same. The Medic's hat, however, is changed from an obvious red to a considerably less obvious green. A lot of players choose to obtain the SPECACT kit just to remove the Russian Medic's red hat.

Players who use the SPECACT version of the Medic class are not limited to the MG3 SPECACT. Medic SPECACT players may select any weapon available to the ordinary Medic class. Similarly, the MG3 SPECACT may be equipped by the standard Medic class as well.

Recon
Most players play the recon class as a dedicated sniper. However, the recon class is also needed up on the front lines as well as in the back. The semiautomatic sniper rifles, such as the Type 88, have weaker zooms and are used as a designated marksman role; that is, to shoot accurately at shorter distances than a dedicated sniper would usually. The designated marksman is also a part of a squad, unlike a sniper who usually works alone or with a spotter. The recon class can be both. Although the stated weakness of the recon class is close-quarters combat, recon players become considerably more dangerous up-close if they choose a shotgun as a weapon. The most commonly used recon gadget is the motion sensor. The small sphere broadcasts the location of enemies close to it, allowing a player to be prepared for them. On the other hand, the device also makes a very distinctive beeping sound, so it is easy for a player to know he is being tracked. The motion sensor does not perform spotting, and it will not give an exact position of the enemy visually; the enemy is revealed only on the map. Naturally, the motion sensor spots tanks as well as other players.

The other piece of equipment that recon players carry is situational in nature. Starting players begin with C4 charges, which are the strongest explosive in the game. They are easily laid by "firing" them at terrain or enemy players, either of which the explosive will adhere to. They can then be remotely detonated to put a major dent into whatever is near it. A single strip of C4 is enough to destroy any vehicle; two will eliminate a T-90 or an Abrams.

Alternatively, recon players can forgo the power of C4 and choose the range of the mortar strike. The specially-issued binoculars allow a recon player to call a mortar strike on whatever the player is observing. It takes roughly three seconds to trigger the strike, however, leaving the recon player open to sniper fire. Additionally, the mortar strike only is triggered when things are completely still. If the binoculars are aimed at a stationary tank that moves, the lock is broken and the three-second countdown is reset. Mortar strikes are therefore best aimed at the terrain close to the target, or at a tank whose driver is more occupied at aiming at a distant target than driving around. The mortars themselves don't have too much splash damage and only eight mortars are called in per strike, but mortars drop down at 90 degree angles, allowing you to aim at the enemy's cover and have a few mortars hit behind it. Additionally, the binoculars are completely silent and do not leave a vapour trail, unlike most sniper rifles.

Official Description: Masters of stealth, Recon specializes in sniping tangos, sabotaging vehicles with C4, or calling in mortar strikes via special binoculars.

Strengths: Long range/Explosives specialist

Weaknesses: Slow-firing; vulnerable in close quarters Players who have purchased the SPECACT DLC may choose to use the ordinary Recon class, as seen above, or they may opt to use the SPECACT version of the kit, shown left. Although appearance is the only difference, the US SPECACT's darker tan suit makes the player slightly less visible on desert maps. It does, however, make the player stand out on winter maps.

Russia's SPECACT green suit provide slightly better concealment on forest maps. The shade of green, however, does stand out in a winter map.

Players who use the SPECACT version of the Recon class are not limited to the M95 SPECACT. Recon SPECACT players may select any weapon available to the ordinary Recon class. Similarly, the M95 SPECACT may be equipped by the standard Reconclass as well.