As anyone who knows Battlefield Bad Company 2 knows, Vietnam expansion pack released yesterday. Having put in a solid 6 hours of gametime on it already, there are definately some differences in gameplay between Vietnam and regular Battlefield Bad Company 2 mulitplayer. Here are some tips and strategies that seem to be most effective at this time.

***Note*** These tips could also relate to regular Battlefield Bad Company 2 Gameplay

Vietnam Maps
Going into Vietnam, the first thing a player will notice is that the maps are more suited for an up-close and personal infantry based combat style. There are still many vehicles and long range engagements, but with the removal of optics and the toning down of snipers (lack of actual scope) means you will spend more time face to face with your enemy then nailing them across the map before they know what hit em.

Vietnam Weaponry
In Vietnam, each class will have 3 weapons you unlock right off the back, as well as 4 weapons you can use with any class. They are listed as follows:
Assault:
M16-Full auto, 30 round clip
AK-47-Full auto, 30 round clip
M14-Full auto, 20 round clip

Medic

M60-Full Auto, 100 round belt-fed
RPK-Full Auto, 100 round drum magazine
XM22-Full Auto, 200 round belt-fed

Engineer

Mac10-Full Auto, 40 round clip
PPSh-Full Auto, 25 round clip
UZI-Full Auto, 32 round clip
**Note** Engineer Weapons no longer feature silencers

Recon

SVD-Semi-Automatic, 10 round clip
M21-Semi-Automatic, 10 round clip
M40-Bolt-Action, 5 round clip

All Class Weapons

WWII M1A1 Thompson-Full Auto, 30 round clip
WWII M1 Garand-Semi-Auto, 8 round bandolier
M2 Flamethrower-Full Auto, 300 round drum
870 Combat Shotgun-Pump-Action, 4 rounds, 8 with Shotgun Upgrade

Vietnam Tips

1. Use your compass
DICE has added a compass to the outside of your mini-map. Use it. Calling out cardinal directions is must more clearer and crisp then trying to distinguish between your left and your teammates left.

2. Bullets will blow up your Huey
The Huey is fast and packs a punch, but it also is fragile. One well placed M60 will blow up your Huey if all the shots land. That being said, we found the way to get the best use out of your Huey, is good ole' drop-offs. Fly in, touchdown, drop off the troops, and get outta there. Strafing runs can be effective, but most of the time you'll just be a huge bullet magnet.

3. Too much Flame
While the flamethrower is devastating up close, try to refrain from just holding down your trigger and twirling that flame all over the place. Not only will you overheat, but you will block not only your field of view, but your teammates. Hold down the trigger in 3-4 second bursts of fire.

4. Splitting up your Squad
When Defending, we found it most effective to split up the squad into 2 fireteams, one covering A, and one covering B. The fireteams consisted of 1 medic and 1 assault. This creates a crossfire from A to B, making a fairly large killing zone.

5. Stay mobile
Mainly pertaining to snipers, keep moving your position. Sniping has been drastically reduced by DICE removing actual scopes and making the crosshairs more simple. This is because most combat will be up close and personal. Keep moving up, and think of yourself more as a designated marksman than a full out sniper. Cover the squad, while moving up periodically as well.

That was my beginners guide to the Vietnam battlefield. If you have any feedback/comments/information you would like to add, feel free to post below. Thank you for reading.
-Zthor

I disagree with your compass point. Even though I have yet to play, adding arbitrary cardinal directions is of no use. Left and right hand directions relating to the direction the team is facing has ALWAYS worked out. If someone says there's an enemy to the southwest of building "x", it will take more of my brain power to look at my compass and figure it out.

But for all I know, I'm completely full of bull.

Good thread, excellent idea and work clearly gone in. Nice one, which hopefully makes all the holes I'm going to pick in it possibly a little easier to stomach, please don't take offence.

Compass : I'm with Sambi, if you can see it you know where it is based on the direction you are fighting through the level which is the important thing. Axis of arc is the important thing not compass directions. It's hard to look down and stay alive on these levels even when your mini map is the size of a frisbee like mine. Also, if you read DTiger's Comms instructions you might be avoiding calling targets as much anyways.

Huey : It's a snake not a slick, go in fast and low, burn your target and extend out. If you're going to drop players do a rocking chair onto a roof but do not get down to everyone's eye level you'll get chopped to pieces. The door guns aren't that powerful either but that seems to be balanced by the fact that everything on the maps is paper thin (they mow through hooches & bunkers)

Flamethrower : The obscuring of things with the flame is a very valid point, I completely agree. I would however like to suggest that those who deploy with the flamethrower on defence brass up the approach area. If cover is destroyed and / or on fire it's a really hard environment to advance through and the approaching enemy are silhouetted by the burning bushes etc.

Splitting up your squad : Our structure is based around the four man fireteam. Breaking that down further into battle pairs is a sensible option with few players, but better to get 8+ 13 into a game and revert to 2 x 4

Stay Mobile : Valid point and well made. I would however suggest that most Recons will get left behind trying to keep up with most 13th squads when they're on the rampage.

At first I was reluctant to buy BFBC2: Vietnam, but I am glad I did! I love that sh** and everything you said is spot, however, the snipers I don't know why I like them more now they just seem "comfortable" I do notice a slight difference with guns as far as damage range and bullet drop goes obviously, but nothing that has effected me in a negative way. Also, rounds do burn through tickets quick if a team is not using medics, a majority of the time when I was with a decent team a medic was very helpful for revives and also because 90% of the fire fights are close range. I love the nostalgic feel of the game as well, you can't go wrong with good ole Credence Clearwater Revival playing in the main menu and for some parts of the game like with vehicle radio I believe, also enjoy the military so to speak "summary" round win or loss, better than the usual with out any good music or nice dramatic voice over

SpaminSambi wrote:

I disagree with your compass point. Even though I have yet to play, adding arbitrary cardinal directions is of no use. Left and right hand directions relating to the direction the team is facing has ALWAYS worked out. If someone says there's an enemy to the southwest of building "x", it will take more of my brain power to look at my compass and figure it out.

But for all I know, I'm completely full of bull.

i have to agree with spamin. left and right still works just fine. it's consistant and everyone knows left from right. i'm assuming. calling out the direction just makes you have to look at something else and takes your eyes off the main screen.

Another good little tactic is to line the tunnels with TNT as a defender and wait till a squad attacks through it and boom. Very effective on hill 137 from zone 1 to 2. Medics are revered, not much selection for the kit rotation, so heal range increase is almost mandatory.

Phu Bai, vantage point and hill 137 we need to be putting AT mines on the paths. You will get many kills, trust me!!!

That's actucally a very good tactic, thanks for the share Dtiger, that would seem very effective at M-Com B around the bend to the right of it and by the rock on that bend. Also I did notice that tanks are seeming to be more effective choice picked by players, due to the fact that the hueys get torn up by LMGs

Nuk3b00stKi113r wrote:

That's actucally a very good tactic, thanks for the share Dtiger, that would seem very effective at M-Com B around the bend to the right of it and by the rock on that bend. Also I did notice that tanks are seeming to be more effective choice picked by players, due to the fact that the hueys get torn up by LMGs

Hence me mentioning the AT mines. I got like 15 kills alone from mines the other night in Phu Bai from mines alone.

One thing I've noticed with the Sniper Rifles is the round doesn't drop off as much as the vanilla rifles do. Another lesson learned, while defending on a map with thick underbrush, have a Flamethrower wielding maniac just run around burning out the brush to help out visibility. Keep in mind too with the flamethrower reloads are instantaneous. And I believe that if you're using the M2 flamethrower, equiping the boosted explosion damage, will boost the flame damage...not magnum ammo. My M2 seems to be much more powerful with that than with magnum.