Battlefield 1 guide: best class, weapons, loadouts, earn war bonds, unlocks and more

Battlefield 1 is here. Here's how to survive DICE's take on The Great War.

Battlefield 1 Guide Contents
– Campaign Tips & Strategies

– Multiplayer Tips & Strategies

– Classes Guide & Strategy

– All about Class Ranks and Weapon Unlocks

– More tips for multiplayer

– Bug Fixes and Patch Notes

Battlefield 1 is an interesting little game. Sure enough it's yet another large-scale multiplayer shooter, but thanks to developers DICE and publishers EA deciding to pursue a World War 1 setting for the game, there's quite a lot different about the way combat takes place in this latest entry in the Battlefield series.

World War 1 has much about it that makes it unique, with its highly experimental weapons and the lasting influence of things like horseback cavalry alongside more modern concepts like air-to-air dogfights and various forms of machine gun. All this makes for some pretty interesting and exciting action both on and offline.

We've been getting stuck into the game, and we've gathered up some of our favourite tips for the game onto a couple of different pages, plus detailed explanations on things like the game's classes and weapons, some of which are quite unique to the WW1 setting. We'll see you in the trenches.

Battlefield 1 Campaign Tips & Strategies
Battlefield 1's single-player has turned out to be a surprising highlight of the game. There's some hidden bits and pieces in it, so allow us to assist you in making sure you see everything there is to see…

Battlefield 1 guide: where to find all 66 Field Manuals (and the Cavalry Sword while you're at it)
Battlefield 1's single-player campaign is a strong depiction of the harrowing reality of the first world war – for a video game, at least. It is still a video game, however, and that means there's got to be some optional hidden collectables throughout. Some of them really are hidden, too – so here's where to find all 66 field manuals in the game.

Battlefield 1 Multiplayer Tips & Strategies
Before you jump into Battlefield 1 in earnest, you might want to learn a little about what's new in the multiplayer. The World War 1 setting has given DICE and EA some major opportunities to significantly mix up the multiplayer setting and format – so while on the surface this looks like the Battlefield you already know, there's some aspects of it that are quite different.

Have no fear, however! We've got you covered. Allow us to be your personal carrier pigeon with all you need to know about the multiplayer. Here's some basic tips to get you started:

Beginner's tips – multiplayer combat, elite class locations, best weapons
This is your basic primer to get started with the game. What's new in Battlefield 1? What should you be aware of before you head into the wild west of online? We'll take you through it.

9 tips that veterans of the series absolutely must know
Already a seasoned Battlefield Veteran? That's all well and good, but there's still quite a bit in Battlefield 1 that's all new. Allow us to guide you through some of the most pressing changes you'll want to be aware of.

Class Guide & Strategy
Thanks to its World War 1 setting, Battlefield 1 has a serious chance to change some things up in its multiplayer, and developers DICE seem to have seized the opportunity. While the broad strokes of the classes in Battlefield 1 might seem familiar to most shooters, there's a fair bit that's different about them from previous titles in the Battlefield series or even standard shooter tropes. Allow us to explain.

Assault Class guide – weapons, load-outs, TNT, anti-tank mines and more
Here's the low down on the skills and gear of the bread-and-butter of any Battlefield 1 combat mission, the Assault Class. Strategies on how to use their unique abilities such as their uncanny ability to take down enemy armor… if you're lucky.

Support Class guide – weapons, load-outs, ammo crates, tripwire bombs tips and more
Battlefield 1's support class lugs around a shed load of ammunition with him in order to help resupply allies on the front line, but as wellm as that he carries the fastest-firing and most intimidating gun in the game – even if it's harder to actually kill people with than it looks.

Medic Class guide – weapons, load-outs, rifle grenades, syringes and more
The medic class in Battlefield 1 comes equipped with a magic syringe that can bring dead soldiers back to life that somehow can be turned on enemies to kill them. Which… is pretty cool. They can also heal your allies, of course. Tips, strategies, all that – right here.

Scout Class guide – weapons, load-outs, flare guns, armor-piercing rounds and more
Scout is basically the class more often known as Recon, and more colloquially known as Sniper. Do you enjoy sitting on a remote hilltop and exploring the heads of enemies without them even really knowing where you are? This is for you… but some will, you're warned, think of you as scum.

Vehicle Classes guide – Pilots, Tankers and Cavalry load-outs and strategies explained
The vehicle classes change is a great idea. It basically stops dickhead snipers from stealing a plane and jumping out of it near a good sniping spot and things like that. If you want to play with a cool vehicle, you now need to actually dedicate yourself to using the vehicle properly, as you're much less effective without it. Here's our guide to these mini-classes.

Elite Classes guide – Tank Hunter, Sentry, Flame Trooper and more
The Tank Hunter, Sentry and Flame Trooper elite classes all have extremely powerful primary weapons that have a very specific best-case use scenario to them. When used right these classes are absolutely deadly killing machines – so let us give you the low-down on what they're good at.

Battlefield 1: best class loadouts for Assault, Medic, Support, Scout
Creating a unique loadout in Battlefield 1 requires a bit more finesse than previous games thanks to the fact most of the guns are variations of one another and changes to the class system, but we've made note of what we feel are some of the strongest load-outs in the game. Here they are!

All about Class Ranks and Weapon Unlocks
Battlefield 1 includes some slightly changed systems from previous entries in the series around how you get your hands on bigger and better weapons for your classes in multiplayer. Allow us to guide you through the changes and suggest what some of the best available weapons in the game are…

How to level up, earn war bonds and unlock weapons
Experience. Classes. Levels. War Bonds… how the hell do you unlock that one big gun you want in Battlefield 1? It's a little more complicated than it used to be, but we've got you covered. Remain calm.

How to get XP and level up fast
So, using the handily linked page above you've learnt everything there is to know about the actual systems and mechanics behind your player rank, class ranks and weapon unlocks. Now you know how to target the items you want to unlock… you need that juicy, juicy XP. Here's advice on how to rack up the XP quickly. You're welcome.

More tips for multiplayer
As well as learning about classes and checking out our broader tips pages, we've also got some features prepared that take a deep-dive into some of Battlefield 1's systems more specifically. What's the best way to fight an opponent that's rapidly bearing down on you on horseback? How should you approach a one-on-one melee battle? We've got all that and more covered, and we'll be updating with more. Some of these tips are from our time with the beta, but they're just as relevant in the final game.

Multiplayer game modes explained – Conquest, Operations, Domination and more
Here's some all-important tips before you head into multiplayer on something quite rudimentary but absolutely important: what is each game mode, and what should you be doing in each to win? Here's a comprehensive guide to each in video form.

Battlefield 1: If you want to win, pull your finger out and give and follow orders
This is an important public service announcement for all Battlefield players. The information contained in this page will help you to level up, win matches, and generally play not like a dick.

Here's some top tips for horse combat
Horses are one of the new major additions to the Battlefield series that come as a direct result of the switch to a WW1 setting. Battling from horseback is pretty difficult, and fighting against those who are riding around on a horse can be pretty damn intimidating too. Here's Westie with some tips on how to fight on and against horses.

A breakdown of the melee combat system. It's more complicated than you think
While modern soldiers carry batons or knives for close-quarters melee encounters pretty much exclusively, World War 1 was often quite a bit mor improvisational. Battlefield 1 as a result is a bit more complicated with three different melee weapon classes each with different stats behind them. Here, we explain.

Battlefield 1 Bug Fixes and Patch Notes
Like any good online-based game, Battlefield 1 is being constantly updated by the development team at DICE. Sometimes these fixes just cover minor bugs with the game and tidy up performance, but other times these updates bring significant game-altering changes such as adjustments to maps or weapon balance. You know the drill – to be informed is to have an advantage, so here's the patch notes – we'll update as the game is patched.

Battlefield 1 patch fixes a couple of campaign bugs and a ton of multiplayer niggles
This patch was released on October 24 2016, and features fixes for some nasty crashes as well as minor bugs with the UI and graphics on each platform. There's no major balance changes yet, however!