MBT/IFV Loadouts Part 1

Battlefield's legacy has always been large scale vehicle based combat. In a lot of competitive scrims and matches in BF3, infantry seems to be the focus. Vehicles still have their place in almost any match whether it be pubs or scrims. In this post I'll focus on different MBT/IFV loadouts. What works in what situations and so on.

MBT Unlocks and Attachments

IR SMOKE--Infrared smoke that breaks locks from lock on weapons and will deflect incoming guided missiles.

COAXIAL LMG--A mounted light machine gun that acts as a secondary weapon for tank drivers.

AUTOLOADER--An attachment that speeds up the reload time of main tank shells.

ZOOM OPTICS--A 3x magnification scope for the tank driver.

MAINTENANCE--This attachment speeds up vehicle health regeneration.

COAXIAL HMG--Similar to the coaxial lmg but instead a .50 cal HMG is used as the secondary weapon for the tank driver.

PROXIMITY SCAN--External motion sensors that spot any enemy movement close to the tank on your minimap.

GUIDED SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that can lock on to air and ground vehicles. Air vehicles require the use of either the CITV or SOFLAM.

THERMAL OPTICS--A weapon sight for the tank driver that displays in infrared making it easier to see enemy vehicles and infantry.

THERMAL CAMO--A passive tank attachment that extends the amount of time enemy lock-on weapons take to acquire a lock. Basically the same as the STEALTH attachment that's available for air vehicles.

CANISTER SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that's basically a giant shotgun. Very effective against infantry and air vehicles. Has no effects on enemy tanks and IFVs.

REACTIVE ARMOR--Armor panels that cover the sides and the rear of tanks protecting it from enemy antitank weapons. When shot at they become destroyed but can be repaired.

CITV STATION--A permanent tank upgrade that provides a third seat. CITV is used to lock onto enemy ground and air vehicles to be used with Javelins and guided shells. CITV station also comes with thermal optics for the CITV operator.

The IFV's share a lot of the same upgrades as the MBT's so I won't list all the upgrades shared but only the ones that are exclusive to the IFV's. The belt speed attachment is the same as autoloader.

ATGM LAUNCHER--A secondary weapon for the IFV driver that launches a wire-guided missile. Since it's wire-guided the missiles path can be guided by the IFV driver by turning the turret after the missile is fired. This feature is effective for shooting around corners.

APFSDS-T SHELL--Armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot with tracer. This attachment is an armor piercing round that can penetrate reactive armor and blind the tank driver's field of view. The downside of the AP shells is that there isn't any explosive splash damage so it's not very effective against infantry like the high explosive rounds that are standard on the IFVs.

GUIDED MISSILE--Laser guided antitank missiles that can lock on and fire upon tanks. Used with a SOFLAM a line of sight isn't required to lock on and fire at enemy tanks. Can be nullified by IR Smoke.

So those are the MBT and IFV loadout attachments. In my next blog post I'll talk about different set ups for different maps and situations. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.

                                                                                 -Tr0y