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Battlefield games have always featured large maps, and Battlefield: 2042 is no exception to that rule. To get from point to point, players will want to drive, not walk. Unlike previous titles which spawned vehicles at certain objectives, 2042 has introduced a call-in system that allows players to request a vehicle at any location on the map.
There are some caveats, though, and the new system does take some getting used to. But players who master the art of the call-in will place themselves at an advantage over those who don’t. Call-ins can save the day, or at the very least, make what many have called a buggy game (and there are some insane bugs out there) feel a little more enjoyable.
How To Call-In Vehicles
How do players use their tablets to call-in vehicles? What button you need to press depends on your platform, but the icon and affiliated button can be located in the bottom-left corner of the screen, underneath the mini-map. By default, on PC the button is mapped to “B”; on Xbox, it’s “RB (Hold) + Select Call-Ins”; and on Playstation it’s “R1 (Hold) + Select Call-Ins”. If you can’t bring up your tablet, there is most likely a 2-minute cooldown still in effect; simply wait for the timer to expire and try again afterward.
Once you’ve pulled up the tablet screen, check your desired vehicle’s availability. By default, green means available, and blue means unavailable. If a vehicle is unavailable, there are either too many already on the battlefield, or one of your previous call-ins is still somewhere on the map.
After you’ve selected any available vehicle, a green circle will appear on your HUD. This is the drop zone: place this wherever you’d like, and click to lock in your vehicle’s landing location. The game will do the rest. In a few short seconds, your vehicle will arrive by parachute, and you’ll have called in your first vehicle!
Keep in mind that, unlike other DICE games like Star Wars: Battlefront 2 where players earn points to play as certain characters, anyone can call in a vehicle at any time, so long as there’s availability and the player’s 2-minute cooldown is not active.
Types Of Vehicles
But what exactly can players call in? 2042 has four ground-based vehicles and one robot dog companion to choose from. If you’re looking for a helicopter or a jet, you won’t be able to use your tablet to call those in. Instead, check their availability at your base while inside the spawn menu.
Those remaining ground vehicles can be very useful though. There are two light-armor and two armored vehicles, in addition to the AI-controlled Ranger (basically a robot dog with a gun). The light armor includes the LATV4 Recon and the LCAA Hovercraft, which has been used to terrifying effect by many skilled players. These two vehicles are great for speedy navigation across the maps and can take the pain out of running between objectives, which on foot can take ages.
Armored Vehicles
The armored vehicles are where the real muscle comes into play. Choose between a tank (either T28 or M1A5, depending on the faction) and the EBAA Wildcat, a 4-person anti-personnel and anti-air vehicle that doubles as a transport for an entire squad. Both options are formidable in the right hands and can turn the tide of battle when called in (but good luck finding your kill-death ratio in 2042’s confusing new scoreboard).
When and Where To Call-In Vehicles
However, there is a time and a place for everything, and that includes when to call-in vehicles in 2042. Overall, when it comes to transports like the Hovercraft and Recon, any time and place are as good as the next if it saves you or your team time. Just beware of calling in vehicles during combat, as you will be unable to shoot while pulling up the call-in tablet.
When behind cover, the possible rewards may sometimes outweigh the risks: a new vehicle could either assist in defending a contested objective or offer an escape to find better positioning. And the worst-case scenario, try dabbling in the art of seat-switching to throw off your opponent’s game.
While anyone can call-in a tank or Wildcat for themselves, it’s better to call-in a Wildcat when there are other players nearby. Having extra hands-on board will increase everyone’s chance of survival, as the Wildcat has multiple gunner and spotter seats. Having a secondary gunner in your tank will also help, so try to get someone to tag along with you before heading into combat.
When playing a game of Conquest, it can be useful to call in certain vehicles to overlook an objective. A well-placed Recon can make quick work of infantry attackers, especially if the vehicle is positioned slightly away from the capture point itself. (Just be careful not to drop your vehicles too close to enemies, as some players have sneakily stolen the enemy team’s tanks).
Using The Map Layout To Gain An Advantage
Likewise, several maps in 2042 feature objectives atop skyscrapers that can only be accessed by air or by elevator. The call-in system works up there, too, so players can spawn tanks and more to camp certain objectives. This can sometimes get out of hand, though, as your tank could be more useful elsewhere. Keep in mind that other players cannot call-in a tank if there are already too many on the battlefield. That means that if four tanks are defending one point, no one else can call-in tanks to attack or defend the other objectives.
There are definitely some quirky places players can spawn vehicles. Take this location on the Hourglass map, for example. A player has managed to call in their vehicle atop an otherwise inaccessible structure on the map. While it’s a bit of a cheap spot to play in, it demonstrates how far thinking outside the box players can get in 2042.
Using The Robot Dog
Lastly, let’s talk about the robot dog, the Ranger. This good boy can hold his own in combat, faithfully following the player who called it in and even fighting after that player has died. While a good player can disable the Ranger fairly easily, it can add a bit of chaos against solo players in 1-on-1 firefights, as the enemy will have two targets to aim at and avoid.
If all the tanks are unavailable, calling in a Ranger is still a solid choice to get a leg-up in battle. After all, the robot dog has got to be better than some of the other clueless bots in 2042.
Battlefield 2042 is currently available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.