Rolling Thunder: Introducing the new Tank Superiority game mode

08.02.12 [DICE] H Brun | 110 comments

The expansion pack Battlefield 3: Armored Kill is rumbling ever closer to its September release, and it is bringing the heavy-hitting new game mode Tank Superiority. Read on for the full story.

Battlefield 3: Armored Kill is all about vehicle warfare. Introducing the new vehicle class Tank Destroyer, this third expansion pack will also feature an all new game mode where tanks reign supreme.

While our previous expansion pack Close Quarters focused on infantry combat and game modes like Gun Master and Conquest Domination, Armored Kill brings back all five regular game modes from the base game — and adds Tank Superiority on top of that to create yet another flavor of the ever evolving Battlefield 3.

Where tanks reign supreme
Tank Superiority is a highly tailored game mode for Armored Kill where platoons featuring Main Battle Tanks and Tank Destroyers fight for control over a single flag – often placed in extremely open and hard-defended terrain. The new game mode resembles a “King of the Hill” struggle and is available on all four maps in Armored Kill, each map featuring a mix of up to 16 tanks.

As there is only one flag with a tight capture radius per map, heavy tank battles tend to flow back and forth as teams seek to bleed tickets from their opponent. For tank drivers, success usually comes by staying together in packs of 2-3 tanks working together. Going solo to the capture point typically means you get overwhelmed by a large group of enemy tanks.

To make sure there is plenty of opportunity for epic tank battles, respawn times for the vehicles are almost instantaneous. If you spawn at your home base and don’t see a tank, there is usually no reason to start legging it towards the front. A few seconds later, a new tank will appear for you and your team mates.

Say hello to your new friend
The new Tank Destroyer brings a new type of vehicle into the mix. Think of it as a more lightly armored tank (similar to Infantry Fighting Vehicles in armor) but faster and with the same firepower as a main battle tank. Keep moving and the Tank Destroyer is hard to hit but packs the same punch as the regular tanks on the battlefield.

Besides experienced tank drivers, Armored Kill also calls for Engineers to repair your team’s vehicles, as well as Recons who can assist by laser painting enemy tanks with their SOFLAMs. This makes it easier for the Engineers to lock onto targets using their Javelins. Gameplay in Tank Superiority is extremely heavy on tanks, and there tends to be a lot of lock-ons from guided weapons that the enemy controls, whether that’s from Engineers or directly from the tanks themselves.

New ways to play
As Tank Superiority is a completely new game mode, it often calls for new ways to play. Lead Designer Gustav Halling created the game mode and knows better than anyone how it plays:

“With Tank Superiority I wanted to push tank-based gameplay to the extreme. This means there are a lot of new ideas to adapt to in this game mode. Tanks are the stars of the game mode, of course, but we also allow for some crucial infantry gameplay as well.

Usually, infantry will be Engineers or Recon, to either repair or destroy the vehicles with Repair Tools, Javelins, and SOFLAMs. Some of the maps are extremely open, like Bandar Desert. You would hardly ever approach the flag on those maps as infantry if you don’t have a death wish. On one or two maps, the capture point is somewhat obscured by terrain and allows for a higher degree of infantry combat.

 

“With Tank Superiority I wanted to

push tank-based gameplay to the extreme”

 

As a general rule, great tank commanders will make sure to travel in “wolf packs”, as lone tanks are easily picked off by well-positioned enemy tank squads. It’s important to use the new Tank Destroyer class to its advantage by constantly being on the move to become a harder target to hit. The number of lock-ons that you get from enemy guided weapons in Tank Superiority also means you probably want to equip your tank with IR smoke.

Once you have captured the control point on a map, it is normally a good idea to get the hell out of there, as you will be a sitting duck if you cluster up at the flag while the enemy outmaneuver you from higher terrain or from another advantageous position. Capture, then move back to defend is generally the way to play Tank Superiority and survive.

If you remember the game mode Air Superiority from Battlefield 1943, I wanted to create something similar for Armored Kill. A game mode that takes the theme of the expansion pack and makes it even stronger. I hope you will love it as much as we do here at DICE.”

Battlefield 3: Armored Kill is released in September and is included in Battlefield 3: Premium. Stay tuned as media coverage from Armored Kill preview events start to hit online.