The antitank kit is one of our favorite classes to play, and even though it has a specific purpose, it, too, can be used in ways that you might not expect.
Obviously enough, the raison d'être for the antitank kit is to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles. The efficacy of the class in this regard has actually dropped a bit since Battlefield 1942. Most of the armored vehicles in the game will take anywhere from two to five rockets to kill, and most tanks won't even be destroyed by two shots in their weakest spots, although two shots will usually cause a tank to catch fire, which steadily drains the tank's "health" until it explodes.
One way that the antitank kit has improved since Battlefield 1942, though, is that antitank missiles are now guidable after firing. You can use your crosshairs to change a missile's path in midair, which helps you track down tanks as they move.
Our guide to guiding missiles
Actually guiding the missiles is a bit more difficult than it sounds because the missiles can't turn on a dime. They're actually rather sluggish, so you'll need to adjust their path somewhat slowly if you want them to follow your commands. It helps to keep holding down the fire button after you let a missile fly; this will keep you in zoom mode, which makes it a bit easier to see the missile's current location. Luckily, most armored vehicles won't move very quickly anyway, so you won't have too many problems guiding your missiles toward them. It's best to practice this on live servers, as bot enemies tend to move vehicles in predictable, straight-line motions.
For tanks, the weakest armor spots are on the rear, on the treads, and on the top of the turret. Firing two missiles into any of these spots will usually cause the tank to catch fire, which will greatly slow down its movement and its aiming speed, and will eventually destroy it.
Blast choppers and infantry with antitank rockets
What's less obvious about the antitank rocket, however, is that it's also effective against helicopters and even infantry units. Helicopters are going to be the bane of most players' existences, as they're massively powerful in Battlefield 2. A single attack chopper can clear out an entire flag area of enemies in a matter of seconds with little fear of being destroyed from the ground.
Although there are antiaircraft (AA) emplacements scattered liberally around most maps, it can be difficult for them to lock onto helicopters due to the latter's erratic movements--at least when humans are flying them--and the flares that they can drop.
While AA, because it's heat-seeking and it travels relatively quickly, is preferable to an antitank missile when dealing with helicopters, you can still use your missiles against helicopters in a tight spot, especially if you can catch a helicopter as it hovers or attempts to land. Many pilots, especially those of transport choppers, will attempt to land next to flags; a fully laden chopper can quickly convert a flag, leaving the group free to take off and move to the next one. This is, of course, when they're a sitting duck for an antitank round. If possible, try to aim at the pilot through the windshield. You won't always kill them, but they'll know you're gunning for them and will usually take off before capping the flag.
You can also use antitank missiles against helicopters in the air, but this is much more difficult to do with any success. If you're gunning for a chopper, wait for it to bank or hover for a moment or for it to fly over your head. The closer it gets, the more likely you'll be to actually hit it; distant choppers will usually be able to avoid your missiles without much specific action on their part, simply because the missiles are sluggish when you attempt to guide them.
Finally, don't forget that antitank missiles can be used against opposing infantry, as well. Unfortunately, they don't have a huge blast radius, so you'll need to hit your target almost directly under their feet to score a kill. Still, if you get surprised by someone when you're about to aim at a tank, you can definitely discharge your weapon toward them and hope for a kill. Missiles can also be helpful when you spot a sniper overlooking one of your flags; they're almost perfectly accurate--save for a slight dip after they fire--so you can get some decent kills this way.
Obviously enough, the raison d'être for the antitank kit is to destroy tanks and other armored vehicles. The efficacy of the class in this regard has actually dropped a bit since Battlefield 1942. Most of the armored vehicles in the game will take anywhere from two to five rockets to kill, and most tanks won't even be destroyed by two shots in their weakest spots, although two shots will usually cause a tank to catch fire, which steadily drains the tank's "health" until it explodes.
One way that the antitank kit has improved since Battlefield 1942, though, is that antitank missiles are now guidable after firing. You can use your crosshairs to change a missile's path in midair, which helps you track down tanks as they move.
Our guide to guiding missiles
Actually guiding the missiles is a bit more difficult than it sounds because the missiles can't turn on a dime. They're actually rather sluggish, so you'll need to adjust their path somewhat slowly if you want them to follow your commands. It helps to keep holding down the fire button after you let a missile fly; this will keep you in zoom mode, which makes it a bit easier to see the missile's current location. Luckily, most armored vehicles won't move very quickly anyway, so you won't have too many problems guiding your missiles toward them. It's best to practice this on live servers, as bot enemies tend to move vehicles in predictable, straight-line motions.
For tanks, the weakest armor spots are on the rear, on the treads, and on the top of the turret. Firing two missiles into any of these spots will usually cause the tank to catch fire, which will greatly slow down its movement and its aiming speed, and will eventually destroy it.
Blast choppers and infantry with antitank rockets
What's less obvious about the antitank rocket, however, is that it's also effective against helicopters and even infantry units. Helicopters are going to be the bane of most players' existences, as they're massively powerful in Battlefield 2. A single attack chopper can clear out an entire flag area of enemies in a matter of seconds with little fear of being destroyed from the ground.
Although there are antiaircraft (AA) emplacements scattered liberally around most maps, it can be difficult for them to lock onto helicopters due to the latter's erratic movements--at least when humans are flying them--and the flares that they can drop.
While AA, because it's heat-seeking and it travels relatively quickly, is preferable to an antitank missile when dealing with helicopters, you can still use your missiles against helicopters in a tight spot, especially if you can catch a helicopter as it hovers or attempts to land. Many pilots, especially those of transport choppers, will attempt to land next to flags; a fully laden chopper can quickly convert a flag, leaving the group free to take off and move to the next one. This is, of course, when they're a sitting duck for an antitank round. If possible, try to aim at the pilot through the windshield. You won't always kill them, but they'll know you're gunning for them and will usually take off before capping the flag.
You can also use antitank missiles against helicopters in the air, but this is much more difficult to do with any success. If you're gunning for a chopper, wait for it to bank or hover for a moment or for it to fly over your head. The closer it gets, the more likely you'll be to actually hit it; distant choppers will usually be able to avoid your missiles without much specific action on their part, simply because the missiles are sluggish when you attempt to guide them.
Finally, don't forget that antitank missiles can be used against opposing infantry, as well. Unfortunately, they don't have a huge blast radius, so you'll need to hit your target almost directly under their feet to score a kill. Still, if you get surprised by someone when you're about to aim at a tank, you can definitely discharge your weapon toward them and hope for a kill. Missiles can also be helpful when you spot a sniper overlooking one of your flags; they're almost perfectly accurate--save for a slight dip after they fire--so you can get some decent kills this way.