Recon players do a lot more than just snipe from the peripheries of the battlefield. In Battlefield 5, the Recon class provides all-important intel on enemy positions. While previous Battlefield titles allowed any class to visually spot enemies — highlighting them on the map and on the HUD — BF5 mainly reserves that ability for Recon players.
Several gadgets support Recon players in their scouting abilities, but an even greater array of Recon gadgets promote team play and cooperation. A dedicated Recon player, even while fighting from the shadows, can help a squad perform to their best ability.
6 RMN50 Rifle Frag
Extremely difficult to master but highly effective against camping hostiles, the RMN50 Rifle Frag launches mortar shells out of a modified Soviet Mosin-Nagant rifle. The mortar rounds are set to detonate on a timed fuse, which players can control based on how long they hold down the fire button. Clicking and releasing instantly will lead to a delayed explosion, but holding the fire button down for the maximum time allowed will detonate the mortar shell before it can arc back down to the ground.
The Rifle Frag is a very situational weapon: using it on the fly while rushing enemies is likely to get the user killed — players would almost be better off using one of Battlefield’s many melee weapons instead at that point. However, use it in combination with one of the Recon’s scouting gadgets (like the Flare Gun or Doppel Schuss) to pinpoint enemy locations and unleash a deadly barrage on their location.
5 AP Mine
Colloquially known as the Bouncing Betty, the AP Mine uses a tripwire to detonate a deadly explosive capable of killing any enemy infantry who can’t go prone quickly enough to avoid its blast. Place these in sneaky locations, like around corners in busy hallways, or at the bottom or top of a flight of stairs. Even if it doesn’t kill the enemy, it might very well alert the player to an approaching hostile if the mine is planted near a sniper’s nest. After all, in a game of Battlefield, snipers can provide some excellent covering fire — even saving their teammates' lives in the nick of time.
Just don’t expect to get any kills with the AP Mine in BF5’s massive outdoor maps. Save these little beasties for close quarters combat instead.
4 Sniper Decoy
Probably one of the most passive gadgets in the Recon’s arsenal, the sniper decoy is nevertheless a powerful counter-sniping gadget. Place this wooden dummy in a conspicuous but sheltered position, and enemy snipers might just fall for it. When enemies shoot a decoy, they automatically get spotted in-game, allowing the Recon player or any of their teammates to attack with total certainty. Who knows, this tactic could help someone pull off some a ridiculous killstreak, like this BF5 player and their shotgun killing spree.
The only problem is that the sniper decoy requires an enemy to shoot it for anything useful to happen. Poor placement will result in no one shooting it, meaning no one gets spotted.
3 Spotting Scope
Perfect for a Recon player who likes to hang back behind the front lines, the Spotting Scope can make a team player out of even the worst camper. Simply aim with the Spotting Scope and hover over enemies for a couple seconds to automatically spot them for the ally squad and team.
The real downside to using the Spotting Scope is that the player has spotted the enemy, but can’t shoot them without first switching to their primary weapon. For those aiming for pacifism, the Spotting Scope can definitely help a team better coordinate their attacks. But if running and gunning is one's preferred playstyle, one of the Recon class’s other spotting gadgets may be a better fit.
2 Flare Gun & Doppel Schuss
These two spotting gadgets work in much the same way. Fire them into the air, and any enemies within a specified radius (this is visible on the mini-map as a yellow circle) will be spotted for the player and their team. Now that DICE have lowered the time-to-kill in BF5, both are great choices for those who like to run-and-gun. Bear in mind that flares from both gadgets can be shot down by enemies.
The Flare Gun fires a single shot, which should be fired directly upward. Firing lower toward the ground will result in a smaller circle, whereas the farther away the flare gets from the ground, the larger the circle will grow. This is a great choice for learning the locations of any nearby enemies, making for a great option in CQB. Players only get two shots with the Flare Gun, so use them wisely.
The Doppel Schuss works similarly, though with some interesting nuances. Instead of the large static spotting circle created by the Flare Gun, the Doppel Schuss generates a moving circle that follows the trajectory of the fired flare. This is great for highlighting enemies along a certain path. But the real benefit of the Doppel Schuss comes with its two-round magazine, which allows players to fire two simultaneous flares in different directions. This lets Recon players cover a lot of ground quickly.
1 Spawn Beacon
A real team player — especially on a match of Breakthrough — runs with the Spawn Beacon. Placing a beacon allows the Recon player’s squad to spawn wherever the beacon is placed, opening up the opportunity for legendary flanks and clutch plays.
Spawning on a squadmate isn’t always possible, especially when the entire squad gets wiped. Instead of getting stuck spawning all the way back at the base or a friendly flag, players can spawn much closer to the front lines. A nice spawn point will make any player as happy as the raving crabs in this ridiculous Wake Island easter egg. Just be careful to hide it in a safe place — while it’s useful for infiltrating enemy territory, a Spawn Beacon left out in the open is doomed to be destroyed.
Battlefield 5 is available on PC, Xbox One, and Playstation 4.