Battlefield V arrived in November 2018 with eight maps, among them Narvik, Rotterdam and Fjell 652, and DICE closed content development in June 2020 after six Tides of War chapters. It is the only Battlefield where every soldier carries a hammer and can raise sandbags, tank traps and repaired walls at marked build points. Ammunition is deliberately thin under the attrition system, so a squad without a Support runs dry long before it runs out of targets.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Narvik | Fortification building basics | Medic | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Rotterdam | Attrition ammo economy mastery | Medic | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Twisted Steel | Squad reinforcements + gear | Assault or Medic | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Operation Underground | Build optimization | Assault | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Iwo Jima | Min-max | Assault or Tanker | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Narvik)
Snowbound Norwegian ore town from the launch lineup, split between a wooded ridge, a cable car line and a dense town centre. The snow hides prone bodies far better than most players expect.
Level/Difficulty: Conquest 64 players Key Rewards: Town flag control, cable car high ground, ore facility choke
What to Do in Narvik
- Learn Fortification building. Every kit carries a hammer and can build sandbags, barbed wire, tank traps and rebuilt walls at the marked construction points around objectives. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Medic as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Build the sandbag line on a flag before the first contact rather than after it collapses. Support raises fortifications noticeably faster than other kits, and a finished wall changes how that objective is fought over for the rest of the round.
- Acquire your first weapons upgrade: MP40 or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Fortification building fundamentals
- Medic selected and functional
- Narvik main content cleared
- Ready for Rotterdam
Phase 2: Early Game (Rotterdam)
A Dutch city map built around a canal and a raised bridge, with shop interiors on both banks. Most fights are decided inside buildings rather than on the streets between them.
Level/Difficulty: Conquest and Breakthrough Key Rewards: Bridge crossing, canal side building interiors, central plaza
What to Do in Rotterdam
- Work on Attrition ammo economy. You deploy with a fraction of your maximum reserve and top up from the small ammo drops corpses leave behind. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for MP40 if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Attrition deploys you with partial reserve ammunition, so walk over every corpse on your route to collect the small drops they leave. Standing beside a Support ammo crate for a few seconds is the only way to fill completely.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Twisted Steel.
- Consider whether Assault might suit your playstyle better than Medic.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Attrition ammo economy integrated into gameplay
- MP40 acquired
- Rotterdam fully cleared
- Ready for Twisted Steel
Phase 3: Mid Game (Twisted Steel)
French farmland dominated by a huge damaged steel bridge that runs the length of the map. The bridge deck is a killing field and the marshy ground under it is the safer route.
Level/Difficulty: Conquest 64 players Key Rewards: Bridge deck sightlines, marsh flank, farmhouse cover
What to Do in Twisted Steel
- Master Squad reinforcements. Objective play banks squad points that the squad leader spends from the deploy screen on a supply canister, a smoke barrage, a Churchill Crocodile or Sturmtiger, and at the top of the list the V-1 or JB-2 rocket. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward StG 44. It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
- Any class can revive a squadmate, but the animation is long enough to get both of you killed in the open. Approach the body from the side that has cover, and use a Medic smoke grenade rifle if the body sits on the objective itself.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Squad revive for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Squad reinforcements mastered
- StG 44 acquired or in progress
- Twisted Steel fully cleared
- Ready for Operation Underground
Phase 4: Late Game (Operation Underground)
Released in November 2019 as a rebuilt Operation Metro, with a bombed street above and subway platforms below. The longest sightline in the map is a train platform, which punishes bolt actions.
Level/Difficulty: Conquest and Breakthrough Key Rewards: Platform choke points, ticket hall flanks, surface street objective
What to Do in Operation Underground
- Finalize your build. You should be running Assault or Medic with optimized gear.
- StG 44 should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Squad points are pooled, not personal. If the leader icon is free, take it, because an idle leader means nobody in the squad ever sees a supply canister, a Churchill Crocodile or the V-1 rocket.
- Weapon specialization trees optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Iwo Jima.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- StG 44 upgraded to max
- Operation Underground fully cleared
- Ready for Iwo Jima
Phase 5: Endgame (Iwo Jima)
Pacific map added in February 2020, running from a black sand beach landing up to Mount Suribachi. Attackers cross open sand under fire, defenders fight from tunnels and bunker mouths.
Level/Difficulty: Conquest and Breakthrough Key Rewards: Beach landing zone, bunker network, Suribachi high ground
What to Do in Iwo Jima
- Iwo Jima tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Bipods are a real mechanic, not decoration. Deploying a Bren Gun or an MG42 on a windowsill collapses vertical recoil, and the medium machine guns are close to unusable while standing.
- The endgame loop: run Iwo Jima, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Tanker for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Weapon specialization trees mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Iwo Jima fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Playing Assault as a plain rifleman and never firing the Panzerfaust, which leaves an unopposed tank parked on a flag for minutes at a time.
- Ignoring the hammer entirely. The construction points near objectives exist because the map is designed around cover that players make rather than cover that already stands.
- Bringing a bolt action Recon into Operation Underground, where the longest sightline is a subway platform and any submachine gun wins that trade.
- Reviving in the open on the objective instead of pulling the body one step behind cover, which turns one death into two or three.
- Skipping the Support ammo crate because it feels passive. Under attrition the crate is what keeps the squad shooting through the second half of a fight.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Build the sandbag line on a flag before the first contact rather than after it collapses. Support raises fortifications noticeably faster than other kits, and a finished wall changes how that objective is fought over for the rest of the round.
- Attrition deploys you with partial reserve ammunition, so walk over every corpse on your route to collect the small drops they leave. Standing beside a Support ammo crate for a few seconds is the only way to fill completely.
- Any class can revive a squadmate, but the animation is long enough to get both of you killed in the open. Approach the body from the side that has cover, and use a Medic smoke grenade rifle if the body sits on the objective itself.
- Squad points are pooled, not personal. If the leader icon is free, take it, because an idle leader means nobody in the squad ever sees a supply canister, a Churchill Crocodile or the V-1 rocket.
- Bipods are a real mechanic, not decoration. Deploying a Bren Gun or an MG42 on a windowsill collapses vertical recoil, and the medium machine guns are close to unusable while standing.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Battlefield V Guides
- Battlefield V Battlefield V Overview
- Battlefield V Best Builds
- Battlefield V Tier List
- Battlefield V Beginner's Guide
- Battlefield V Tips & Tricks
- Battlefield V Weapons Guide
- Battlefield V Combat Guide
- Battlefield V Boss Guide
- Battlefield V Maps & Locations
- Battlefield V Crafting Guide
- Battlefield V Classes & Characters
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