Vehicle Guide

This guide puts the vehicle articles side by side for a player choosing and running a vehicle. Every figure comes from the linked vehicle, damage, fuel, repair and seat articles, so check there for the full rules. Speeds are shown as stored, because the data does not label their unit.

Picking a vehicle

The table lists every purchasable vehicle by role. The airplane is left out because it has no shop listing in the data, and the M113 APC SV is left out because it is a spawn vehicle with no price.

Vehicle Role Price (cash) Seats Main health (HP) Rifle damage taken Top speed (as stored)
Bobcat Transport 500 2 200 7.5% 75
Dune Buggy Transport 1,500 3 400 10% 130
Wolf-110 Transport 2,200 4 500 5% 129
Kodiak Transport 2,500 4 400 5% 154
Kodiak [Pickup] Transport 3,000 6 400 5% 154
Humvee Transport 3,000 4 500 5% 113.2
Ural Transport 5,000 3 700 5% 79
Ural Defender Transport 7,200 3 700 5% 79
Kodiak [M249] Armed 6,750 5 400 5% 154
Wolf-110 [M2 Browning] Armed 7,800 5 500 4.5% 129
Humvee [M249] Armed 8,500 5 500 4% 113.2
Ural Defender [M249] Armed 9,500 3 700 5% 79
Humvee [Minigun] Armed 10,000 5 500 2.5% 113.2
SPH-2 Armored 8,000 3 650 0% 65
Flakpanzer Gepard Armored 14,000 2 800 0% 65
T-72B3 Armored 16,000 3 750 0% 60
L2A6 Armored 22,000 3 800 0% 65
MH-6 Air (transport) 6,250 6 400 7.5% 350
Z20 Lakota Air (transport) 7,400 13 600 5% 445
AH-6M [Miniguns] Air (armed) 12,000 2 400 7.5% 350
Z20 Lakota [Miniguns] Air (armed) 15,000 13 600 5% 445
AH-6R [Rockets] Air (armed) 18,800 2 400 7.5% 350
Havoc Air (armed) 28,000 2 800 5% 400

Notes on the table:

  • “Rifle damage taken” is the share of 5.56 mm full-power rifle damage that reaches the hull. It is derived from each vehicle’s damage rules, see Vehicle damage.
  • The Humvee [Minigun] lists 5 seats in the shop and 4 on one stats sheet. The Kodiak [Pickup] lists 6 on its stats sheet and 4 in the base seat data. See Seats and passengers.
  • Armed and armored vehicles are listed by the gun or armor they carry, as the vehicle articles name them.

Tips that follow from the table:

  • Tanks take no rifle damage. The SPH-2, Flakpanzer Gepard, T-72B3 and L2A6 all take 0% from rifle rounds, so rifle fire cannot destroy them. The SPH-2 is the cheapest of them at 8,000 cash with 650 HP.
  • The Little Bird family takes the most rifle damage of any helicopter. The MH-6, AH-6M and AH-6R take 7.5%, against 5% for the Z20 Lakota and the Havoc.
  • The Havoc has the most main health of any helicopter, 800 HP, but it costs 28,000 cash, the highest price in the vehicle vendor. See the Havoc article.
  • Among helicopters, the Z20 Lakota gives the most seats per cash. It has 13 seats for 7,400 cash, about 570 cash per seat (derived). The MH-6 has 6 seats for 6,250 cash, about 1,040 per seat (derived). The Bobcat and the Kodiak [Pickup] are cheaper per seat, but both are ground vehicles.
  • Speed is a relative number here. The data stores 445 for the Z20 Lakota and 79 for the Ural, but does not say what unit those are in, so compare speeds within a role rather than across them.

Keeping it alive

A vehicle is destroyed when its main health reaches zero. Its other parts, such as the engine, fuel tank, wheels or rotors, have their own health and can break without destroying it. See Repair and vehicle parts for those pools.

What it takes to destroy a vehicle

The table gives the 5.56 mm rifle hits needed to destroy the main health at full power, point blank, with full metal jacket. These counts are derived by simulating the damage rules. They are estimates, not measured in game. The faster route is the part that gives the shortest count.

Vehicle 5.56 mm hits to destroy Faster route
Havoc 1,143 643 through the left front wheel
Z20 Lakota 858 429 through the tail rotor
MH-6, AH-6M [Miniguns], AH-6R [Rockets] 191 None listed
Humvee 715 129 through the fuel tank
Humvee [M249] 893 161 through the fuel tank
Humvee [Minigun] 1,429 258 through the fuel tank
Kodiak, Kodiak [Pickup], Kodiak [M249] 572 143 through the left front wheel
Wolf-110 715 204 through the left front wheel
Ural, Ural Defender 1,000 175 through the fuel tank
Bobcat 96 64 through the left front wheel
Dune Buggy 286 84 through the fuel tank
SPH-2, L2A6, Flakpanzer Gepard, T-72B3 Cannot be destroyed Cannon fire needed

The table counts only cannon fire for the tanks. The L2A6 takes 47 hits from the 30 mm cannon or 312 from the 20×102 mm cannon. The Havoc takes 42 hits from its 30 mm autocannon. The vehicle damage article also names rockets and explosives as ways to damage tanks, but the data gives no hit counts for them.

Tips that follow from the numbers:

  • Because tanks take nothing from rifle fire, use cannon or explosives against them. The L2A6 article gives the cannon counts above, and the Vehicle damage article says the same for every tank.
  • Because the Humvee’s fuel tank takes an extra 400% from bullets, shoot the fuel tank. It needs 129 rifle hits instead of 715 to the body. The same is true on the Ural and the Dune Buggy, where the fuel tank is the faster route in the table.
  • Because the Z20 Lakota’s tail rotor is its weak point, aim there. Rifle fire needs 429 hits through the tail rotor, half of the 858 hits to the body.
  • Because rockets that hit the tail of a Little Bird take an extra 200%, rockets are the better tool against the tail. See the AH-6M [Miniguns] article.
  • Because a rocket that bursts close to a helicopter does more damage than a direct hit on most helicopters, a near miss can matter. On the Havoc, a rocket within the inner radius is multiplied by five. See Vehicle damage.

Countermeasures

Helicopters and the airplane carry flares. The L2A6 carries smoke. Every other vehicle lists no countermeasure, or lists “Not stated”.

Vehicle Countermeasure Starting count Active per burst Range band (as stored)
Havoc Flares 2 3.5 s 5 to 300 m
MH-6, AH-6M [Miniguns], AH-6R [Rockets] Flares 2 3.5 s 10 to 300 m
Z20 Lakota, Z20 Lakota [Miniguns] Flares 2 3.5 s 15 to 300 m
L2A6 Smoke screen, active for 16 s, usable again after 90 s Not stated Not applicable Not applicable

Tips that follow from the numbers:

  • Because each helicopter starts with only 2 flares, plan a flight around that count. Each press uses one flare and then waits 5 seconds before the next. The “3 bursts” in the item text is not a count. Flares are an inventory item: the vehicle vendor sells one for 750 cash, and buying or being given one adds a flare to the vehicle (what removes it when you press the key was not traced). See Countermeasures and flares.
  • Because the helicopters have arcade assists, do not expect a manual climb to be unlimited. Each helicopter limits its climb rate to 36 km/h and holds a hover when the collective is released. The Havoc alone also levels pitch and roll at low speed. See Vehicle handling.
  • Because the in-game tip says flares can “momentarily prevent” heat-seeking projectiles from locking on, do not treat them as a shield. The data does not say how long a burst breaks a lock.
  • Because the in-game tip also says flying low stops certain launchers from locking on, low flight is a second defence. The data does not say which launchers.
  • Because the L2A6’s smoke screen stays active for 16 seconds and can be used again 90 seconds after it is fired, it gives short cover with a long wait. The 6 seconds in the smoke effect data describe the look of the grenade-style cloud (2 seconds fading in, 2 at full density, 2 fading out), not how long the screen is active. The data does not say whether smoke affects lock-on weapons.

Fuel and repair

Fuel

Refuel a vehicle at a Refuel Station inside a Forward Operating Base, or with a Fuel Canister. The Refuel Station needs Fuel Supplies, and it must be inside the FOB radius to be used. The Refuel and Repair Stations page has the stored figures, and the Fuel and refueling article covers the fuel tanks.

Option Restock Time Cost Input used
Refuel Station, Fast 5% of the tank 3 s 75 cash 5 Fuel Supplies
Refuel Station, Max Up to 100% of the tank 9 s 1,500 cash for a full tank, less for a partial fill Fuel Supplies in proportion to the amount restored
Fuel Canister, carried by a player 2.0 units every 0.75 s Not applicable 150 cash for the can Can has 40 durability

Tips that follow from the numbers:

  • Because Max charges only for the fuel it restores, a Max restock of a nearly full tank costs little. This is a static reading of the restock code, not checked in play. Fast restocks 5% of the tank for 75 cash, which is the simpler way to add a small amount.
  • When the fuel runs out, the engine stops. The server stops the engine when a vehicle’s fuel reaches zero, and by a static reading (not checked in play) it cannot be restarted while the tank is empty, so refuel first. See Fuel and refueling.

Repair

Vehicle health is repaired with tools or at a Repair Station. The station restocks health in the same two steps as the Refuel Station, and it takes Mechanical Supplies. See Repair and vehicle parts for the health pools.

Option Restores Per use or restock Time Cost
Repair Station, Fast Vehicles in the FOB radius 5% of health 3 s 100 cash
Repair Station, Max Vehicles in the FOB radius Up to 100% of health 9 s 2,000 cash
Wrench Any vehicle 10 HP 0.68 s (about 14.7 HP per second) 180 cash
Light repair drill Vehicles 14.5 HP 0.75 s (about 19.3 HP per second) 600 cash
Heavy repair drill Vehicles 14.5 HP 0.5 s (29 HP per second) 1,300 cash

Tips that follow from the numbers:

  • Because a wrench or drill repairs only 10 to 14.5 HP per use, a station is the faster way to repair a large vehicle. A Humvee’s 500 HP would take about 50 wrench uses from zero (derived), about 34 seconds of repair. A full Wrench repairs 600 HP in about 41 seconds.
  • Because a Humvee tyre deflates at about 41 HP, that is the first warning on a wheel. The tyre deflates at 55% of its 75 HP. Season 2 raised the threshold from 50% to 55% on every wheeled axle. See Repair and vehicle parts.
  • Because repair tools work on any vehicle but the station only works inside the FOB radius, carry a wrench for field repairs. The in-game tip says damage zones on a vehicle can be repaired with tools.

Seats and passengers

Seated players take a reduced share of gunfire on some vehicles. The data sets this only for the vehicles below. The figures show the share of damage a seated player takes, so 10% means a 90% reduction.

Vehicle group Small and medium arms taken High-calibre arms taken Season 2
Havoc 10% 50% Unchanged
Humvee family (Humvee, Humvee [Minigun], Humvee [M249]) 30% 60% Unchanged
Little Bird family (MH-6, AH-6M [Miniguns], AH-6R [Rockets]) 75% (50% in Season 1) 85% (80% in Season 1) Halved
Z20 Lakota, Z20 Lakota [Miniguns] 75% (no reduction in Season 1) 85% (no reduction in Season 1) Added

The data sets no seat reduction for the other vehicles, including the Kodiak, Ural, Wolf-110, Bobcat, Dune Buggy, M113, the tanks and the airplane.

Tips that follow from the numbers:

  • Because the Havoc’s seats take only 10% of small and medium arms damage, a Havoc is the best-protected seat in the data. The Humvee’s seats take 30%.
  • Because Season 2 halved the Little Bird family’s protection, an MH-6 seat takes 75% of small-arms damage, where it took 50% in Season 1.
  • Because the Kodiak and the Ural have no seat row, a rider in them gets no seat reduction in the data. As far as the data shows, protection in those vehicles comes only from the player’s own armor.
  • Because purchased vehicles start locked, teammates cannot enter until the owner unlocks them for a squad or for everyone. See Seats and passengers.
  • Because switching seats takes a moment, a passenger should move before the fight, not during it. The seats are chosen with F1 to F12 by default, and the in-game tip says switching is not instant.
  • Because leaving a fast vehicle hurts, slow down before you jump out. The damage depends on your speed in km/h when you leave and is applied on landing: none at 40 km/h or below, 40 at 50 km/h, 85 at 60 km/h and 100 at 75 km/h and above. See Movement.

Sources