Messerschmitt Bf 110 B – The German Powerhouse

Few planes in the game are as revered as the infamous Messerschmitt Bf 110-line. As heavy fighters they excel in almost every category and leave a very noticeable mark on any game that they participate in. The Bf 110 B in particular is a remarkable aircraft, whose qualities are amplified even more because of its position in the tech tree where it follows the sluggish and rather unreliable Fw 57.

Today we want to take a closer look at this specific Bf 110 model (of which there are now a total of three in the game) and tell you a little bit about how it was developed, how it compares to other planes and how to best use it for ultimate success. Skip ahead to the history part or get into the nitty-gritty of our gameplay analysis right here!

The BF 110 B in the game

Technological Progression

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 B is a Tier IV heavy fighter that can be found in the German tech tree and serves as a great lead-in to the other two Bf 110 models that are available in the game. It costs 4,350 XP to research and 162,000 credits to purchase. If you don’t have the cash and free XP stocked up, you may need to grind about a dozen of games on its predecessor, the Tier III Fw 57, before you can unlock it. However, any efforts will not be in vain, as this is one of the best Tier IV planes around. 

Profile and Tactics

When speaking about the Bf 110 B, one usually can't avoid falling in line with all the other reviewers in our community who praise this special aircraft as one of the most efficient, most versatile and most fun planes in the entire game. The Bf 110 B combines all the strengths of a massive ground attack aircraft with enough agility and precision of an ultra-light fighter to create the perfect compromise between the two classes.

While its sturdy hull provides an above-average HP pool of 310 points, its two powerful engines also give it incredible airspeed (up to 512 points) and a rate of climb to rival higher-tiered jet fighters. On offence it stuns its opposition with the second-highest firepower of its tier and pin-point accuracy for precision sniping at long distances. On defence it features a capable rear gun and enough evasive prowess to escape or endure the diciest of situations. Thanks to its versatile profile, it can be used as a pure "tank" and damage dealer, a helpful supporter providing cover from the second row, or a valuable team-player when concentrating on ground-target control.

Regardless of your chosen role, you should make sure that you make full use of the Bf 110 B's technical abilities. Gain altitude faster than anybody else at the beginning of the battle and climb to an altitude of at least 1,800 metres. Then use your elevated position to survey the battlefield and take out your foes from above. Unlike with a fighter, you should try to stay as high as you can, shooting down your enemies from afar without losing the altitude that your plane excels at. Avoid sudden movements or shooting from a turn, since this will lower your guns’ accuracy and hit ratio.

If you do have to get closer to the ground, prepare to change up your play style a little so that you are still able to play to your strengths. Speeds of up to 700 km/h when nose-down are no problem for the Bf 110 B, but also pose potential for overshooting, which can happen if you don't aim well during your descent. Once at sea level, don't try and out-turn the more agile fighters. Concentrate either on other heavy fighters or take out slower-moving attack aircraft. Should you end up in a cluster of more manoeuvrable planes, don't follow just one target but instead switch as often as you can, keeping your momentum intact as much as possible. Trust your hull and your rear gunner when being chased by lighter enemies and try flying towards a helpful teammate to shake your pursuer.

If you decide to carry bombs, which are a viable option on the Bf 110 B, then try to play in a supporting role as the wing-man of an attack aircraft. Concentrate on creating a safe passage for your teammate first, and then drop your two bombs on whatever is still standing in the vicinity. Once you've released your payload you will gain a lot of speed and additional agility, which will enable you to go hunting with more ease. 

Upgrades

The Bf 110 B has good upgrade options with items that genuinely improve not only its look but also its performance. The two alternative engines are the most notable upgrades to your warbird, since they will significantly impact your gameplay as soon as you mount them. Additionally, the Bf 110 B offers a good gun upgrade for your two 20mm cannons, the ability to carry bombs, and an improved rear gun. We break down the different possible combinations in our analysis below!

Engine

If the technological profile of the Bf 110 B has one drawback, it may be the lack of an upgradable airframe. Since there isn’t one available, it’s up to the engine to define your plane’s in-flight performance. With three options at your disposal, everybody should be able to find a motor that suits their play style best.

In fact, with a motor like the marvellous Jumo 210Ga stock-engine, you may even decide not to upgrade at all. Carrying two powerful engines like this allows you to make a vertical climb at a speed of 300 km/h! Thanks to a ginormous 30-second after-burner, you can easily gain 1.5 km of altitude from your starting position by simply boosting into the sky. Once you’re horizontal again, you will be able to cruise effortlessly at 350-400 km/h.

If you do decide to upgrade, then it’s good to know that both available models are equally interesting. The Daimler Benz 601 A-1 engine gives you an additional 70km/h at sea level and 85km/h at your optimal altitude of around 1500m. This upgrade alone will make you the fastest heavy fighter of your tier, with 496 points. It will even place you ahead of the premium Bf 110C-6 that initially starts out ahead of the pack. You will gain a significant boost of 3.6 m/s to your rate of climb, allowing you to rise an additional 400m during your initial ascent while costing virtually nothing in manoeuvrability.

The DB 601 N model is equally good, but since it improves upon the previous DB 601 A-1 model only marginally, it is just recommended as a first upgrade. The cost of 2,950 XP and 47,000 credits isn’t really worth the investment for what it brings to the table if you have already upgraded to its precursor. It will add an additional 15 points to your airspeed, pushing your top velocity to 550 km/h (the best in the tier, of course). The rate of climb would also jump another 2.1m/s to reach an impressive 20.1m/s. Despite the engine being more than 300kg heavier than the stock model you only lose 6 manoeuvrability points, which corresponds to 0.8 seconds on the average time-to-turn meter.

Both upgrade options make sense and will significantly lift your plane’s performance. Our tip: Pick one, stick with it and save the money from the other. You will not be disappointed, regardless of which one of the two you choose.

Weapons

The Bf 110 B is very well endowed with firepower, carrying two cowling-mounted weapons that between them have four 7.92mm machine guns and two 20mm guns of two different tiers. It is already strong from the start with 180 points in firepower (60 more than even its fully-upgraded rival from the same tier, the Blenheim F) but can get even better with the Tier V model of its MG-FF gun. The additional 29 points of the MG-FF/M (C) model take it beyond the 200 mark (209 to be precise), making it the only plane in this tier across all classes with that kind of punch. Only the premium plane Bf 110C-6 with its 30mm anti-tank cannon can trump that.

On the default model your shooting range starts at 800m. Thanks to two different sets of guns you can shoot for 16 seconds straight before starting to overheat. The cool-down is a little longer at 18 seconds. Your guns become most effective to attack your foes at a distance of 500m.

2,950 XP and 24,800 credits gets you the same gun as on the Tier V Bf 110 E follow-up plane, with basically the same great characteristics in terms of possible shooting duration and cool-down. The upgraded gun does deliver a stronger punch and also extends your firing range so that you can start shooting at 900m and be in ideal range at just 600m. Overall the MG-FF/M (C) is a good weapon, especially for long-range snipers who prefer to stay out of dogfights – a play style that all heavy fighter pilots should adhere to.

The rear gun can be considered as one of the few weaknesses of the Bf 110 B, simply because it isn’t great from the start like almost everything else on this plane. The stock version is only a Tier III 7.92mm model that doesn’t really live up to the high standards of this otherwise accomplished aircraft. However, clever pilots can overcome this by quickly upgrading to the more adequate Tier IV equivalent for only 1,670 XP and 25,000 credits. Don’t expect any miracles though! The upgraded rear gun delivers merely four points of extra damage with the rest of the stats staying 100% the same as on the stock weapon. Nonetheless, this 7.92mm machine gun still does its job, dealing out 5-10 HP of damage per firing burst. We recommend levelling up everything else first and getting this upgrade last!

The two available SC250 bombs weigh a combined 500kg and come at a price of 2,050 XP and 2,000 credits. Even if you don’t intend to use them, we recommend unlocking these bad boys on your Bf 110 B at this stage, since you’ll be using them on the following models Bf 110 E and Me 410 Hornisse. Carrying the additional load is going to cost you 40km/h of top speed, take 2.4 to 2.9m/s from your rate of climb and add 3.8 seconds to your average time to turn. Overall this setup will reduce your manoeuvrability by around 30 points. You’ll have to see for yourself if that’s too big a loss for you in terms of agility or if you can stay competitive even with the added weight.

Equipment and Consumables

Just as with all the other pieces on this plane, every equipment item makes sense on the Bf 110 B. There are three available protective options, of which 'Reinforced Covering II' (125 000 credits) and 'Self-sealing fuel tank' (150 000 credits) should be prioritised due to the profile of your plane. The 'Additional Armour Plates' are good, but don't really add to the already-amazing sturdiness of the aircraft. Your pilot, engine and fuel tank will be safe from harm most of the time even without the upgrade.

There are also two other pieces of equipment - one for more speed and one for better accuracy. The 'Improved Reflector Sight' is a must that you should add as soon as you have the change to afford it. Not that you're inaccurate when firing without it, but with the Bf 110 B you will mostly be sniping from 400+ metres away and it's always good to have a helper on-board to account for the 'bullet-drop' that naturally occurs at such distances. The 'Aircraft Polish I' is not mandatory since you're already in one of the fastest planes of your tier. However, if you're a pilot who always wants to be on target before everybody else (e.g. if you plan on getting rid of your bombs first), then adding to your impressive speed can be helpful.

In terms of consumables, you don't really need much with the Bf 110 B. Occasionally you should pack a 'Manual Fire Extinguisher' to be prepared for fire on-board, which can still happen if the enemy focuses on you for a very long time and uses the right ammunition. Apart from that, the only other thing worth considering is the 'First Aid Dressing' kit because your plane does take a significant hit to its mobility when your pilot gets injured. However, you can also save the credits for this by simply levelling up your pilot's stamina skill.

History

The Messerschmitt Bf 110 was designed to complement the very successful Bf 109 in combat. The new plane was a twin-engine fighter, and first flew in 1936. 159 of them were used in the blitzkrieg attack on Poland in 1939.

However, by 1940, the plane was already becoming rapidly out-matched. While the twin-engines provided speed and power, the plane wasn’t nearly as nimble as the BF 109. During the Battle of Britain, this lack of manoeuvrability compared to the single-engine fighters proved to be its downfall and there was little it could achieve against the nimble Spitfires and Hurricanes used by the RAF.

After the Battle of Britain, the 110 was gracefully retired as a fighter, although it continued to serve for reconnaissance and fighter-bombing duties.

The Bf 110B was the first production model for the plane (the A-series were prototypes only). Three variants were produced:

• BF 110 B-1 (Zerstörer): This was the combat version and was equipped with four 7.92mm machine guns and two nose-mounted 20mm cannons.
• BF 110 B-2: This was a version designed for reconnaissance. The nose-mounted cannons were removed and replaced with cameras.
• BF 110 B-3: This was a training plane. The cannons were removed and replaced with extra radio gear.

The Bf 110 continued to evolve all the way up to the H-series by the end of the war.

Start flying the Bf 110 B, pilots! You won't regret it.