WARDOGS Helicopter Controls: Best Settings for Battlefield-Style Flying
Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control, keybind remaps, and flight assist settings that get WARDOGS helicopters as close to Battlefield's feel as the current model allows.
WARDOGS helicopters feel heavier than Battlefield's. The flight model is closer to Arma than to an arcade shooter, which is a deliberate design choice — BULKHEAD wants piloting to be a skill role, not a convenience. The good news is that with the right settings, you can get WARDOGS helicopters close to the Battlefield feel that most FPS players are familiar with. This page covers the exact settings demonstrated in Closed Beta 2 gameplay, the keybind remap that makes the biggest difference, and which helicopters are best to practise on.
1. The Settings That Matter
The default helicopter controls in WARDOGS are not great for Battlefield players. The following changes, demonstrated in Closed Beta 2 coverage, get the controls as close to Battlefield as the current settings allow.
| Setting | Recommended Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control | Enabled | Lets you steer the helicopter with the mouse instead of the keyboard. This is the single most important setting for Battlefield players. |
| Select helicopter mouse swipe left/right to roll | Enabled | Maps left/right mouse movement to the roll axis. |
| Select helicopter mouse swipe up/down to pitch | Enabled | Maps up/down mouse movement to the pitch axis. |
| Sensitivity | Player preference | The Closed Beta 2 tester reported the default sensitivity works acceptably; tune to taste. |
| Flight assists | All Off | Assists smooth out the helicopter's behaviour at the cost of responsiveness. Turning them off gives full control for combat manoeuvres. |
2. The Keybind Remap
In the keybinds menu, scroll all the way down to the Rotary Vehicle keybinds. The default Collective Raise and Collective Lower keybinds are not where Battlefield players expect them. Remap them as follows:
| Action | Default | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Collective Raise (climb) | Unrecorded | W |
| Collective Lower (descend) | Unrecorded | S |
| Left (yaw left) | Unrecorded | A |
| Right (yaw right) | Unrecorded | D |
With these keybinds, WASD handles altitude and yaw, the mouse handles pitch and roll. This is the layout Battlefield players are most likely to find intuitive, and the one that the Closed Beta 2 tester recommended after spending time tuning the settings.
3. Why WARDOGS Helicopters Feel Heavier
Even with the settings above, WARDOGS helicopters feel noticeably heavier than Battlefield's. This is not a bug — it is the flight model. BULKHEAD models helicopter weight more aggressively than arcade shooters do, which means:
- Inputs take longer to translate into movement. A keyboard or mouse input does not instantly change the helicopter's orientation; the helicopter has to respond to the rotor and airframe.
- Momentum carries. A helicopter moving forward keeps moving forward even after you level out. Combat landings need more space than in Battlefield.
- Arma players adapt faster. Players with Arma or Arma Reforger experience have reported being "automatically good" at WARDOGS helicopters because they are used to the heavier feel.
4. Helicopters Available in WARDOGS
The full launch arsenal is planned to include 21 vehicles. The helicopters confirmed in Closed Beta 2 are:
| Helicopter | Seats | Role | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| MH6 / Little Bird | 5 (1 pilot + 4 passengers) | Light transport / gunship | Practising landings; the most forgiving variant |
| Little Bird (minigun variant) | 5 | Light gunship | Close air support |
| Little Bird (missile variant) | 5 | Light gunship | Anti-vehicle work |
| Attack helicopter | Unrecorded | Heavy gunship | Sustained fire support |
| Transport helicopter | Unrecorded | Heavy logistics | Moving players and supply crates |
5. Practising Helicopter Controls
- Start with the MH6 / Little Bird. It is the lightest and most forgiving variant. Crashing it costs less than crashing a transport helicopter full of passengers.
- Practise combat landings away from the fight first. Hook turns and J-turns work in WARDOGS, but the heavier model means you need more space. Get a feel for the momentum before trying them under fire.
- Use free look. The free look control lets you look around the cockpit independently of where the helicopter is pointing — essential for spotting missiles coming in and tracking who is shooting at you.
- Unlock the helicopter for passengers when you're ready. By default, only the pilot can board. Unlocking lets other players jump in as passengers or gunners.
- Watch out for team kills. A clipped rotor or bad landing can kill teammates. The Closed Beta 2 coverage includes an accidental team kill from a poorly timed landing — expect this to happen while you learn.
6. Helicopters and the Cash Economy
Helicopters are not just transport — they are a cash engine. A pilot who drops players into the objective area or Hot Zone earns points for the delivery. A pilot who drops a supply crate with a markup earns a percentage of every purchase from that crate. A skilled pilot can out-earn most infantry players without firing a shot. More on the cash system is on the how to make money page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best helicopter controls in WARDOGS?
For players coming from Battlefield: enable Rotary Vehicle Mouse Control, set Mouse Swipe Left/Right to Roll and Mouse Swipe Up/Down to Pitch, turn off all flight assists, and remap the rotary vehicle keybinds so Collective Raise is W, Collective Lower is S, Left is A, and Right is D. This is the closest configuration to Battlefield's helicopter feel, though WARDOGS flight is noticeably heavier.
How do WARDOGS helicopter controls compare to Battlefield?
WARDOGS helicopters feel heavier than Battlefield's. Players with extensive Arma or Arma Reforger experience tend to adapt faster because those games also model helicopter weight more aggressively. The mouse-and-keyboard remap described on this page gets WARDOGS as close to Battlefield as the current settings allow, but expect to spend time practising before attempting J-turns or quick landings under fire.
Should I turn off flight assists in WARDOGS?
Yes, for full control. The flight assists in WARDOGS smooth out the helicopter's behaviour at the cost of responsiveness — useful for new pilots, but limiting once you want to do hook turns, J-turns, or rapid combat landings. The Closed Beta 2 gameplay breakdown explicitly recommends turning all flight assists off for a Battlefield-style feel.
How do I land a helicopter quickly in WARDOGS?
The fast-landing techniques players use in Battlefield — hook turns and J-turns — work in WARDOGS, but the heavier flight model means you need more space and more practice. Expect to crash a few times while learning the timing. The MH6 (Little Bird) is the most forgiving helicopter to practise on because it is lighter and has fewer passengers to lose if you crash.
How many helicopters are in WARDOGS?
Confirmed variants in Closed Beta 2 include the MH6 / Little Bird (5-seat: 1 pilot + 4 passengers, with minigun and missile variants), an attack helicopter, and a transport helicopter. The full launch arsenal is planned to include 21 vehicles across helicopters, tanks, artillery, transport, and logistics categories.
Can passengers shoot from a WARDOGS helicopter?
Yes, depending on the helicopter. The Little Bird variants with miniguns and missiles have gunner positions. The transport helicopter is more focused on moving players and supply crates than on direct fire. The pilot can unlock the helicopter to let other players board, or keep it locked to fly solo.