New to 2142 or just having trouble deciding on unlocks? Here's a little guide based on my in-game experience with them all. Unlocks are essential to getting the best experience from 2142, so hopefully this will be helpful.

Items italicised are 'teamwork' items that are especially helpful to your teammates or your squad. NetBat unlocks affect what information you see on your hud about enemies and the benefit is shared amongst your entire squad.

You unlock items in order, and each kit has two different progressions you can work on. The progressions are not exclusive, however you have to start at the bottom and work your way up with each. The game makes field upgrades available which lets you unlock the next upgrade in game as a reward for collecting a lot of squad success points (most TG squads will gather many field upgrades). So, when picking what unlocks, you only really need to unlock the item below the one you want. Most importantly, you don't need to unlock any of the weapons, you can rely on the field upgrades for them.

On the other hand, some items and weapons are so awesome that it's nice to have them always available.

Recon
Left Tree

1. Anti-Personel Mine
   On Titan mode these are my explosives of choice. They're basically claymores from BF2, with the exception that you can crawl past them without setting them off. Your other choice for inflicting explosive death is RDX, and it's hard to use RDX to guard silos effectively because the silo provides protection from the explosives, and it's also hard to tell when a silo is being disabled.
   
   When defending your Titan, they have their obvious uses, but make sure you have a nearby ammo crate because you will go through them a lot. Don't bother using them as a last line of defense since you'll spend half your time resetting them whenever you get killed, and they'll disappear about 15 seconds after you die too.
   
   On Titan assault, you will probably be carrying RDX if you are a Recon kit. If you have a second slot free, these can be useful to defend your squad beacon.
   
   On Conquest you're probably better off with RDX since you can see a flag dropping.
   
   
2. DysTek Hi-Scope x4
   Essential if you want to do any sniping. This is your extra long-range scope, it gives you variable zoom that you can control with your mousewheel. The downside is that it zooms in and out a little too slowly for my tastes. One important thing to realise is that unlike BF2, zooming in increases your draw distance. A sniper up high can help your squad a lot by spotting people coming in before anybody else can see them. Said sniper can also shoot at them while remaining unseen.
   
   
3. Gruber-5 Stabalizer
   This is a decent field upgrade to rely on if you're just a casual sniper. The normal sniper rifles have a lot of sway, so it's difficult to make long range shots. With this item, holding down shift will eliminate the sway. There's no batteries to drain, except it 'overheats' like most equipment in this game, so you can't use it continuously.
   
   
4. Zeller-H Advanced Sniper Rifle
   This is the Big Gun, and is really useful if you want to do any serious sniping. There are three advantages over the normal sniper rifle:
   1. Sway- The Zeller has a lot less sway, so you don't need a motion stabalizer anywhere near as much. On the smaller maps with the Zeller you might as well take some extra explosives rather than the stabalizer.
   
   2. Explosives clearing- The Zeller will destroy RDX, APMs and mines. You can clear a flag or an approach before your squad gets there.
   
   3. Damage- It'll still take two shots to kill someone if you don't aim for the head, but the Zeller will leave them with less health after the first shot.
   
   The BIG downside to this rifle is the three round magazine. You have to pick your shots carefully, because you will spend a lot of time reloading. I'd still pick this weapon over the standard given its advantages, but you do need to manage your ammo a lot more. A nearby support guy is a big help since I waste a lot of ammo, throwing away a last shot to make sure I won't be reloading at a critical time.

Right Tree

1. RDX DemoPak
   The same as C4 from BF2. You can't reliably down CO assets with two pieces, so use three. It takes four or five to destroy a Titan console, and about 20 to destroy a Titan core. If you are on Titan assault, and you are Recon, you'd better be carrying this.
   
   It is without doubt the fastest way to take out the core, however be careful if you have a lot of non-squad guys in the core. When you detonate the explosive, it will kill most of the people in the room. The problem is, this gives the defenders a chance to retake the core, so make sure at least some of your squad members go out the back door to prevent that from happening (if you don't have someone out there already guarding it).
   
   
2. NetBat Fade Delay
   This is the best NetBat, I think, and one of the best unlocks in the game. When you identify people on your NetBat (by looking at them for about a second) the little red diamond will stay over them for a brief period even if you lose line of sight. What this does is extend that period significantly.
   
   Even if you only want to unlock the left tree of Recon, you should unlock the RDX so you can pick this up as a field upgrade.
   
   
3. IT-33 Optical Camoflage
   Very cool, but also very situational. It does not make you invisible, it makes you much harder to see. It's best used when sticking to shadows, or avoiding direct contact with enemies. It lasts for quiet a while, and patience is a virtue. The three basic uses are:
   
   1. As a sniper, getting into, or out of a sniping spot if you've been detected.
   2. With the carbine, for sneaking up behind people and shooting them in the back (takes practice and patience to be effective).
   3. As a squad leader, to sneak past a tough defence. This is what I use it most for. Like, every time I squad lead for PAC on Berlin.
   
   
4. Lambert Carbine
   This is one of the best weapon unlocks. It's not effective at a distance since it has such a high divergence, but it is extremely deadly up close due to its very high rate of fire and low recoil. I think it's a great weapon to unlock completely, but anyone interested in playing the recon tree at all should consider making this available as a field upgrade (i.e., take the active cammo). Nothing quite like uncloaking behind a group of hostiles with your carbine out.

Assault
Left Tree

1. Herzog AR-Shotgun
   Meh. I don't think I've ever seen anyone killed by this. It's really weak and only useful when you're very close, so you'd better not miss. The only reason to take this unlock, in opinion, is to get access to the better ones. It's a big wet blanket on the left assault tree.
   
   
2. NetBat Infantry ID
   Gives you an icon on your NetBat to show you what kit someone has. Personally, I don't think it's hard to tell just by looking at what weapon they have, so this is another 'Meh' from me. It has its uses, yes, but it is very situational. Another wet blanket.
   
   
3. PK-74 AR-Rocket
   Holy moly. It takes you two of the worst unlocks to get to this, which is too bad. One of the best unlocks in the game; they make the left side of the assault tree worthwhile.
   
   Rockets you launch from your assault rifle. They explode either on contact, or at a set distance (plenty of guides on how to use them, so I won't go into it). They fly in a gentle ballistic arc, and have very good range. The perfect weapon to dislodge a pesky machine-gunner.
   
4. Baur H-AR
   A lot of people don't like this gun, but I do, more than the Voss. It packs a very powerful punch, but also has a lot of recoil to deal with. It's great at long ranges in single shot mode, and short ranges (unload at full auto). Medium ranges... they're trickier, and you're best off firing in two or three round bursts. If you unlock the rockets and get this with a field upgrade, you won't have neat toys like the other kits give you, but you do pack a lot of punch.

Right Tree

1. AED-6 Defibrillator
   This is extraordinarily useful; the defib will revive a fallen teammate. Personally, I recommend taking this early since it also gives you access to the Advanced Med Hub. Kit it up with a baur and rockets and you are a truly balanced individual: a bringer of both life and death.
   
   
2. Advanced Med Hub
   One thing I've noticed about this hub is it recharges much more quickly. What this means in practical terms is you can throw it down then whip out another one quickly for extra-fast healing after an engagement. Very worthwhile as an unlock or a field upgrade.
   
   
3. SG-34 Grenade
   If you have the assault kit you should always have the defibs in one of your slots. The other will be a toss-up between this and the rockets. If you have the rockets already, you might want to spend your next unlock on something else. On the other hand, it's a useful thing to have, although like the active camo, very situational. If you haven't got the rockets yet, then pick this up.
   
   
4. Voss L-AR
   It just doesn't have enough stopping power for my taste. Basically, you have a gun that does less damage but has more ammo and less recoil. Personally, I don't find it to be a significant improvement over the standard weapons to be worthwhile.
   
   On the other hand, this is depending on how you play. I aim for the centre of mass, start firing, and then guide the weapon up to the head using its recoil. If you like to aim for precision shots then just try to control the weapon as it fires, this is probably the weapon for you.

Engineer
Left Tree

1. AE Defuser
   This is another very situational unlock. It's useful while assaulting a Titan, but on Titan assaults engineer is not really the best kit. You rarely see anybody using it, mostly because it takes up an item slot you could use for something else. If you plan on being a tank or walker driver, then maybe it'd have its uses.
   
2. NetBat Vehicle ID
   Another pretty 'meh' NetBat. It gives you an icon indicating what kind of vehicle you're dealing with. If you can't tell the difference between a walker and a buggy, you need glasses. TG squads also tend to be good at shouting out incoming vehicles.
   
3. PDS-1
   The vehicle UAV- it shows you on your minimap any vehicles in the near vicinity. It's an item you stick to things (like a wall, or a tank). This is not a bad unlock, but it's not essential either. Useful when you're manoevering around in a tank in city environment, although most of the time if you're in a tank you want to stay out in the open with lots of room to move. In a walker you are very high up, so you have better visibility anyway. It's not bad, but really the best reason to unlock it is to give you access to...
   
4. Pilum H-AVR
   It does more damage than the normal AT weapon, is unguided and travels much faster. It's very nice, but being unguided constrains the maximum effective range somewhat. It's faster than the normal AT weapon, but still nowhere near as fast as a bullet. It takes at least three questionable unlocks to get access to this weapon, and I just don't think it's worthwhile.
   
   The one major advantage of this weapon, that Barracuda_Magoo has nicely reminded me of, is that it doesn't give any lock-on tone. If you've got the perfect shot lined up on a weak spot, you don't have to worry about its shields going up in a timely fasion.
   
   Still, you have to take a bunch of unlocks of questionable value to get this gun, and it doesn't really give you any extra capability over the normal AT weapon, so I don't think it's the most effective way to spend your unlocks. I much prefer the other tree...

Right Tree

1. IL-14 EMP
   These mines won't destroy a vehicle, but they will disable it for a few seconds. Set them up and move into a position to hit any disabled vehicle's weak spots. Every vehicle can be blown up in one shot from an AT weapon. Also useful for stopping buggy rushes.
   
2. DysTek Repair V2.0
   Repairs vehicles nearby your own. Great for armor columns. Drive around in a pair of tanks repairing each other. :-)
   
3. IL-29 Motion Mine
   Fantastic unlock. The mines will chase down and destroy nearby enemy vehicles. Only thing safe from them are buggies, because they're so fast- put down both motion mines and EMP mines and you have a veritable death trap. Also great if you're pinned down by a tank- chuck a couple of mines over the wall. These mines make the right side of the tree the better side, and are definitely worth getting.
   
4. Anti-Air weapon
   Meh. It's not very useful. It is good against gunships, but there are a lot of turrets around which are also very good against gunships. Against transports it's bugged- half the time it won't lock onto them, and even when you do it takes way too many shots to take them down. And you give up your usual anti-tank weapon to carry this.
   
   Really, really not worth while. At least, not in its current form.

Support
Left Tree

1. V5 EMP Grenade
   Disables vehicles for a brief period of time. A support guy with an ammo crate out spamming you with these is an extraordinarily frustrating experience for any tank or walker driver. Plus it scrambles infantry's HUDs. I carry these most of the time as a support guy. Very useful.
   
2. NetBat Active Cammo ID
   Finally, another good NetBat. Not as good as the recon's, but the counter to their cloaking device. If you have this, your squad can pick up cloaked recon guys on your netbat.
   
3. A-12 Enforcer Sentry Gun
   This one is fun. Don't expect a lot of kills from it, but it does do a very good job at suppressing the enemy onboard a Titan. Out in the field this is less useful, since they only cover a relatively small firing arc. Still, a great unlock to take if you like defending Titans.
   
4. Ganz H-MG
   Not really worthwhile, in my opinion. It takes so long for the crosshairs to settle that you have to remain stationary a lot to make good use out of it. One of the worst weapon unlocks, I think.

Right Tree

1. IPS Shield
   The forcefield is good to take as an unlock since it gives you access to the ammo hub. In general though, I'm not convinced that it's particularly useful. First, there's usually plenty of normal cover to be found, and since you can't shoot through it you're going to be exposing yourself somewhat anyway. Second, it has a distinctive red glow which really gives away your position. You're going to get killed by an assault guy with rockets or a sniper if you use this out in the open. One advantage though, is it's a pain to run around if you position it correctly in a Titan corridor.
   
   It's decent to take though, to unlock the advanced ammo hub.
   
   
2. Advanced Ammo Hub
   Reloads you quicker. A support guy with this and EMP grenades can lock down a vehicle very effectively. It's worthwhile, at least as a field upgrade.
   
   
3. DysTek Pulse Meter
   This is another very situational unlock. Basically, when you activate it, it shows you the position of enemies in front of you on your NetBat, within a certain distance for about ten seconds- but the positions don't update. The biggest disadvantage is that you lose out on other support toys if you want to take it, and it has a very short range. Pretty unnecessary with a squad that's working together. It's best used in conjunction with...
   
   
4. Clark 15-B Shotgun
   It's a fun unlock, but not that great due to the very short range. Most of the time I'd rather have a machine gun. Take this if you are Robocop, otherwise there are probably better things to unlock instead.

Global Unlocks

1. Frag grenades
   Make this one of your first unlocks. Frag grenades are extremely useful.
   
   
2. Longer sprints
   This should also be one of your first unlocks. You'll be very slow without it.
   
   
3. Faster endurance recovery
   Seriously consider this as one of your first unlocks. Again, you'll be slow without it.
   
   
4. Extra bullets in pistols, extra clip for SMG
   Haven't tried this.
   
   
5. Extra grenade
   Haven't tried this.

Squad leader unlocks

1. Spawn Beacon
   If you plan on playing squad leader any, take this. You can field upgrade to it if necessary. Giving your squad a spawn point that doesn't depend on you being alive means you can assault with six people, instead of five + 1 guy who tries to stay alive. I hated SL'ing in BF2, but this makes it much more accessible to those of us who like charging in. :-)
   
   
2. Wallhack Drone (RD-4 Otus)
   Shows you the position of nearby hostiles on your netbat. Updates about once every 10 seconds. This is a very, very cool upgrade, but it has a big, big downside. If you have this drone, you can't put down a beacon, so if your squad members are spawning on you then you have to stay alive to provide a spawn point. If they are spawning on a beacon and it gets destroyed, you can't put another down and you'll have to respawn at a normal spawn point.
   
   Add to this that you've got a drone flying over your head which identifies you as a squad leader, and that's a pretty significant downside.
   
   I wouldn't take this as an unlock, but I would spend a field upgrade on it early. It is extremely useful on defence (especially Titan defence) when you don't have to worry about your spawn point so much.
   
3. SD-8 Accipiter
   Haven't tried this.