Battlefield 1’s They Shall Not Pass expansion delivers the French Army to the Great War, and along with their iconic blue uniforms comes a host of new armaments. Included in the expansion are six new primary weapons, four new maps, two additional operations, a tank, behemoth, a brand new elite class, and a few other odds and ends. The assault class can now equip the Ribeyrolles 1918 automatic rifle, which possesses both a bayonet and bipod that confer excellent accuracy when fired from the prone position, and the ability to run and gun in close quarters. The Assault class’s biggest boon in They Shall Not Pass however, comes in the form of the semi-automatic Sjögren Inertial Shotgun. It’s inertia-based feeding mechanism is a game-changer in Battlefield 1, and well ahead of it’s time to boot. Its devastating damage, relatively long range, and notably high rate of fire will undoubtedly make it a popular choice amongst players. The Medic receives two variants of the RSC 1917 semi-automatic rifle in this expansion, one with optics and one without. Though the weapon packs a punch and remains accurate at long range, its six-round magazine, high recoil and lengthy reload time will undoubtedly have difficulty competing with the ease of use and twenty-six bullet capacity of the M1916. They Shall Not Pass provides the Support class with two variants of the Chauchat light machine gun. The weapon’s low rate of fire is ill-suited for run and gun gameplay, while its meager twenty-round magazine doesn’t lend itself particularly well to a traditional machine gunner either. However, there can be no denying that with the bipod deployed, the telescopic Chuachat’s sustained accuracy at extreme ranges is remarkable for a machine gun. Finally, the Scout can obtain the Lebel Model 1886 sniper, and infantry rifle. Unsurprisingly, the Lebel sniper possesses magnified optics and a bipod. Its closest current in-game analog is the Ghwer 98, with one key difference. The Label’s magazine can hold a total of eight rounds, three more than the Ghwer, but the reload process is painfully slow by comparison. For those who prefer a challenge, the Label infantry rifle boasts standard iron sights. The Trench Raider is Battlefield 1’s newest elite class and specializes in brutal melee combat. The "Raider Club" will dispatch enemies with a single hit, and the Trench Raider moves significantly faster than any other class, elite or otherwise. This new elite also possesses unexpected versatility in the form of a plethora of grenades, a pistol and most impressively, a deployable medkit. Artillery played a huge role in the conflict between France and Germany with over a third of French forces consisting of artillerymen. This is reflected in They Shall Not Pass with the introduction of the Siege Howitzer, a massive stationary artillery cannon capable of firing three different types of shells at dizzying speeds. Joining the vehicular ranks is the French St. Chamond Assault tank. Unlike its competition, the St. Chamond features both a forward facing cannon and machine gun. While both weapons must be manned by separate players, this configuration still confers unmatched versatility and offensive potential. The Assault Tank also offers a gas and tank destroyer variant, with the latter sacrificing armor for a more powerful cannon. But the St. Chamond isn’t the only new tank in They Shall Not Pass, the super-heavy Char 2C also joins the fray as a five man Behemoth. Boasting multiple devastating cannons capable of killing an enemy tank in two hits, and an enormous health pool. The Char 2C is a force to be reckoned with, however, like other behemoths it can’t be repaired. They Shall Not Pass also introduces four new maps to Battlefield 1. Verdun Heights is a bombed-out hellscape, with two opposing mountain faces overlooking a river pass. Fort De Veux consists of muddy trenches and a large close quarters section reminiscent of Battlefield 4’s Locker. Soissons is a green rolling farmland with an enormity of tanks, and Rupture features trenches and pillboxes cutting through France’s picturesque poppy fields. Two new operations, the Devil’s Anvil and Beyond the Marne play out over the aforementioned maps, and are included in the expansion along with a brand new game mode called “Frontline.” Which sees two teams duking it out over conquest-style control points that, once captured trigger a rush-style finale. Finally, the expansion offers four new melee weapons and a host of medals, dog tags, and codex entries. They Shall Not Pass is playable TODAY, March 14th, for Premium Pass members and March 28th for everyone else. By James Duggan, IGN.com / You can purchase Battlefield 1 from Amazon.com
