Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-26855942-20150904181803/@comment-25090894-20150909014452

Well, here it is, it's not much and it needs an update but it is the best that 2 could do (and forget that joint manoeuvres stuff): Attention Rookies! You may be sick of that moniker already, but, in due time, you’ll be a fearsome pilots, or even the most decorated Aces! So, just lend an ear… or an eye, and pay attention. Welcome to “Joint Manoeuvres,” an initiative to help all rookie pilots get the best out of their aircraft and to become top earners within the Arrow Air Force.

Now, to start, Super-Hornet-Fan, and I, would like to give a personal welcome for joining. We hope to ensure that all information in this class is for practical use, so we won’t be in the classroom the entire time. This isn’t just for rookies, but rather for anyone looking for analysis on maps and aircraft recommended along with special weapons of which to be used. As for now, we’re just gonna run through a small checklist on what will be explained. These include:

Playstyles and Tactics Map Engagements and Analysis Hints and Tips Sortie Times

Playstyles and Tactics: “I’ll take the flank, you dive into the furball!” Air-to-Air? Air-to-Ground? Centre Aggression? Flanking Support? There are various ways you can fly on the battlefield in order to gain the advantage over the enemy. All you’ve gotta know is when and where. Coordination between all flight members’ counts here, and the right formation will give you the upper hand against your rivals. So, let’s break it down: The aircraft you and your fellow pilots choose creates the balance of the formation Different tactics, weapons and playstyles affect this balance, so choose wisely Engaging the wrong target sets with the wrong aircraft/weapon balance could be costly, so keep to your battle role. Remembering your key aircraft categories (Fighter, Multirole, Attacker and Bomber) will help with this. Knowing Special Weapon ordinance for each is vital too, as certain aircraft types are restricted in this manner, which are as follows: Fighter: Restricted to only Air-to-Air Special Weapons. Used specifically for air dominance, unparalleled in their ability to dispatch enemy fighters. Multirole: Access to all Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground weapons (Excluding Bomber Special Weapons). Share near balanced capabilities in both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground dominance. Attackers: Restricted to Air-to-Ground Special Weapons (Excluding Bomber Special Weapons). Exceed in their ability to destroy ground/surface targets in quick succession. Bombers: Restricted to Bomber specific Air-to-Ground Special Weapons. Able to annihilate enemy front lines with heavy bomb weapons and heavy armour. Cannot attack air targets. Some aircraft of the same category may have vastly different Special Weapon selections, meaning that a change in aircraft may be needed for different battlefields. This in turn changes the tactics the pilot must use. The amount of times you can fire the weapon until a reload is required, the damage it creates and the effective area of the weapon all come into factor. For example: The Fuel Air Explosive Bomb (FAEB) is excellent in destroying clustered groups of low yield (Yellow) ground targets over a wide area, while the UGB (Unguided Bomb) is great at destroying higher yield (Orange & Red) targets will ease, but lacks in overall area of effect.

4AAM and 6AAM missile types, with their multi-targeting capabilities, are great at eliminating groups of low yield (Yellow) air targets, but become less effective against large groups of higher yield (Orange & Red) targets, whereas using the High Power Air-to-Air Missile, although lacking the multi-targeting function, can more efficiently destroy the higher yield targets compared to 4AAM and 6AAM missiles.

Map analysis and engagements

Knowing a map to the utter perfection is almost as important as the plane you will choose for the mission (Sometimes it has a big impact in the selection of the latter). In the next paragraphs we will be explaining the geography and spawn points (of both teams and the enemy) of every map, along with the recommended aircraft compositions (formations) and Special Weapons:

Alps corridor: Recommended Players: 8

A map comprised of a mountain range set in Europe. It shows several mountains with the highest crest in the middle of the map. The 2 squadrons starting points are in grids 7-B and 7-G (south-west and south-east respectively) and they face a large enemy formation in form of an inverted U along the map. The enemy units are spread across the map so its recomended the use of LAGM/LASM instead of bombs. In the other hand, the air units may appear in a giant cluster near the south center of the map or along the "inverted U" Several enemy units will spawn in all the northern secction of the map after the mission update. Some TU-160 may appear at high altitude at the west of the map so keep an eye on the HUD.

Recommended Aircraft Composition(s): 1 x Fighter / 1 x Multirole / 2 x Attacker or 1 x Fighter/ 2 x Multirole / 1 x Bomber

As this map is heavy in Air-to-Ground targets in both before and after the emergency mission update, more of a focus on ground offensive aircraft are needed. The Multiroles job in this mission is to switch between both Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground duties depending on the density of the enemy presence, making sure that neither Attackers/Bombers nor Fighters get bogged down in their role, as this can mean the difference in an S rank or an A rank.

Recommended Special Weapons Anti-Ground Special Weapons: LAGM/LASM, 4AGM, FAEB Anti-Air Special Weapons        : 4AAM, 6AAM, HVAA, SAAM

Alps Air Corridor covers a large area, and so many of the enemies are spread over large distances. This makes it crucial that long range weapons are used by the squadron. As stated above, the LAGM/LASM is recommended more than the UGB due to is long range capabilities, making it possible to engage multiple locations without continuously flying from one place to another. The alternative, is to use either 4AGMs of FAEBs in order to quickly dispatch of any enemy units and quickly move on to the next cluster, which is a more common tactic in the latter half of the mission. For Air-to-Air, the use of 4AAMs and 6AAMs is recommended due to their long range nature, making for quicker engagements when standard missile range is recquired, as the aircraft that are hit will either be substantially damaged or destroyed. The alternative, HVAA and SAAM missiles, although only single lock-on, can be just as effective. This is because of their range and general velocity towards their target, being able to destroy all yield targets efficiently.

Tokyo martial law: Recommended Players: 4, 6, 8 This sortie takes place in the city of Tokyo itself. This flat map is made of large urban areas around the north and the open sea located in the south. You have to be very careful while flying in the cities as you may crash into buildings. In this map both squadrons spawn at the South-East of the map (grids F-8 and H-8) and have to make their way up diagonally. Initially there are 2 enemy clusters on the map. One on grid E-5 and the other one on grid B-2 (there are some other enemies but they are dispersed). After the mission update there are 3 possible spawn points fot the enemy. On grid E-5 again and surrounding areas, on grid B-2 and A-1, or on grids E-2 and F-2.

Recommended Aircraft Composition(s): 2 x Fighter / 2 x Multirole Or 1 x Fighter / 2 x Multirole / 1 x Attacker

Due to the targets being scattered around Tokyo from the start, it is necessary to have aircraft that can engage as soon as possible. This means limiting the amount of Attackers in your formation to a minimum, as they are generally slower than other aircraft types. It is also essential that the formation stick to their roles of engagement, as being greedy on this map could actually cause you to lose to a more organised squadron.

Recommended Special Weapons: Anti-Ground Special Weapons: 4AGM, UGB, GPB Anti-Air Special Weapons        : 4AAM, HCAA, QAAM

With the many low yield targets around the city the 4AGM is an effective weapon in dispatching these enemies quickly. Paired with a fast aircraft will give you a fair advantage over your rivals. Alternatively, going for a more forceful attack, UGBs and GPBs are a good choice and are better for destroying the higher yield targets the 4AGM might have trouble destroying. As there are many low yield enemy aircraft as well, the use of 4AAM or HCAA missiles are recommended. These missiles are still effective against high yield targets although the alternative of using QAAM missiles are a better choice when it comes to high yield targets as damage and accuracy are more preferable against these more aggressive enemies.

Aerospace centre defense Recommended Players: 4, 6, 8

A map located in the caribean. There are a few islands conected by a highway in the middle of the map Both teams spawn at the opposite sides of the map around B-5 and G-4 having a lone island for themselves. In the islands at the sides there is a big ground enemy presence while in the center of the map there are lots of air units. It is better to have a fast plane and to clear an area before advancing to another due to the large distances. After the mission update there is a high probability that the enemy spawns at the western island. The other 2 possibilities are that the spawn at the north or south of the map. The use of LASM's is highly recommended in this scenario.

Recommended Aircraft Composition(s): 4 x Multirole Or 2 x Fighters / 2x Multirole

As this map is fairly balanced in the amount of enemy aircraft and ground/sea targets, a full formation of multirole aircraft can easily obtain an S rank. But, fighters still present a big part of this mission, so it’s rather a preference. Having fast aircraft is crucial due to the long distances from each engagement point, so use aircraft that have higher speed stats in sacrifice for mobility.

Recommended Special Weapons: Anti-Ground Special Weapons: LASM, 4AGM Anti-Air Special Weapons        : HPAA/QAAM, HVAA/6AAM

As many of the surface enemies are of high yield the use of the LASM is highly recommended in this mission, while the 4AGM is a great support anti-ground weapon to use, easily dispatching AA guns, SAMs, Gun Boats and Missile Boats in quick succession. As for Air-to-Air, the HPAA and QAAM become very effective special weapons due to their effectiveness at close range dogfights against high yield fighters. As an alternative, the use of 6AAM or HVAA are adequate for their range, potentially eliminating enemy fighters before a rival can engage, becoming a potential counter to the shorter range, more powerful weapons, while still giving the opportunity to engage closer targets without the lock-on hassles the SAAM produces.

Pipeline destruction Recommended Players: 6, 8 A map that is divided between an arid desert and the open sea with some refineries. It features wide spaces between enemy clusters and a good weather with excellent visibility. The map is flat with a single ulyssess crater in it. The innitial part of the mission consists on attacking the ground facilities in the eastern part of the map while the two squadrons spawn right at the north of both refineries (the one in the coastline and the one at the sea) on grids F-2 and G-2. The best strategy for this map is to make a wide open scissor movement to get to cover al areas until all enemies are finished. And the head back to the crater zone (near the center of the map. After the mission update there are 3 possible spawn points for the enemy 1) An airbase near the north of the map (Grid D-2 aproximately) 2) A mixed enemy force in the coast at the south-west of the crater (Grid D-4) 3) In the middle of the sea, a huge naval force along with many fighters.

Recommended Aircraft Composition(s): 1 x Fighter / 2 x Multirole / 1 x Attackers

This single formations is extremely effective on this mission, due to the mission’s consistency through to the missions end. The multirole aircraft can easily switch between target sets and can easily separate themselves by each choosing either an Air-to-Air or Air-to-Ground special weapon. The composition in this formation is entirely decided on special weapon choices rather than aircraft choice.

Recommended Special Weapon: Anti-Ground Special Weapons: RKTL/SFFS, 4AGM/SOD Anti-Air Special Weapons        : 4AAM/6AAM, HPAA/HCAA

As many of the enemies found in this mission are of low to medium yield in majority of the mission, weapons high in capacity are recommended over more high powered weapons for Anti-Ground offensives. RKTL and SFFS are good for destroying low and medium yield enemies found in the clusters around the engagement areas before and after the mission update, with the RKTL being very effective against any ships faced. 4AGM and SODs are rather effective against the low yield enemies found lined across the On-Shore Refinery and Off Shore Oilrigs. As for the Anti-Air weapons, longer ranged, high capacity weapons, like 4AAM and 6AAM, are of great use due to the enemy aircraft flying a distance from the combat epicentre. Of course, if the pilots intended purpose is to chase down and engage these enemy fighters, the use of HCAA and HPAA weapons is recommended.

Area B7R Recommended Players: 4, 6, 8

An exclusive Air-to-Air (A2A) map so the use of Fighters is almost a must for this sortie (And, yes, I will still fly my Super Hornet). This is an arid map, featuring an lonely crest in the middle (The round table) with little to no vegetation. In this map, the two teams will spawn away from each other, one in the western side and facing south, and the other one at the East and facing north. Each squadron will have their own enemies facing them as soon as they start and then a bigger group of enemies in the center of the map. It is important to be very careful while en pursuit of enemy aircraft in the mission update because there might be some shots from stonehenge (it doesn't specifies wich one). After the mission update, there are 2 possible enemy vectors. 1) the first one coming from the north, making a huge furball and with the help from Jammer aircraft 2) Or coming from 3 different directions, West, South and East in smaller groups than the other option but with some reinforcements.

Recommended Aircraft Composition(s): 4 x Fighter

Seeing as this is a mission completely based on air dominance, then it is right to suggest that your flight for the match all consist of such aircraft. But, for interest’s sake, a well-tuned multirole will still be very useful in this mission, so it is really up to the player’s preference.

Recommended Special Weapons: Anti-Ground Special Weapons: N/A Anti-Air Special Weapons        : Player’s Preference

Due to the nature of the mission, there are many approaches to the way of engaging the targets, making it possible to be successful in this mission with almost any Air-to-Air special weapon. Preferences will change from person to person, so go with a special weapon you are familiar with. Of course, a formation using different Anti-Air special weapons (eg. SAAM/6AAM/HPAA/QAAM in the same formation) will be very effective, and targeting the right target sets most effective to your weapon will be paramount to mission success.

Dubai night assault Recommended Players: 6, 8

A night map for a change, this one features the city of Dubai. The map itself is similar to Pipeline destruction, but with an urban enviroment instead of the ground refineries. You might be able to see some fireworks in special dates. The two formations of aircraft will spawn flying head-on to each other, one coming from the sea, and other coming from from the mainland (Grids B-4 and E-7 respectively) once they clear their own enemy clusters they will have to go to the South-western corner of the map where a big battle is taking place. If all enemies are taken out in time, a new wave of enemies will appear in grid B-6 until the mission update. After mission update there are 2 possible enemy spawn points (there might be a third but I don't remember well) 1) in the sea, comprissed of an entire enemy fleet with many airplanes flying closely that should appear in grid D-4 2) Some ground units hidden between the highway and skycrapers and enemy squadrons coming from any direction. They are around sector E-5.

Recommended Aircraft Composition: 1 x Fighter / 2 x Multirole / 1 x Attacker

Like in Pipeline Destruction, having a balanced formation, like this, is the best way to successfully complete the mission with an S rank. The formation balance, yet again, is decided on the special weapons the Multirole pilots choose. A balanced composition of Air-to-Air and Air-to-Ground special weapons is highly recommended.

Recommended Special Weapons: Anti-Ground Special Weapons: 4AGM, GPB/LASM Anti-Air Special Weapons        : HPAA, SAAM

For Air-to-Ground offensives, the use of the 4AGM is probably the most effective way of destroying the initial targets found near each spawn area as well as around the high rise area. The use of GBP or LASM becomes more apparent after the mission update as there is equal possibility of engaging ground or surface targets of medium or high yield, making these special weapons come into their own. As for Anti-Air, the use of high powered special weapons, like the HPAA and SAAM, are recommended, as a large amount of enemy targets involve medium to high yield damage. Of course, it becomes the dilemma of Semi-Active targeting at long range against auto target but at close range. Both have their advantages and disadvantages.