- "We should be able to take out that sword if the Galm Team flies with us."
- ― Patrick James Beckett
Sword of Annihilation is the ninth campaign mission of Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War, and the first to feature a superweapon. The player must destroy the Excalibur laser tower.
Briefing[]
We discovered that the unidentified laser weapon is a long-range offensive weapon codenamed "Excalibur". We believe it to be a Belkan antiaircraft defense chemical laser weapon developed as a missile defense system. According to our information, the strike zone is heavily guarded by a jamming facility and multiple antiaircraft artillery units. Your objective is to destroy Excalibur. But to do that, you must first neutralize the jamming facility and the antiaircraft artillery. Considering the importance of your target to the enemy, I'm afraid there's no way to avoid casualties from enemy resistance. In light of this, we have called in reinforcements for this mission. Work together with them to achieve the mission objectives.
Objectives[]
The player will spawn at the southern edge of the map. Four jamming facilities are spread out horizontally on the map, and Excalibur's main facility is located in the far north of the battle area. Lock-on is disabled across the entire map, so the player must destroy the jamming facilities without lock-on guidance. Excalibur will also begin firing on the player, and they must dodge it by viewing the estimated firing range on the radar.
Once the player destroys all four jamming facilities, they can lock on to all targets in the main facility. There are four railway artillery laser units defending four power generators and Excalibur itself. The player must destroy the power generators and Excalibur's laser port to proceed. They can also choose to destroy the railway lasers, but they are not mission-important. After this, the player must destroy Excalibur's main body to destroy the weapon and complete the mission.
Enemy Lists[]
The following enemy lists are taken from the Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Perfect Guide Book.[1]
Standard Units[]
| Unit | Points | Count | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
AH-64 | 300 | 1 | [note 1] |
|
JAMMER | 600 | 4 | |
|
|
PWR GEN | 600 | 4 | [note 2] |
|
|
EXCALIBUR (Laser Port) | 1000 | 1 | [note 2] |
|
|
EXCALIBUR (Center) | 3000 | 1 | [note 3] |
|
AA GUN | 100 | 6 | [note 4] |
|
|
STINGER | 120 | 1 | |
|
|
RTLS | 750 | 4 | [note 2] |
|
STORAGE | 300 | 3 | [note 5] |
|
|
STORAGE | 300 | 3 | [note 2] |
|
|
FACILITY | 200 | 3 | [note 2] |
|
|
FUEL TANK | 200 | 3 | [note 2] |
Special Units[]
| AR # | Unit | Points | Campaign Completed |
Minimum Difficulty |
Ace Style | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
064 | F-2A "Roller" | 1230 | ✔ | Normal | Mercenary | [note 6] |
|
|
065 | F-15 S/MTD "Habicht" | 1430 | ✔ | Normal | Soldier | [note 6] |
|
|
066 | X-29A "Fliege" | 1150 | ✔ | Normal | Knight | [note 6] |
|
|
067 | SR-71 "Rabe" | 2000 | ✔ | Normal | [note 6] | |
|
|
068 | EA-6B "Bergnebel" | 1050 | Ace | [note 7] |
S Rank[]
Achieving an S rank on this mission requires earning 12,000 points or more.[1] Destroying every TGT is worth 8,800 points. If the player destroys all four railway artillery lasers, they will earn an additional 3,000 points. Without aces, the player can earn the remaining 200 points by destroying the AH-64 or two of the AA GUNs that spawn near the destroyed jammers. If the player is aiming to push the Ace Style gauge towards Mercenary, they can also use the neutral targets to reach the point threshold.
Debriefing[]
Although we didn't discover any nuclear facilities, Excalibur is no longer a threat. This can be considered a substantial victory for our side. Head Operations has recognized you as "an indispensable component in this war", and expresses their utmost gratitude and respect.
Trivia[]
- It's possible to finish the mission without destroying any of the jammers. This can be done easily with powerful unguided weapons.
- The laser fired at the start of the mission to destroy the tanker does not target the player like all subsequent lasers. However, if the player flies within its path, they will still get damaged, albeit for half the damage they'd normally receive by the laser during the mission.
Footnotes[]
- ↑ This AH-64 spawns at the top-right jamming facility when the player destroys the JAMMER located there.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 These units cannot be locked onto until the JAMMERs are all destroyed.
- ↑ The center of Excalibur appears on radar after the player destroys the laser port and the four PWR GENs.
- ↑ These AA GUNs spawn near the JAMMERs when they are destroyed. Two spawn at each of the two facilities on the left, and one spawns at each of the two facilities on the right.
- ↑ These STORAGEs spawn near the JAMMERs when they are destroyed. Two spawn at the top-left facility, and one spawns at the top-right facility.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Roller, Habicht, Fliege, and Rabe only spawn after the player destroys all four JAMMERs.
- ↑ Bergnebel spawns after the player destroys the four PWR GENs and Excalibur's laser port. Unlocks the EA-6B's Special color.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Perfect Guide Book, pages 074-075.
| Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War Missions | |
|---|---|
| Campaign | |
| Special | |