Lotsa talk about honor and all that. I was thinking perhaps there should be some talk about fighting in the Virtual Sky of AH2. That being said ithought I'd start a list of figher combat tactics. These are by no means the end all of tactics nor do they originate from me personally but I figured the new folks might want to think about them prior to engaging another fighter.
1) Take drop tanks (DT). Use WEP while burning off the DT's to quickly get to your cruise altitude. Cruise altitude is the altitude you feel comfortable that you can engage enemy fighters.
2) Decide on how much gas you need. Only take what you need. There is an old saying amongst vets. Tell the new guy to only take half of what he think he needs since he will either run out of ammo or die before he ever runs out of gas. It is true that the plane carrying less fuel turns a bit better than the same plane with more gas. However, a vet carring alot of gas with a good knowledge of tactics can make a few turns with a lighter plane and get a kill. Pilot skill plays a role so if two guys face each other with the same skills level in the same plane but one with a lighter fuel load then he may have an advantage. However, one may be in a position to negate that advantage during the setup or the fight. Here's a few possible rules of thumb (add yer own);
a) Spits- take the slipper tank. It will be gone before you ever get to the enemy. Go home with 1/4 tank.
b) Pony's and big gas haulers - DT and 50% in most cases. 75% fuel if no DT's are available. Go hom with 1/4 tank.
c) Laffie- this one is special. Take a full fuel load. When you hit center tank go home when it gets to 3/4 tank.
3) Speed is life. Speed gives you lots of options. The reason I said in "1)" to climb to altitude is cruise speed is quite a bit higher than climb speed. You climb out of an airfield at 190-225 mph. You plane will cruise at 290+ depending on the plane. At cruise speed you can maneuver, go up, dip the nose in zero G for a few seconds and be doing 350-400 mph. Climb speed means you take longer to accomplish a maneuver.
4) Be aggressive. If you commit to the fight then do it! Giving the guy an even break means you are giving him time to recover. If you don't want to send him to the tower then don't attack him. If you do any less then expect yourself to be the one back in the tower.
5) Know you planes limitations. Especially compared to your opponents plane. Use your Planes strengths to fly to you opponents planes weaknesses. There are alot of differences in planes flying characteristics. Too many to name here.
6) Along with number "5)" is learn tactics. Learn how to employ those tactics to your advantange. A good stick might be able to fly around the world but get shot down 10 seconds into a fight. Reading about tactics is good. Getting a birds eye view is better. Spend some time with a trainer. They know tactics.
7) Know when the fight is going south. You will know if it's not going your way. Get out and come back into it with at least equal or better advantage.
8) Fight up. Sounds simple. It is simple especially when you learn tactics. One guy called it cherry picking. If you fight up and the other guy ends up under then you own the fight. Go kill him.
9) Get in close. When you think your close get in closer. Ranges of 100-200 are good. 300-400 is throwing ammo away. However, if you know you can send the guy back to the tower then do it. My convergence is set to 200 yds. I normally shot at or inside that range.
10) If you come over multiple enemy planes always shoot the high one down first. Do not follow him down below his buds. When he's gone go after the next highest. Fight up.
11) If you fly with a wingman and get in keep the presssure on the bad guy. The object is to drain his energy while you maintain yours.
12) Combat spread with a wingman is just that. You are spread out to force the bad guy to chose one of you. That frees up your wingman to engage. Line abreast works best for most encounters. The reason is if you are higher than your wingman I guarantee you are the one going to be attacked. (Attack high guy first). If he attack then fights up the low guy can't engage. If you fly in trail then you force the bad guy to go through both of you. This normally frees up the lead plane to pull back into the bad guy without fear of being the target. In trail helps you somewhat but normally causes the guy to blow right on by and off into the wild blue. In line abreast formation the guy normally stays in the fight.
13) If you get attacked and someone asks if you want help go for it. But, never fly right at the guy helping you. You must give him turning room (angles) to saddle up and kill the bad guy. Lead the guy across your helpers nose from let to right, up/down but never right at him.
14) A dogfight normally has one guy's nose pointed at the other guys tail. If someone attacks you then turn into him so he doesn't get the opportunity to get his nose on your tail.
15) Angles is nothing more than the turning room required to get on the bad guys 6. You want to gain angles on the other guy while denying him angles on you.
16) A drag is not a drag if you die performing one. Well, it might be a drag if you die.....
17) SA... use your map. Alot! The guy showing a -3000 is the one you wanna watch. Do a continuous threat analysis and get out when the threat gets too high. You can always come back.
18) Before you do anything always get your bearings and know which way is home. Every few minutes confirm which way is home. You want to head out instead of under them bad guys.
19) Conveyor belts - all countries have them. You see them as a line of planes going from one field to another. They're usually guys racing back from just dying so they will be around 8k or so. If you must exit then make sure you are headed from your inbound conveyor belt and not theirs. If you wanna get in some nice attacks go alil above their conveyor belts and follow the train in, shooting them as you come in. Maintain heading an you end up under your own belt.
20) If you're on a jabo. overfly the target then get in with the exit toward home...not the other way. That's where the bad guys have been flying to get some alt on the inbounds.
21) Stay alive. Let the other guy die for his country. You'd be surprised that you can go fight, get kills and live. It's not all that difficult.
22) Always attack from advantage if possible, be it alt or speed.
23) If you want honor in the game think about the guy coming to help you. He is coming in to maybe get killed trying to help you get out of a bad situation. Was it because you knowingly put yourself there? Hmmmm.....
24) A lil more on honor. Honor the country you happen to be flying in at that moment. It might only be for a day or so but you chose to fly there in the game. If you leave that country and go to another then what secrets were in the previous one stay there. It's a game. Play the game. Don't game the game.
25) Salautes. I normally give em to those who salute me. Most of the time I don't have time cause Im in a fight or answering 100 questions on private chat. I normally don't give them for a fight. I get in and shoot the guy down or not. That's nice but I'm already thinking about the next fight. Sorry.
Ref the game...it's a great game with lots for everyone. There are sometimes issues about honor and such.
In the early days of these fighter sims peer pressure meant alot. Some guy starts acting like a jerk and he got shunned. That's changed although squelch does wonders. If the guy has no one to whine at he evertually goes away or becomes a part of the community. Try it sometime....
I said at the start this is not an end all for fighter tactics but a beginning. Feel free to add to the knowledge base for the now folks.
Hope this helps
