A5 for me.
Beyond being plain old fun, as you stated, its greatest strength is that a significant portion of the MA doesn't know what to expect from it.
Ive got an A5 vs. Mk VIII video that Ill post when I get home tonight. Havent watched it yet but I think it'll be good.
Its perfectly suited to a low-alt furball. Max speed increases rapidly from 1K to 5K, acceleration is comparable to many late war fighters, energy can be bleed immediately and you can claw it back quickly with an on-WEP climb rate approaching 4,000ft per minute at those alts.
The plane rewards aggressiveness and full utilization of its roll rate advantage. By contrast, it is ill suited to flying timidly against late-war fighters which hold advantages in top speed. So long as youre not short-sighted enough to turn with an opponent past about 540 degrees, after which youre toast, all is well.
Best (most fun) fights are usually against 51's and Jug's, I find.
500 rounds of 20mm (ditch the MGFF's) seals the deal. Plus, its sexy as hell.
