COMBAT FLYING
Hi! My name's Ravenar. I was asked to send some information out to all the pilots of NAZGUL. OK first I'm no expert, and I am learning everyday I play. I have got a few kills under my belt and hopefully i'll be able to help get more kills. Most of the stuff I wrote here I have either read on web pages or clue books, and believe it or not, it helped. I did steal some of this info to save me some writing time.
Well first off if you get shot down going 1on1 then you did
something wrong. The first sign of becoming a better pilot is
that you'll know why you were shot down and learn not to do it
again. I don't mean he got on my 6 and opened up on me and I'm
dead. I mean, your going against someone and it seems pretty even
throughout the fight but all of the sudden your going slower and
he's still making moves when you cant. WHAT that means is you
have not conserved
your E.
WHAT is E you ask, for those who don't know, E is ENERGY. E MEANS LIFE!!! Now what does E mean to the fighter pilot. E means 2 things SPEED and ALTITUDE. When you have both these things your a very dangerous weapon. REASON: When you have both of these over a enemy, you have more options than the other guy. More options should mean you'll be able to outmaneuver the enemy for a good shot. THE HARD PART is to use your advantage wisely. Wisely means to conserve your E when fighting so you can land those kills. HOW DO I CONSERVE E: Well it means know knowing your plane<explained below>and DON'T MAKE HIGH G turns all the time. HIGH G TURNS DRAIN YOUR E LIKE MAD (BTW DID I MENTION E MEANS LIFE!!!). G's is shown on your dash of your plane (far left gauge) and when you make a move it shows you how many G's you are pulling for any given maneuver. Try not to pull more then 3-4 G turns. You should be only pulling HIGH G turns if your sure of a kill or your trying not to get shot down. MEANING when in a fight instead of jerking hard on the joy stick to turn<high G>, be easy on the stick <low G>and do more of them.
To do this you must learn the basic moves and become good at them<look at this web site for tips and moves hes got a great site for help. http://pages.prodigy.com/domain/airwar1.htm
(IP note: please see the Tips! section of the Nazgul Home Page. It has lots of great links to AW info all over the web)
Now let me explain 1 style of fighting called the BOOM and ZOOM or B&Z. Basically its when you have alt on some enemy and you BOOM down on top of him,shoot him down, and then Zoom back to a high alt. Now this is great if the guy don't move or for vulching bases. But its not very effective if the guy moves and you miss the shot.(Helm note: B&Z are THE best ways to attack a gunned bomber, cause you get in and get out fast !!!)
Next style is called the TURN and BURN. This is when you and your enemy get into a Turning dance, you get on his six and you BURN him down with ya guns aBLAZING. It is a tough way to earn a kill and earns you respect if its done right, BUT don't expect to make it back when 4 of his buddies come in as you just finish off there fellow county men.HELPFUL TIP: using flaps and rudders can help tighten your turns. using the WEP can help keep you from stalling. Just remember the tighter you turn the slower you go !!! (Helm note: another name for this is "stall fighting". You and your prey fly on the edge of stalling)
Last style is called E fighting. This is when you are able to make the other guy react to your movements. You make him drain his E while you still haveplenty of E and shoot him out of the sky.< you force your prey makes a HI-G turn> SOUNDS SIMPLE HUH...Well let me tell you this is the HARDEST style to learn and master. To try to be able to explain it to you will take me about another 6 months of flying till I get it right.(Helm note: try this the next time you have a head on pass at an enemy plane. Fly right past him and don't touch the controls, look over your shoulder and watch the idiot behind you make some wild E draining manuver. He thinks he is turning or looping onto your 6. Now your 1000 away and he aint got nothin. Make a gentle turn back to his slow ass and waste him) What I do is a little bit of all 3 styles when flying, depending on the situation. That takes me to the next thing about becoming a good pilot which is called SA...SITUATION AWARENESS. Knowing when to attack and where to attack takes time flying and knowing you limitations. IF you are going to take off at a base when there are 5 enemy dots sitting over it means your not going to be in the air for long. If you descide to drop in on 4 dudes, even though you have plenty of ALT and SPEED you better know what to do to make it back alive.WRITERS NOTE: I still haven't been able to take on 4 guys yet, 3 yes but not 4<G>
Now for the last thing which is the most detailed BUT IS A MUST is to know what you are flying. WHAT CAN MY PLANE DO THAT THE ENEMY'S PLANE CANT DO???? That is your only advantage if you are going up against a better pilot then yourself. On the web site I showed above it gives a detailed descriptions of the planes and what they can do. You don't have to memorize it just get familiar with what the planes can do.(Helm Note: pick 1 plane and fly it for a month. Learn it inside and out !!! i flew the 109 as my fighter of choice for 3 months. I know what the 109 can and can not do. Then move to another plane....i suggest learn 2 planes and stick to them.)
HERE ARE A FEW RULES FOR FIGHTER COMBAT
1. Don't Climb into a Fight!
If you find yourself climbing into a fight you are almost always in the process of making a mistake. The enemy is almost sure to have the advantage in energy-state (E), and therefore have the initiative. It is generally very unwise to "force" an engagement from an inferior energy state.
2. Attack from a position of advantage! Air Combat is War! Arena Combat is not the place for genteel dueling or gentlemanly "level playing field" flying. There are plenty of "Dueling Ladders" available for those so inclined. The Arena is not the place for that kind of flying philosophy. Its about using all the advantages that God gave you to shoot down other planes without being shot down yourself. Plan your attacks carefully. Move into a favorable attack position first - don't just "jump into" that furball! Take advantage of "blind spots" and distractions to score quick kills. Never give the opposition "an even break", because he certainly wouldn't cut you any slack if the position was reversed! ( Helm Note: This is a Nazgul rule folks)
3. With a superior energy state go high With an inferior energy state go low If you have the better energy state you have the advantage. Stay above your opponent if at all possible. After completing a gun pass its usually a big mistake to "go low" to reengage. Going high conserves energy. Going "low" is good when on the defensive. You are in trouble, the most important factor is to keep your airspeed up. If you are in an inferior energy state and by attempting to "go high" you will be cutting your airspeed - you're a sitting duck! Keeping up your airspeed allows you to maneuver more crisply. And who knows - your opponent could make a mistake, which you could exploit with a bit of maneuverability.
4. When it Doubt - Go Vertical! In air combat, especially in WWII planes, its almost always a good idea to use the vertical as much as possible. If you have the Energy level to "go high", its rarely a mistake to do so. Don't stick to "flat" turns in a dogfight! That will lead to very high insurance premiums. Oswald Boelcke flew for Germany during the First World War. His extensive tactical knowledge and excellent flying techniques made him a unique pilot of that war. He began to teach others what he had learned and eventually circulated some written rules that came to be known as Boelcke's Dicta. These principles are fundamental to air combat to this day.
4a. Try to secure advantages before attacking. Altitude is always an advantage. When you attack someone below you, you typically force him to react to your moves. Surprise can also be used to your advantage. Wait until your opponent is occupied with something else (another plane nearby, talking on the radio) and then dive in for the kill.
4b.Always follow through an attack when you have started it. If you begin a firing run, don't break off. This only provides your quarry a shot at your tail. Follow through with any firing runs you start, if you want to disengage, do it after your run. Often your pressing the attack will cause your oponent to make a mistake.
4c.Fire only at close range, and only when your opponent is properly in your sights.The most common mistake for many beginners is to fire from too far out or with not enough lead (not as in bullets, but as in leading the target) on the bogie. If you waste all your ammo, you may not have enough for the kill when you do finally reach a firing position. Use short bursts and correct you aim using your tracers. Many AirWarriors hate using the pipper, but since making the switch and learning the technique, my accuracy is much improved.(Helm Note:I use about 750 800 maxium range for straight shot, allthough iv'e be hit as far away as 900+ closer is better !!! thats for sure!!!)
4d.Always keep your eye on your opponent, and never let yourself be deceived by ruses. Just because your opponent is spinning uncontrollably toward the deck doesn't mean he's as good as dead. Keep your eyes on him. You wouldn't want him to sneak up on you and shoot you down while you're gloating over your "kill".
4e.In any form of attack it is essential to assail your opponent from behind.Avoid frontal attacks. Not only is the chance of scoring hits lessened (in Air Warrior. It also allows your opponent a shot at you. Attack from the bogies six o'clock, it provides a better shot, plus the chances of surprising them is greater.In Air Warrior, since most planes have rear view mirrors (with the exception of some bombers), this isn't as useful of a tactic.
4f.If your opponent dives on you, do not try to evade his
onslaught, but fly to meet it. Break into your opponents attack.
If you try to turn away from him you only present your tail for
an easy shot. If an attacker dives on you from above and to your
left, avoid the natural tendancy to
turn away to the right. Turn back to the left toward him, this
forces him to take a lower percentage deflection snapshot at
you.(Helm Note: this will saveyour ass many many times)
4g.When over enemy lines, never forget your line of retreat.Keep a map handy and try to disengage from a furball in the direction of your countries air bases. If you have to circle around the action to head back to home in a smoking plane, chances are you'll be jumped by enemy planes heading toward the action.
4h.Attack in groups of four or six. When the fight breaks up into a series of single combats, take care that several do not go for one opponent. Two is a more likely formation number for combat sims. Take a wingman with you, and maybe even a squaddie and his wingman. When the enemy planes scatter, make sure(use radio beforehand to confirm individual targets) that no enemy plane is left to himself to turn on you.
If I was a expert i'd never get shot down, and even with the odds us Cz go up against, even an expert would be getting blown out of the sky. That's why I was asked to explain some Combat tips. IF we all work together well all learn a bit to make this game more enjoyable.
Ravenar XO /F{NAZGUL}