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Ace Combat: Assault Horizon>Tips on how to get an A rank for free missions.

By now for those of you who have presumably purchased or rented Ace Combat: Assault Horizon you would have realised, apart from the campaign, that a 'Free Flight' option is seen on the menu. Of course to unlock certain missions in this you would have to complete the campaign itself which overall is quite fun to play on pilot difficulty especially. When attempting to get an A rank in 'Free Flight' you may notice that no matter what you do you can never seem to reach past maybe a B or C grade which can be quite frustrating. And it is from such a reason that I have created this open guide which will hopefully enable you really become the 'Ace of Aces'
NOTE: DIFFICULTY DOES NOT AFFECT THE OVERALL GRADE ALTHOUGH VETERAN PLAYERS MAY CHOOSE TO PLAY ON ELITE. IGNORE THE SPECULATION!
.Okay, after numerous playthroughs of different levels in free mode itself I have found it easiest to complete such levels quickly and efficiently by using the F22-A Raptor. Whilst being pride of the USAF, it also boasts high maneuverability and fast speeds as well as very useful armaments including the high caliber chain gun and variated missile slots for air or ground objectives.
.After reviewing the skill stats, I believe that investing in the 'Enhanced missile +' skill would greatly help in those long dogfight missions such as 'Blue on Blue'. This skill actually increases damage dealt upon impact of missile against either ground or air targets. Not only this but it is also seen to extend the range of missile contact to target making it easier to well...get kills at long range.
.Just to clarify, both DYING and re loading CHECKPOINTS will cause your grade to drop. Try not subjecting yourself to either.
.Think Wisely! Enemy AI on this game are actually quite smart when it comes to close quarter dogfighting, they will take every oppurtunity to try and counter or evade your missiles in most cases. Make sure you get the extra edge upon the opponent by knowing how to control both acceleration and deceleration in combat. For example, has an enemy locked onto you and fired missiles at you? why not decelerate and turn at the same time as it increases your turning speed as well as evades missiles which have a lock. Make sure you don't use this for too long at a time or you could stall.
.AC-130 and Door gunner missions. To achieve a grade A on most missions in 'Free Flight' you would have to be mindful of ammunition used, time taken to complete the mission (unless fashioned to be linear) and try to limit how many times you die. Taking both the AC-130 and Door gunner missions, these overall are structured quite linear therefore timing is not really a huge factor. Ammunition and deaths on the other hand are the main factors in which you should try to control to get the grade A.
.Finally, try using the PAK-FA'S EW1 weapon attachment when on ground assault missions such as 'Pipeline' or 'siege' because well...it's fun to use and it's damn effective!
And so, I hope you have found my tips and tricks useful and for any more information feel free to post in the comment section below. You may want to correct me or share some of your own tips for those, like me, who have still yet to become an ACE. Thank you for reading and godspeed pilot.
P.S- Soon I will be uploading a full walkthrough on how to get an A grade on each mission so stay tuned for more tips and tricks from TheDecisiveDuck. I may also be adding to this list.
Posted on Oct 22, 2011 at 11:04 PM
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