).This guide will coincide with my SL's guide to calling in Air support, found here.
CHAPTER 1: YOUR SQUAD
When playing in public games, you should try to operate with people you know, but it's not difficult to play with strangers, so long as you get some ground rules established. My preferred squad formation is as follows:
- SL - Used to designate targets, control the flow of information, and act as the relation between your operations as well as the rest of the team (their job is flexible, so they can also perform the odd jobs such as providing transport in helicopters, controlling the runway's upkeep, whatever the situation calls for)
- SM1 - Flies one of the jets.
- SM2 - Flies the other jet.
The first job you have do to before anything else is to recognize that you will die without intel about each objective that you are tasked with. Whether that is dropping an ordinance on enemy targets, taking air superiority of an area, or simply doing a strafing run to ground pound enemy locations, you MUST ask for intel.
A pilot's worst nightmare is an AA or an Enemy jet. either of them can easily dispose of the valuable asset you are flying. In my SL's guide to calling in air support, I outline how to properly indicate the priority of each target if there are multiples, and what type of support needs calling in.
Allow your SL to communicate with the rest of the team. Stay at a safe level high in the sky so that your invulnerable to ground based AAs and spotters, as well as a much harder to find target for enemy jets. If you receive a request for air support, have your SL ask how hot the area is, if there are any AAs or planes spotted within the last bit of time, and anything else that might contribute to your support actions. DO NOT engage the targets until you get an ok from your SL, who should only give you the ok once he has receive a confirmation on any threats to you.
CHAPTER 3: WHICH WEAPONS TO USE
Now that you are aware of the targets, their numbers and type, as well as any threats to you, you must select what weapon you will use to unleash hell upon the enemy with. While you should find what you're best with, I suggest this load out against whichever targets (For the CAS jets only. Air Superiority fighters only have bombs as antiarmour weapons, so not too much flexibility there):
- LGM (Laser Guided Missiles) - Use on tanks and APCs. It's much easier to confirm whether or not you've obtained a lock since you will see the laser designation box in you HUD (I believe you can as well with the bombs, but it's far safer not to have to go into a steep dive in order to see it). With a marker from the SL showing the approximate area of the target, look for the laser box. (Don't just shoot any laser box you see while flying, though, as it may be a friendly tank lased by an enemy spotter). After acquiring a lock, confirmed by an audio cue, fire away and wait for a confirmation of a hit.
- Laser Guided Bombs (500 lbs) - When there is an AA in the area, don't dispair! You can still take it out with no danger to yourself with these trusty bringers of doom, and a lase or CAS marker from your spotter or CO, respectively. Stay at your safe height, get the approximate location marked once again by your SL, and after a confirmed lase, drop you ordinance right on top of the marker. There is no need for an audio cue to confirm a lock, as the bombs will acquire the lock while descending.
- Rocket Pods - These suckers are great for ground pounding an area with only infantry or light vehicles before the rest of your team comes to capture the flag. Don't use these in any Antitank role, however. They will do very little damage to tanks, and even APCs and AAVs can take a beating of these. All the same, they're large blast radius is perfect for soft targets.
- Main Gun - Now, you don't need a GAU-8 to ruin an armour's day. All jets have explosive rounds that will pierce even the thickest of hulls on the battle field. However, because of the low mag size, I strongly suggest that you only use this as a last resort. All the same, it's still incredibly fun to let that Warthog rip its characterizing trait on unsuspecting tanks that are foolish enough to depart without AA support.
I would like to end this guide to effective air support by saying that these are only a list of well thought out suggestions. They shouldn't be followed down to the very last word, and will vary depending on the situation. If you have any other suggestions that you would like to see in this guide, please post them and I'll try to add them in.
EDIT1: links to SL guide on calling in air support included.
But the attack part im still learning.... This will really help me cheers.
