I need some lessons from SAAW masters!

[Unzen]

Nailing tanks in the butt with a Pilum only carries so much amusement for a while. Having unlocked the SAAW some time ago, I'm after hunting a few gunships and transports instead.

But, I'm having trouble getting the 'knack' - in particular against the even moderately good gunship pilots.

I wait until the tone provides a lock-on and then fire the SAAW - keeping the mouse button held down all the way. Sure enough, the SAM goes after the gunship, but often starts circling it rather than hitting it and exploding it. On top of that, it takes SOOOOOOOOO LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG to get the lock, most gunships turn around on the spot and strafe me in a matter of seconds.

What am I doing wrong?

[Fingulfin]

Well, you don't have to hold down the mouse button anymore... The missiles are now fire and forget.

As for tips, I am sorry but I can't really help you... I suck with the SAAW vs aircraft, but I think it makes a MEAN shotgun for CQC

[sempf]

aim not scoped. get a better position defend it(mines) and try to lure them. wait till they flew over and then use your rockets.

[Unzen]

Cool - good tips guys!

[Killerus]

if you are tired of shooting tanks in the rear with pilum, try shooting the gunships with it instead One pilum shot is enough to kill a gunship. Most of the time the gunships get so close its rather easy to shoot them with the pilum. I love hitting them and have them fly away only to blow up like 5 seconds later.

I use the SAAW occasionally, but have much better luck downing gunships with the pilum.

[WolfAlmighty]

The SAAW is great for those surprise kills, though. I've had a couple times where I fire the missiles off and nothing happens so I figured I missed, so I reload and start to walk away and all of a sudded I get two kills. I also shot a couple SAAW missiles at a passing transport only to have it fly past it and somehow locate the enemy gunship and kill it. I lol'd.

And yes it's fun busting up a gunship with the Pilum, but if you're not going to use the SAAW you're better off with the defaults (IMO) since you can make any error corrections necessary. But the SAAW allows you to harass gunships halfway across the map, and that's just such a fun feeling.

~Wolfgang

[Unzen]

Ah, Pilum gunship kills are great. And as you say Killerus - seeing them fly off and not eject quick enough..... BOOM! LOL!

Usually I whack the vehicle sensor on the silo I'm attacking and hunker down awaiting the vehicles returning. Nothing better than a slow approaching gunship, almost at eye level - waiting to strafe someone. Pop up...... HELLO..... Pilum straight into it.

[messfeeder]

I love pilum gunship kills.

[tonks950]

Well, you don't have to hold down the mouse button anymore... The missiles are now fire and forget.

As for tips, I am sorry but I can't really help you... I suck with the SAAW vs aircraft, but I think it makes a MEAN shotgun for CQC

I have to disagree with your point about the missile being fire-and-forget.

From the 1.25 patch notes

• Improved SAAW missile tracking: The SAAW will now consistently track all airborne targets. The missiles still require visual lock to be maintained in order to seek targets.

Even though you aren't scoped you still need to at least face the SAAW in the general direction of the gunships in order for them to track.

[Fingulfin]

Weird, I fire and forget and everything goes fine...

[Dtneter]

yup same for me normally I randomly fire at the enemy titan or uncap and get in a vehicle and like 15 secs later I get a kill or 4 :P

or when I locked on a gunship but it moved away out of vision I also just shoot the other way but the rocket instantly tries to go for the gunship.

[DunNa]

Weird, I fire and forget and everything goes fine...

When people just fly in a straight line after you shoot you can basicly just let them go but if they turn much or anything you will generally not hit crap.

But you with holding down the button afterwards you can basicly have people doing loops and you'll still hit them eventually.

[-Shifty-]

The SAAW is great for those surprise kills, though. I've had a couple times where I fire the missiles off and nothing happens so I figured I missed, so I reload and start to walk away and all of a sudded I get two kills. I also shot a couple SAAW missiles at a passing transport only to have it fly past it and somehow locate the enemy gunship and kill it. I lol'd.

And yes it's fun busting up a gunship with the Pilum, but if you're not going to use the SAAW you're better off with the defaults (IMO) since you can make any error corrections necessary. But the SAAW allows you to harass gunships halfway across the map, and that's just such a fun feeling.

~Wolfgang

LOL I love harassing a gunship, even when it's beyond visual range you still see the lock on moving all over the place, with the guy trying to lose the lock.



Now here's a trick or two I know.

-Always shoot at it from the rear, if it turns toward you then the missile has like a 1/3 chance on hitting.

-Lock onto the gunship when it's far away, harrasing it, and it will end up flying all over the map. Which includes right into a perfect shot.


-Even an idiot pilot will know enough to fly low when he gets locked on. So when you shoot at a gunship, make sure that within the time it'll take to hit he can't get zig-zagging through buildings and mountains, ect... Or just find a well elevated position.


Oh and as mentioned, there is no more satisfying feeling then to take out a gunship with a rocket or a pilum.

Oh and that reminds me, I own gunships with tanks, always have since BF2. I love shooting em down with those 120mm cannons. So yeah, yesterday I was in the A8 Tiger (Type-32 sucks I always take em out) and this one idiot podded out of an APC, and I pretended not to see him about to land on me. Then I took a step out of the way and I pumped his a$$ full of lead with me BAUR, after that it was a battle for who could own who the most. And later I saw this gunship flying realy far away, starting a switf turn. So I though to my self, "Why not I got so much ammo". So I shot and WAAAAAM "You killed whoeveritmayconcern".

[WolfAlmighty]

You got out of your tank to Baur a guy? That's risky, and I just know that would have backfired if I'd have tried that. He would have hopped in his tank and wtfpwned me with it. But then again BF hates me, so yeah. :salute:

~Wolfgang

[toek]

not a master, will tell you a few things ive found out, transport takes 3 to 4 rockets if not damaged. gunship only takes two, best results is when gunship
flies from left to right, or right to left from you, fire both rockets as soon as it
locks and you dont have to hold lock for them to hit. if there comeing right at
you rockets might hit, if there going away from you and they have any distance, one rocket might land. but just haveing a lock, sure makes them bug
out after ya shotem down a few times,lol