Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

[NoseKi||s]

Attack choppers are one of the most powerful asset in the game if used right. With the TV missile u can take out any target in the game with a single shot from a distance so great they can't even see you. The turret is great against infantry, the rockets take out light targets in a blink of an eye and in maneuverability, only a jet can compete with it.

It seems though that quite a few ppl don't realize how to take advantage of these features. Too many times i've been asked to "Get in!" into an attack hopper of which the pilot then flys to the nearest enemy flag and starts to hover-cap it facing away from the defending forces so that the gunner can't even spot the enemies.

So i'd like to make a comprehensive, educational (and maybe humorous) list of things to do and not to do with an attack chopper. Pls add your own hints and i'll try to edit them into a list every once in a while.

1:
- The attack chopper is not great for capping flags
- The attack chopper is great for clearing armoured targets so your team mates can cap flags

2:
- It's fun and easy to take out any slow moving target with a TV-missile from a hovering chopper, from a distance>50m
- It's darn near impossible to take out anything with either the turret or TV-missiles when you're hovering on it or flying aimlessly around the map nose down at 150Km/h

5:
- Your teammates appreciate it when u use the teams chopper to take out armoured vehicles that they spot for u.
- Your teammates don't appreciate it when u use the teams chopper to spawnrape at the enemys uncappable flag

6:
- You can do a roll with a chopper if you're high enough (to dodge incoming missiles for example)
- You very seldom relly need to do a roll with a chopper if you just move and stay low enough (to avoid missile locks in the first place)

7:
- A good pilot/gunner pair uses VOIP and minimap so they both know what are the most important targets/threats around
- A bad pilot/gunner pair don't even know eachothers nicks so when either one tries to communicate, the other one ignores him and both get killed

8:
- A bad gunner cant hit anything with a TV-missile
- A REALLY bad gunner doesn't even try to hit anything with a TV-missile, like the damn missiles cost something to him

[AZwldcats]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

Where is 3 and 4?

[=DNC=BongSquad]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

Looking for competant gunners and/or pilots for attack choppers to play with.

Find me on XFire, username 'dncbongsquad'

We can start a group list of people who love to use the chopper to the best of it's ability.

[Citrus Man]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

My Xfire is citrusman and I am a good chopper co-pilot. I live in the UK so don't expect me to play on American servers etc

[-=SiN=-Broown]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

That is awesome man. So many times have i tried to use the chopper and find out i have a gunner that isn't aware of the tv missle. One of the best weapons if not the best weapons in the game. And it actually requires little to no skill to operate. point click to direct its flight.... On the flip side i have had gunners that are very swept up with it and even let me know when i need repairs. So with all of that said, it is exactly like anything else in bf2.

Good thread though man.... :)

[NoseKi||s]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

Where is 3 and 4?

MIA :cry:

[BeerStein]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

3. A good pilot can give a gunner a steady shot - then move on, rather than jerkin all over like they are an epileptic.
A bad pilot blames the gunner when they did not kill the tank that was in the top corner of the tv screen for .0001 seconds and the nose was pointed so low the round would hit the ground even if he did try.

4. A good pilot will hover over the repair and not land on people or other choppers that are there.
A bad pilot will tail swipe or squash anything in sight that gets near his chopper - including other vehicles. No one is safe.

[The_Misfit]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

1200 kills in the helo, and sure, lots of deaths, but most of my helo work is as a pilot that doesn't know how to stay out of action :) xfire: themisfit1 US East player who's in my clans public TS most of the time.

Good points, I'll throw a few more in as my $0.02, mostly from the perspective of what a GOOD pilot should do.

1. while taking off and flying down the street between trees at 10' looks cool, its virtually useless to your gunner. His TV view is a nice shot of dirt, grass, nothing that resembles a target. When a stinger is locking on your like crazy, yeah, you'll have to get evasive. But from an offensive standpoint hovering from a distance so he can get a good TV shot is paramount.

2. Your gunner. When I get in with a random pub player, I'll keep an eye out for a good target, preferrably the opposing attack helo, and I'll line him up for an easy TV. If he starts on the machine gun and doens't use the TV you know you're in for trouble. The havok at times can take out cobras due to its superior gun, but nothing is easier than an attack from 200m that the opponent never sees until its too late. Gunners need to practice and learn the TV, along with the F18's LGB's, they are the most powerful weapon in the game (not counting arty).

3. For pub play, if you find a good pilot/gunner that your working with (and not having to fight 6 other guys over for the helo), then get in a squad together. VoIP / TS + The camera key has allowed me to take out countless attack helos by having my gunner spot him from the various camera views. Not only good for dogfights, it helps with stingers and mobile AA (seeing where the missles are coming from). This is priceless and a team speaking to each other will take out random players anyday.

4. The role of the attack helo. I can't tell you how many times I've been on ground or in armor, trying to cap flags, while the MI-28 is raping us - infantry/armor - at will. I look on my minimap to see our Cobra strafing their base, or doing some infantry pwnage of his own. This is NOT the way to fly.
Your #1 job is to keep the opposing attack helo at bay....TV his butt a few times and while he's respawning you can work on a tank or some infantry. But as soon as I see him spotted, its the first place I fly to.

Ever notice how the effectiveness of bombing runs by jets is nullified when BOTH sides have good fighter pilots in the air? Same applies for the helo. Take it on and allow the guys on the ground to do their job.

5. Last but not least, fly UNSELFISHLY. I've got 1200 kills, but still haven't rolled up 19 for my helo ribbon. I don't gun often, and I let my gunner use his gun for infantry, and his TV for armor / helos.

I hold onto my missles for times when he's reloading (TV) or when we enter a dogfight with the opposing helo. Keep your nose up so he can TV, watch where he's aiming with his machine gun and turn for him. And if you do decide to cap a flag, you can hover and use the tail rotor to basically spin in circles so that the gunner has the chance to check out the area for enemies. (but as the author said, this isnt the best thing for you to do)

Can't tell you how many times some Maverick pilot has straffed an armor laden area, missles going everywhere, me with no TV view, and then called me a crappy gunner for not shooting after an M1A1 blasts us to bits...

Just my 2 cents, enjoy :)

[-=SiN=-Broown]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

Nicely said d00d. Totally agree :)

[Talus]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

Nothing beats flying an attack chopper with a good friend and VOIP (in-game VOIP is ok, but a third party program that doesn't require push-to-talk is even better )

I'd consider us a pretty close to unstoppable force.

[N2K]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

i dont have one yet but ill get an xfire account soon, i can do either jobs

[BeerStein]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

1200 kills in the helo, and sure, lots of deaths, but most of my helo work is as a pilot that doesn't know how to stay out of action :) xfire: themisfit1 US East player who's in my clans public TS most of the time.

Good points, I'll throw a few more in as my $0.02, mostly from the perspective of what a GOOD pilot should do.

...

Good stuff. I have just short of 3,200 kills in the chopper and I agree with most everything you said. I have posted numerous comments, tips, tidbits, etc about the attack chopper. I also put up screen shots showing exactly what the gunner sees and what the pilot sees. This way the pilot can tell exactly how to position the gunner for a good tv shot. I cannot find the post, so I will post the screen shots.

Please forgive the long post - but I think it is VERY beneficial for both the gunner and the pilot to know the limits of the view....

Cobra - Pilot View - Target #1


Cobra - Gunner's view - Target #1


Cobra - Target #1 - View Superimposed over each other


China Helo - Pilot View - Target #2


China Helo - Gunner View - Target #2


China Helo - Target #2 - View Superimposed over each other

[Talus]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

..and those images helped me become a better pilot for my gunner

[JasonSix]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

I've had several great gunners fly with me over the past several weeks. Fushe Pass, I believe, I would hover right outside our permaspawn and this one guy could hit tanks,APCs, and AA vehicles over halfway across the map with the TV missles. On the flip side I've had gunners who acted as if they weren't even there.

-Jason

[18Zulukiller]

Re: Attack chopper: big nono's and doit's

I think this is a brilliant post and hopefully it will help some people but id like to add to it. If you a gunner in an attack heli you need to be changing views press f9 so you get an unresricted view but occassionaly switch back so you can centre your gun again. Also if you fighting another attack heli and cant find them press f11 you can the see a third person view and behind you so you can then tell the pilot if the enemys behind you.