How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

[SquidNipples]

I just got Battlefield 2 and the Special Forces pack a few weeks ago. I've read through the forums here a bit and I need a little assistance.

I've seen a lot of whining/bitching/complaining about in game AA and a lot of back and forth as to its true purpose and efficacy.

In my playing experience so far, choppers are not too difficult to take down. If they hold stil for a few seconds, Stinger turrets can make short work of them. They are also relatively easy to take out with mobile AA and heavy caliber MGs.

In all my time playing however, I have yet to take out a single Jet with a Stinger turret or from mobile AA. I have maintained a lock, waited for them to drop flares, and then fired when the turret locked on again. I have tried to shoot when the jets approach vector is parallel to the path of the missile (IE shoot the jet when its coming to me or going away from me so the missiles don't have to curve). Still no kills.

Any advice on how to bag those jets? I have a joystick and I've been practicing flying, but I'm not a good enough pilot yet.

[Red Ghost]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

Its really blind luck i'm affraid. Its generally not worth even shooting at a jet to be honest, 9/10 times the missile will pull off an impossible turn and hit a friendly.

If the jet even turns slightly then the missile will miss.

[WrAth2110]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

Hello Mr. Nipples.

The AA, so ineffective, you might as well shoot search flares at the helis. But from the many hours I have wasted out of my life, I have some tricks as to using the SAMs (surfice to air missles):

-The only way I have seen people take those out is when the jet goes to drop their load on the SAM site. Because when the jet is going straight for you, its flares do not affect the missle's path for hit will hit the jet first (if that makes sense.)

As for helis:


-When your locked on, let him shoot out his flares, then aim the circle so the heli is at the bottom of it. Then once you shoot your missles wont be affected by the flares. But make sure that your cirlce does not leave him otherwise the tracking system will start over and he will have his flares back.

-These SAMs do have good range, so keep firing them until you have no more heat signal; do that even if you cant actual see him.

-Smart pilots will cirlcle the SAM nest side to side, this is going to make it basically impossible for you to kill them. Howerver, most pilots cant shoot accuratly while strifing so they will hit a tree, OR have to stop to shoot you, at that time fire at him and use the same tactics.

-O ya, never use the AA vechicle. That thing is useless. If you want to use AA use the stationary SAMs.

[R0man]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

R0man's guide to taking down jets with AA:

1. Wait until the 1.2 patch comes out
2. Download 1.2 patch
3. Install 1.2 patch
4. Shoot at and kill jets with stingers

That is all.

[Grafisk]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

R0man's guide to taking down jets with AA:

1. Wait until the 1.2 patch comes out
2. Download 1.2 patch
3. Install 1.2 patch
4. Shoot at and kill jets with stingers

That is all.

We can only hope. They stated that the AA-missiles should've been improved in the 1.12 patch too ^^

[HicRic]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

HicRic's guide to pessimism:

1. Wait until the 1.2 patch comes out
2. Download 1.2 patch
3. Install 1.2 patch
4. Shoot at enemy jets with stingers and kill your own instead

All joking aside, I really don't think this patch is going to help stingers hit jets. The last one was supposed to and it did diddly-squat.

I disagree with the anti-mobile AA sentiment: the reason choppers will get you when you're in a stinger is that they know where you are. In mobile AA, you can launch an attack from a surprise location, and their missiles are (IIRC) exactly the same as the stingers from fixed sites. Not to mention, you can a nice rapid cannon to shoot as well.

[Auto-ER-]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

The best AA for helis is the HUMVEE/Vodnik or any .50 cal. ,and for planes, another plane.

[Thorling]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

-O ya, never use the AA vechicle. That thing is useless. If you want to use AA use the stationary SAMs.

I gotta disagree. Four missles is better than two, plus you can polish off a smoking bird with your guns if it's coming straight for you as it often is.

The other day I had a good round -- got two jet kills and about six choppers with the AA vehicle. My kill/death ratio was still ugly -- I died to jets at least a dozen times -- but the AA vehicle is surely not useless. Against jets, it's *very* difficult to get kills, but not impossible. After recent patches, unwary choppers are pure meat.

[Thorling]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

Oops, forgot the on-topic point. The easiest time to kill a jet with the AA vehicle is when he's coming to kill you. Early detection is key here; you need to lock him up and set off his alarms when he's still a long way out, so he pops flares and you have time to reaquire before he reaches you. Then pop four missles fast and climb on the guns. If your timing is perfect and enough missles fly true (30% chance at best), he'll blow up just before bomb release. His wreckage may well strike you, it's that close a call.

Most common result is you get bombed to death and he flys away smoking. But if his bombing is off, wheel around 90 degrees and stay climbed on your gun, you can often finish him.

If you don't see him coming in time to try this, try to maneuver out from under his bombs and don't fire missles at all. You won't escape damage, but you might live. In that case, wheel 90 degrees, lock him up, and launch your missles down his tailpipe. If he breaks hard enough, he'll lose the missles, but a lot of jet pilots are arrogant and they'll be looking up for that "killed so-and-so" message. Four missles straight into the engines cures that arrogance real quick.

[Kattspya]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

-O ya, never use the AA vechicle. That thing is useless. If you want to use AA use the stationary SAMs.

I'll have to disagree as well. A well hidden AA-vehicle will take time to find and will deplete your flares. They aren't lethal but they are very very annoying.

[Shae]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

AA is a very fickle thing in this game. So here are the rules of AA.

1) Get a lock.
2) Wait for flares to disperse from target.
3) Pray
4) Wait until flares dissapate
5) Pray
6) If you still have a lock and are still breathing - fire your missles.
7) Pray
8) Get the hell out of dodge
9) Find cover
10) Wait about 30 seconds
11) Rinse repeat

This doesn't work for jets. For jets head on encounters are your best chance - the problem is that you'll most likely be respawning. I have had the best luck using mobile AA against jets and the AA on the carriers. Stingers and such are pretty much worthless against jets unless they are all ready damaged.

Want to take out a jet? Go climb in the cockpit of one and then go shoot them down.

[BIFF EXPLODER]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

1) shoot one once with the handgun or any other accurate gun (handgun is cooler :P)
2)wait and hope for it to crash and get the kill

heheheheh happened loads of times in bf1942 with me with the engineer rifle

[Alcorr]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

O ya, never use the AA vechicle. That thing is useless. If you want to use AA use the stationary SAMs.

Absolutely not, as a chopper pilot 70-90% of my de@ths are tungustas and linbackers and the like....

[Cregser]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

It was my understanding from watching movies and playing jetfighter games that missile lock was a pilot's worst nightmare. Yet the same thing in BF2 is merely a mild hindrance and reason to lower your speaker volume. It's not right.

Bombs should be easier to drop and missiles should be easier to hit. When I first started flying in this game I was pulling all sorts of stunts to avoid lock, and trusting the HUD to guide my bombs (like it should). Now I take my time to judge the bombs myself and ignore the useless HUD.

[Badboris_uk]

Re: How Do I maximize AA effectiveness?

I shot a jet down with a TOW missile once, was coming straight for me after i took out a humvee full of his friends and i hit him straight on the nose.

I wouldn't recommend trying it though.

A good tactic I find is to get 2 supply crates over a big open field, and drive between the 2. jet pilots won't be able to adjust trajectory in time to bomb you, and you fire the missiles at them as they are flying away. by the time they come back around you are fully repaired if they glance you.

other than that, hide. works for me :)