Tactical Operations Briefing: Rebel

BoP operation 4, Retrieve supply containers from Gelgelar base

Skill level: Hard
Duty Roster: Slot 6, B-wing Green
Craft: B-wing
#Craft: 1
#Waves: 3
Armament: Proton torpedoes (12)
Countermeasures: None

This mission depends fully on your capability of dogfighting to disable enemy fighters, mostly T/As.

The critical part of this mission is also correctly defending the CRS Liberty from torpedo runs from T/Bs and also avoiding inspecting the cargo containers until all enemy craft have been destroyed or disabled. Inspecting the containers will cause Heavy Lifter Weevil to enter the area and it takes only a quad laser shot or so to kill them. ( If any of HLF Weevil are destroyed, you lose the mission.)

When you enter the area, set your ELS to 0/0 and head strait towards the battle area. Select your proton torpedoes and link them for dual fire, all while targeting the M/FRG Harpy. When you enter warhead range, fire off your full warhead load at the M/FRG. By now the Liberty will have entered the area and will be firing laser volleys at the M/FRG. Your torpedoes won't kill the FRG, but will make it run for hyperspace. And that is the important part. If the M/FRG would be to stay in the area, the Liberty would be destroyed. Go to hyperspace and prepare to exit the Liberty's hangar.

Now in your new ship, set your ELS to 75/0 and fire your payload at the VSD Stormhawk. Then switch to lasers and kill T/B's Beta ( 3 fighters) that will be firing torps at the Calamari cruiser. A new group from Delta will exit the VSD, so disable them quickly and then go after the other fighters in the area (T/F Alpha, T/I Delta and T/A Zeta). Disable as many of them with this fighter.

The Liberty will proceed along its course and kill the T/B's you disabled, so be ready, once more, to disable the new group of T/B's.

The CRS will get out of range quickly and, if you did a good job of defending it, have around 25% shields. If not, it might have some hull damage, but it's shields recharge fairly rapidly and it's soon out of range of the VSD's guns. Now, if there are any X-wings from Rogue group remaining, order them to wait or they will kill the fighters you disabled. Check to see if PLT Hormuuz's shields are at 0% and if yes, order your wingmen to attack the VSD. Otherwise, let them attack the PLT until the shields drop. Now go ahead and disable the Hormuuz. Then hyper out for your final craft with its full warhead load.

Do NOT fire your remaining warheads, you're going to need them later. If you're lucky, the VSD's shields will have dropped from sustained laser fire from the Liberty and your wingmen. (This rarely happens, as the Stormhawk starts the mission with shields at 200%) So if it's shields aren't down, start making repeated laser runs at the underside of the VSD. (I prefer to use a ELS setting of 75/0 heading in, and then getting out of range to recharge.)

When the VSD's shields hits 40% (or so I believe) the VSD will start making a run for hyperspace. ( It's around 4 minutes from it's hyperspace point.) Now is the time to use your torpedoes at it. Head out three kilometers away, turn around with your ELS at 100/100 and fire your full torpedo load at the VSD. It's shield will drop after being hit by eight torpedoes or so. Head at full throttle towards the VSD and disable it. Now comes the fun!

Kill the Hormuuz for 5000 bonus points and then kill the Stormhawk for 10,000 bonus points. Now go after the disabled T/B's and kill them. A few seconds after the last T/B is destroyed, two GUN's from TAU will enter the area and will go after the Liberty. Don't worry, they don't have any warheads, so they're no threat to the Liberty as long as you kill them rapidly. Use the toggle-weapons trick to kill/disable the GUNs quickly and then do the same for the three following waves that will be after the Liberty. Killing 100% of group TAU (8 ships) will give you 5000 bonus points.

Now go after the remaining disabled fighters and kill them, all except for the T/A's whose follow-up wave might succeed in killing you. Inspect the four cargo containers and wait for HLF Weevil to enter the area and carry the containers away. If you want, you can now kill T/A Zeta and it's follow-up's or you can just quit and admire the new blue ribbon that is pinned to your jacket. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back!

Author: Marc Desrosiers (Prowler - Buccaneer Five)
Strategy: Marc Desrosiers