Tactical Operations Briefing: Rebel

XvT, Single Player Exercise: Custom Dogfight

Skill Level: Hard
Duty Roster: Slot 1, X-wing Rogue
Craft:  X-wing
#Craft:  1
#Waves:  100
Armament:  Advanced Missiles (8)
Countermeasures:  Flare

There are many different strategies to completing this mission. I am going to go over what is in my opinion the easiest of all the strategies. Also, I am assuming you are flying this mission as a custom dogfight, instead of a capital ship attack (which is another method of flying this mission and earning a Top Performance).

This mission is exactly what it says, a custom dogfight. You get to choose which craft you go up against, and when you go up against them. The only requirement for beating this mission is to destroying the first ship of each of the four ship types (1 T/F, 1 T/I, 1 T/B, and 1 T/A). You are only required to make these four kills, but with a little more time and effort, you can earn the coveted Top Performance. That is the strategy I will focus on in this briefing.

When you enter the mission, set your preferred ELS for dogfighting Tie Fighters. I personally like to use 75/50, but I also am known to use 100/0 on occasion. Since you have 100 follow-up waves, it doesn't really matter. Set your lasers to your preferred laser setting (single, dual, or linked), but keep warheads set at single fire.

Tell your wingman to wait (SHIFT-W) and target CN/E ?T/F.? Inspecting this container causes the first ship from the T/F group to enter. This pilot is of the Novice skill level and is easy to dispatch. Destroy him using either lasers, or an Adv. Missile, it doesn't really matter which. This is the only craft from the T/F group that has to be destroyed in order to complete the mission, but we are after a blue ribbon!

By this time, more TIEs should be on their way, so pick one and go to it. Assign your wingman targets by targeting a ship and ordering him to attack (SHIFT-A). One by one destroy this craft's follow up waves. The AI ranges from Novice to Top Ace (10 of each level). My preferred method is to single fire all of my Adv. Missiles then attack the rest of the ships with lasers until I am destroyed. Then switch back to missiles in the new craft and repeat the strategy.

Once all of the T/Fs are gone, tell your wingman to wait again and target CN/E ?T/I.? Follow the same procedure as you did with the T/Fs. Once all of the T/Is are destroyed you should have 50,000 pts, but don't hyper out just yet. You still have to kill the first craft of the T/B and T/A groups. You also have to make a choice--the easiest way is to just kill the first craft of the T/B and T/A groups. To do this, I like to tell my wingman to wait again, set ELS to 0/0 and target CN/E ?T/B.? I then inspect it, and fire one Adv. Missile at the T/B, then turn and target CN/E ?T/A.? Inspect it, fire one Adv. Missile at it, and hyper home, and enjoy your Top Performance.

The other way, and the way to get maximum points, is to continue on with CN/E ?T/B? and CN/E ?T/A? the way you did with T/F and T/I until all enemy ships are destroyed. Then, if you want, identify CN/E ?Challenge? and destroy the capital ships that hyper in (it is better in this case however, to have selected Heavy Rockets as your Armament). CUV Reload will replenish your warheads when you run out, just be sure to keep him near the PLT for safety. After all of the capitol ships are destroyed, go home for the Top Performance.

Author:  Brennan Roth (Rainman - Rogue 5)
Strategy:  Brennan Roth