Tactical Operations Briefing

X-Wing Alliance - Battle 7, Mission 4

Death Star Tunnel Run

Skill level:  Hard
Craft:  Millennium Falcon
FG:  Falcon 1
# of Craft:  1
# of Waves:  1
Armaments:  Advanced Concussion Missiles
Countermeasure:  None
Mission Objectives:
    Escape Death Star's Destruction
    Destroy Reactor Core
Bonus Points:
    (1000) Destroy superlaser lens

Depending on the approach you take, the final mission can be both challenging and easy.

Before you even begin this mission, you should probably take down the graphics settings a bit - high frame-rates are a necessity for this one.

To complete this mission the easiest way, you will want to slow down to about two-thirds throttle and set your recharge rates to maximum (Coming to a complete stop in this mission will cause X-Wing Red 1 to ram you, since he is following so close behind). Slowing down will allow you to destroy the pipes blocking your path, or make dodging the pipes much easier. If you aren't confident in your ability to maneuver around the obstacles, it is recommended that you blast them with your turrets. If you're the more daring type, speed up and do your best to keep that obtrusive left side of Falcon out of harms way. Remember that the game regenerates the pipes every time you reload the mission, so don't bother memorizing routes within those particular sections.

After the first few pipe sections, there will be a branch off to the left that you will be forced to take since the 'primary route' is blocked, and won't be unclogged until after you've destroyed the core. Getting to this point without slowing down to blast pipes should take less than half a minute. However, if you decided to destroy obstacles, you should take extra care to clear these sections, since you will have to brave them again on your way out.

The first real change of scenery after the forced detour will be the container acceleration area. Try to fit yourself in the center of the acceleration ring, avoiding the containers if you can. Don't worry about colliding with the containers that much, the might roll your craft, but damage done to your shields is minimal. Staying towards the center of the rings should set you up for the speed bursts that the rings provide, if you don't achieve this, you will simply have to hug the edges of the next tunnel until you get to the container deceleration ring. If you managed to get a speed burst, don't make any sudden course changes until you've been slowed back down. High speed collisions aren't pretty. Once you are back at normal speed, target the closest Imperial fighter to you - somehow the TIEs following you seem to make it through the rings before any of the other Rebel fighters, so you will want to keep an eye on them. If an Imp gets on your six in this portion, it's a good idea to dispose of it quickly with your turrets.

The next few sections consist of more pipe rooms. When Ackbar pleads with you to take out the super-laser you have the decision of either completing a bonus goal (worth 1000 bonus points) or proceeding with your mission. If you decide to go for the power source, target the newly activated laser array (Colored white on your sensors) and fly in that direction when you reach the next fork.

It is recommended that you only go for the bonus if you have strong shields and no following Imp fighters. This is because once you've reached the laser and have taken out the conduit, you will have to make a very sharp 180-degree turn back to where you came from, which usually results in a crunch that can easily kill your ship. Now you have to make your way back to the juncture and go towards the reactor.

Continue towards the reactor until you reach a square chamber. An indicator telling you that a turbo-laser is firing at you should now light up. Target your nearest enemy, which should be the turret, and head for it. The turret is located in front of the tunnel leading to the reactor and must be destroyed. Be sure to take out any of the Zero-G Stormtroopers in the room as well.

Following this room will be another large tunnel and a few pipe areas. Once you come within six klicks or so of the reactor, you will enter a white tunnel that the Falcon will barely fit in.

At the end of the this tunnel is that huge reactor chamber. If everything worked out right, Red 1 should be right behind you and ready to destroy the power regulator on the north tower. If for some reason Red 1 gets off track, you will have to take out the conduit yourself (Target it by hitting [,] until it is highlighted on the core). Once the regulator is out, the core will have a 75% hull reading. Now target the reactor component and let loose a locked pair of Adv. Missiles. When the missiles hit, the reactor will read 12% hull and begin to explode, head back towards the white tunnel you just came out of.

High tail it out of the reactor chamber and back through the pipe rooms you passed through. Somewhere along the line you will rejoin with the newly unclogged primary route, making your escape a bit faster. You will not have time to slow down and shoot pipes with the explosion hot on your tracks, so now's the time to put into practice all those hours in the proving grounds. For the outgoing route, it's recommended that you hit your [F12] preset and then change your ELS settings to 75/50 - doing so will burst your speed while giving you control enough to manage a bit of control over the Falcon.

With a little luck, and a lot of concentration and practice, you should make it out of the DS II in time. Good luck!

Author:  Tony Marco (Kid - Rogue 6)
Strategy:  Tony Marco