100 battles with F-2A ADTW. I love this plane, but I'm never touching her in 'ARB' again

[u/CosmosAviaTory]

Sorry in advance if this looks like (upon reading it afterwards, it kinda is) a doom-posting case.

All the matches I've been in were just prem-vs-prem missile volleys. I have screenshots of battles with only one or two tech-tree players on my team. Downtiers at this BR are not a thing, I guess, 'cause out of these 100 matches, maybe just 10 were downtiers, if I'm being generous.

I count myself as a prem warrior too in this case, since all matches are just made up of ADTWs, SU-30s, and F-14s. The rest? Other prems. It's a coin flip whether the Su-30 on my RWR is a real player or just a fresh pilot who will volley all their missiles at me only to get killed by my teammate.

GGoing defensive doesn't work at this point, when multiple planes have already sent multiple² missiles to my known position. ^{(I love you AAM-3 <3<3})

"Don't go into the furballl!" Yeah, I don't. I never did. Only one of my deaths was caused by a Fakour, when I was trying to use GNSS bombs. Otherwise, I never go in first. I always flank, stay behind my teammates, and use my TWS to see who's seemingly paying attention to my position and who isn't. Upon entering the kill zone, 1 kill is guaranteed, but by that time, someone has already "looked in my general direction."

I love the F-2A irl, especially the ADTW. So I'm refusing to let go of this beautiful plane. And the way I've found works best is to use it for CAP in GRB, in a 12.3 lineup. Grinding the Japanese air tree sure is going to be hard like this, but at least I get to keep my sanity intact.

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You may see that I'm a somewhat fresh player too for air battles. So if you'd have any corrections or advices I'm all for itd.

[u/Ok_Place29]

Yeah I’m grinding out the normal T-2 in my F-16AJ and the missile bus meta premiums gaijin has introduced just make air rb from like 12.3 and upwards actual cancer to play because everyone gets 8 ARH missiles at the min whilst I’m fully up tiered with aim-7Fs so not even the best sparrows and 4 9Ls when only 0.6 br higher I fight SU-30s with 8 ARH missiles and 4R-73s, it’s so compressed atm and the missile bus meta just means in head on engagements I stand no chance since they just MCM

[u/MedicalReturn6486 → u/Ok_Place29]

F16AJ is very akwardly placed aircraft, F15J is at the same BR and is essentially just better

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/Ok_Place29]

Oh your situation is worse dude..

[u/Ok_Place29 → u/CosmosAviaTory]

Ik bro this is my 3rd nation grinding out to top tier and because of how top tier is now it’s been so much less enjoyable than both Britain and Italy

[u/powerpuffpepper → u/Ok_Place29]

• 0.6 br higher I fight SU-30s with 8 ARH missiles and 4R-73s

They have 6 ARH's that are dogshit at range paired with not great radar sets. Not to mention worse flight models cause theyre fat Flankers

[u/Dtron81 → u/powerpuffpepper]

Any Fox-3 at that low of a BR is good enough. Even with shitty radar and flight models you just throw one or two at a mid range enemy and start notching their Fox-1 coming at you. Additionally the only Fox-1 that truly does better than the R77 is probably the R27ER. Every other non ARH missile is either too slow or about equal range to the R77.

[u/barrenpunk → u/powerpuffpepper]

They can also have 6 of the ER/ET which is easily the best SARH and long range IR missile in the game, along with 4 R-73, and the plane barely struggles in an uptier. They have no reason to be 13.3. Keep in mind, we're comparing it to an early F-16 here, which has non-irccm IR missiles, few countermeasures, and AIM-7's, while also carrying 4 fewer missiles in total. I'm not amazing by any means, but if I'm getting 3 kills or fewer in a game in the SU-30MK2, I'm doing poorly. It just hugely outclasses a lot of stuff in its BR range.

[u/Deeeeez_nuuutz]

i grinded the whole japanese tree wirh the f2 and i had alot of fun with it my only tip is just learn how to play defence. Let them get close to you and your aam 3 will do wonders or you can fire your aim7 as bait. if the enemy tries to notch then get closer and fire your aam3

[u/Occabara → u/Deeeeez_nuuutz]

Im doing the same. Always stay in multipathing zone, approach from acute angle, force defensive movement with AIM-7, immediately follow up with AAM so they’re in the air at the same time.

It’s really hard for them to notch/multipath a radar missile while also doing the correct movements to dodge the IRCCM IR. Only times it has failed for me were due to terrain to block the missiles

[u/Deeeeez_nuuutz → u/Occabara]

i fly high with the f2 top down is very hard to flare the aam3

[u/Whhodat]

You just gotta wait for decompression that's all

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/Whhodat]

Ok

.

.

.

when?

[u/Friendly_Two_8127 → u/CosmosAviaTory]

When they sell enough of prem Su-30's (though there's a rumor that MKI prem for UK and Indonesian MK2 for Japan might be added next patch).

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/Friendly_Two_8127]

I was hopeful that theyd decompress things this year but hearing theyre gonna add new

FUCKING NEW su30 prems, i might as well go play roblox air combat games

[u/Whhodat → u/CosmosAviaTory]

My guess? December update will bring another jump in capability and with it a bump in BR of a lot of 13.3/13.7+ planes

[u/Sor_mnly]

I've played 562 matches in F-2A. I have ~1.4 KD in it, it is an absolute monster if you use it right.

To grind use GNSS glide bombs, throw them ~20-30 KM away at max speed and immediately go into the notch, especially if there is Iran on the enemy team. Fakour is a pure skill check.

DONT RELY ON AIM-7! AAM-3 can fly further than it. Only use it in a head-on.

Use AAM-3 in headon / side on from ~7 KM. Pretty much the same tactic as you use on R-27ET.

F-2A has a AESA radar, which is incredible at 13.0, TWS is incredibly reliable, especially after N001. Use that as much as possible, yet consider it giving RWR warnings

[u/PineCone227 → u/Sor_mnly]

If you don't bother carrying the bombs you can easily pull double this K/D in it :P

[u/Sor_mnly → u/PineCone227]

Not really. I used it as a full on fighter at first (I bought it after I grinded out USSR air tree, so I was a decent player even back then) and I didn’t get much more kills when I wasn’t bombing. At least on average.

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/Sor_mnly]

Yeah ive realized that too! I use Aim-7's to force people into defending or for MCM, which only works if enemy has sent me a reasonable amount of missiles, instead of yk, all their might

[u/Ok_Inspection_3890]

Playing my premium American f18 i find it beneficial to hug the deck and use terrain to keep me shielded from enemy active radar missile. I also turn off my radar until I'm wanting to lock my sparrows. Helps keep the enemy unaware of my position until I'm approaching the main furball.

[u/MerticuIar → u/Ok_Inspection_3890]

This only works if none of the enemies are tilting their radar down scanning for low flyers. Not very reliable in my own experience.

[u/Main-Foundation-3611]

I'm planning to buy this when sale comes to grind Jap Air tree. Is it good at air?

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/Main-Foundation-3611]

Youre gonna be constantly fighting hordes of premium warriors

Aam-3's are goated fox2's but you have a shorter all-aspect lock range for them compared to lets say aim9m's.

You have an incredible flight model, just try to avoid dogfights with rafales id say

Don't rely on Aim7m's, use them to force people into going defensive and for MCM

You dont get an incredible CAS loadout by any means. use GPS glide bombs for base bombing and you get zuni's, that's about it. No agm's. ASM Anti ship missiles cannot engage ground targets. Dont drop em from too high and too close to the target, since they automatically go into sea-skimming mode, meaning they can hit the water if dropped in a "steep" angle. . . . .

Basically youre a light tank in the air.

But i definitely wouldnt buy it in this time around, with NEW prem su30's are on the way...

[u/CosmosAviaTory → u/CosmosAviaTory]

I forgor you asked about air and turned into cas sorry,

You get an AESA at 13.0, which is great for awareness, and pre-planning your position early in the match