pogled
Member
+0|7047|Europe
A lot has been written in this forum about the truely bad performance of AA systems in BF2.
Due to corellations to my RL I tried to play the often sadly neglected AA role (air supperiority to everyone!) for quite some time.
Stationary stingers suck, everybody knows. So I went for mobile AA.
What did i find out? Good for killing infantry (cars somteimes), but it gets boring to kill infantry with a gun when you want to shoot down enemy air assets to defend your team form enemy air threats. If you start vour SAMs in two pairs at a single helicopter. that might bring it down (if it is going straight for you and no friendlies anywhere in the sky) - but Stingers are AF (anti-friendlies) rockets. Damaged BH kann be killed by intensive gunfire (if the pilot is stupid enough and you don't run out of ammo, thanks support!). Jets can only be killed by jets or terrain.

BUT then I found a pretty perfect way to kill helicopters. I was playing Chinese with a friend on Dalian Plant where the enemy Cobras (2 of them + a stolen chinese helo). Beat the shit out of our team. Soon we found ourselves beaten back to the main base with the helicopter gunships strafing us every 15 seconds.
So what to do? I went for the Igla, fired 3 missels, hit nothing and got killed. Reapeat, same outcoume.
When the stingers were destroyed by an enemy airstrike and a Cobra came for us i got myselve behind a TOW. One shot, two kills. Luck? Dont't know. Try again. Second Cobra, two shots (one hit, he was manoeuvring), two kills. My friend and i manged to repell 3 attack helicopter waves by using the home base's TOWs and this enambled our team to go into the offense again (lost anyway, but who cares).

Since that day, when i hear a helicopter i go to the next TOW, take a look at tha map (where is it heading?, a air spotter in your squad is helpful too), take cover and wait for the helicopter to get stable (straight flight, hover) - rocket launch, correct movement, two kills.
Unfortunetly these kills don't count towards the AA-Badge :-)

Any similar experiences? What weapon do you (ab)use as AAA? Share it with us, so those pilots in their shiny flying suits have something to worry about!
Ir0n-M@n
has the greatest stats on earth
+125|7013|Germany
I think it is a bit ridiculous that you have to shoot 4 shots with Stinger to get a CAR down ... EA should think over this and change it because it is very unrealistic!
Tigg@lot
noob on tour
+1|7043|NRW,Germany

Ir0n-M@n wrote:

EA should think over this and change it because it is very unrealistic!
The most unrealistic part is someone shooting stingers at cars afterall ^^
pogled
Member
+0|7047|Europe
Well I didn't say anything about cars. I refferd to the guns of the mobile AA, maybe it didn't come out that clear.

Last edited by pogled (2005-11-13 04:04:19)

sheggalism
Member
+16|7011|France
one day I shot down a chopper by killing his pilot with an AT rocket launcher
I was wondering how did I manage to do this, when I realized what the rocket has hit directly the cockpit's windshield, blasting the poor guy behind without destroying the heli. So I discovered what you can kill copter's crew by shooting them through the glass without using M95's .50 bullets, and that's an instant kill ! (quite hard to do I agree but not impossible)

Well I agree, Dice should re-examine non-mobile AA missiles physic and may add Radar-guided missiles like AMRAAM, more powerful, more deadlier but in limited use. And Long Live to Linebacker, Tuguska and chinese one !
VirtuaLResistancE
ArmChair Warrior
+4|7024|NH - USA
I have not tried a TOW piece against an aircraft, but they do a damn good job on land units compared to the hand-held pieces. EA has the damage points low on hand helds, but then again, I havent been in the field to know the difference.
T1mbrW0lf
Member
+2|7065|Eastern PA

VirtuaLResistancE wrote:

I have not tried a TOW piece against an aircraft, but they do a damn good job on land units compared to the hand-held pieces.
TOW's also make for one hell of a surprised jet jockey when you nail him with a "down the throat" shot while he's throttled back to line you up for a strafing run . . .
kilroy0097
Kilroy Is Here!
+81|7112|Bryan/College Station, TX
TOWs are very good against stationary low helicopters. Often use them when I get a chance. This is why you need gunners in your heli to take out TOWs and AAs when you are near them.

Last edited by kilroy0097 (2005-11-13 19:55:28)

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis
oberst_enzian
Member
+234|7011|melb.au
I used a TOW the other night and took down a BH, and while I was Lmao I got the ground defense badge! good fun. Also, I think its ridiculous that while on the oilfields I hit an enemy chopper with the mobile AA's cannons until they fucking OVERHEATED and all that happened was that he started smoking. that is totally retarded

Last edited by oberst_enzian (2005-11-13 19:57:56)

Stubbee
Religions Hate Facts, Questions and Doubts
+223|7012|Reality
AT rocket vs airplane insta boom
Down the throat as someone described.
Aim slightly above because the good ones try to pull up!

TOW works great too. AA blows. Strange how in the single player AA missiles (ground or air launched) behave properly and yet the same shots in multiplayer miss 80-90% of the time.

Grrr
The US economy is a giant Ponzi scheme. And 'to big to fail' is code speak for 'niahnahniahniahnah 99 percenters'
polarbearz
Raiders of the Lost Bear
+-1,474|7058|Singapore

my friend takes great joy in using the blackhawk guns to get me out of the plane.
dshak
Member
+4|7082
The TOWs are really effective ways to waiste choppers, especially since EA rightly beefed them up in 1.03, problem is that it can be pretty hard to hit a chopper with a TOW if the pilot has ANY skill, and they only have so much available elevated aiming. That beig said, I got ground defense ribbon and badge by decimating choppers on Zatar Wetlands that were trying to hover right above flags with a TOW fixed near it.

It really is a cracker jack way to kill them, but that doesn't help  much as I'd say 95% of the time choppers are NOT hovering over flags
sleepy127
Member
+4|7007
Yesterday it took all the stingers from the bradley to bring down a helo. In real life 1 good hit will do the trick. They work great on jets though. Just try and hit them after they pass you and dont just sit in the stationary stinger, jump in there once the plane has passed.
Turtle
Member
+7|7026|Boulder, CO

T1mbrW0lf wrote:

VirtuaLResistancE wrote:

I have not tried a TOW piece against an aircraft, but they do a damn good job on land units compared to the hand-held pieces.
TOW's also make for one hell of a surprised jet jockey when you nail him with a "down the throat" shot while he's throttled back to line you up for a strafing run . . .
I have yet to see a jet get shot down by a ground defense turret. If you can't strafe a tow and kill the operator before he gets a shot off that will kill you... you suck, stop flying.

I also don't recall seeing any updates to the damage output of a ground d turret. As far as I can tell they have always been brutal as far as dmg is concerned. I've gotten alot of kills on chopper pilots looking for someone manning the stinger on the surveillance CP on Sharqi and neglect to spam the TOW. One hit, run for cover, wait for a kill.
Turtle
Member
+7|7026|Boulder, CO
Oh and, thanks to the pilot who actually said, "Nice shot" after I pegged him with a TOW at the hotel on Sharqi as he was hovering behind the foremost building there (common sniper roost). Not my personal best, but he was about 100m away. Ground D kills are always so satisfying for some reason. Maybe it's the sheer crushing damage they inflict.
SGT.Mays
Member
+2|7011|Ohio
I personally perfer to use mobile AA seeing as how it can move and blackhawks cant scratch it but the stationary stinger/igl launchers work decent to good depending on the pilor you are firing at I can take out most enemy choppers so long as thery dont engage me. The mobile AA is a great anti-jet weapon because if you pelt that jet as it is coming in at you a few shells goes a long way agianst jets also most pilots preform various rolls to lose AA well you cant let the fact that he is out of lock range stop you. I had a jet dive bomb me from straight on i managed to put 5 or 6 shells from the linebackers cannon into him before he droppped the bombs he did damage but didnt kill me so i spun the turret around got a lock and low and behold he drops flares and goes into a sumersalt. I follow him through it and when the levels out i fire 1 missles before i lose the lock i fired the remaining 3 out of spite the first one was to my spurprise tracking the enemy jet the second vered off to hunt down a friendly and the last one went after the enemy about 2 seconds later i was credited with a kill. I have repeated this approach many times and have had some sucsess. another great anti helo/ jet weapon is the anti tank rocket. I was the commander on mashtur city for the mec so i climb up and mount the AA figureing if a blackhawk came calling id kill it. Well the first one came in low and my first missle hit the wall but the second clipped the birds tail. so i hop out and jump of the rear of the building i launch one rocket; it hits and kills the miniguner. I run around the building and reload i fire a tad high and hit the helo as the pilot pulls up to dodge the rocket. i proceeded to clean up the rest with the dao. The rocket is alos good agianst jets (if you can aim it that is) on wake (i was china) before we had enough ppl to play we where screwing around with helos and jets. i am a bad jet pilot but a decent helo one so eventually a jet kills me and when i respawn some clown is hovering at our base (using the f-35 not a chopper) i was support with a pkm (decent anti-air gun seeing as it annoys choppers, once killed a fresh attack helo with it) so i open up on this jet and 100 rounds later it goes down on top of me... so i respawn anti tank. the second f-35 is coming in to bomb our airplanes so i set up lead the target and fire away.. i guided to where i thought the plane was (couldnt really tell) then the red circle vanished i assumed i missed (wasnt really execting a hit) but about 10 seconds later i see that SGT.Mays[eryx]____________ i was stunned so was the pilot he said good shot and i said nice flying and we parted ways. I guess what i am geting at here is anything that fires a bullet is a decent AA weapon, i even saw a sniper kill a jet pilot on a bombing run. The morale here is: dont limit yourself to intended weapons improvise much like the tow vs. chopper try AA missles vs tanks (dont do it wont work) or cars (will work if its the only heat source around).
atlvolunteer
PKMMMMMMMMMM
+27|7040|Atlanta, GA USA
The only problem with TOW is that the helo has to be fairly low on the horizon.
I play AT quite a bit, and greatly enjoy taking out helos with my SRAW.  It takes 2-3 to take out a BH, but well worth it.  I love popping out and taking out a hovering BH before its gunner can shred me!  You do have to lead them a bit when they are not hovering, though. 
SGT.Mays, ever heard of punctuation or the enter key?  It was hard as hell to read your post.
4lter_3go
Member
+1|7015|Leighton Barracks, Germany
I used AA before on Wake Island. the IGLA between the beach and  the airfield. i was locked on to a enemy jet and i fired one missile because  i didnt want  TK on my hands. the jet goes left, the missle breaks to the right, and  few seconds later, i get a kill. Not the original target but someother unlucky enemy jet/chopper. i lmao when i saw kill up in the left hand corner. good fun!

i would try the TOW on dalian plant, but id aim dead on with a chopper but it would fly right under, while the chopper barely move only to have the gunner kill me a few seconds later.

Last edited by 4lter_3go (2005-11-15 12:29:12)

atlvolunteer
PKMMMMMMMMMM
+27|7040|Atlanta, GA USA

4lter_3go wrote:

I used AA before on Wake Island. the IGLA between the beach and  the airfield. i was locked on to a enemy jet and i fired one missile because  i didnt want  TK on my hands. the jet goes left, the missle breaks to the right, and  few seconds later, i get a kill. Not the original target but someother unlucky enemy jet/chopper. i lmao when i saw kill up in the left hand corner. good fun!
That's awesome!  First time I've actually heard of an AA accidentally hitting another enemy.  Always hits a friendly for me...

Last edited by atlvolunteer (2005-11-15 12:41:12)

Ty
Mass Media Casualty
+2,398|7043|Noizyland

I got my Ground defence badge and ribbon on the same map within about five minutes of each other. The only reason for this was the fact that I shot down a full Blackhawk with it at the very start of the round. Since they are quite hevily armoured, it took a few shots, and also my mate was shooting at it with AT rockets. I got the kills though.

The thing with AA is, they require skill. It's not all computerised. You need to know when to fire. I've taken out quite a few jets with them, it's not impossible. If EA made it too easy, pilots would be spitting that you couldn't spend five minutes in the air before some rocket from the other side of the map shot you down.

Just use whatever you can though. My squad was defending a point from a chopper. We just pumped all the lead we could into it. That brought it down.
[Blinking eyes thing]
Steam: http://steamcommunity.com/id/tzyon
Sigarms357
Say Hello to My 11-87
+6|7007
Bad thing about the Tow is that you dont get alot mobility/range/etc with them, and alot of times they are blocked by terrain obstacles (bunkers, walls, buildings etc)

If you can get a shot off on a low helo that is stationary, they are the best AA out there, hands down.  If you miss, you better run
Jodah3
Member
+1|7008

Tyferra wrote:

The thing with AA is, they require skill. It's not all computerised. You need to know when to fire. I've taken out quite a few jets with them, it's not impossible. If EA made it too easy, pilots would be spitting that you couldn't spend five minutes in the air before some rocket from the other side of the map shot you down.
The AA is still unpredictable, which makes it less than worthless because of the TK factor, but if EA is content with it then consider this:  get rid of flares completely on jets.  A chance at a jet with a ground-based AA is rare enough to be constantly spoiled by flares.  It'll also have the added bonus of making jets concentrate more on dogfighting with other jets because they don't have that out.  It'll also make it tactical better to hold airfields because your chance of being shot down will be much less if no enemy jets are in the air.

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