fucking hell i was enjoying this game and now i get an error every time i start it up, can't log in (code 80130182)
i bet it's fucking norton antivirus, it did this after i updated the piece of shit
[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;45012997]You can honestly play the B-25's like heavy fighters and you will have orders of magnitude more fun that just high flying bombing, and with the bigger bombs they can do some respectable base damage, or failing that definitely screw up a lot of tanks.
B17's are more of the high-flying strategic things but they still turn far better than anything that size has any right to, so don't underestimate your ability to maneuver and escape things
But seriously, if you go america, invest the fuck into gunner skills. You will not in any way regret it because your fifties can and will rip anything that dares linger behind you to shreds without a second thought[/QUOTE]
How to you increase gunner skills?
Experienced gunners is greyed out for all my planes, if I increase gunner skills, it'll show a red negative sign next to the skill count..
[QUOTE=Alyx;45013568]How to you increase gunner skills?
Experienced gunners is greyed out for all my planes, if I increase gunner skills, it'll show a red negative sign next to the skill count..[/QUOTE]
You need around 240 points to increase the experienced gunners by one.
When your gunners are all experienced you dont have any negative status on the points anymore
Another bomber related question: Should I rely on AI gunners or gun myself?
[QUOTE=Raidyr;45013736]Another bomber related question: Should I rely on AI gunners or gun myself?[/QUOTE]
Mix it, gun yourself if your in something big like a b-17 but in smaller aircraft your better off just trying to dodge the enemy's fire than just sitting there shooting back.
Whoa, I didn't even know the TB-3 was in the game. Anyone know if there'll be another event handing them out? Looks hella fun.
[QUOTE=Mbbird;45013877]Whoa, I didn't even know the TB-3 was in the game. Anyone know if there'll be another event handing them out? Looks hella fun.[/QUOTE]
Flying it over tanks is scary, you're just a giant target going 150kph with twelve 250kg bombs
[QUOTE=Mbbird;45013877]Whoa, I didn't even know the TB-3 was in the game. Anyone know if there'll be another event handing them out? Looks hella fun.[/QUOTE]
It's utterly worthless because for some reason the damage model is incredibly weak and it gets shot out of the sky by the first burst of 7.7mm aimed in it's general direction.
It should be one of the most durable planes in the game but it's completely worthless in the regard.
[QUOTE=Mbbird;45013877]Whoa, I didn't even know the TB-3 was in the game. Anyone know if there'll be another event handing them out? Looks hella fun.[/QUOTE]
I hope too. I also hope there is another event for the PO-2, speaking of old bombers, do you think they will ever add the Kalinin K-7?:v:
Hit IL2 with my 75mm, nothing happens. He fires one rocket and I explode. Where's the logic in that
[QUOTE=MrBacon;45014862]Hit IL2 with my 75mm, nothing happens. He fires one rocket and I explode. Where's the logic in that[/QUOTE]
Was it an AP shell? If so it's likely your gunshell didn't hit anything important and passed through leaving nothing but a small unimportant hole.
If you want to guarantee your tank shells will fuck planes up on hit, shoot HE or HEAT (preferably HE, HEAT has horrid velocity).
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45015030]Was it an AP shell? If so it's likely your gunshell didn't hit anything important and passed through leaving nothing but a small unimportant hole.
If you want to guarantee your tank shells will fuck planes up on hit, shoot HE or HEAT (preferably HE, HEAT has horrid velocity).[/QUOTE]
I don't actually really understand damage modelling for planes.
My current view is that other than a complete catastrophic wing failure, cut control wires, pilot death, engine failure and fires. You're a-okay, and able to (crash)land.
In War Thunder I've died to loss of lift because.... I have no idea. I don't know what part of damage their modelling with a black wing. What part of the plane in the black wing causes such loss of lift?
Holes? If holes cause so much damn problems why are pilots coming back to count them?
Why does the free cam keep resetting in replays? It's annoying as hell
Check it out, private plane boneyard:
His collection was completed in the 80s, and includes a B-25, a Vultee BT-15 Trainer, a Goodyear FG-1D Corsair with an experimental engine, and even a clubhouse that his kids used to use, made out of a Fairchild c-82 Boxcar fuselage.
[url]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/05/war-plane-graveyard-photos_n_5453840.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing11%7Cdl7%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D484609[/url]
[QUOTE=doomsniper;45015380]I don't actually really understand damage modelling for planes.
My current view is that other than a complete catastrophic wing failure, cut control wires, pilot death, engine failure and fires. You're a-okay, and able to (crash)land.
In War Thunder I've died to loss of lift because.... I have no idea. I don't know what part of damage their modelling with a black wing. What part of the plane in the black wing causes such loss of lift?
Holes? If holes cause so much damn problems why are pilots coming back to count them?[/QUOTE]
I usually attribute the damage display to the structural integrity of the surfaces as a whole, as opposed to all the valuable guts running through them. Thus, why it's perfectly possible to take a glancing cannon blow and lose all control despite your structure being mostly intact, while on the other hand sometimes you can get hammered on until everything is black and still have most of your control. Because, especially in arcade, you're fly-by-wire, even if it doesn't seem anything has changed the fact is the minor adjustments the instructor was previously making can't happen due to the surfaces being fucked, causing you to crash and die.
The only exception I've ever noticed with direct relationships with the damage-readout thing is the engines, where if that's black or red it's going to die pretty much regardless of what you do. But everything else is pretty much entirely useless beyond the comparatively minor sluggishness likely to result from being shot full of holes yet with every surface and wire intact.
[QUOTE=doomsniper;45015380]I don't actually really understand damage modelling for planes.
My current view is that other than a complete catastrophic wing failure, cut control wires, pilot death, engine failure and fires. You're a-okay, and able to (crash)land.
In War Thunder I've died to loss of lift because.... I have no idea. I don't know what part of damage their modelling with a black wing. What part of the plane in the black wing causes such loss of lift?
Holes? If holes cause so much damn problems why are pilots coming back to count them?[/QUOTE]
Black wing in War Thunder can mean either surface damage, or structural damage. It can mean that you are losing lift, or that the wing is about to fall off, or both, but not necessarily both.
"Holes" that can get counted are from 7.7 and .50 machineguns. The thing that usually kills your lift in this game are usually 20mm HE shells. This was apparently wing hit by about 5 20mm shells.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/MKfrWjO.jpg[/IMG]
[editline]6th June 2014[/editline]
AP machinegun rounds are good at destroying the structural parts of planes, killing the pilot, destroying the engine, penetrating fuel tanks.
20mm+ HE shells are good at peeling the plane and making it lose aerodynamics and lift.
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45015673]Black wing in War Thunder can mean either surface damage, or structural damage. It can mean that you are losing lift, or that the wing is about to fall off, or both, but not necessarily both.
"Holes" that can get counted are from 7.7 and .50 machineguns. The thing that usually kills your lift in this game are usually 20mm HE shells. This was apparently wing hit by about 5 20mm shells.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/MKfrWjO.jpg[/IMG]
[editline]6th June 2014[/editline]
AP machinegun rounds are good at destroying the structural parts of planes, killing the pilot, destroying the engine, penetrating fuel tanks.
20mm+ HE shells are good at peeling the plane and making it lose aerodynamics and lift.[/QUOTE]
Good god, had the German aimed a little bit to the left, he would've gotten the wing root and snapped the entire thing off.
The TB-3 looks fun, but it's really not.
Sometimes the stars align and it decimates everything, but usually you're this really odd mix of a Po-2 and B-29. Slow as fuck, covered in unreliable gunners, and with almost too many bombs. Usually your fate is, in Arcade someone will ram you and in RB you'll catch fire or lose wing lift. It does have an upside where the gunners never overheat, though, so there's that.
If it's BR was just a tiny, tiny bit lower - it might be good. But we know Gaijin and bomber BRs. If Arcade kiddies can't park behind it and hold M1 to win, it's too low. I still bring it out now and then because it's just some kind of retarded fun.
[t]http://i.cubeupload.com/3qyIoc.jpg[/t]
[QUOTE=Raidyr;45013736]Another bomber related question: Should I rely on AI gunners or gun myself?[/QUOTE]
Like others have said, AI Gunners are trash. Man the guns yourself if you're in something too big to dodge, but don't bother in something like a Beaufighter.
so with this [url=http://warthunder.com/en/news/641-D-Day-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-War-en]boston mk1 bomber mission thing[/url], is there a way to check your progress for each part of it, or do i just have to break out the ole pen-n-paper and tally them up?
[QUOTE=Doom14;45011411]Russian premiums: Nothing to really report[/quote]
Mmm, i don't entirely agree with you.
I've had some very games with both P-39K-1 and P-63A-5. The 63 especially, because it has a killer climb rate, and the 37mm is a great tool for the bomber obliteration it does so well.
[QUOTE=PsiSoldier;45016292]so with this [URL="http://warthunder.com/en/news/641-D-Day-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-War-en"]boston mk1 bomber mission thing[/URL], is there a way to check your progress for each part of it, or do i just have to break out the ole pen-n-paper and tally them up?[/QUOTE]
In Hanger -> Click User Name -> Achievements -> Special
It should be there, that's where they usually put them.
[QUOTE=lekkimsm;45016294]Mmm, i don't entirely agree with you.
I've had some very games with both P-39K-1 and P-63A-5. The 63 especially, because it has a killer climb rate, and the 37mm is a great tool for the bomber obliteration it does so well.[/QUOTE]
Oh, they're not bad. I'm just not reporting them because.. well, they're almost the same planes you see on the America tree, if not -the- same. I've ripped up some serious shit in my slav P-39s, but I could do the exact same thing in the American P-39, least in Arcade. In RB, you benefit from different matches/nation lineups.
I forgot how many premiums were straight up captures/transfers/lend-lease/reskins until I wrote that up.
[QUOTE=Doom14;45016349]In Hanger -> Click User Name -> Achievements -> Special
It should be there, that's where they usually put them.[/quote]
Does those enemy tanks include AI tanks?
Hey since people were talking about Japan earlier and not being able to play it, can I post a guide I made to which are the best planes etc? I normally wouldn't ask, but this shit's longer than the OP. I got carried away. Nobody particularly minds, right?
Can anybody explain me what the heck happened here?
[vid]http://zippy.gfycat.com/DearRequiredChupacabra.webm[/vid]
Not only a shell that RICOCHETED off of my tank killed me, it was a shell from a PzIV F2, a tank the T-44 should be frontally immune against.
[QUOTE=Shibbey;45016739]Hey since people were talking about Japan earlier and not being able to play it, can I post a guide I made to which are the best planes etc? I normally wouldn't ask, but this shit's longer than the OP. I got carried away. Nobody particularly minds, right?[/QUOTE]
More people for the master race means more bads meaning maybe the BR's will go down
Of course who am I kidding anyone who makes it out of tier 2 with japan is already a pro
[QUOTE=lekkimsm;45016688]Does those enemy tanks include AI tanks?[/QUOTE]
Nope! Enjoy.
[sp]I recommend just slaughtering people in AB with a T-50. You should average 4 - 12 kills a match.[/sp]
[QUOTE=Awesomecaek;45016776]Can anybody explain me what the heck happened here?
[vid]http://zippy.gfycat.com/DearRequiredChupacabra.webm[/vid]
Not only a shell that RICOCHETED off of my tank killed me, it was a shell from a PzIV F2, a tank the T-44 should be frontally immune against.[/QUOTE]
War Thunder's damage models seem to shit themselves every now and again.
i just came out of a match where a Panther survived two shots to the side from my T-34-85 (RB).
I don't know how it happened, I also don't know how to make gif's so enjoy the 6 second video :v:
[hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnJwyHIIOPA[/hd]
[QUOTE=Timezbrick;45017263]I don't know how it happened, I also don't know how to make gif's so enjoy the 6 second video :v:[/QUOTE]
could be the ammo rack from the T-28 detonation catching the ZiS?
a T-50 got behind my KV-1, and there were a couple enemy bots behind me too - i just ignored them all, the T-50 started trying to ram me, then strange things happened
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXuxfqcUVXU[/media]
[QUOTE=SiberysTranq;45016783]More people for the master race means more bads meaning maybe the BR's will go down
Of course who am I kidding anyone who makes it out of tier 2 with japan is already a pro[/QUOTE]
Ok, enjoy your WALL OF TEXT.
[b][u]THE BIG DUMB GUIDE TO WEEABOO AIRPLANES[/u][/b]
By most honourable and kawaii catgirl Shibbey
No ammo spreadsheets included, sorry.
-----------------------------
So you want to play glorious Nippon steel? You have scrolled down to the right forum post, senpai. Japanese aircraft are unforgiving and often play from a complete disadvantage. Plagued by low ammo counts, poorly armed aircraft, slow top speeds, and unfair matchmaking, Japan is a wild and tricky ride, but fear not, Japan is full of absolutely brilliant, shining gems that will let you kick ass and take names.
This guide is for realistic battles (and to a lesser extent simulator), because I don't play arcade that often (not a pleb lampo). What I know of Japan in arcade is the crap bombers make ground strike a pain, and the A6M3 Mod.22 keeps rocketing up in BR. So probably don't fly Japan in arcade.
[b]RESERVE PLANES[/b]
To be honest, The Ki-10s (Kittens! :3c) aren't the best reserve planes. They're certainly the most agile reserves, and can literally climb at 90 degree angles (will get fixed probably), it's extremely fragile, and the guns are exceptionally poor. All the reserve planes are a bit crap, but the Ki-10 requires a bit more effort to get some results out of it. Just lawn mow in them in arcade until you get...
[b]KI-43-II HAYABUSA[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/P9NogR4.png[/img]
[i]Hayabusa roughly translates to Peregrine Falcon. A bird of prey is what you'll feel like in this beast.[/i]
Now we're fuckin' talking! Isn't that such a sexy plane? Goddamn. The Ki-43 (Kawaii-43) is the first real land based fighter you get for the Japanese, and it is exceptional. Stock it's a bit of a grind, but fully upgraded, the Ki-43 has lethal acceleration, amazing roll rate, exceptional dive speeds for rank 1, and good agility at low speeds with combat flaps. In the Hayabusa you are like a leaf on the wind. No matter what foe you come up against at BR 2.0, the Ki-43 has a way of dealing with them. It can pounce like a Focke-wulf, dance like a Spitfire, and it's an absolutely glorious change from the mediocre Ki-10s.
It's not all perfect in the Ki-43. It's an exceptionally fragile aircraft (I will say this a fucking lot this guide, get ready, maybe start a drinking game, can I suggest sake?), and once again, with no upgrades it's a bit pants. The armament, while certainly an upgrade from the Ki-10's popcorn guns, is still rather light, only two 12.7mm machine guns with 250 rounds per gun. The firing time is quite short, and you need to aim your shots precisely to bring down a foe. I would suggest getting the offensive belts as your first upgrade, and using either the air-targets belt, or the tracer belt. Japanese tracer bullets were designed to bury themselves in a target for a few seconds before properly igniting, so sometimes it will take a small delay before your target goes down in flames.
The Ki-43 might actually be a good plane to try playing Simulator battles in; the visibility is good, it's at a low rank, and it gets an airstart on most maps, so no embaressing collisions with the nearest guard tower.
The other two fighter aircraft at this rank are the A5M4 (ehhh, visibility is good in sim I guess?) and the Ki-10-II. Another Kitten at a higher battle rank for some mysterious reason. Unlock them both with the Hayabusa and let them collect dust in your hanger (I guess the A5M4 is workable). Once you unlock Era 2, you want...
[b]KI-61-I HIEN (OTSU AND KO VARIANTS)[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/59hcn0c.png[/img]
[i]Hien meaning Flying Swallow. As opposed to the ground based swallow?[/i]
Another Imperial Japanese Army aircraft. Both the Otsu and Ko perform basically the same, the difference being armament. The Ki-61s are similar to the Hayabusa, and playing them the same way works well. It's a fast plane that turns well, great at both dogfighting and boom and zoom tactics. As opposed to the Ki-43, the Ki-61s boast a worse roll rate, armament that continues to be a little bit average (twice as good is still not amazing), slightly worse acceleration, but much higher speeds, and greater energy retention. The climb rate is also quite good, boosted by an airstart you can get these planes well above their opponents.
The main thing about Ki-61s is they are [i]FUCKING AMAZING[/i]. It takes some time to get used to, but once you've mastered it, it can easily slay planes many ranks above it. Abuse every ACM you know, because this plane handles them all perfectly. It loops so tightly in the vertical, and picks up so much speed in a dive, that any turn fight can be won with aggressive yo-yos. You can change direction so quickly with a Split-S that losing an opponent is always a matter or when, not if. The turn radius of this plane with combat flaps is fantastic compared to most planes you'll fight, so pulling a defensive barrel roll can get you behind someone in just a single rotation. I fucking love these planes. Waifu planes.
Does this plane feel familiar to you? Well, it should. The Ki-61 is powered by what is essentially a liscence built Daimler-Benz 601 engine, the engine plans were supplied to Japan by the Luftwaffe. The 601 engine is the engine available in the BF-109E series. The Ki-61 is lighter than a Bf-109, improving the power-weight ratio a bit, and giving the plane a bit better wingloading. The Ki-61 flies very much like a Bf-109 F1/F2, except it turns tighter, and the guns are less bursty. If you can fly that plane, you can fly this plane. The second Ki-61 also gets two 250kg army bombs for some reason as well, so if you want to really ruin a single tank's day, go ahead.
Use the Ki-61s to get the...
[b]KI-45 TOYRU (FOUR VARIANTS)[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/USD4Hsr.png[/img]
[i]Toyru means Dragon Slayer, which means this plane is basically the most heavy metal plane in the game.[/i]
There are four variants of the Dragon Slayer in the game, all of which are atleast good. The planes all handle roughly the same (or atleast similar enough for it to not matter much) so everything I say applies to them all. I'll break them down here:
Ko: Armed with two 12.7mm machine guns and a single Ho-3 cannon. BR 2.3
Otsu: Armed with a single Ho-3 cannon and a single type 94 37mm heavy cannon, BR 2.7
Hei: Armed with a single type 94 37mm heavy cannon. Also equipped with upward firing Schrage Muzik 20mm cannons.
Tei: Same armament as the Otsu.
I'll lay it out bluntly: For their battleranks, the Ki-45s are the [i]best twin engined fighters in the game[/i]. By far. Despite being twin engined planes, they are amazingly light, especially with minimum fuel loads, and will massively out-turn single engined fighters with ease. They have extremely good power to weight ratios, especially the Tei, and are blessed with fantastic acceleration. They are excellent dogfighters and bomber busters. Top speeds are a bit low, but it's more than workable. Don't even try to use the rear gunner though. The reason nobody flies them is because they are retarded and can't aim the 37mm.
The 37mms are the plane's main appeal, and also its main downfall. A direct hit with a 37mm shell should instantly kill every fighter, without fail, and heavily cripple all bombers at the rank. Unfortunately, the shells have mediocre velocity, and only 15 shots. Yes, 15 shots, then you have to go back to base. Learning to shoot the gun might be a bit of a hard learning curve, but trust me, it's worth it.
I would research atleast the Otsu, the second variant. Get all four if you like it, they're all fantastic. Next, you might as well pick up the...
[b]A6M2 AND A6M2-N REISEN[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/7YYv3bW.png[/img]
[i]Just call it a Zero, okay? If you call it a "Zeke" I will smack you.[/i]
This is a Japanese aircraft you baka-gaijins might actually recognise! The famous A6M Type-Zero fighters. The deadly [i]Rei-Shiki-Kanjō-Sentōki[/i]! The plane that made the entire US Navy collectively shit themselves for about a year. The A6M2 was an exceptional design for a fighter upon its first flight, arguably one of the best in the world. The Japanese government wanted a plane with exceptional range on a shitty engine. Mitsubishi delivered by ripping out everything not absolutely vital to keeping the plane in the air, resulting in an absurdly light and agile fighter.
Here begins Japan's overtiering. The A6M2 is a far older design than most of the aircraft its matched against in WT because it's so good at wrecking pubbie tactics. It gets the most out of its engine at low altitudes, it absolute dominates furballs and turning dogfights due to its exceptionally, absolutely unrivaled low speed agility. It's a fantastic seal-clubber for that exact reason. A problem arises when smart players turn up, and realise all they have to do is stay above you, and there is no chance at all of you chasing them. The Zero is SLOW, its high altitude climb rate is appalling, and it's extremely fragile. There is no pilot armour whatsoever, so prepare for [i]Pilot is Unconcious.[/i] It's an aircraft incredibly vulnerable to BnZ tactics. The 7.7s are basically worthless at this rank, the Type 99-1 cannons have low ammunition, and are just flat worse than the army Ho-3 and Ho-5.
But it isn't all doom and gloom for the zero. Where it shines, it shines so incredibly well. Pulling off a sick kill streak in this plane against better opponents will make you feel like a real sky samurai. Get your friends to play Japan, get them in Zeroes, and just all mob a guy together. Maybe a pubbie can BnZ one zero, but an entire swarm of the fuckers? Hell no. This plane is a harsh mistress, but give her love, and she'll surprise you.
The -N version has ugly pontoons that make it the slowest monoplane in the game, but it's still workable. The Mod.11 doesn't have a tail hook, it's a land based version, so it's slightly lighter and gets an airstart. The naked Reisen takes off from a carrier, but it gets to take part in events like Midway, and Pearl Harbour, where it has quite the fighting chance. You'll probably have era 3 by now, soooo...
[b]KI-61-I HIEN HEI[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/T11cDcP.png[/img]
[i]For instant results, just add Minengeschoss.[/i]
You: "Sensei Shibbey-chan, most honourable and kawaii catgirl samurai who is really good at planes..."
Me: "Yes, young one?"
You: "Isn't this just another Ki-61?"
Me: "Yes, little one, but is the Ki-61 not a true samurai's aircraft?"
You: "That is true, I mastered the Ki-61 Ko and Otsu to perfection, like you said, Sensei, but is it worth the 4.7 BR?"
[This is the part in the anime where it goes to a montage or something with really over done special effects and facial expressions as I talk about the Ki-61 Hei.]
Ok, so, it's another Ki-61. It's another Ki-61 with a much higher battle rating than the others. It's harder to use, honestly. You will face Mustangs in it. You will face the La-7. You will face the Spitfire IX. Remember when I said the Ki-61 was fucking amazing, though? Remember when I said you will defeat opponents with much higher BR planes? The Hei still has a fighting chance, with a little special delivery from Berlin.
The big main appeal of the Hei is that it has two Mg151 20mm cannons, the same as on the German Bf109 and Focke-Wulf 190 planes. I am the kind of person who usually argues against guns uptiering an aircraft so much, and the Ki-61 is a bit too overtiered still, yes, I know, I know, but the Mg151s are kind of amazing and really do open up the plane quite a bit. Modifications to the fuselage and the bigger guns mean the Hei is a bit heavier than her sisters, so she has to BnZ more. the Mg151s are perfect for this. They burst planes down in just a few shells, blowing wings clean off with ease. You no longer have to stick on an opponent until they burn down, you just shank them with german guns and leave them to bleed.
It's a bit rough, a stock Ki-61 against Mustangs? A hard time. But really, give this plane a chance. If you gave up on it long ago, give it another chance. This is honestly one of my favourite planes in the entire tree, and is the one I have flown the most. It's fast, it's deadly, and you'll feel like a badass when you clip the wings of a Yak-15 who thought he was the king of the skies.
[img]http://i.imgur.com/fcZg41L.png[/img]
[i]Maybe I like it a bit too much.[/i]
Anyway, after falling in love with the Ki-61 again, you'll have to temporarily leave her be, because you're going to fly the...
[b]A6M3 REISEN[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/agNwsXI.png[/img]
[i]Same Zero, just a bit better[/i]
It's just a better A6M2. Improved in every way, honestly. Fly it roughly the same way, it's a bit better for its tier though, and I think a marked improvement. It has clipped wings! These reduce the wing area quite a bit, and you turn less tightly than the A6M2. Still turn far better than most opponents, though. Otherwise, the rollrate, dive rate, and top speed are dramatically improved, making barrel rolls and scissors much easier. The Type 99 Mk1s are replaced with Type 99 Mk2s, with 100 rounds per gun instead of 60! The Mk2s are a big improvement over the Mk1s, mainly in terms of velocity. The old guns on the A6M2 had about a 600m/s velocity. The new ones? Nearly 850! That's comparable to the Hispano's 880m/s, and everyone loves the Hispano. Better velocity means your guns have a higher effective range, do more damage, and are easier to aim.
The A6M3 is my favourite zero, I think. It's about as fair as A6M tierings get, and the roll rate improvement makes it far more of a pleasant ride.
At this point, make a choice. What do you like more, the Ki-61, or the A6M? You probably like them both. They are good planes. But which is better?
"I quite like the Ki-61 more"
Then you're gonna unlock the...
[b]KI-84 KO HAYATE[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/cFKCmDh.png[/img]
[i]It just means "Gale". Kinda dull, I guess, as far as names go.[/i]
Remember when the Bf-109s were really, really good back in like, 1.35 or so, and retained energy to some ridiculous degree? Yeah, this is basically that. The Ki-84 climbs like a rocket, is fast as fuck, and doesn't turn half bad. With careful management of combat flaps, it's absolutely lethal in the vertical, and its high altitude performance leaves its foes choking for breath. It also actually has armour and self-sealing fuel tanks, unlike everything else in Japan. Unfortunately, despite its ability to attain high speeds, the plane doesn't really like them. Prepare to crash into the ground a lot due to compression. And don't rip your wings off, that's really embaressing.
The Ki-84 is one of the few Japanese planes I would really call undertiered. It's just a really strong aircraft in all departments, except for firepower. Up at 4.3, the cannons on the wings really limit the plane's range, as they mostly work well at a low convergence. The machine guns are utterly worthless, too. It has a bit of "stock-syndrome", but it's a hell of a plane once upgraded. Personally, before 1.41 I would've held out until the Otsu before I started focusing on a Ki-84, but now that it's up at 6.0 (and still competitive at that rank!), this one is probably the easiest Ki-84 to fly.
"Actually, the A6M series has had my attention the most so far."
Well, have another!
[b]A6M3 REISEN MOD.22[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/1YabEBk.png[/img]
[i]No, it's still not called a Zeke. Look, even in WW2 people called it a Zero, the hillbilly names were a post-war thing mostly.[/i]
This is the most Zero-y Zero. It has the biggest wings, gaining back the bad roll rate of the A6M2, but retaining the other upgrades of the A6M3, like the guns, and engine. Because of its fuck-huge wings, the Mod.22 turns the tightest, and climbs the best of any A6M variant. The climb rate is more than welcome, the Mod.22 feels like it actually ascends past 3km, but honestly the Zero never needed to turn any tighter, still nice to have I guess.
It has all the vulnerabilities of all the other Zeroes, it's just even Zeroier. What's the difference between the Mod.22 and the Mod.22 Ko, you ask? FUCKED IF I KNOW! The paint job looks less it was dragged through a bush backwards, I guess. Maybe you can figure it out, I haven't.
[b]I need more planes to get to rank 4, what do I do?[/b]
Okay, this is where it gets complex and is down to personal preference. The way to get to rank 4 using only fighters would be to pick up the Mod.22 Ko and the Ki-102. The Ko is kind of redundant though, as far as I can tell, and the Ki-102, as fun as the 57mm cannon is, is kind of shit. The gun doesn't 1-shot many bombers, and is a pain in the ass to aim. You can't hit fighters with it, it's like hunting ducks with an elephant gun.
The naval attacker line, then? The F1M2 can be unlocked in half a game, and I guess it's... it exists. It's a biplane that drops 60kg bombs. Don't expect much from it. The D3A1 is a low ranked dive bomber I guess comparable to a Stuka, but with a really medicore bomb load. It also lacks the dogfighting ability of the Stuka because, as we have established, Japanese 7.7mm guns are useless. The B5N2 is equally bad, without any front guns whatsoever, but atleast it gets torpedos, I guess? Thankfully, all three of these planes are really easy to grind past to get the B7A2!
[B]B7A RYUSEI[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/pltp1Hz.png[/img]
[i]It means Shooting Star. Unlike in the American Shooting Star, if someone is lawnmowing in this it doesn't mean they are retarded.[/i]
Unlike the other Naval bombers, this plane is actually pretty great! It has two Type 99 Mk2 cannons (which we have established are good) with 120 rounds per gun each, which makes it a pretty damn solid ground attacker. The bomb load is still modest, but you can do some pretty effective ground pounding in it, and the torpedo is enough to sink an aircraft carrier, get a squadron of these and you can win most pacific maps in a single decisive strike. The ammo on the guns isn't as good as, say, the Il-2 Sturmovik, or the BTD-1 Destroyer, but the rear 12.7mm gun is actually quite deadly, capable of setting fire to big radial engines easily.
Equipped with big gull wings, big flaps, and airbrakes, that plane also makes an effective Zero-style dog fighter, in many ways being better than some of the A6M models, mostly in speed. It still suffers from poor acceleration, but it's the only attacker the Japanese have got, and it's still solid.
In the last line, the heavy bombers, we have the H6K4 to start with. This plane is comedy gold in arcade, the rear 20mm cannon chewing up low level planes that try to intercept you while you flatten the enemy base, and it's quite okay in realistic. The bomb load is appalling for such a large aircraft (the two torpedos drop seperately though, that's two carriers), but it's so extremely durable to low level aircraft it's not even funny. The G4M1 has similar if slightly better bomb loads, is much faster, but with no durability whatsoever. Still has a 20mm cannon though. The Ki-49s are a bit more of an improvement over the G4M1, the cannon gunner (read: good gunner) is in a less bullet-magnet-y place, and they are surprisingly agile planes. Bomb load is still utter shit, though. Any there are four of them for no apparent reason.
Any way, find SOME WAY to get to Rank 4 because we have one goal in mind. An honourable goal. First, let's get our dirt hands on...
[b]A6M5 REISEN (+ OTSU)[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/Rr0g4Z7.png[/img]
[i]Still not bored of them, are ya?[/i]
Nearly identical planes. The peak of the Zero line. The best Zero, yes, not the best Zero for its rank, but the best Zero. Mostly a plane to take into events, because, honestly, 5.0/5.3 BR is just cruel for the poor thing. That said, it's basically the only dogfighter at Rank 4 (other than the Spitfire IX), and by far the most agile plane at that rank. It's so extreme a difference compared to the already agile A6M series, and this is the least agile of the bunch. It has shorter, stubbier wings, improving the dive speed and roll rate back to and beyond the A6M3's. The Ko features a 13mm machine gun in the nose that is actually useful compared to the 7.7s, and FINALLY gets some degree of protection for the plane, including self sealing fuel tanks, and some pilot armour. Rounds per gun increase to 125, more than double the A6M2's ammo count.
Once again, these should be played in a squad or in events, they are overtiered, but not unusable. Waiting for a fight to go low and then picking off the stragglers is an easy way to pick up kills in the last samurai, and, most importantly, it gives the most XP towards the single most honourable plane of all time...
[b]N1K2-J/JA SHIDEN-KAI[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/zeBiCsu.png[/img]
[i]Shiden-Kai being Violet Lightning. Solid gold, painted green with red circles.[/i]
[b][HEAVY BREATHING][/b]
Okay. The N1K2. The fucking N1K2. Powered by the Homare engine (literally Honour Engine. LITERALLY POWERED BY HONOUR) this is probably the best propellor fighter in the game. Yes, it's at rank 6.3. Yes, that's the same rank as the entry level American jet fighters. This plane is better than that. Jets? Pfff, who gives a shit? Not the N1K2.
Okay, okay, calm down. This plane is probably perfect. It's more agile than nearly every plane it will face. It out-climbs nearly every plane it will face. It can dive after and chase nearly every plane it can face. It has 4xHo-5 cannons with 225 rounds per gun each. It gets air-to-air rockets that can one-shot bombers. The Ja version can carry a metric ton of bombs, literally. There is nothing this plane cannot do, there is nothing this plane cannot kill.
It suffers slightly from stock syndrome (I was lucky enough to get all performance upgrades in 1.37, when it was some kind of low earth orbit sattelite), but max this plane out. It's just so crazy good. You want BnZ? It BnZs like a 190. You want to dogfight someone? They better hope they are a Spitfire IX or they can't hope to match you. Still up against a Spitfire IX? You massively outdive that plane and outroll it, evading it is piss easy.
That's not to say the aircraft is easy mode. You have to abuse every single ACM you know, and have near perfect situational awareness to know when to break out of a spiralling, twirling dogfight. It's fragile (IJN plane, take a shot of sake), the stock ammo belt is worthless, you will go up against F-80Cs that will spend 30 minutes just speeding around the map evading you just because they are assholes.
But an Aced N1K2 is an absolute beast of an aircraft, maybe only surpassed by an equally well flown Tempest II. This is the end-game of Japan. The Ki-200 can go fuck itself.
Oh, what, other planes? Ehh, I guess I'll talk about them.
[b]KI-84 OTSU AND HEI HAYATE[/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/frpPnBq.png[/img]
[i]N-no, it's not a Ko, I swear! Look, the propellor hub is yellow, baka![/i]
Arcade tiering strikes again, and these aircraft are massively uptiered because of their armament (this is still a late 1943 airframe). However, they are still strong (as I said when talking about the Ko). The energy retention is pretty wacky, and the plane is still crazy fast for Japan. Gaijin pls retier to 5.3 and 5.7? Ty.
4x20mm is still as good of a loadout as it always has been, and the 30mms are great, even if they have slightly wonky hit detection. Busting B-17Gs is effortless provided you get a good dive on them. Just go read the Ko bit of this guide and ignore the parts where I say the guns are crap.
[B]What have I missed?[/b]
The JSDF Sabre and the Ki-200 are a really poor end game for Japan. The Ki-200 is just an Me-163 with less fuel and slightly more reliable guns (it is also a J8M, not a Ki-200, the Ki-200 only had one cannon and more fuel). The Sabre is just another Sabre, more expensive than the American and German Sabres because Gaijin hate Japan or something (also the JSDF got F-40s, not F-30s!).
The G8N1 and G5N1 exist, but right now their damage models are broken to all fuck, and go into irrecoverable spirals from light wing damage, while also having under-loaded bomb loads.
[B]Premiums??[/b]
Three lendlease German planes, a captured Corsair, and the Ki-96. Play the captured planes before you buy them so you know what you're getting in for. Focke-Wulf is good. Corsair is good. 109 is acceptable, He-112 thing is pretty neat. The Ki-96 is quite a fun and unique heavy fighter, it loses the rear gunner, but gains firepower, speed, and ammo.
[b]Stuff that might get released later that's cool so pls stick around[/b]
Ki-27: A low tier pre-war monoplane, like an army A5M4, but with a more powerful engine, and better wingloading. Probably BR 1.7, or 2.0.
A6M8: An A6M5 Otsu but with a much more powerful engine, bringing it up to more modern standards.
A7M2: Prototype of the Zero's successor. Supposedley a massive aircraft, comparable to the P-47 in size. Very agile and powerful.
J7M1: Looks like something out of Crimson Skies. Pusher prop, top speed of 760km/h. 4x30mm cannon. Jet version was planned, but never flew.
Ki-61-II: Updated version of the Ki-61 with a better engine, super charger, and all that jazz. "You mean a Ki-61 can get better??" Maybe, senpai, maybe.
Ki-100: Like a Ki-61, but with a fuckhuge radial engine. More Ki-61 type planes? Yes pls.
Ki-44: High altitude interceptor aircraft with excellent climb rate, and twin 40mm anti-aircraft cannons. You fucking heard me.
[b]Play Japan, Japan is good.[/b]
tl;dr play tanks it takes less skill and effort
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