Admittedly, I’m not a “top” ace in Dogfight—I simply don’t have the desire or inclination to master the complex scoring system of this game—but I am fairly skilled at the art of air combat maneuvering—i.e. “dogfighting”. It’s what I love to do, and in my opinion, mastering dogfighting is what makes this game so challenging and entertaining.
I have had some success against some of the top names in the game…and have learned a few tricks from them along the way. I have taken the liberty to write a few of these “lessons learned”, from my perspective for the benefit of ACE and NOOB alike. I hope you enjoy reading them! And I look forward to your feedback!
-SB467
MAXIMs for successful dogfighting:
• Dogfighting = respect! You will earn the respect of fellow players from your ability to dogfight…the ability to engage your opponent in the skies and shoot him/her down. Everything else is secondary… This may rub some people the wrong way, but good dogfighters really don’t care how many games you’ve won or how many targets you’ve bombed. Respect comes through dogfighting proficiency and skill. PERIOD.
• Fighters vs. Bombers. Fighters are meat-eaters…bombers are leaf-eaters.
• Never carry a bomb into a dogfight. Bombs weigh you down and decrease the maneuverability of your airplane. Ditch the bomb after takeoff. Your goal is to shoot your opponent down; you can’t do that effectively carrying a bomb. A pilot who flies with a bomb is an easy target.
• Never fly straight and level for more than a few seconds at a time. Ever! Instead, ALWAYS maneuver by moderately changing your heading and altitude—up, down, left, and right…even when transiting from one side of the battle field to the other. This may sound unnecessary when there is no enemy around, but it builds a habit pattern that will make you harder to hit in a dogfight. Remember: A pilot who flies straight and level without maneuvering is an easy target.
• When you fly, be unpredictable. Avoid routines such as flying the same route over and over again at the same altitudes. Avoid the same maneuvers (Such as always turning left) repeated again and again. Your opponent will soon catch on. Remember: A predictable pilot is an easy target.
• Never run away from a fight. If attacked unexpectedly, turn into your opponent and engage him aggressively-- do your best to shoot him down. Remember: An aggressive pilot is hard to kill. A passive pilot is an easy target.
• When flying into the “merge” with an opponent (i.e. flying towards one another to begin a dogfight) resist the temptation to go head-to-head. We’ve all seen this…two opponents flying straight and level, directly at one another; neither one maneuvering—just blasting away until one or the other (or both) are shot down. The head-to-head “tactic” is probably the best way for a good pilot to get killed repeatedly by relatively unskilled opponents. The odds simply are not in your favor…a pilot who goes head-to-head with an opponent isn’t maneuvering. A non-maneuvering pilot is an easy target.
• When flying into the “merge”, jink your aircraft aggressively as you approach your opponent—pull hard up, down, left, and right…roll! …and keep an eye on your opponent as you close with him/her. A pilot who aggressively maneuvers in this manner before the merge is hard to hit by and often is in a better position to get behind an opponent after the merge since he/she has already initiated a turn. Remember: A maneuvering pilot is hard to kill.
• The optimum place to shoot your opponent is between the 5 and 7 o’clock position (the rear of your opponent’s aircraft). A successful “tail-chase” engagement often ends this way…it’s more effective (and safer) for the attacking pilot. Always strive to get on your enemy’s tail.
• Do not get suckered into a prolonged turning fight. Given enough time, when both pilots are simply turning left or right for long periods, the pilot with the better (faster) aircraft will out turn his/her opponent and score an easy kill. If you get into a turning fight with an opponent and it lasts more than 15 seconds (three or four times around the circle), it’s time to come up with a new tactic! I recommend climbing and twisting (jinking and rolling) straight up, up, up toward the sun for approximately 10-15 seconds before pulling your aircraft into a dive toward the deck. If your opponent follows you into the climb, he/she will find it very difficult to put their sights on your aircraft without a visual reference (i.e. the ground) for orient on. Odds are you will survive. If your opponent does NOT follow you into the climb, you will have broken the deadlock of a turning fight and are now in position to plan your next attack on your opponent below. A pilot who flies around and around in a circle is not maneuvering. And a non-maneuvering pilot is an easy target.
• Fight in the “vertical”. Don’t be afraid to dive and climb aggressively during a dogfight. Do not limit your maneuver to flying only left and right. A good pilot will aggressively combine climbs, turns, rolls, and dives until he/she gets a kill. WARNING: As a rule of thumb, do not dive toward the deck when your altimeter is below 150’ or you will likely strike the ground before you pull out.
• Avoid flying close to the terrain. Although it can be fun, terrain flying—or “TERFing”—close to the ground (<100’) limits your ability to maneuver because you will be unable to dive. Flying low puts you at a disadvantage and makes it easier for your opponent to shoot you down.
• Avoid flying high. I don’t see the sense in flying above 500-800’ whether you are a fighter or a (yuck!) bomber. If shot down, it takes FOREVER to parachute to safety. Lower altitudes will get you back into the fight quicker. I know many people use high altitudes for bombing runs because nobody usually goes there…and it’s “safer”…I would recommend flying an indirect route to the target at lower altitudes, instead. Most pilots won’t chase a bomber that is not easy to get to.
• Fire in short, accurate bursts. Limit your fire to short bursts…lasting no more than 2-3 seconds at a time. Shoot, adjust, then shoot again. Long bursts of fire lasting 4-5 seconds (or more) wastes ammunition and telegraphs the orientation of your aircraft to the enemy. When I see someone squirting ammo across the battlefield, I am able to determine whether he/she is coming towards me or away from me…and whether he/she is a threat to me. Even worse, shooting ammo in long bursts isn’t something experienced pilots do. In fact, squirting ammo tells the whole battlefield “I am a noob! Come shoot me down!” I am happy to oblige.
• Do not fixate on your opponent. While shooting at a gently-maneuvering opponent, do not spend more than 10 seconds trying to get the kill. Shoot, adjust, shoot, adjust, shoot. If your opponent hasn’t been hit by that time, break off the attack by aggressively maneuvering up, down, left, or right…and re-set to attack again. A pilot who spends more than 10 seconds shooting and correcting at an opponent is fixated and not maneuvering as he should. He/she has become an easy target for an opponent sneaking up from behind.
• Attack the Ace first. When fighting multiple opponents at the same time, always strive to shoot down the highest-ranking and most experienced pilots first. They pose the greatest threat to you and your teammates and therefore should be the center of your attention. Find them and aggressively attack them.
• Fight as a team. Know your friends. Before going into a fight, take a moment to assign responsibilities for cover (dogfighters) and bombers, as appropriate. This is easily done thru chat…I would recommend a simple “F” or “B” to keep things short and to the point. Fighters—typically the most experienced pilots—should lead the formation with the bombers following behind. Fighters have one mission… to shoot down the enemy fighters (or at least keep them busy dogfighting) thereby allowing the bombers to get through to their targets.
• Know your opponents. Before going into a fight, take a moment to study the names and ranks of your adversaries. The ranks, in particular, are important—in a swirling dogfight, you won’t have time to read names…but the rank symbols are easy to quickly identify. For me, when the rank insignia of my targeted opponent flashes across my canopy, I know immediately who it is! I then maneuver to try and shoot him down.
• Don’t text while you fight. Save the texting for only those times when the enemy is nowhere around. Texting is a distraction and limits your ability to maneuver. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been shot down while typing something that could have waited for later… When you dogfight—shut up and dogfight!
• Honor and integrity count in this game.
o Avoid the temptation to “spawn kill” your opponent while he is still on the ground. While this may be satisfying initially, over time it will earn you a bad reputation among your opponents. Instead, let your opponent get airborne, then attack aggressively.
o Resist the temptation to shoot an opponent in a parachute. This was—and still is—considered cowardly. In my opinion, once you’ve been shot down and are in a parachute, your war is temporarily on hold until you reach the ground. Likewise, a parachuting pilot should resist the temptation to shoot at an opponent with his rifle. Doing so violates the spirit of chivalry and “fair play”. Instead, use your time in the chute to contemplate what you may have done wrong and what you can do better the next time.
o Every once in awhile… let a Rookie pilot get away. We all remember what it was like to be stuck flying the Sopwith Camel or the brown Fokker DrI. So give the “noobs” a break every now and then. Shooting them down repeatedly only discourages them and drives them away from Dogfight.
o Keep your language clean. Dogfight should be a game for the entire family to enjoy. Profanity-filled chat messages or call signs are offensive and juvenile. Resist the temptation to name-call or verbally abuse an opponent or send a profanity-laden text. A pilot who can’t control his emotions lacks discipline and honor. Instead, show your opponent respect when you defeat him...either by complimenting him/her or simply saying nothing. And when you are defeated, give him/her credit for the kill. This will foster respect and good-will among the players-- the game will benefit as a result.
o Don’t whine. That’s a good way to lose respect…I don’t care how many kills you have.
“Fight’s on!”
-SB467